Three Years On, Here’s How Fire Emblem: Three Houses Changed The Series Forever
Fire Emblem: Three Houses came out three years ago. Yes, it really has been that long, but as the pandemic has warped our sense of time forever, who really knows anymore? Either way, the JRPG from Intelligent Systems is a masterpiece, and has established a cultural position that continued to be built on long after the credits rolled.
It’s the sort of game that inspires discussion, whether it’s debating with friends about your favourite house or talking about individual characters and how their personal stories manage to resonate in ways that few in the genre match. Even when put with the likes of Persona and Xenoblade Chronicles, Fire Emblem is beautifully unique.
Related: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review - A JRPG That Teaches Us How To Live, Love, And Learn
Growing up I always saw Fire Emblem as a niche franchise, something that only hardcore fans of the genre would pick up as used copies began being sold for obscene amounts of money online. I’m serious, look up the GameCube entries and come back to me once your wallet has finished crying. You emulate those titles, or you don’t play them, they’re that hard to get a hold of these days thanks to a lack of remasters and remakes.
It wasn’t until Fire Emblem: Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS that the series exploded into the mainstream. It found the perfect balance of dramatic storytelling, tense strategic gameplay, and lovable characters we were expected to form meaningful bonds with. It was also when the series threw aside any pretence and was no longer afraid to express its hornier side. All of these anime boys and girls are cute, and that’s totally okay. I still find the ancient dragon who looks like a small child but is secretly old a bit sus though. Nonce vibes.
Being able
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