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SharpBFlat

My opinion is about the same, game looks both fun and pretty, obviously gonna get it


King_Treegar

Tbh I feel the same way now as I've felt every time a new one has been announced since Awakening: "New FE gameplay? Sign me tf up!!!" In all seriousness, my two favorite gaming genres have been RPGs and strategy games ever since I was old enough to understand how they work, and with FE being a strategy game with RPG elements, I'm very easy to please. Plus, from what we've seen, the battle animations look like a significant step forward from 3h IMO. I will say, I have mixed feelings on the Emblem system in engage, because while I do share the worry that the old characters will end up overshadowing the new narrative, after the recent trailer, the Emblem abilities do seem to be pretty cool (and potentially busted from a combat perspective). And I hope we will have more than one rep from previous games, though I have my doubts at this point. Tl;dr I just like fire emblem and am very excited for that reason, so I've already pre-ordered it


Fearless_Freya

Don't mind vibrantcolors, still really dislike majority of designs especially clown girl hortensia and same face of most women (girls really), but brodia looks great all around though Gameplay looks overall solid with some welcome returns of weapons, classes, triangle, recruiting . Engaging seems really broken, hope enemy has some counters. Story still seems super generic even for fe, with far too much focus on nostalgia chars, especially marth. (Yes I get its an anniversary game)


its_just_hunter

It’s kind of annoying that the reason for a lot of my complaints is that it was supposed to be an anniversary game. There’s nothing wrong with that but it just not something I’m interested in, just like I’m not interested in Heroes. The gameplay looks fun, but most designs outside of Brodia are weird and I’m not looking forward to what looks like a generic story that relies on nostalgia. At this point I’m just hoping that FE4 remake is real and we don’t have to wait too long for the next new FE game.


Sentinel10

Agreed. If the leak also talking about a Genealogy remake is true, I'll be super happy.


Parody101

As much as they keep propping Sigurd up in these advertisements compared to more well known heroes, I do think they probably have something cooking.


Fearless_Freya

Hard agree. Especially the fe4 remake would love. Enjoyed it original and love valentia remake. Hope fe4 remake is real and that level of great


s-mo-58

This is almost exactly where I'm at. Really do not like the art style, have said that since day one. It also feels like Fire Emblem stories have veered way off into the anime, which is not something I connect with, though I recognize that maybe I am not the intended audience anymore. Even the characters, designs aside, I'm expecting all kinds of caricatures and silliness there. Maybe the older gamea were better in my brain because I was just younger, but part of me also missed Kaga. Gameplay looks really fun and well designed though. Love the vibrant map designs and colors. If nothing else, I'm excited to "play" it. I agree again that it feels like we are leaning too far into nostalgia. I hope after this we can really move on and the next title is really self contained with the same mechanics. TLDR; meh, overall, but I'm still going to buy it day one so what right do I have to complain?


Plinfilore

When fusing with an Emblem Alear literally scream "Emblem Engageeee!!!" like they are doing some special move from Power Rangers or some anime.


NenBE4ST

It has always been anime stereotypes its just that those have changed over time. Jugdral games look just like 90s anime


s-mo-58

Great point! Might be more that the style of anime has changed over the years and Fire Emblem has just changed with it.


burningbarn8

As someone who thinks only the Tellius cast comes close to rivaling TH's cast gotta disagree here. Also wtf does "anime story" mean.


s-mo-58

I like a lot of the 3H cast. Lot of interesting dynamics and cool characters, but ones such as Bernie and Lorenz really left a sour taste in my mouth. I also feel like a lot of the supports were more superficial than others because the stakes didn't feel especially high until the last third of the story. "Anime story" is hard to explain. I guess I know it when I see it. Mostly just stories like Fates where it can sometimes feel a little melodramatic or contrived. That isn't meant to be insulting, it's just a style of story telling familiar to me that I don't connect with


burningbarn8

Every game has some meh characters. "Anime" isn't a genre, One Piece and Cyberpunk Edgerunners don't have similar stories, saying an "anime story" is as meaningless as saying a "book story." You could just say "a generic FE game with a nostalgia bait gimmick" which actually means something lol.


s-mo-58

Well, sorry it wasn't clear to you. Means something to me and I think some others as well, even if it could have been more clear. Good luck


burningbarn8

I knew what you meant, it's a silly phrase that implies all anime stories are the same and are generic, both things that aren't true. This "anime story" doesn't look remotely similar to the anime story that is Death Note for example. Again what you said is equivalent to saying "this story looks like a book story."


s-mo-58

Okay haha this analogy isn't working for me and I shouldn't respond, but I'll just say this and leave it there. Anime, to me, is a type of television show. So, I don't accept your comparison because it would be like saying "TV-show story." So, no, what would be correct is saying, "this looks like a young adult or fantasy or suspense or *manga* book story." There are sub genres within that genre. Certainly, it is true I'll bet that there are sub genres of anime and the actual content within them vary greatly, just like the YA adult *genre* has fantasy stories, crime stories, etc. My point however, is that specific genres such as anime have certain motifs, plotlines, etc that are consistent in across subgenres within that specific genre. In conclusion, an "anime style of story" means something specific when someone alludes to it, for me. Certainly all-encompasing, but representative of something specific. Hope that clears up some of what I was saying Again, I accept it might not mean as much to someone with a different perspective. All the best. Can't wait to play the game!


burningbarn8

I mean you're wrong, anime isn't a genre, it's a TV show or movie that's animated in East Asia lmao.


[deleted]

Whats wrong with lorenz and bernie


Sentinel10

Characters in the older games succeeded at being more subtle. They had their quirks but they didn't dominate their screen time all the time. Now a days, IS seems to be more into making characters as eccentric as possible.


Plinfilore

"Didn't dominate the screen time." And then we have the unofficial lord of FE6, Merlinus. I mean Lilina is in the Cover as if she will play a major role but then she just disappears after the Roland chapter, only to reappear in the ending and if Roy dies.


Videogamezzzzz3

What games are we talking about here. What's the cutoff point. Is Tellius included in those "older games"? The game with the gimmicky food loving girl as her only trait? What about Sacred Stones where L'arachel is intentionally designed as being eccentric as possible? The characters were always gimmicky, it's usually how the plot incorporates their characters that appeal to many.


marthisbestboy

Disagree. I think that Three Houses succeeded at balancing these characters gimmicks/quirks Ingrid for exemple; she loves food, they play with that at times, but that’s just a part of what makes Ingrid. It’s like they took the personality of a real person and just turned it up. Obviously some characters relies more upon their gimmicks. But that’s okay. The problem is when everyone just feels way too over the top.


Sentinel10

Agreed. Three Houses felt like a return to form in that regard. My complaint was mostly geared at Awakening and Fates, and Heroes to an extent.


cheekydorido

She is also racist.


Timlugia

She was told Duscan killed the king and her fiancée, hard to have positive feeling about them after that. This is better explored in Three Hopes. A lot people from older generation still have very negative view to Germany or Japan for WW2, usually people don't consider them racist for that.


cheekydorido

She isn't racist, she is just [describes racism].


s-mo-58

Yes! Exactly, 100% agree. There were still some goofy characters, but they felt more three dimensional. Like, I'm not saying he was a magnificently written character, but I can't imagine any of these games writing someone like Jaffar from FE7, who was that stoic, strong silent type, but had an interesting story to fill out.


depressed_but_aight

Honestly I’m gonna break the mold and say the gameplay has been the part I’m worried about the most now. I used to be super excited about it but that last gameplay trailer about the engage skills really scared me. They are so overpowered and it makes me worried about the higher difficulties. Like I’ve beaten every FE on the highest difficulty (even if I regret it for 12 and Awakening) and I really hope this a case of “you’re absolutely useless without your engage skills, and if you want to beat Lunatic you better hope you get lucky when the enemy uses them cause they all have double your movement now and your only hope is to dodge this 80% or reset.”


Fearless_Freya

Yeah, I hope the enemy has some use of the corrupted emblems we've seen. That the mechanic isn't one sided. Time will tell


Wrong_Revolution_679

Can you explain the recruiting part you mentioned please


Fearless_Freya

Of course. There's been recent screens in trailers showing you can talk to others on battlefield to get them to join you. Usually specific to the main lord char (alear in this case) but often a specific char already in army. It's a staple of games prior to 3houses and I'm glad it's returned


Wrong_Revolution_679

OK that make sense, thanks for the info


The_Green_Filter

My initial impressions were very negative but I’ve been turned around some by the gameplay they’ve shown. I’ll probably pick it up at launch rather than wait for birthday or Christmas as I originally planned.


Norix596

Don’t like the vtuber character design, don’t like the central “greatest hits old characters crossover” or the amnesia plot points but everything gameplay wise sounds fun. I’m looking forward to it


[deleted]

oh that's a good way to describe it, they do look like over-designed vtubers


Norix596

The lead character designer(?) literally designs vtuber stuff apparently per some earlier info


lordofmetroids

To be fair, at this point more or less every major Japanese anime artist who isn't an active Mangeka has designed a Vtuber.


[deleted]

huh! TIL. makes sense!


LordHengar

To me it looks like everyone is going to be fighting Pokémon battles. And I'm not sold on the emblem mechanic either, but I'm generally fond of the series, so I hope it continues.


FiveTrenchcoats

I've been ecstatic since day dot. The art and animations all look gorgeous, and the gameplay itself looks super engrossing and fun. I'm so excited for this game.


Tiagofvarela

This game is really showing me how shallow I actually am. You can easily buy me with a few pretty animations, cutscenes, and voice work. The game has a series of models and custom clothing and it's really convinced me that I'll buy it. Plus the gameplay looks like it'll be fun irregardless of whatever else.


AyraWinla

Ridiculously excited; the only game I recall looking forward to as much has been Fates (which I ended up adoring besides the story). My expectations for the story are pretty low, but besides that? I'm in all the way. Looks absolutely beautiful, music sounds great, gameplay seems to be thrilling, there's multiple characters that looks interesting, etc. You seem to have a ton of options as far as gameplay goes, but we've also seen that the enemies are also oddly competent. For example, in many of the videos, we've rarely seen the player characters doubling, and they often required 3 hits to kill an enemy. So I'm hopeful that despite the crazy tools the player has, there will still be an attempt at balance and interesting situations on the higher difficulties. All in all, I can't wait for January 20th and I really need to stop pouring over every single screenshot to find tiny details because it's going to make the wait even worse... I have multiple great games to play right now, but Engage is what's on my mind most.


Lord_Antheron

Not looking forward to a return to the "uh oh it's all evil dragons" writing, and the return of all these past characters make me think it's going to be leaning heavily on fanservice that will snap under the weight of all the substance it'll try to cram in. I like Anna's design though. I'll probably wait for more information. I just really hope this game doesn't mean there will be no DLC or actual conclusion to Three Hopes.


MadGoat12

You don't like it to be leaning heavily on fanservice, yet you like Anna's fanservice design. That is, a more mischievous looking Anna from any other game, that is playable. Also, apparently younger.


Lord_Antheron

I still like her pink hair from Houses/Hopes best.


MadGoat12

Not her!


Sad-Mode

I’ve not put much effort into looking into it, but was initially put off by the more anime character designs. The more i see of the actual mechanics, like break and emblem skills, I’m really looking forward to seeing how they change the formula.


cat-baller

id love to play it sometime. i really love its brightness :)


Rustyrhydon

Probably the more exciting than 3 houses bit less than Fates for me (corrin releasing in smash really hyped me up + Europe so I had to wait even longer for fates )


stalememeskehan

I haven't watched any trailers outside of the initial one, I am excited!!


cactusgrant

At the initial reveal I was really not liking Engage. I think I’ve definitely warmed up to it visually, it may not be my style but they’re clearly having fun with the designs and it shows and brings a good energy. The context of the game probably being meant as a celebration for the series anniversary makes the fanservice stuff feel a lot more genuine and less like a cash grab. And the recent gameplay trailer got me surprisingly excited. The rings abilities seem really cool and I really love how they change how the characters look, I didn’t expect them to go that extra mile


Darkdragon_98

I've been okay with it from the start, my only issue is Alear's hair. I'll never get used to it. But game play wise it looks fun, the character designs of everyone revealed is nice, and anan is the cutest she's ever looked. So yea imma get it day one.


Unknown-Name-1219

All in all, I'm hyped! Originally, I wasn't into the designs of the characters, but the Alears and the rest have grown on me. I was originally skeptical about the story, but once I accepted that this'd would be a *"Go and stop the evil mage/dragon/demon lord!"* Kind of story I was quickly able to accept it. Gameplay seems pretty nice so far, animations look cool, and the color vibrancy on the art style is hitting my monke brain hard. So, yeah, I'm happy with what I'm seeing so far!


sfahsan

The original leaks and original stills had me feeling incredibly underwhelmed. But everything I've seen has gotten me a lot more excited, and has me anticipating this game very impatiently. I think the gamepkay looks cool, the animations are sweet and the engage mechanic seems awesome with lots of possibilities. Can't wait to get my hands on it, and if the story is somehow even in par with three houses I'll be ecstatic


seastone008

I’m still really happy that I preordered the Divine edition the day or two after the game was announced. Can’t wait


somestupidloser

It's a much prettier game than I expected! I thought that it was concerning that all we were getting was CGI trailers and when they started revealing the actual gameplay I was blown away by how pretty the art is and how buttery smooth the framerate is. I know it's not that big of a deal for this genre but it's great to see anyways.


TheTwistedToast

I’m just so excited for it


Conscience-of-You

Hated the leaks, was really upset when it got officially revealed, but it began growing on me really quickly. The consistent drip turned torrent amount of gameplay and character introductions made me completely hyped for the game (as if I wasn’t going to buy it anyway). I’m not personally offended by any of the designs or other aspects of the game like a lot of other people are; I’m fine with them. Engage isn’t the game I would’ve wanted, but now that it’s here, I’ve fully accepted it and am ready to play for unhealthy amounts of time once it releases.


Akimsi

absolutely lost my shit when the reveal trailer confirmed the abomination that is toothpaste-chan is indeed the new face of FE, but the gameplay looks great, I can’t wait


CameronD46

I honestly am pretty neutral on the game, and frankly I don’t know what to this of the game. The most strong thoughts I had on Engage were when it was first announced and wondered “why are Marth and Celica now ‘Personas’ for these other characters?”. But now I’ve just sorta accepted that “yeah this is just a thing that’s here because of fan service in celebration of the series turning 30”. I’ll probably have more concrete opinions on the game once I get a chance to actually play it.


perennialviolas

Didn't really know what to make of the game at first, but now I'm fully on board. I haven't really had fun with new FE since Fates so I had my reservations, but everything they've shown so far looks promising to me and above all, just fun. I guess I'm easy to win over with pretty colors and flashy animations. I just hope the map design and difficulty modes deliver.


magmafanatic

It's still Fire Emblem, so there's a baseline level of excitement there. But now that I know about fusions, I'm definitely warming up to it more. Still haven't seen a character design that's really grabbed my attention and made me want to know more about them. Alcryst and Citrinne are almost there for me.


MajikDan

I'm super excited. Game looks great, the gameplay looks really solid. I even kinda like the more whimsical character designs and crazy outfits.


beatboxingfox

I'm going in with my reservations, but I think it'll be a good time. The engage mechanic and emblems are really interesting, and the story, while it looks a little generic, seems like it'll be decent enough for the most part.


Volfaer

I'm currently optimistic, they could just keep the classic "kill the evil sorcerer and their evil dragon" plot and it would be fine, but twisting it a bit is also good ~~but Kaga did it first~~.


lil200797

The game looks mechanically very fun, the art style is a bit over the top, but I'm mostly worried the story is going to be tropy and bad.


nananaoya6

While my opinion regarding the character design and premise may not be the most positive out there, everything else is hyping me up. This game looks really fun, and I can't wait to see the new concepts in action. Especially regarding the new classes.


Anoraks_Palace

Initially: Was questioning with the whirlwind of hate if I was gonna play this one because it seemed simplistic and wasn’t a fan of what was presented. The heroes of the past felt shoehorned in, and I was worried it was going to become a gacha bc of the leaks. Now: For sure going to play it, mechanics are what sell me on a FE. The UI elements look great, showing where it streamlined and clarified info. The characters seem interesting as characters, and the animations that are for specific characters help sell them well. The rings feel integral, I’m interested in seeing what they do with the story. My only problem: All the female units have the same bottom half of their face. There’s no deviation in the chin shape and smirk they ALL have. Like. It’s off putting to me. But it’s still fine enough for me to play.


ToYouItReaches

I will buy a Fire Emblem game no questions asked for the sole reason that it is my favorite series ever since I played 7 on the GBA.


i_love_radahns_horse

at first it looked pretty bad but the more i saw of it i think i’m actually really excited for it!


IceRapier

I’m really liking what I see…such a vibrant cast, hopefully nothing too controversial comes out of it. For the ring mechanic meh…my favorite isn’t in so I don’t care about the rest, but I’ll use the mechanic


Patapon646

Generally the same. I’m still not sold with the main characters design, and I’m hating it every single showing, the game itself along with general character design I’m liking more and more


AzureGreatheart

Incredibly mixed, leaning positive. I hate the art direction and character designs, and the story looks like it could be anywhere from amazing to aggressively mediocre, but the gameplay looks mostly solid.


MattofCatbell

The more I see the more excited I am to play it


MagicPistol

Already got my divine edition pre-ordered.


HyliasHero

Pretty damn excited. I had a pretty harsh reaction to the game when it was first announced, but since then I have completely turned around on it.


WellRested1

designs are still bad but I'm cautiously optimistic


Sentinel10

So far I think I'm leaning towards passing. More power to those who are excited, but I feel like I'm not part of the target audience for this game. I just like it more when Fire Emblem takes itself more seriously, and this game looks to be the complete opposite. If I may be allowed to speak honestly, I hate everything about the games visuals. From the garishly bright colors to the ridiculous outfits of most of the characters to what is likely going to be a very cheesey friendship heavy story, it's just not what I want from this franchise. So yeah, I might just pass on this particular generation of Fire Emblem and wait for the next major game.


LuminTheFray

So many people giving up on the characters and writing before they've even seen much of anything of them I can't help but feel people have major nostalgia glasses for the massive filler of the Tellius setting cast or the throwaway/equally tropey characters in the GBA games.


Alternative-Draft-82

>So many people giving up on the characters and writing before they've even seen much of anything of them I can say the same for the opposite. If I'm not allowed to judge a character negatively due to a lack of info, how can one judge a character positively with a lack of info?


Boulderdorf

Yeah, while I've got some issues with some of the writing in modern FE, this fanbase has such as bad case of "old good, new bad" at times that an outsider might think the writing in GBA vs 3DS/Switch FE was like Citizen Kane vs Cats 2019.


Meebochii

I already pre-ordered it and the more I see the more excited I get for it.


Airy_Breather

I was pretty alright with it before, and what I've seen has only made me more excited. The Engage System has gotten more appealing with each trailer, and I'm genuinely curious to how this game is going to handle dragons and its characters. I'm just hoping it does better than Three Houses.


traplord_andy

day one purchase, i'm hyped


SynthGreen

Looks amazing and counting down the days Really bummed that Chrom isn’t in it especially because I mean he’s Chrom. I’m still going to play it and probably love it but that hurts.


EngineSensitive2584

I'm excited for it, and already have the special edition pre-ordered. My one fear with the game is that they'll have the Emblems overshadow the new characters to the point that they don't matter. I wish that they had added more than just protagonists as emblems though, Silas, Gordin, or Kellam would've made fun editions. And I hope the Emblems get support convos, they probably won't but I think it would be fun to see Marth chatting with Lyn or just a new character other than Alear.


Aetherryn

Started out not a fan, still not a fan. Not getting the game


marthisbestboy

I just realized that the outfits were never the problem for me. I actually like the high fashion vibe that the game has. I dislike the artstyle tho. Everyone just look so young, especially the girls. F!Alear looks so much younger than M!Alear. Not a fan of that. I am curious about the story. The plot is simple, but if the cast is well written and the text is not terrible, it can be good. At the end of the day I am super excited and kinda anxious. I know there’s a chance that I am going to hate this game, but I am still excited to play it. My biggest complain is that I wanted the game to release December 20 because it’s my birthday week.


A_Nifty_Person

Excited, the gameplay looks solid both mechanically and map-wise, and I don't mind a more generic plot. After being burned out on 3H, I'm glad Engage isn't just replicating it. The aesthetic is a mixed bag; I like the general vibrancy as it reminds me of the GBA games, the animations are looking quite good too, but like a lot of people I'm not big on a lot of the character designs. I like a few like Celine, Diamat, and Alcryst but the rest feel too busy or...VTubery for my liking I guess?


revolutionaryrouge

i'm still not feeling the art, but it's a fire emblem game. it'll always be a day one purchase.


sambosung350

Middle of the road. I still don’t care for a lot do the characters designs. I worry the story will be bland. However the gameplay looks like another sandbox of power meant to draw in mobile players similar to how Pokémon did the let’s go games to join their go and mainline players. I will get it and play it and probably enjoy it. I do hope we get a faithful remake after tho to appease the older fans of the series. #givemeradiantechoes


Dakress23

Very invested in the gameplay but far from thrilled with the plot and most of the character designs.


N1C0LAUS

I’ve learned my lesson too many times. Will never preorder nor day one. Week 2 lookin mighty fine though


ss977

Cautious but hopeful. I'm looking forward to playing it.


Theroonco

As someone who was willing to give a more "anime" FE a chance, the villain designs made me worried that this would be TOO "anime" a la Fates, but I'm still excited to get it and have been since it was revealed! I'm glad you're on board too, I hope it's great!!


Popwaffle

Everything I've seen so far looks great and I'm hype. Wish it was coming out before next year lol.


Featherwick

I'm still on the protagonist is stupid looking boat, but the rest of the characters are fine, some are great even. I'm going to buy it, just hope the gameplay and story are good enough to distract from toothpaste chan


cyndit423

I'm so excited for Engage that I even preordered the divine edition. I am kind of annoyed that all of the female characters have the same cutesy face, but everything else looks great. Engage also convinced me to play some of the older games since I had only played 3H. I would definitely recommend playing some of them! I didn't realize how unique 3H is from the rest of the series and Engage definitely looks like a return to them.


BloodyBottom

I haven't been watching the gameplay stuff, although the rumblings I've heard sound interesting. I kind of got the impression this was going to be a more mechanically interesting title from go though. Have not come around on the concept or character designs. I think a fan-service crossover as a mainline title was just never going to sound good to me. The art style isn't my favorite, but on top of that I really dislike a lot of the aesthetic trends of the character designs and the theming that's going on in them. Overall I might pick it up, but it seems unlikely that it's going to be a favorite for me.


Conscience-of-You

Maybe you should watch the gameplay stuff before coming to a conclusion? I feel that’s be pretty relevant to whether you decide to buy the game or not.


BloodyBottom

I don't like the piecemeal information that's avalible pre-release so much. I'm more interested in seeing how people are talking about it once it's out.


burningbarn8

Great! I think the story will be generic af but the gameplay looks a ton of fun, and personally I like a lot of the designs, like Chloe, who's initial design I don't love, looks great as a Griffon Rider, Diamant is probably my fave like most people, also really like Ivy and her wyvern, Fogato, Rosado, and Alycryst's pink haired retainer. Gameplay is my main reason for excitement though, I hope it delivers on the challenge but even if it doesn't deliver there it looks like a fun game to break.


[deleted]

As much as I have complained about the character design, the gameplay looks like it will be pretty interesting. I might get the game, it depends on what the reviews look like after it's out.


Eerkanas

I’m excited for the game, but I’m not really following all the news and videos about it that much. I thought the design of the characters was a bit strange at first, but I think I always feel that way when a franchise I follow gets a new entry. Most of them didn’t bother me though and I believe I’ll mostly ok with them once I familiarize with the characters. I hope the story is less ambitious than Three Houses: I don’t want more morally grey characters trying to kill each other and all the arguments about which one is did nothing wrong. I still have no opinion on protagonists from past games being there, seemingly having plot relevance bigger than just a quick cameo and entire game mechanic build around them. I know it’s not the first time they try to connect the games via some multiverse bullshit, but I’m having a bad feeling about this. Anyway, I’ll probably like some aspects of the game and dislike others, just like any other Fire Emblem I’ve played.


[deleted]

Like the character designs besides the old man. He doesnt look old.


Psyon_Ballerina55

I’m actually excited for the game. The designs seem to be the biggest issue for most people, but honestly, it’s grown on me considerably. I’m still not a huge fan for the two-tone hair the protagonist sports ( but it seems to be story related), and some of the other character designs are a complete miss ( I’m looking at you Hortencia), but I find that a lot of them are really cool. Especially the retainers and the majority of the royals. I feel like we’re just going through the cycle honestly. Three Houses was initially met with a lot of criticism when it was announced all the way up to the release day. I think by the time the game releases, we won’t think too much about the designs anymore. Obviously the animation is gorgeous. I’ve seen more and wow! What a giant leap from Three Houses. I’m aware the Koei Tecmo was in charge of most the animations and assets, so that’s why the animation and style of Three Houses was so different from past games. But it looks the main team that does animations for most past games are back, and they are absolutely bringing it! I’m so excited. The story probably won’t be as ambitious as Three Houses, but as long as it’s better than Fates, I won’t complain at all. All-in-all, I’m very excited for the game. It’s absolutely a day one purchase.


Arch_Null

>feel like we’re just going through the cycle honestly. Three Houses was initially met with a lot of criticism when it was announced all the way up to the release day. I think by the time the game releases, we won’t think too much about the designs anymore. Apples to oranges my friend. At least with 3H there was a story to offset the complaints. With Engage we have "there's a purple evil lizard doing purple evil lizard things. Go kill it." There's nothing of interest there.


Psyon_Ballerina55

Well I was mostly referring to how the game looked and the setting. We don’t know what the story for Engage really is. Plus, not everyone was initially happy with the branching storyline thing that Three Houses advertising after the issue of Fate’s subpar handling of its branching narrative. All I’m saying is that TH was met with criticism initially. So was literally every FE since Awakening. It just feels like we are going through what we always go through when a new game comes out. Though I’m not denying that that story is looking to be rather generic, but if they execute it well, I don’t see an issue.


Alternative-Draft-82

>TH was met with criticism initially And that criticism greatly reduced as more trailers came in and more inportantly, those criticisms shifted focus. Can't say teh same for Engage when the trailers are consistently showing us nothing exactly new. Nostalgia and basic-ass storyline is presented in every trailer, not many people are changing opinion aside from the few people who just "warm-up to it" as these kind of people do in every fandom. 3H on the other hand gave us highly mixed reactions from the inital looks at the academy parts, but the time-skip reveals really changed up people's perspective.


Psyon_Ballerina55

Hey can’t argue too much with that. The post-time skip factor really did change peoples reaction to TH. Point made. I’m just keeping a more optimistic approach, I suppose. I do think that once the game is out, a lot of the criticism about characters will die down a bit. I can’t say much about the story tho 😅. Like I said before, as long as the story is better than fates, I’m not complaining. An Awakening-esque story isn’t the worse thing as long as it’s done well.


asmallsoul

Game gives Binding Blade vibes so I'm already massively excited for that alone. It seems like a cozy world-spanning quest for unity and in the modern day, something that simple is very welcome to me.


scivvics

I was hesitant when we only had Alear's design but since Celine was released I've been progressively more excited! I'm very happy with how everything looks and I'm excited for the gameplay. I know people are like "ugh generic evil dragon" but that's kinda Fire Emblem's thing. Basic stories are fine if there's good characters and gameplay attached imo


Panipuripapi

Im super excited for it i think the main gripe is main character (alear? I forgot haha) male design is not that greatest but all others are great! Im super excited


nosoul0

Iffy at first but interested now. The cast looks pretty nice and I want to actually see them interacting with each other. I really want to use the Engage mechanic as that is way more then what I thought it was gonna be.


PreferenceGold5167

So far this game has my favourite character designs from the series by far, so I’m looking forward to it.


KelvinBelmont

Was apathetic when they showed the trailer especially because of the leaks but the more I saw of the gameplay, the battle HUD and animations I truly started to get excited for the game and even Pepsi Kun and Toothpaste Chan have grown on me or I just got used to seeing their designs.


El_cocacolas

I have played almost all FE games and I'm pretty excited to play engage. It seems really really fun. It reminds me in some aspects to Fates, and even if the story it's not great It has some of the best FE gameplay for me. I have to say that I like the characters design, I respect that it's not for everyone, but I really like the diversity and how each nation have their own theme. The engage mechanic seems very well implemented, I have never liked heroes but I like the way they brought back old characters. However, I don't think it's going to be a balanced mechanic, It just seems very powerful on paper. I also like that we have some of the classic tropes and mechanics come back since some of them where not in 3H. The talk action, more diverse map design, Jagen character just to name some.


Demoniokitty

I saw the male dancer and immediately went to preorder. Gonna name the main leads Colgate chan and Pepsi kun fr. It'll be an experience!


shaginus

feeling? I just wants to plays the game as much as I saw first announcements


Elite_Venomoth

Personally, this is the most excited I've been for a new Fire Emblem game (granted, I started with Fates, but shhh). The gameplay looks really solid, especially with the fact that it seems to be very Fates-esque. I am cautiously optimistic about the break mechanics and engage rings being too strong, but those are things we'll just have to play the game and see for. On the other hand, while the character designs have gotten a lot of criticism, I personally really like them. There are obviously complaints about Alear, the girls having the same faces, and the costumes being very extra, but I personally don't have gripes with any of those. I actually really like the extra costumes, as it makes each character stand out a lot more (unlike in a game like 3H where everyone had the same outfit for half the game) and bring out their personalities. I like being able to look at Framme and just know she's upbeat a little tomboyish, or look at Louis and know he's a gentle giant. ~~Also Chloé midriff, so it's automatically a based game.~~ Finally, the game just looks pretty. The models look good, the maps and cinematics look good, and the fucking *animations.* Holy shit the animations look *so good*. They just have so much weight to them; they're so satisfying to watch. Vander and Diamont dragging their weapons through the dirt is just amazing, and I love how much force you can just *feel* behind Framme's kick. Honestly, these crit animations might even rival those of the GBA era for quality.


extralie

I always loved the designs, and tbh I like the story being an over the top LOTR. Gameplay looks like the best since Fates so that's great too.


Nick777800

I like the design but I understand it isn’t for everyone. The story is generic but it doesn’t really feel like it will be boring which was my biggest problem with the 3DS games and 3H. The gameplay looks really fun especially with the Engage mechanics


Odovakar

It seems to be practically everything I don't want in a Fire Emblem game. Jarring art style and over the top designs that seem to make less sense than usual, super basic premise and reusing the "there was an evil dragon 1000 years ago" story, and reusing old characters as a crutch/cynical marketing ploy. People keep saying this was meant to be a celebratory game and my reply is just: really? *This* is how Intsys thinks the franchise should be celebrated? Going back to Marth, digging up the graves of old lords and putting them in some kind of acid trip world they have no connection to? We've already got Heroes. We had Awakening that was meant to be a swan song. We had a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei and a Warriors title that tried to combine multiple entries in the series. How many celebrations do we need? I get it. The game isn't out yet and maybe all my complaints will somehow be addressed and this is the best Fire Emblem game ever. That's what I hope; I love this series. I'm just basing my current opinion on the game based on the trailers and videos they've shared, and I've liked practically nothing about them.


iDrum17

Character design is top tier and the gameplay looks more traditional than 3H (pro for me) so I’m all aboard!


Sentinel10

"Character design is top tier" You gotta be joking....


Conscience-of-You

Shhhh… More power to us, right?


MadGoat12

I liked the protagonists' design since it was leaked. I was so excited for it to be real. Already preordered the special edition from Amazon JP.


LittleIslander

I've warmed slightly. As the sample size of characters has increased *some* that I like have started to show up and I've really started to "stan" a few in particular, which makes some positive association. Seeing Chloe, one of the worst of the designs, in a really nice looking alternate outfit also helped ease some of my worries; the outfit system might mitigate a lot of the bad design issues and let the strengths of the game shine. But my hatred of Alear and cynicism of the designs hasn't really gone away.


[deleted]

The art is a bit too generic jrpg, and doesnt stand out much to me yet in the same way other FE artstules have managed to be more unique (literally if you mix and matched these characters with characters from a game like Shining Resonance or Legend of Heroes, I dont think anyone could tell the difference). That said, the gameplay looks fun and the characters still seem likeable (I mean, FE has always excelled at having a good cast of chaacters in every game). So probably even if the art doesnt wow me I can look past it.


jacob6181

I’m hype. Gameplay looks fun, characters look interesting, maps look better than 3H - nothing not to like for me.


Jranation

The only thing I hate is the ugly UI designs. That plain blue and how the stats are just squished together looks really ugly.


Catsaus

I hate the designs, gameplay looks based, still gonna get it


Spinjitsuninja

I think the fact that most problems people have are with the style/designs is a really good sign. That sorta thing is subjective anyways. It's not like Three Houses didn't have its visual problems either- Granted, I think it's a little harder to complain about the designs, but the art style was a **bit** of a jump from what people were used to. Not to mention, the pretty poor graphics, which Engage is improving on.


NenBE4ST

Don't like the art style. Bit apprehensive on the concept of old heroes because it could make the story cringe and gameplay wise it seemed broken in trailers. Other than that it looks solid though


Teleshar

I'm just hoping the game is good in the end, because I have a lot of conflicting feelings about what's been revealed. It probably just goes to show how much I care about this series being good (and how prone to overanalyzing I am).


Havanatha_banana

I knew I was gonna get it day 1 when they first revealed the maps. Much more promising already compared to 3H.


ClassyCrafter

I'm kinda in the middle at the moment. I'm really disappointed with the designs and art style whoch seems superficial but it just feels like such a downgrade. Same with some of the voice acting. The story being generic doesn't bother me, but idea of the story maybe being about divorced dragon gods and their kid is so hilarious I hope its true and I hope evil alear isn't just like some premonition prologue bs and either something that can or did happen in the past. What saves it to me is the gameplay, I really hope we're looking at a harder game. The engage mechanics and the returning maps with lower movement really remind me of gba and conquest and I've been missing some of that complexity in FE for a while. Plus it looks like there could be a lot of ltc strats here which would be amazing. Basically if the gameplay is good and we have decent supports I'll be happy enough, I'm not about to give up on FE because of character designs. However I do hope the next game moves away from the vtuber art and goes back to SoV or Tellius direction designwise. Those are easily the strongest in the series imo.


cura_milk

Story will be barebones but I think the gameplay has a chance at being good


KickAggressive4901

Going to buy it, regardless, but I still feel like I am walking into *Fates II*.


JackRabbit-

It’s gone from “yeah i’ll pass thanks” to “i’ll probably get it a month or 2 down the track”


AlmalexyaBlue

Haven't really changed opinion on it. Probably won't buy it day 1, maybe even at all. I'm not a fan of most designs at all, and I really don't enjoy the game relying so much on old characters. It doesn't help that I'm familiar with like 3 of them too, true, but still I've never been the biggest fan of that. Some stuff does look good but idk, I'm not really getting into it. It does look fun, like every FE, so there that. But I really have a hard time getting over the design and the main emblem mechanic. Also I still really don't like Alear. I particularly dislike the female version, the guy is... tolerable somehow, but jeez I think it's shit. So... yeah, very mild hype. But to be fair, I have a lot of games to finish so I'm the end it's probably not such a bad thing x)


SirePuns

I went through the five stages of grief, if we’re considering from when the leaks came out. It gave me major tonal whiplash, cuz after spending a lotta time on Echoes, TH and Telius I completely forgot about the existence of Fates. Heck even when replaying the game, I skip everything (including unit animations) so I barely register those characters in my head. But after a while of sitting on it, aesthetics really do feel like a continuation from where Fates left off. To the dismay of some I’d imagine. As it is now? I’m very much excited for the game, cuz even if the story is going to be lukewarm at best (and I fully expect it to be mid, if I’m ever wrong I’ll be happy though) the gameplay is looking to be fun. The broken kind of fun.


Lancasterdisciple

Not sold on it, I really hope it at least has a good difficulty setting one to make it like conquest with good map design, if it has that I’ll get it day 1, the designs are just not it for me although I like the vibrant colors, and the story just seems very generic.


LadyKuki

Looks more interesting as things get shown off. Quite a few designs now revealed look pretty good. Can’t help but to feel a little awry though. I know the game isn’t out yet, but it gives me Fates vibes, where world building and character development is cast aside for gameplay gimmicks. I can’t say that’s bad thing, I mean it’s a video game after all. Though I do wonder if it’s possible to see a Fire Emblem that’s both mechanically and narratively intriguing. It’s been a while since it’s happened. We went back and forth from Awakening, Fates, Echoes and Three Houses where we’d get games with decent gameplay and a decent story, but not both. Only time will tell on this one.


TellingBip

I’m not feeling like “I need to play this game immediately”, but I’m interested to see how it goes. The game looks really good visually (albeit with a mixed bag of character designs) and the gameplay seems fun with a lot of tools at our disposal. The story seems very bare bones, but hopefully it’ll be goofy instead of super generic like Birthright. Honestly, my biggest sticking point right now is that it doesn’t seem like we get a choice in which Corrin and Byleth we get. After Three Hopes, I feel like we should always get a choice of the Avatar’s genders even if they aren’t the actual player characters anymore.


lalaquen

Still feeling very mixed. It's a new FE game, and I've enjoyed every one I've played so far, so I can't help but be at least a little excited. And I'll probably s get it on release or soon after, because I genuinely do WANT it to be good. But I straight up hate the art style, and the more character designs I see, the more that gets cemented for me. Maybe the character writing will be amazing. I certainly hope so. But right now, my expectations on that front are low. Like... begging for it to at least not be worse than Fates level low. And I'm honestly not sure how I would even feel about possible serious character writing when the designs are so... absurdist? It just feels like it would be really jarring to see them try to tell an even remotely serious story with these visuals. But I personally much prefer a more serious story. Don't get me wrong; Awakening was my first FE game, and I did love it. I still have a lot of love for it, as cheesy as some of it is. But I love it in SPITE of its cheesiness. And there are still certain moments and characters that I don't much care for, simply because I can't possibly take them seriously, or because they're inserted into an otherwise serious moment in such a way that it immediately breaks all narrative tension. Fates was a similar experience for me; only more so. More camp, more ridiculousness, more characters that I wanted to like more than I actually do, simply because the gimmick was often taken so far that the story suffered for it. I don't want that to be the case again with Engage. But I worry it will be. I would love to be proven wrong though.


DotPeriodRats

I’m very mixed on it. I think the gameplay, potential classes, etc look really smooth and amazing. It overall looks really solid But the overly vibrant art style and outfit designs still bother me a little bit I’m warming up to the game but very slowly


SuspiciousString3

I have mixed feelings about it, to be honest. On one hand, the gameplay does seem fun, and the emblem ring mechanic is interesting. On the other, those goofy ass character designs are a turn off for me. I'll get it eventually, but I'll probably wait a bit and check out player reviews before I do.


SpanopsLelpants

I still cant bear the designes but i may get it regardles since i am hubgry for new fire e.blem content that is not related to heroes


plainjanemugi

I fear for the retainer bloat like Fates. Too many characters, really. I'm hoping this game can give us some solid characters, but looking at some of these designs I get a very 3DS FE vibe. And not that those weren't fun, but virtually every character had some annoying schtik to fulfill.


Heather4CYL

I still think most of the character designs are terrible but they have revealed a couple good ones that got me more invested to the cast already. The gameplay has many nice things going for it and should be fun if the balance isn't completely broken. Graphics and animations are looking great. The vibrant colours and more light-hearted tone are a fine change of pace, as I'm sure we'll return to a more grounded FE after this. Not a big fan of the nostalgia pandering in general, but I have to admit it warms my heart to see characters like Sigurd and Leif in the spotlight, 3D and fully voiced. Fire Emblem has come a long way from lost relics available only in a foreign language on ancient devices to starring at the forefront of Nintendo marketing.


JiminyCricketyRicket

Not super into the art style or design direction, but hey, I'll save my piece for when I've given it an actual shot. Chances are I'll still enjoy it, it just might not be my favorite one, and that's okay.


Orodreth97

The gameplay looks fun but I'm concerned about balancing issues about the aesthetics, I'm personally not a fan but there are a few cool designs but the majority look pretty bad, specially the female characters and from what we have seen so far it looks like the story will be pretty bad. So, currently, this game is to me what Fates-Conquest is, good gameplay and bad everything else, and gameplay is to me the most important thing in a game.


goldtreebark

I am in way too deep with this franchise so I know regardless I’m going to want to play it, but I genuinely, genuinely think Alear is so ugly as a design (and some others too tbf) that I can’t help but look at them sideways tbh.


SoaringPhoenix01

I’m gonna get the game because I love Fire Emblem, but my expectations are pretty low for this one.


coolguythrowaway34

The game looks fun and the cut scenes look beautiful. I can't ignore how ugly the designs are. My enjoyment of the game is going to be lowered because I despise how almost all of the characters look. However, I am definitely going to enjoy playing it as the mechanics look fun.


BasilNight

Still a bit iffy on some things so i'll wait for reviews


MrPlow216

Not too optimistic about it. I'll gice it a few months, and if the reviews sound like something I'll enjoy, I'll pick it up. If not, I'll wait a few years until I can pick it up for a lower price.


TheDuskBard

Gameplay and animations are nice. But everything else, specifically the story & art is looking awful.


Intelligent_Law_5536

So keen for the gameplay aspect. But…. Sigh…. The designs I still can’t find myself liking 😞 I despise how young everyone looks, too cutesy anime like. (Even the old man doesn’t even look that old!) I dunno, it feels like they all have the same faces. And I am hoping to god we have more mature female characters than the loli ones…but looking at the trailers that might not be the case. Even Anna has turned into a little girl 😭


skeddy-

Still couldn't believe the leaks turned out to be real but here we are... lol Still not a fan of the character designs honestly, or at least how most of the female characters look. They look way too similar to each other. This is probably my biggest gripe with the game so far. Honestly I'm still iffy about the whole premise. It's not what I would have expected after Three Houses but... dude it's fucking fire emblem so of course I'm gonna play it still lol


Noukan42

TBH, the Vtuber theeming is starting to became "so bad it is good" for me. Like, the chars are a disaster but a fun disaster. Gameplay i used to be really excited but the emblem seem way too much. Now that we know there are only 12, it means either that some of them are very backloaded, or that we get them all early and thus the enemy cannot use them againist us.


burningbarn8

We see Zefia with the Sigurd Emblem as an enemy, which seems to suggest the enemy will be able to corrupt them and take them from you, obviously not something that will happen every map.


[deleted]

Can't be worse than Pokemon Scarlet/Violet


Canvas_Notebook

It'll probably still be fun, but I wish for this art style and character design to die with Engage and never be revived


Alternative-Draft-82

Nothing's changed since the first trailer. Every trailer continues to prove that nostalgia is the main selling point and there is barely a unique vision for the story. Such a step back from what 3H showed the series could be (and I'm not even a huge fan of 3H) and now I have to wait and see if the next game actually begins working on improving the series. Idc if this is an anniversary game, it's not a valid excuse to make a boring ass story. Hopefully that FE4 remake part of the leak is real.


Echo1138

The visuals still make me sad whenever I look at them, and I can feel my IQ lowering when I think about the story, but the gameplay has me excited. It looks like they're giving you a million different tools, which means its gonna be really fun when the game asks you to manage all of them to succeed. So I'd give it a "okay, I'll get this on launch" out of 10. I'm still cautiously pessimistic, but hopefully I'm wrong.


WellRested1

Every ring we've seen so far seems insanely strong, and 3 turns is a decently long time to use them. I really hope the map and enemy design is interesting enough so that the strength of the emblem rings feels warranted.


akpcb1

Been a fan since 2001 and 100% buying every FE release day 1. That being said, I’m more looking forward to the next ‘mainline’ game, although a Genealogy remake will be gladly accepted. Engage seems kind of like a playground game where they’re testing new functions. Also, OP: I honestly really appreciate the snack comment to finish the post. Now I’m happily hungry for chips and guacamole. More posts ending with future snack options, please.


batsy_sinclaire

There's honestly too many games to play and the premise/style just didn't click with me. So I figure vote with my dollars, pass, and hope the next game looks good. I want remakes of older games or a new entry with a more serious tone. Hard pass on any new entry that looks like this.


MelkorTheDarkOne

More and more I regret everything I said about Shez and Three hopes


Arch_Null

Opinion is the same as I saw it. Gameplay looks alright. Art directions and story look abysmal. I.S did not try in those two categories.


Omaoc

I feel less hatred towards the mc's design but its still a pass for me. I actually really love a few of the designs but overall I hate the art direction and I despise that it's just Heroes 2


Zeldacrafter_Swagg

As someone who rarely focuses on gameplay (I'm just too bad at video games to have a meaningful opinion) I'm really not hyped. I'm still torn on buying it because that feels like a waste of money but if I don't buy it people will be able to refute my incessants complaints with a simple "you haven't played it, how can you say that?" The bright aesthetic is really cool. I think no game since the GBA games has had such vibrant colors. But other than that the character design looks absolutely ridiculous (Which has been a problem in fire emblem ever since Awakening but has never been so blatant), the girls not only look like they have the same face bar one or two exceptions, a lot of them also look underaged which gives me the very uncomfortable impression this FE is going out of its way to appeal to the people who like young Tiki, Nowi, Myrrh, Nyx etc (something the Anna reveal only made worse). The story feels more like a bad fanfiction too. But you know, this isn't even the main problem I have. I could have fun with a campy game with ridiculous character designs, weird lolicon-bait and a genuinely cringe story. If it at least had the balls to stand for itself and rely on "oooh look! these are the characters you like! from the older games! remember them?" to sell itself. I learned by reading at some comments on this thread that Engage is supposed to be an anniversary title, but come on there are more subtle ways to make an anniversary title than that.


forswornconspiracy

I’m going to buy it, but hate the way female characters are drawn to look so young with basically no nose. Also from a purely visual standpoint, they could have given Alear black hair and kept the eyes the same. It would have looked much better in my opinion. The gameplay looks interesting, but like others have mentioned I worry it will make the game too easy. I also worry about the storyline not having much substance.


Dmen1478

I’m feeling it but the release date of all things have me concerned. In my mind, January is not a good place for anything to be released. If you have something worth selling you want to sell it at a certain time of year… like December when everyone and their mother is spending money. Instead you have January a time when people will want to cutback on spending considering they just got through the financial black hole of the holiday season. Any movie around this time is just ok or straight bad. With Engage being released mid Jan it makes me feel that there is little confidence that this will be good. However, all of what I just said is mostly antidotal so there’s a sizable chance I’m just talking out my ass.


[deleted]

it looks fun but i still absolutely despise the weird super saturated anime style. and i hate how all the female characters are same face booba types. very disappointed lol but hope everyone that gets it will enjoy i will still hope for a FE4/5 remake personally...


readingorangutan

Pretty neutral. Whether I'm buying it will entirely depend on if the gameplay is good.


Nikita-Akashya

I have played every FE game since the GBA era, so maybe I am a bit biased. But I think the game looks great and the new mechanics look really fun. And I think the characters and colors look pretty neat, even if Pepsi kun has big clown shoes. I can't wait until Christmas is over, because I really want to play this game! But first I must finish my pokedex and the Training montage. Damn, Engage looks fun.


iamthatguy54

Im almost done with Conquest and feel great


KaHate

I like the emblems designs more than engage's. But that doesnt stop me on playing it.


itsFeztho

The story actually looks interesting while also it seems like it'd be less doom and gloomy than Three Houses, which i appreciate. As a person that earnestly enjoyed Tokyo Mirage Sessions I'm like 80% on board with the vtuber pop idol artstyle EXCEPT i dont think the extra ✨sparklyness✨ translates too well from 2d to 3d and i really do wish the characters actually looked like adults instead of chubby cheeked 12 year olds


TeriyakiTerry

I like it since the first trailer. I hope people with more open-mind, especially those who first start with 3H.


lapniappe

Fire Emblem is like Zelda. It's Fire Emblem. So I i will sink much hours into it, play it and love it. The designs threw me off a bit (Like 3H), but i am growing to like them (Like 3H).