Fire Emblem Three Houses

  One of my favorite games in recent memory was Fire Emblem: Three Houses. A strategy game for the nintendo switch. 

You play as a mercenary who along with the character’s father Jeralt are interrupted by three students (Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri) who were being chased by bandits. After saving them from danger, you are given the opportunity to become a teacher at the Garreg Mach Monastery where you get to pick between three houses in the Golden Deer, the Blue Lions and the Black Eagles.

The Golden Eagles were led by Claude who is the house leader. Then there was Lorenz, Raphael, Ignatz, Lysithea, Marianne, Hilda and Leonie. This group is more of a laid back, non judgmental, outcasts commoners who try to look at things from multiple angles.

The Blue Lions are more of the traditional hero group. Where it is all about honor and doing what’s right. Dimitri is the house leader for the Blue Lions. He is joined by Dedue, Felix, Ashe, Sylvain, Mercedes, Annette and Ingrid.

The last of the three houses that you can pick from is the Black Eagles who are led by Edelgard. Joining her is Hubert, Ferdinand, Linhardt, Caspar, Bernadetta, Dorothea and Petra.

Once you pick your house you quickly get right to work training, teaching and getting to know your student under the watchful eyes of the Knights of Seiros as well as the archbishop Rhea.

But as time goes along with anything route that you choose, you begin to realize that there is something very sinister at play which could lead to multiple endings making it extremely replayable. 

When I first got the game, I chose to be a part of the Black Eagles. I picked the Black Eagles because of their strength of using magic. Plus I really enjoyed the group that I got to work with in the beginning.

However, I will admit that I was completely caught off guard with some of the swerves that was happening during The Black Eagles. One such was when I discovered that Edelgard was kidnapped as a child and used as an experiment. Which fueled her desire to rid the world of crests as she views as what is destroying humanity.

But then I was hit with a major decision when I had to choose between helping Edelgard or stay with the church. I must confess, when I first played, I picked Edelgard though I do also admit that I didn’t agree with what she was doing.

I did though enjoy seeing all different routes you can take throughout this game and I really enjoyed all of the houses you can play as.

The controls in my humble opinion were very simple and easy to pick up on. I also like the strategy elements to them where you have to be very careful on who you have against what enemy as it could cost you especially if you have the game on classic. If you have it on classic, you can lose your unit for good if they die in battle.

There are plenty of weapons to choose from, usually swords, spears and bows etc. I also enjoyed the variety of magic spells used in the game.

Overall I really enjoyed this game and I was not surprised that it won the best strategy game of 2019.  Go out there and give this game try.