I personally love this game. I thought it was lot of fun. It really carried me early last year as it was a rough time in my life. Also yes I agree perms death is the way FE is meant to be experienced.
Spoilers for a year old game with a passable story at best: As far as I understand, the opening cutscene is supposed to be symbolic of Alear 1000 years ago without directly spoiling the reveal that they are Sombron's child. I believe Lucina says at one point that her ring once resided in Firene, so Alfred represents a past Firenese ruler. Same for Diamont, Ivy, and Timerra. Despite seeing the big twists coming from a mile away, I have to give credit where credit is due. I did not forsee the reveal that Alear is only the adoptive child of Lumera. The fact that she explicitly prays when summoning Sigurd in Chapter 2 while showing concern that Alear cited an incantation was a nice touch as well.
I tried rationalizing the prologue chapter in the way you described. But in my mind, it just doesn't work. The event is presented far too "literally" for it to represent something "symbolic". If it's presented in that way in order to obfuscate the later reveals in the story, then the story telling is just being dishonest. Alear also invoking the Emblems at the Beginning while Lumera simply summons them was also somewhat clever. But as I said, ideal foreshadowing is something you *notice* without *having context*. And I didn't even notice that Lumera didn't invoke them.
I swear, I get excited to actually buy this game everytime I hear you speak of how they absolutely resolved every gameplay issue I had with Three Houses, and improve some of the more ancient ones. Also, I'm a bitch for the particular strategic gameplay of the FE series. I also find the graphics very pleasant (even if more and more removed from the atmosphere a game where every party member can die at any moment should have). But then I see the emblems...I see the "waifuness" of the characters and story...and I take a step back EVERYTIME. It's been one year and a half since the first time I told myself "It seems fun, but everything else feels so wrong" Also, if they truly want to keep the turn rewind mechanic, I seriously want for them to add an option to deactivate it, and the hardcore mode from Xcom. I want the game to save after every player phase (not every action, since I misclicked too many of my soldiers into certain death in Xcom). Just give us THE OPPOSITE OPTION, PLEASE! At least I want to be catered as much as people not enjoying the motherfucking core mechanic of the entire series. Even if Engage really seems, from the looks, a game without the right atmosphere to support permadeath. In Path of Radiance the characters took a moment to aknowledge their companions deaths after every battle. It would feel very odd to have a battle go very wrong just for the characters to keep smiling, giggling and anime waifuing like a bunch of otaku psychotic psychopaths. P.S. About your experience with resetting after too many units died. Due to personal reasons, I could not reset during my very first playthrough of a FE. The experience was...cruel. It was also my first strategy game ever, so I was exceptionally young, impulsive, and unskilled. It was brutal. I lost everyone but the protagonist and one other character in 4 chapters. The story seemed much darker and the stakes much higher, but that's not the point. The point is I involuntarily noticed a thing. The real safety the devs always put in place against exceptionally unskilled people. The last resort... Have you ever noticed how untouchable the protagonists get after a few levels? Byleth, Ike, Marth. At their max level (granted, Byleth doesn't really have a max level) they one or two shot everything in the game. Entire armies crash on their swords. To truly soft lock you in a FE game, is almost impossible. My very first run was almost a solo Ike run, and it worked just fine.
Permadeath is turned on before chapter 4, what are you on about? The exception is Lumera's map. You could have continued your run from chapter 17 on hard. You just almost gave up for no reason. Good thing you continued it.
I must say I believe that the developpers will do the next entry right, if only they scale back on the whole "FE Heroes" influence. I'm confident they will because Engage was an anniversary game and the next entry will be different
I don't think this game allegedly being an anniversary celebration is a justifiable excuse. Path of Radiance, Awakening, and Shadows of Valentia were also anniversary games (released on the actual anniversaries of the series for that matter). If anything, being celebrating the anniversary of a series should be more reason to put a best foot forward.
I wish the developpers scaling back on the multi route story actually meant making a great story lol but three houses somehow got it better than engage btw I'm commenting a lot so your channel gets more reach
I'm a firm proponent of "soft" permadeath with a case by case basis. My gal is overwhelmed and dies because of aggressive tactics? Yeah my bad, she should stay dead. Oh, my 88% hit chance to break missed, but the enemy's 31% hit went through? Now my guy is on the floor? Nah, I play these games to have fun, go ahead and spin that wheel.
Three houses isnt balanced for permadeath In the slightest. I purchased this but am still playing through the series. Hopefully this one is better at it once I get to it.
I never finished Engage, the fact that a lot of class progression stemmed from wearing rings made the game feel like it was incentivising grinding (I played on Hard mode, which I consider to be the intended experience) Apart from that system the gameplay was fun. The story stopped gripping me past the big showdown chapter (I think it's 17? It's right after the desert area and you fight enemies that have as many rings as you do), it felt like it had reached its peak, and I didn't get very attached to many characters either. I'd often think something like "oh I like this one, I might S rank them" only for them to have stupid or rude interactions with others for the sake of a joke, and it'd turn me off lol (looking at you, Alcryst, Merrin and Kagetsu!)
Hmm you release a video on the same weekend I did....As Elon would say CONCERNING! Jokes aside, loved the new vid. Might have to buy Engage. FE is just one of those series, I started, but then I missed a few installments and i'm like 'should I jsut jump in or try to catch up?'
@@ChrisTheFields I gotta do FE X SMT first cause I want to do a video that a game that was so hyped....kinda just happend? And no one really talks about it lol
Great video, I really hope Fire Emblem will put a bit more ambition into storytelling while keeping the gameplay fresh. Engage is a solid meal, but Three Houses got the apetites for changes. Right now the series is on a brink of following the Pokemon route imo.
I think the funniest part from Engage was reclassing Vander to a wolf knight and seeing his silly costume constantly I... didnt like Engage. Theres characters i do honestly like (I still love Marni despite her missed potential imo). But wow this is my least favorite FE game. It feels like the flaws of Fates' story repeated, but now without me being able to understand it as "they tried something different and it just didnt work out". And thats not mentioning other things i dont like (why the hell do they kill off Alear *twice* in the span of ONE CHAPTER) Having super recently played DQ11S, I left thinking it handled the "celebration of the series" aspect better than Engage
Not gonna lie, the fact you started the review with "These characters look like V-tubers" really soured me on the rest of the video and almost made me stop watching. If you're going to make an opinion piece, it's probably a good idea not to put something that will hit people on a personal level. Specially for this game when so many people quickly throw the "Vtuber design" as a negative and an excuse to hate on the designs. Anyway, this was a good video, I particularly agree with your comments on the gameplay, since I feel this is the game in the series with by far the most refined gameplay and map design. But I do want to comment on the fact that after a second playthrough, I've learned to appreciate the story a lot more. It's simple and it has flaws, but I think the overall message of family and friendship is executed really well. Having also played every game in the series, I'll say Engage is my second favorite (Thracia is the best, in case you were wondering).
I still stand by not liking the designs in this game, as I personally don't like a lot of common design trends typically found in vtuber characters which I believed influenced the art direction of Engage. And that section was also meant to be framed in a somewhat joking context. With hindsight, however, I can see how it can be interpreted as a harsh generalization. I could have phrased that segment differently to still keep the comedic intent without making sound like an objective negative against the game. For that, I will apologize.
First Fire Emblem game I dropped. Turns out the gameplay is not as interesting when you don't care about the units at all. Even the older games with no support conversations managed to make me care about my units despite a lot of them having no personality. Crazy.
thank you, your video was very good and now i wanna do as you do the story may be trash but i like what you say edit: I've watched this video 3 times, I really like the angle and the way you present the information, the pacing of the video is very good imo
Congratulations on making it through this retrospective series!
I personally love this game. I thought it was lot of fun. It really carried me early last year as it was a rough time in my life. Also yes I agree perms death is the way FE is meant to be experienced.
Engage was amazing.
Spoilers for a year old game with a passable story at best:
As far as I understand, the opening cutscene is supposed to be symbolic of Alear 1000 years ago without directly spoiling the reveal that they are Sombron's child. I believe Lucina says at one point that her ring once resided in Firene, so Alfred represents a past Firenese ruler. Same for Diamont, Ivy, and Timerra.
Despite seeing the big twists coming from a mile away, I have to give credit where credit is due. I did not forsee the reveal that Alear is only the adoptive child of Lumera. The fact that she explicitly prays when summoning Sigurd in Chapter 2 while showing concern that Alear cited an incantation was a nice touch as well.
I tried rationalizing the prologue chapter in the way you described. But in my mind, it just doesn't work. The event is presented far too "literally" for it to represent something "symbolic". If it's presented in that way in order to obfuscate the later reveals in the story, then the story telling is just being dishonest.
Alear also invoking the Emblems at the Beginning while Lumera simply summons them was also somewhat clever. But as I said, ideal foreshadowing is something you *notice* without *having context*. And I didn't even notice that Lumera didn't invoke them.
I swear, I get excited to actually buy this game everytime I hear you speak of how they absolutely resolved every gameplay issue I had with Three Houses, and improve some of the more ancient ones.
Also, I'm a bitch for the particular strategic gameplay of the FE series.
I also find the graphics very pleasant (even if more and more removed from the atmosphere a game where every party member can die at any moment should have).
But then I see the emblems...I see the "waifuness" of the characters and story...and I take a step back EVERYTIME.
It's been one year and a half since the first time I told myself "It seems fun, but everything else feels so wrong"
Also, if they truly want to keep the turn rewind mechanic, I seriously want for them to add an option to deactivate it, and the hardcore mode from Xcom.
I want the game to save after every player phase (not every action, since I misclicked too many of my soldiers into certain death in Xcom).
Just give us THE OPPOSITE OPTION, PLEASE!
At least I want to be catered as much as people not enjoying the motherfucking core mechanic of the entire series.
Even if Engage really seems, from the looks, a game without the right atmosphere to support permadeath.
In Path of Radiance the characters took a moment to aknowledge their companions deaths after every battle.
It would feel very odd to have a battle go very wrong just for the characters to keep smiling, giggling and anime waifuing like a bunch of otaku psychotic psychopaths.
P.S.
About your experience with resetting after too many units died.
Due to personal reasons, I could not reset during my very first playthrough of a FE.
The experience was...cruel.
It was also my first strategy game ever, so I was exceptionally young, impulsive, and unskilled.
It was brutal.
I lost everyone but the protagonist and one other character in 4 chapters.
The story seemed much darker and the stakes much higher, but that's not the point.
The point is I involuntarily noticed a thing.
The real safety the devs always put in place against exceptionally unskilled people.
The last resort...
Have you ever noticed how untouchable the protagonists get after a few levels?
Byleth, Ike, Marth.
At their max level (granted, Byleth doesn't really have a max level) they one or two shot everything in the game.
Entire armies crash on their swords.
To truly soft lock you in a FE game, is almost impossible.
My very first run was almost a solo Ike run, and it worked just fine.
totally agree with the "emblem" gimmick. it would've been way cooler if they hadn't already been re-introducing past heroes for the past several games
Permadeath is turned on before chapter 4, what are you on about? The exception is Lumera's map.
You could have continued your run from chapter 17 on hard. You just almost gave up for no reason. Good thing you continued it.
Ok so I double checked. You're correct. I wish the game signposted that better.
I must say I believe that the developpers will do the next entry right, if only they scale back on the whole "FE Heroes" influence. I'm confident they will because Engage was an anniversary game and the next entry will be different
I don't think this game allegedly being an anniversary celebration is a justifiable excuse. Path of Radiance, Awakening, and Shadows of Valentia were also anniversary games (released on the actual anniversaries of the series for that matter). If anything, being celebrating the anniversary of a series should be more reason to put a best foot forward.
Are you excited for Unicorn Overlord? I'll be excited for a "swift strategy" entry about that game!
I have low interest in Unicorn Overlord and have no plans to make a Swift Strategy of it at this time.
I wish the developpers scaling back on the multi route story actually meant making a great story lol but three houses somehow got it better than engage
btw I'm commenting a lot so your channel gets more reach
I'm a firm proponent of "soft" permadeath with a case by case basis. My gal is overwhelmed and dies because of aggressive tactics? Yeah my bad, she should stay dead. Oh, my 88% hit chance to break missed, but the enemy's 31% hit went through? Now my guy is on the floor? Nah, I play these games to have fun, go ahead and spin that wheel.
Really enjoyed the video, of course!
Three houses isnt balanced for permadeath In the slightest. I purchased this but am still playing through the series. Hopefully this one is better at it once I get to it.
I never finished Engage, the fact that a lot of class progression stemmed from wearing rings made the game feel like it was incentivising grinding (I played on Hard mode, which I consider to be the intended experience) Apart from that system the gameplay was fun.
The story stopped gripping me past the big showdown chapter (I think it's 17? It's right after the desert area and you fight enemies that have as many rings as you do), it felt like it had reached its peak, and I didn't get very attached to many characters either. I'd often think something like "oh I like this one, I might S rank them" only for them to have stupid or rude interactions with others for the sake of a joke, and it'd turn me off lol (looking at you, Alcryst, Merrin and Kagetsu!)
Hmm you release a video on the same weekend I did....As Elon would say CONCERNING! Jokes aside, loved the new vid. Might have to buy Engage. FE is just one of those series, I started, but then I missed a few installments and i'm like 'should I jsut jump in or try to catch up?'
Yes of course you should try to catch up. Silly Question.
@@ChrisTheFields I gotta do FE X SMT first cause I want to do a video that a game that was so hyped....kinda just happend? And no one really talks about it lol
Don't disrespect Hortensia
nah
w00t
Great video, I really hope Fire Emblem will put a bit more ambition into storytelling while keeping the gameplay fresh. Engage is a solid meal, but Three Houses got the apetites for changes. Right now the series is on a brink of following the Pokemon route imo.
Hey, this game is still one to really enjoy. Gameplay is more important than story. If you think this game isn’t good, you’re delusional.
I think the funniest part from Engage was reclassing Vander to a wolf knight and seeing his silly costume constantly
I... didnt like Engage. Theres characters i do honestly like (I still love Marni despite her missed potential imo). But wow this is my least favorite FE game. It feels like the flaws of Fates' story repeated, but now without me being able to understand it as "they tried something different and it just didnt work out". And thats not mentioning other things i dont like (why the hell do they kill off Alear *twice* in the span of ONE CHAPTER)
Having super recently played DQ11S, I left thinking it handled the "celebration of the series" aspect better than Engage
Not gonna lie, the fact you started the review with "These characters look like V-tubers" really soured me on the rest of the video and almost made me stop watching. If you're going to make an opinion piece, it's probably a good idea not to put something that will hit people on a personal level. Specially for this game when so many people quickly throw the "Vtuber design" as a negative and an excuse to hate on the designs.
Anyway, this was a good video, I particularly agree with your comments on the gameplay, since I feel this is the game in the series with by far the most refined gameplay and map design. But I do want to comment on the fact that after a second playthrough, I've learned to appreciate the story a lot more. It's simple and it has flaws, but I think the overall message of family and friendship is executed really well.
Having also played every game in the series, I'll say Engage is my second favorite (Thracia is the best, in case you were wondering).
I still stand by not liking the designs in this game, as I personally don't like a lot of common design trends typically found in vtuber characters which I believed influenced the art direction of Engage. And that section was also meant to be framed in a somewhat joking context. With hindsight, however, I can see how it can be interpreted as a harsh generalization. I could have phrased that segment differently to still keep the comedic intent without making sound like an objective negative against the game. For that, I will apologize.
First Fire Emblem game I dropped. Turns out the gameplay is not as interesting when you don't care about the units at all. Even the older games with no support conversations managed to make me care about my units despite a lot of them having no personality. Crazy.
No, it’s got great characters. You just generalize them as one note. You’re not giving this game the chance it deserves and you know it.
thank you, your video was very good and now i wanna do as you do
the story may be trash but i like what you say
edit: I've watched this video 3 times, I really like the angle and the way you present the information, the pacing of the video is very good imo