Adrian Gutierrez

Such a fun edition to the FE franchise. If you can get past the more colorful and anime-ish looks, a difficult yet rewarding experience awaits. My first run on Hard Classic mode was done completely on my own without any knowledge of the story or the characters. For a first play through, the new mechanics are tough to master for optimal gameplay. But while it may have felt “unfair” at times, it was nice to have a game that actually required strategic thinking and careful planning. The story, while it wasn’t likely meant to be taken too seriously, could have been better. Yes, there is a bit of cliche and cheesiness to it, but some of the pivotal moments were done pretty well. But the references to older games in the series were pretty cool, and made the game that much more memorable. A slight downside is the walking around your home base Somniel. Just like in Three Houses, the free roam and activity time you get is slightly annoying and tedious after a while. You can make meals, train, shop and other stuff along the way, which is definitely helpful after every battle; it just gets a bit repetitive. All in all, FE Engage is an enjoyable game that feels very rewarding upon completing. If you plan to do multiple playthroughs on the harder Maddening difficulty, maybe take a short break after your first completion as it has been known to be a bit draining to players. But I’m sure you’ll end up loving a bunch of the cast and have a great time with this game.