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[Komatsu]

From the Wiki:

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical role-playing game, developed by Intelligent Systems with support from Koei Tecmo Games. The game was published worldwide for the Nintendo Switch by Nintendo on July 26, 2019. The game is the fifteenth game in the Fire Emblem series, and the first for home consoles since Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn in 2007.

The game takes place on the continent of Fódlan. The landmass is divided into three rival nations who are now at peace: the Adrestian Empire to the south and west, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to the north, and the Leicester Alliance to the east. At the center of the continent is the Garegg Mach monastery, home of the Church of Seiros and its Officer's Academy. The academy comprises three houses, each populated with students from their respective nations: The Black Eagles, Blue Lions or Golden Deer. The player character's name and gender may be chosen by the player, but is named "Byleth" by default. Once part of a mercenary group led by their father Jeralt, Byleth is offered a position to teach at the academy after an unexpected incident. As they start to teach their students, including Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, the heirs of their respective home countries, Byleth begins to see Sothis, a mysterious girl only they can see. [Source: Wikipedia]

FAMITSU: 37/40

The Verge: Fire Emblem: Three Houses is secretly the best Harry Potter game

IGN: Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers an incredible amount of choice both on and off the battlefield alongside a thrilling story. [9.5/10]
GameSpot: Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game that is mechanically complex, consistently rewarding, and very hard to put down. [9/10]
Kotaku: Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game for interesting times.

Update: Replaced pictures with animated GIFs of Gameplay footage.
Update 2: Replaced banners, etc.

 

[Athena~]

I just played for a few hours and damn it’s already one of the best FE games and the best Switch game easily.

Black Eagles all the way!!

 

[Komatsu]

I just played for a few hours and damn it’s already one of the best FE games and the best Switch game easily.

Black Eagles all the way!!

I haven't had this much fun with a FE game since Radiant Dawn and I *loved* Echoes.

 

[Salvatron]

Nice OT! I'm gonna pick this up tonight. The battle music sounds really solid.

UPDATE: Damn this music is legit. I'm playing primarily in handheld and I love it. Original Japanese audio is always a plus in my book. Even though I am listening in JP, the english dub is actually pretty good from what I heard before i switched over.

 

[Danjin44]

NICE OT!!! I'm really enjoying this game so far!!!

 

[888]

I’ve only just really noticed the game. May pick it up.

 

[ShikabaneHime13]

Golden Deer for first play, then Blue Lions and finally Black Eagles! It’s soooo good right now

 

[Mista]

Neat OT thank you OP. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of TRPG but might watch the lady play it

 

[Scopa]

Thanks for making the OT. I was contemplating making it. Since the OT’s here, I’ll repost my initial impression from the review thread:

I am a couple of hours in and starting to get the feel of it. This is going to be a good one, I reckon. I wasn’t sure at first, I was getting Fates vibes and there’s a quite a bit to take in initially. But, the game just opened up a bit tutorial-wise and I’m starting to feel it. See you in 100 hours.

Small nitpick: They could’ve made the fonts larger. I’ve been leaning forward and squinting in TV Mode and Portable Mode. Annoying. Hope they patch it.

 

[Komatsu]

Golden Deer for first play, then Blue Lions and finally Black Eagles! It’s soooo good right now

Of people I know who've played all three routes, they mention the Blue Lions were their least favorite. I am doing the Black Eagles right now and having a blast. The soundtrack is incredible.

 

[Scopa]

Of people I know who've played all three routes, they mention the Blue Lions were their least favorite. I am doing the Black Eagles right now and having a blast. The soundtrack is incredible.

Damn. I was going to pick the Black Eagles, but then changed my mind after it said that most of their students are magic users and the Blue Lions are more traditional knight-types. So, I picked Blue Lions. I usually steer towards sword and shield type in games and avoid magic if I can help it.

Now, I am doubting my decision.

 

[Punished Miku]

Nice OT! I'm still waiting for mine to get delivered today. Should be any minute now.

 

[Komatsu]

Nice OT! I'm still waiting for mine to get delivered today. Should be any minute now.

I had pre-ordered it at GameStop but when they called me to say they weren't going to do a Thurs 8pm release, I ended up buying it online. Will sell my physical copy in a couple of weeks, I guess.

 

[Punished Miku]

I had pre-ordered it at GameStop but when they called me to say they weren't going to do a Thurs 8pm release, I ended up buying it online. Will sell my physical copy in a couple of weeks, I guess.

I've done that a few times myself lol.

I'm hyped that you're so into it since you liked Echoes. That was my favorite of the recent ones.

 

[JORMBO]

Thanks for making the thread.

 

[Shouta]

Game is pretty solid so far and already way more enjoyable to me than Awakening and Fates.

 

[ebevan91]

Should I do certification as early as possible or keep going?

 

[KàIRóS]

Still waiting for my copy to arrive.

I'll play on normal and as the guy first, join the black eagles and romance the main girl.

And I won't save scum on the first playthrough I promise

 

[Komatsu]

Still waiting for my copy to arrive.

I'll play on normal and as the guy first, join the black eagles and romance the main girl.

And I won't save scum on the first playthrough I promise

There’s this time-rewind feature (like in Echoes) which pretty much makes save-scumming unnecessary even if you want to do it.

 

[KàIRóS]

There’s this time-rewind feature (like in Echoes) which pretty much makes save-scumming unnecessary even if you want to do it.

Oh nice, I didn't play Echoes, cool feature.

 

[MagnesG]

I need to make some time to fully savor this game. 1-2 hours for the start are not gonna be sufficient.

Is it confirmed there will be a a fourth route? Or there isn't at all?

 

[Andyliini]

I picked up my Limited Edition from the retailer, but only had time to open the box and check it out before having to leave away for the weekend. Anyway, the box was huge and heavy, way bigger than I thought it would be. I was pleasently surprised that the artbook was a hardcover one, and the art itself in gorgeous.

I'm looking forward to playing it, will probably choose The Black Eagles first and romance with Edelgard. I'm also glad so many seem to enjoy the game.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

 

[Shifty1897]

Tried to get it from Target tonight but they were sold out. Unfortunately I have a cross country flight in the morning so I picked it up digitally. I've only played the first stage so far but:

+The voice acting seems solid
+The soundtrack is an absolute banger
+Menus feel slick and designed well
+Combat feels as good as ever
+The rewind time mechanic from Fire Emblem Echoes (or if you've been playing SRPG's for a long time, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together on PSP) is back

-The UI is hard to read in handheld mode, which brings me to...
-Holy geez the font is small in this, it's like going to the optometrist and having to read the microscopic letters at the bottom of the eye chart. Guess I'll just listen to all the dialogue rather that read it.
-No AA, so when the dynamic resolution kicks down, you notice it. This is nothing new for the Switch, most games don't have AA, though I seem to notice it here more than usual. I bet Digital Foundry will report something like dips to 480p at times on handheld.

Out of the negatives, none of them are deal breakers, except for maybe the small font. This needs to be patched, call your uncles at Nintendo kids.

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm not sure how much I enjoy continually scouring the school grounds for npcs and items, when the school looks pretty rough graphically to be begin with and it gets very repetitive. I think I honestly just prefer the 3DS conversation model where you could select conversations from a menu and each one boosted your support score. I greatly prefer the way Echoes did it. You went to 3D view for action and dungeons only, not for wandering around the same school over and over. Feels like you can play this game all day and not ever get in a battle.

 

[Komatsu]

+The rewind time mechanic from Fire Emblem Echoes (or if you've been playing SRPG's for a long time, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together on PSP) is back

The CHARIOT system in Tactics Ogre was significantly more granular, but I like the FE version of it since it kicks in when you die - IIRC Tactics Ogre would go to Game Over, you had to rewind prior to your final turn.

 

[gela94]

I'll never pre order at thalia again, estimated delivery date now 31.7. . ..

 

[Scopa]

Tried to get it from Target tonight but they were sold out. Unfortunately I have a cross country flight in the morning so I picked it up digitally. I've only played the first stage so far but:

+The voice acting seems solid
+The soundtrack is an absolute banger
+Menus feel slick and designed well
+Combat feels as good as ever
+The rewind time mechanic from Fire Emblem Echoes (or if you've been playing SRPG's for a long time, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together on PSP) is back

-The UI is hard to read in handheld mode, which brings me to...
-Holy geez the font is small in this, it's like going to the optometrist and having to read the microscopic letters at the bottom of the eye chart. Guess I'll just listen to all the dialogue rather that read it.
-No AA, so when the dynamic resolution kicks down, you notice it. This is nothing new for the Switch, most games don't have AA, though I seem to notice it here more than usual. I bet Digital Foundry will report something like dips to 480p at times on handheld.

Out of the negatives, none of them are deal breakers, except for maybe the small font. This needs to be patched, call your uncles at Nintendo kids.

Yep. The font size is ridiculously small. I have no idea how something like this gets past the QA/testing phase. I mean what are you doing being a QA tester at Nintendo if you fail to point out something this obvious?

 

[Shaqazooloo]

Nice OT. I picked Blue Lions since I like Dimitri the most, it was close between him and Claude. Not really a fan of Edelgard to be honest.

Loving the game so far, however it' gonna be a long one for me since i'm always going around talking to all the NPCs and visiting every area that I can in between missions.

 

[JORMBO]

I noticed the really small font also. I haven’t gotten to play much yet but that’s the only negative that’s jumped out at me so far.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Loving the game so far. It is so good. Expect performance. Framerate is all over the place especially when exploring the school. I doubt it, but I hope a patch can better optimize the game.

 

[zenspider]

Great OT!

Only got to play for an hour or so, but so far this is LEGIT AS FUCK.

 

[Deleted member 738976]

Friendship ended with Super Smash Bros. for now Fire Emblem is my new best friend.

 

[thequestion]

Super tough choice picking between 3 houses. After about 15 minutes staring at the screen, I picked Black Eagles. It came down to magic over bows and swords, even though I think i liked the characters in the Lion team more.

Great game, so far. Good job Nintendo.

 

[Hey Blinkin]

I keep telling myself to wait on this, but it's so tempting.

Love the thread title.

Speaking of which, how close is this game in terms of combat to the ROTK series?

I loved the old ROTK games, but found Disgaea 5 to be overwhelming.

Also, how long is the school portion of the game?

 

[Sakura]

I'm not sure how much I enjoy continually scouring the school grounds for npcs and items, when the school looks pretty rough graphically to be begin with and it gets very repetitive. I think I honestly just prefer the 3DS conversation model where you could select conversations from a menu and each one boosted your support score. I greatly prefer the way Echoes did it. You went to 3D view for action and dungeons only, not for wandering around the same school over and over. Feels like you can play this game all day and not ever get in a battle.

I hear what you are saying but it isn't so bad.
You can fast travel around the monastery, if you have a quest where you have to find or talk to somebody it shows you on the map exactly where you need to go. There isn't really ever a need to be scouring the school grounds. The map also only updates once a month in terms of dialogue and quests, so once you do the quests, you're only really going back to the map to garden/fish (if you want to) and invite characters to lunch/tea.

 

[Shouta]

Yep. The font size is ridiculously small. I have no idea how something like this gets past the QA/testing phase. I mean what are you doing being a QA tester at Nintendo if you fail to point out something this obvious?

They probably reported it and it got ignored by the devs. It happens pretty often in testing for a variety of reasons though this case is probably devs being idiots.

 

[kingbean]

How jaggy is it in handheld mode?

 

[gradient]

Just started it and only 3 hours in but already hooked. Went with hard difficulty and classic (permadeath) game style because that's just the way Fire Emblem is meant to be played.

Haven't had a mainline Fire Emblem on a home console since Radiant Dawn on the Wii and given that Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn are my favorite games in the series I'm loving the experience.

Had a hard time picking a house though. Ended up going with the Golden Deer because I liked their back story, but I really like some of the characters from some of the other houses so I'm going to have to see if I can poach a couple.

 

[Spukc]

Guise i am a bit bored not the biggest fan of waifu shit but i like rpg's with grind possibilities so i can chill and podcast during the game.

huge fan of disgaea series.
is this worth it?
i didn't care for the first 3ds game at all.

thanks

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Just started it and only 3 hours in but already hooked. Went with hard difficulty and classic (permadeath) game style because that's just the way Fire Emblem is meant to be played.

Haven't had a mainline Fire Emblem on a home console since Radiant Dawn on the Wii and given that Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn are my favorite games in the series I'm loving the experience.

Had a hard time picking a house though. Ended up going with the Golden Deer because I liked their back story, but I really like some of the characters from some of the other houses so I'm going to have to see if I can poach a couple.

Sorry for the off-topic question, but what did you like so much about PoR and RD? I've never played them, but keep hearing then mentioned.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I didn’t play much yesterday as I ended up playing some Borderlands with a friend, but put in a little under two hours before that.

I really liked the little I played. I love running around and talking to NPCs so I think I’m really going to love how much ore fleshed our that is here than in Awakening or Birthright (only two I played, not big on SRPGs usually or permA death at all, so the easier options the 3DS game added brought me in).

 

[gradient]

Sorry for the off-topic question, but what did you like so much about PoR and RD? I've never played them, but keep hearing then mentioned.

Good story and great character development. It's pretty impressive seeing Ike grow up through the series from skinny young lad to a full on build like a brick shithouse badass.

Combat and character balance is also really good and I could really work the different characters to fill combat roles and play strategically which is something the other games lose a bit with class changing and occasional rosters of largely interchangable units.

Has some really good maps and theres the added challenge of getting some of the optional characters.

I think I just enjoyed the world a lot more than other games and because of the character balance I really felt like I was building a team and using them strategically to win rather than just power rushing with some OP heroes (Nephenee not included because she's awesome and broken as hell).

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Good story and great character development. It's pretty impressive seeing Ike grow up through the series from skinny young lad to a full on build like a brick shithouse badass.

Combat and character balance is also really good and I could really work the different characters to fill combat roles and play strategically which is something the other games lose a bit with class changing and occasional rosters of largely interchangable units.

Has some really good maps and theres the added challenge of getting some of the optional characters.

I think I just enjoyed the world a lot more than other games and because of the character balance I really felt like I was building a team and using them strategically to win rather than just power rushing with some OP heroes (Nephenee not included because she's awesome and broken as hell).

All the points you listed sound great. Looks like they're a little spendy these days, but I may try and track down copies. Thanks!

 

[V4skunk]

I've never played FE.
Is it like Final Fantasy Tactics?

 

[Komatsu]

I've never played FE.
Is it like Final Fantasy Tactics?

They're both Strategy RPGs, but there are many differences. In FFT (and Tactics Ogre), the action is a lot closer, actions are determined by unit speed whereas in FE turns are taken by team, and in FE whenever you attack a unit said unit will have the opportunity to counter - except if it's dazed, etc.

In fairness, most FE plots tend to pale in comparison to FFT, which was Matsuno's masterpiece, but most console FEs have pretty good stories. FE is also very anime trope-y.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

I'm not sure how much I enjoy continually scouring the school grounds for npcs and items, when the school looks pretty rough graphically to be begin with and it gets very repetitive. I think I honestly just prefer the 3DS conversation model where you could select conversations from a menu and each one boosted your support score. I greatly prefer the way Echoes did it. You went to 3D view for action and dungeons only, not for wandering around the same school over and over. Feels like you can play this game all day and not ever get in a battle.

You can fast travel and the map pinpoints exactly where people are if you press x. You can also battle once a week or every 20 minutes.

I've never played FE.
Is it like Final Fantasy Tactics?

FFT is 10x harder than this FE game. You spend most of the time building skills since you only need to battle twice per month to beat whatever they throw your way anyway.

 

[Shifty1897]

So I played for the entirety of my first 5 hour flight today, Switch battery is hanging on by a thread but this game is incredible. I haven't had this much fun with a strategy game since... Tactics Ogre? I literally talk to every single person in the monestary every time I get to explore because I'm that invested in getting every stat boost, however small, for my team.

Blue Lions (I read somewhere shit gets crazy after the time skip with them), and Casual/Hard by the way. Casual/Hard is how I've played every Fire Emblem since Fates and I find it to be the perfect balance of what I want in a SRPG.

 

[ThatGamingDude]

Best house flexin'

 

[Hinedorf]

I was getting to the point I was feeling HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO BE A TUTORIAL?! So many new elements just made it so overwhelming right at first.

This game is amazing but feels so very bipolar to me. When venturing around the town is as peaceful and relaxing an experience as one can have. And then you go to the battle and one wrong decision is the loss of a member.

Doing Black Eagle at first I thought of the students... I'm going to like this one and not this one.......I love them all, I feel a connection to all of them and wish to see them all prosper. I have no idea if this is the same for lion/deer but wow I'm still early on and it's like..... WE ARE ALL COMING HOME TODAY!