Let’s find out together, in this complete review, to whom we can recommend the purchase of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, the new musou by Omega Force and set in the Intelligent Systems franchise
The genre of musou in the west has always been a bit sunken and set aside due to its repetitive mechanics and the inevitable technical deficiency, considering the very high number of enemies normally present on the screen. In recent years, however, some glories have been able to raise the name. In fact, if Dynasty Warriors 9 immediately fell into oblivion due to mechanics that are now too dated, titles like Persona 5 Strikers or Hyrule Warriors they have been widely appreciated by audiences and critics alikeperhaps also because they started from already solid and rather popular titles.
Staying in the latter context, we have been able, in the past few weeks, to spend several hours in the company of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, the latest Omega Force effort published by Koei Tecmo exclusively for Nintendo Switch. In the difficult initial choice between the three houses available (Black Eagles, Golden Deers and Blue Lions), the same as Fire Emblem: Three Houses, we decided to tackle the narrative for the first time with the last, the faction of the young Dimitri . From this first run our review of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes was born. Let the War Begin!
The Crest of Flames
Although Three Hopes takes up the characters and game world of Three Houses, the musou deviates widely from the title of the main strand in almost every aspect of the script. The narrative takes a completely different turn and Byleth is now our antagonist. Instead, we will play a completely original character, called Shez, who we will be able to customize in the genre and in the name at the beginning of the game. The title of Omega Force therefore accompanies us in a prologue that acts broadly as a tutorial, although this continues widely in the first 5/6 hours of play with the discovery of new mechanics as we advance into the first chapter.
At the end of this prologue that is the same for everyone, however, it is time to make our first and most important narrative choice: which house will we belong to? As said at the beginning, to draw up this review we decided to join the young Dimitri and become part of his Blue Lions, but it was certainly not an easy choice. The characterization of the three main supporting actors, Dimitri, Edelgard and Claude, is in fact the same as Three Houses and it was therefore rather difficult to take sides openly knowing them and having already appreciated them for many hours.
Tearing through Heaven | Review Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
The choice comes when our protagonist, after coming into contact with a strange supernatural entity, joins the three supporting actors in a battle against a group of brigands who obstruct their path. The vicissitudes therefore lead us to visit the Monastery of Garreg Mach, where the Academy of Officers stands that we will begin to attend.. The alignment with one house over another will make profound changes to the main campaign, actually going so far as to say that we are faced with three different campaigns, all of commendable length, making Three Hopes a truly verbose game.
Unlike other Warriors, the main campaign of Three Hopes is divided into chapters, as if it were a real S-JRPG. From the Fòdlan map it shows the territories already conquered and those still to be placed under our dominion, dividing everything into primary and secondary objectives. The feeling, at least outside the combat phases, is therefore not that of being in front of a musou, but rather a classic strategic one. The real beating heart of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes and of this review therefore lies in the… barrel!
Roar of Dominion | Review Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Three Hopes gameplay is all about the barrel, just as befits a noteworthy musou. The concatenation of heavy, light attacks, skills and special moves allows the player to create a series of really impressive combos and series of hitsso much so that, looking at the simple numbers, it seems to be in front of any Disgaea.
Each mission leads us to explore a specific map divided into zones to be conquered, just like in any belonging of the genre. Alongside the main task, which will allow you to conclude the quest, some secondary ones will gradually alternate, which if completed they provide additional rewards and a significantly increased final level score. All this, defeating hordes and hordes of enemies all the same, flanked by mid-bosses and bosses of various kinds.
Corridor of the Tempest | Review Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Shez, as well as each character, can belong to only one specific class, each of which will guarantee specific abilities, called precisely “class skills”, permeated directly from the main chapter of the Fire Emblem series. This, together with unique abilities for each character, spells or techniques that can be activated with the use of the back keys and the “Awakening”, a transformation that can be activated after filling the specific bar, makes the gameplay of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes truly versatile and varied.
The “Awakening” allows our protagonists to temporarily become invulnerable to enemy attacks, but also to inflict “Collapse” with each blow, be it light or heavy. The “Collapse” indicator appears above the most powerful enemies, when certain attacks are launched that undermine their balance or are powerful enough to stun them. Divided into five segments, once the Collapse Indicator is cleared it will make the affected enemy and all surrounding mobs vulnerable to an area attack, resulting, as always, in a large amount of damage.
Melody of Clarity | Review Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
The musou part of the title, certainly very classic, but still enriched by some specific features of the series, is flanked by the strategic component typical of the Fire Emblem. Directly from the battlefield, in fact, we can open the game zone map to give orders to our units, controllable or not. We can then send them to conquer an area, defeat a specific enemy or protect a specific unit. All in a simple and intuitive way, with a really well designed and thought out game menu.
From the main camp, which acts as a real gaming hub, we will be able to experience the most “dating sim” part of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. In fact, we will find, in addition to the classic merchants who sell a fixed quantity of objects for each chapter of the story, and a diary where you can access the various writings found during the game, as well as the possibility of changing clothes for the protagonists, we will find, we said, different ways of being able to deepen relations with our fellow soldiers.
Blood and Iron | Review Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
If dialogues are the most obvious and fastest choice, in reality everything does not end in a few (and let’s face it, not very interesting) dialogue choices: the opportunities are many. Starting from the training area, in which we will be able to challenge each other with groups of three characters who will increase in their class level, reaching their mastery and being able to unlock more powerful ones, for example. Or, even better, we can put Shez on the stove and prepare something for two of our mates, according to their personal tastes, to increase their affinity in battle and, of course, to deepen their characterization.
All with a long list of long-winded tutorials that, let us say, leave the time they find. The amount of text and information contained, in fact, will surprise novice players and we admit that we too, initially, we had missed some steps. The simplest way, given the actual uselessness of the tutorials, is to test and try the various game mechanics unlocked gradually in the camp. But be careful: you will only have a specific number of workouts and free time spaces to spend with your teammates, so once you get the hang of it, dose them well.
Like a Flesh of Lightning | Review Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
The painful side of Omega Force production is, as you can imagine, the technical sector. An exclusive musou on Nintendo Switch, which as it is well known is definitely not a powerful and performing hardware, really suffers a lot from the technical and graphic side. We assume that the game is much more enjoyable (and playable) from the technical side with the console resting on the dock, rather than on a laptop, primarily for the greater convenience of the pro controller in managing the various combos and the cameranot always painstaking.
The guys at Omega Force have adopted some interesting tricks for managing the frame rate, such as dynamic resolution or less use of screen effects, but they were not enough to avoid. frequent and noticeable drops in performance (although, certainly, not to the disastrous levels of Hyrule Warriors). And if from a technical and “comfort” point of view the console is better in the dock, aesthetically speaking the paucity of details and the paucity of textures is decidedly less impactful in portable mode. In short, ultimately, we don’t even know where to advise you to play it.
Nothing to report from the sound point of view: Three Hopes boasts an exceptionally impactful soundtrack, which takes many of the songs from Three Houses and rearranges them to new heights of solemnity and majesty. Really faultless, great job.
Funeral of Flowers
Ultimately, by concluding this review of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Omega Force has managed to honor the chapter of the main vein that inspires, although deviating, the musou. Despite the classic technical problems more related to the genre than to the game and the amount of information put on the screen impossible to memorize for a novice, Three Hopes turned out to be an exponent of the genre with solid and valid gameplay, which expertly mixes the “blows” to which we mentioned at the beginning of the review with a strategic side typical of the franchise and that will make it much more attractive to longtime fans. And it is to them that we strongly recommend the purchase of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. The new trip to the Fòdlan will not disappoint you.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is currently available exclusively on Nintendo Switch. Let us know what you think below in the comments, we will continue to keep you updated with all the news, guides and reviews on videogame and tech! And if you are interested in game keys at advantageous prices, we recommend that you take a look at the InstantGaming catalog!
Points in favor
- Fun and varied gameplay
- Excellent implementation of the strategic component
- Interesting narrative, albeit …