Fire Emblem Engage

What to Know

Critics Recommend

Average Score

Total Reviews: 46

Play It

Phenomenal tactical game design, battlefield heroics, and gorgeous visuals overcome its shaky story to create an excellent entry in the franchise.

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Critics Recommend

Critic Reviews: 46

Critics Consensus

# Reviews: 46

Phenomenal tactical game design, battlefield heroics, and gorgeous visuals overcome its shaky story to create an excellent entry in the franchise.

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Critic Reviews for Fire Emblem Engage

Critic Reviews

Score Distribution

46

Reviews

Average Score - 82/100

82%

Ranges

9/10

Wesley LeBlanc (Game Informer)

Players looking for deep customization, expertly crafted strategy RPG combat, and a heartfelt story with adoration for more than 30 years of Fire Emblem history will find that and more in Engage. It’s one of the most gripping games I’ve played on Switch and, ultimately, one I struggled to peel myself away from.

January 17, 2023 |

Full Review

Nintendo’s long-running fantasy series looks to its rich history for this smart, satisfying turn-based strategy game.

January 17, 2023 |

Full Review

Recommended

Henry Stockdale (Eurogamer)

9/10

Brendan Graeber (IGN)

Fire Emblem Engage proves itself worthy enough to be counted alongside the legacy it honors so well.

January 17, 2023 |

Full Review

Wesley LeBlanc (Game Informer)

9/10 - (Read Review)

Henry Stockdale (Eurogamer)

Recommended - (Read Review)

Nintendo’s long-running fantasy series looks to its rich history for this smart, satisfying turn-based strategy game.

Brendan Graeber (IGN)

9/10 - (Read Review)

Fire Emblem Engage proves itself worthy enough to be counted alongside the legacy it honors so well.

**Read all 46 critic reviews on the desktop version of VSG.

Read the Reviews (46 total)

Outlet	Author	Score	Date	Quote	Read
Atomix	Alberto Desfassiaux	95 / 100	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is a bold and a very innovative game in all regards. The way it introduces new gameplay mechanics, combined with its great story, makes it one of the best of the series.	Read review
AusGamers	Steve Farrelly	8.5 / 10	01-19-2023	And from here your journey begins.	Read review
Cerealkillerz	Manuel Barthes	7.9 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage unfortunately fails to shine like its predecessor Three Houses. The step back to the roots of the series wasn’t a bad one at all. Above all, the combat system knows how to inspire thanks to the emblems, the reunion with Marth and Co. was successful. Unfortunately, the unspectacular story, its generic characters and the lack of endgame content reduce the gaming experience a lot.	Read review
CGMagazine	Preston Dozsa	8.5 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is a refreshing return to the series’ roots, emphasizing its tactical complexity that surpasses more recent entries in the franchise while still featuring a charming cast of characters.	Read review
Checkpoint Gaming	Edie W-K	6.5 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is an okay addition to the Fire Emblem series, with fun and varied maps and enough changes to the tactical mechanics to make it probably worth playing for any FE fan, though not all of its changes are winners. Its spectacular graphics are something to behold; it’s just a shame that it is accompanied by a story that falls completely flat and emblem heroes that are shadows of their former selves. It’s just sadly underwhelming in the face of what its predecessor, Three Houses, achieved better.	Read review
COGconnected	James Paley	82 / 100	01-17-2023	While Engage didn’t win me over with its story, the mechanics are a different matter. I’m pleased that level grinding is being sidestepped in such a clever manner, though I still miss it. I loved how intense the battles are, every single time. Even with the Time Crystal, the stakes feel terribly high. Sure, the narrative feels more cliché than I’m used to. I wish it wasn’t a good vs evil fetch quest. But the character bonds still tell a compelling tale all on their own. And though I didn’t love the side content this time around, I’m still happy there’s so much of it available. Overall, Fire Emblem Engage is an excellent entry in the franchise. You won’t want to miss this one.	Read review
Destructoid	Chris Carter	9 / 10	01-17-2023	If you were overwhelmed by Three Houses, this is a great follow-up that doesn’t just follow that same formula: and in many ways, gets back to Fire Emblem basics.	Read review
Digital Trends	Giovanni Colantonio	4 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is another reliable hit in the tactics series, even if it isn’t as much a step forward as previous installments.	Read review
Digitally Downloaded	Matt Sainsbury	5 / 5 stars	01-18-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is everything I love about Fire Emblem, bundled up in a way that does justice to both the classics that got me into the series, and the production values of modern gaming. Brilliant.	Read review
Eurogamer	Henry Stockdale	Recommended	01-17-2023	Nintendo’s long-running fantasy series looks to its rich history for this smart, satisfying turn-based strategy game.	Read review
Everyeye.it	Antonello Bello	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Despite initial misgivings, Fire Emblem Engage has proved to be a solid and articulated strategy game	Read review
Game Informer	Wesley LeBlanc	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Players looking for deep customization, expertly crafted strategy RPG combat, and a heartfelt story with adoration for more than 30 years of Fire Emblem history will find that and more in Engage. It’s one of the most gripping games I’ve played on Switch and, ultimately, one I struggled to peel myself away from.	Read review
GameSpot	Jacob Dekker	7 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage’s fantastic combat is held back by an underwhelming story that lacks the ambition of recent entries.	Read review
GamesRadar+	Hirun Cryer	2.5 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is sadly a missed opportunity to tie together a new cast of characters with the heroes of old.	Read review
GameXplain	Daan Koopman	Recommended	01-17-2023	Video Review	Read review
God is a Geek	Adam Cook	9.5 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is a masterpiece of tactical gameplay design, with a gorgeous look, and depth most games can only dream of.	Read review
Hobby Consolas	David Rodriguez	80 / 100	01-17-2023	With Fire Emblem Engage, Nintendo Switch hosts one of the best SRPGs on the market in terms of combat. However, we see this installment as a missed opportunity to present a classic round game due to its script. The shadow of Three Houses has played against this delivery, although seeing Marth is always a cause for joy.	Read review
IGN	Brendan Graeber	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage proves itself worthy enough to be counted alongside the legacy it honors so well.	Read review
IGN Spain	David Oña	8 / 10	01-17-2023	The latest from Intelligent Systems proves that the studio has its finger on the pulse of the genre inside out. After a groundbreaking installment, they return to the classic approach while presenting new features that spice up and make, if possible, even more interesting its great combat system. A must for fans of the genre.	Read review
Merlin’in Kazanı	Samet Basri Taşlı	90 / 100	01-18-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is one of the early surprises of 2023. Nintendo has managed to make fans of the genre happy with a great JRPG game!	Read review
Metro GameCentral	David Jenkins	8 / 10	01-17-2023	A more traditional Fire Emblem experience than Three Houses, but one that’s filled with fun new features and emphasises deep and varied gameplay over dating mini-games.	Read review
Nintendo Life	PJ O’Reilly	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is another stellar entry in this storied franchise, but it’s also one that takes a noticeably different stance than its most recent predecessor. It’s all about the combat this time around, at the expense of the relationships and romance that made Three Houses such a fan favourite, so if you’re looking for that social element here, you’re bound to be left feeling at least a tad disappointed. However, for those jonesing to get down and dirty with some sweet turn-based tactical action	Read review
NintendoWorldReport	Matthew Zawodniak	9 / 10	01-17-2023	I have never played a game quite so ravenously, sinking over ninety hours into my first playthrough in just two weeks (though don’t get too intimidated by that number, it counts all of my resets from playing on Hard difficulty, and I also played all fifteen optional chapters). At the end of it all I didn’t feel exhausted or burnt out, but rather like I somehow wished that I could play for even longer. Fire Emblem Engage may not check every box that fans were hoping for, but it is easily the strongest showing for the series in the last decade.	Read review
NoobFeed	Asura Kagawa	80 / 100	01-21-2023	Fire Emblem Engage has one of the best TRPG and tactical combat mechanisms that have been released in recent years, and for this reason only, it is well worthy of your attention. It’s a shame that Engage doesn’t live up to the high standards set by its predecessor. If you want to battle on hundreds of maps and click through countless dialogues, this is the game for you.	Read review
PCMag	Will Greenwald	3.5 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage recalls earlier series entries by hitting familiar tactical notes, but it augments them with a cool, new team-up system. Its multiplayer modes need work, though.	Read review
Polygon	Mike Mahardy	Recommended	01-17-2023	It can’t quite reach the crescendos that Three Houses did, and it certainly doesn’t achieve the longevity of Awakening. But it is consistently great. And it’s confident enough to let me take the reins.	Read review
Post Arcade (National Post)	Chad Sapieha	8 / 10	01-19-2023	Intelligent Systems’ latest introduces dozens of new heroes alongside some of the nearly 600 playable characters from earlier games. Read on.	Read review
Press Start	Harry Kalogirou	8 / 10	01-18-2023	As an experience more in-line with the pre-Fates era of Fire Emblem, Engage is a worthy celebration of one of Nintendo’s longest running and most storied franchises. Despite many flaws, none of them offset the experience so drastically to sour the overall experience, making for another great entry into the gilded halls of Fire Emblem.	Read review
Screen Rant	Cody Gravelle	4 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	Ultimately, Fire Emblem Engage is an excellent game that contains one of the finest tactical systems in recent memory, and it’s well worth a look for that reason. Just don’t expect to remember much about Elyos once the journey ends.	Read review
SECTOR.sk	Michal Korec	8 / 10	01-18-2023	The timing after Three Houses is challenging and expectations are high, but FE Engage serves as the best of series in 30 years. Solid, although uneven plot, still interesting social interactions and non-combat parts are merged with excellent tactical strategy gameplay. Mixing new Engage tricks with established weapon-triangle and great maps layout will please fans for tens of hours.	Read review
Shacknews	Josh Broadwell	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage’s story might be shaky, but the tactics game excels in every other way.	Read review
Skill Up	Ralph Panebianco	Recommended	01-17-2023	Video Review	Read review
SpazioGames	Gianluca Arena	8.4 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is a great celebration of a more than 30 years old franchise, and also one of the best looking Switch games of the last months. We dare to say it’s not one of the best episodes in the franchise, but it is, nonetheless, a great SRPG if you have at least fifty hours to invest in it.	Read review
Stevivor	Matt Gosper	9 / 10	01-17-2023	While players may be tempted to judge Fire Emblem Engage on the art style alone, I strongly suggest giving it a try before casting judgement; you may just find that this is one of the best Fire Emblem games to date.	Read review
The Games Machine	Danilo Dellafrana	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Between novelties and various refinements, Fire Emblem Engage’s combat system is perfectly polished and exciting. Not all of the campaign is full of twists and turns, and the shadow of socializing at all costs might make the more grumpy digital generals nervous, but overall Fire Emblem Engage is a recommended chapter.	Read review
TheSixthAxis	Dominic Leighton	9 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage balances the series’ past and its future, offering a renewed focus on the tactical gameplay, an endearing cast of old and new faces, and the best visuals the franchise has ever seen.	Read review
TrustedReviews	Ryan Jones	4 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	Engage isn’t the best entry point into the series, and is rather shallow in terms of story and character development, but the combat is enjoyable enough alone to keep players engrossed until the end.	Read review
Twinfinite	Zhiqing Wan	3.5 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	At the end of the day, Fire Emblem Engage ends up being a rather middling experience that wasn’t afraid to try a few new things as far as combat is concerned, but couldn’t come close to the heights that its predecessors have set for the series.	Read review
Unboxholics	Γιώργος Πρίτσκας	Not Recommended	01-21-2023	Fire Emblem Engage features an excellent combat system that I’m sure fans of the genre will appreciate. It’s smart, balanced, and with enough depth to absorb the player into its mechanics. It always rewards patience, organization and strategic combination of units and punishes rushing and “heroics”. However, the rest of the game that frames this combat system is, unfortunately, in my opinion, disappointing.	Read review
VG247	Alex Donaldson	Recommended	01-17-2023	As a fan of older Fire Emblem and strategy games in general, I was thrilled to see the depth of combat and the level to which you can make battling your absolute focus. That’s still true even if Engage doesn’t quite get the balance in its execution right in a way that might put a small subset of Three Houses lovers off.	Read review
VGC	Jordan Middler	3 / 5 stars	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is a great strategy game, but we don’t think it’s a great modern Fire Emblem game. Whether the reverence for the social elements of Three Houses came as a surprise to the team or not, the dearth of those moments in Engage makes it feel like it’s missing half of its core at times. While the anniversary cameos will please the hardcore fans at first, we worry that, much like the weak social aspects, their largely minor impact on the game itself will disappoint.	Read review
Video Chums	A.J. Maciejewski	9 / 10	01-17-2023	If you’re new to the mainline Fire Emblem games albeit an enthusiast of SRPGs in general like I am then Engage will surely wow you with its tight old-school gameplay, incredible presentation, and fantastic cast of characters. Heck, it might even turn you into a dedicated fan.	Read review
Washington Post	Alyse Stanley	Recommended	01-17-2023	“Engage” continues the series trend of mashing up tactics and RPG elements, but while the latter falls flat and feels out of place, it excels in the former. And if my biggest qualms are with the game’s least Fire Emblem-y parts, I consider that a solid entry in the series.	Read review
Wccftech	Nathan Birch	8 / 10	01-17-2023	Fire Emblem Engage’s story is derivative JRPG nonsense and its social elements are skippable, but the game’s battlefield heroics largely make up for its shortcomings. Classic Fire Emblem combat mechanics make their welcome return here and are nicely elevated by the new Engage system and a slate of varied, surprisingly-challenging maps. Fire Emblem Engage won’t be everybody’s favorite entry in the series, but it should be a critical hit with many seasoned generals.	Read review
We Got This Covered	Shaan Joshi	3.5 / 5 stars	01-20-2023	As a turn-based tactical RPG, Fire Emblem Engage delivers on all fronts. On the other hand, when it comes to its social sim systems and story, this latest entry falls short of the mark, especially when compared to its predecessors.	Read review
WellPlayed	Ralph Panebianco	7 / 10	01-18-2023	Fire Emblem Engage is enjoyable but leaves little impression. If the narrative was more compelling, if the character relationships were deeper and more interesting or if combat was more varied, there’s every chance that Engage would have felt more robust and impactful. In the absence of those things, Engage just feels…fine.	Read review

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Game Info

Game Description / Storyline:

In a war against the Fell Dragon, four kingdoms worked together with heroes from other worlds to seal away this great evil. One-thousand years later, this seal has weakened and the Fell Dragon is about to reawaken. As a Divine Dragon, use rich strategies and robust customization to meet your destiny—to collect Emblem Rings and bring peace back to the Continent of Elyos. Summon valiant heroes like Marth and Celica with the power of Emblem Rings and add their power to yours in this brand-new Fire Emblem story. Aside from merging appearances, Engaging lets you inherit weapons, skills, and more from these battle-tested legends. The turn-based, tactical battle system returns with a fresh cast of characters you can customize and Engage to carefully craft your strategy.

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