Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Lore & Background

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is set on the continent of Fódlan, divided into three ruling powers at peace: the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance. These nations are connected through Garreg Mach Monastery, which houses a church and an officer's school for students from each nation. The player takes the role of Byleth, a former mercenary with a mysterious past who becomes the academy's newest professor. The player must choose a class to lead—the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Deer—and guide their students through battles and decisions. The game maintains turn-based tactical gameplay while incorporating social simulation and time management elements. A new feature allows players to hire Battalions, additional troops that support units with passive abilities and special Gambit moves. The game also introduces the Divine Pulse ability, allowing players to rewind and undo a set number of turn actions per battle. The story includes a time skip five years after the academy phase, locking the player to their chosen house.

Reader's Guide

Fire Emblem: Three Houses received highly positive reviews, with critics praising the integration of the school system and battalion mechanics, narrative, characters, soundtrack, and replay value. Minor criticisms were directed at the game's easier difficulty compared to past installments and some visual and technical problems. The game won Best Strategy Game and the inaugural Player's Voice Award at The Game Awards 2019. As of December 2022, it sold 4.12 million copies worldwide, making it the single best-selling game in the franchise. The game's production was challenging for Intelligent Systems, who attributed its success and timely release to Koei Tecmo, which had previously partnered with the company for Warriors. The staff wanted something entirely new for the franchise's debut on high-definition home consoles, birthing the school life mechanics and expansions to battle. The school system and time skip took inspiration from the fourth installment, Genealogy of the Holy War. A Warriors-style spin-off, Three Hopes, was released for the Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2022.

Did You Know?

• The game is the first Fire Emblem entry for home consoles since Radiant Dawn in 2007.
• Chinatsu Kurahana was the main character designer.
• The school system and time skip were inspired by the fourth installment, Genealogy of the Holy War.