Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is an enjoyably strategic return to Fódlan

I can’t deny that Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of my favourite games this generation. From defying the church to restoring a kingdom, I saw everything each route could offer, yet Three Hopes’ announcement still left me cautious. Following the success of Hyrule Warriors and, of course, Fire Emblem Warriors, Nintendo has once again teamed up with Koei Tecmo for a musou spin-off, swapping Fire Emblem’s tactical RPG gameplay for hack-and-slash combat. I had my doubts at first, but after several chapters those fears are being put to rest.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three HopesPublisher: NintendoDeveloper: Koei Tecmo/Omega ForcePlatform: Played on SwitchAvailability: Out June 24 on Switch

Three Hopes isn’t a simple retelling of Three Houses, nor does it work around the existing storyline. This time around, we’re playing as Shez, a former mercenary who becomes a student at Garreg Mach Monastery. Like before, which house you enrol in determines your storyline as you choose between Edelgard’s Black Eagles, Dimitri’s Blue Lions, and Claude’s Golden Deer. I’d recommend playing Three Houses first, but thankfully this experience doesn’t hinge upon it.

Rather than Garreg Mach, Shez spends their free time in the war camp, a new hub packed with different facilities. Because you’re directly exploring this camp on foot instead of accessing facilities off a map, you feel more involved in the war effort than similar spin-offs, namely Age of Calamity. Support events with other characters still exist but socialising has been scaled back – there’s no S-rank options for romance here. Even still, Three Hopes replicates Three Houses’ social elements well, letting you invite others to camp meals, go on expeditions, and more.

Once you’ve finished preparations you select a mission from the war map and pick which units you want to fight with after which you’re off. In some ways, this is no different from your standard musou games – we’re still cutting down countless enemy hordes at the press of a button, charging the Warrior gauge to unleash deadly strikes. Capturing enemy outposts still reinforce your position, there’s enemy commanders to kill, and adapting to new developments as they come remains key. It’s a familiar cycle and if this didn’t appeal previously, Three Hopes probably won’t change your mind.