Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, our preview of the strategy game for Switch 2!

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, what do we know about the game?

Releasing on September 17th, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is the highly anticipated new installment in the strategy saga developed by Intelligent Systems, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. After spending a lot of time with the game, I'm ready to share our preview of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, although many more hours of gameplay will be needed for a definitive review. But let's take it one step at a time and see what we know about Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave.

Since 1990, the Fire Emblem brand has been synonymous with Japanese turn-based strategy, so much so that I find it extremely difficult to recall a main installment in the series that hasn't managed to captivate me. Of course, we can remember some underwhelming episodes or those with elements that could be improved, but the fact remains that when we talk about Fire Emblem, we always expect something memorable. Fire Emblem Engage, released in 2023, offered deep and elaborate gameplay but left a bit to be desired regarding the plot and the quality of character interactions, with frivolous dialogues and a game hub, the Somniel, lacking in emotion. Needless to say, these are minor flaws, but for all fans, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is called upon to take another leap forward compared to its predecessor, continuing to offer gameplay worthy of the saga.

In Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, we play a hero resurrected from death by the goddess Fortuna. Fortuna grants us her time-traveling powers, allowing us to go back several years, to when the Dagan empire was still flourishing and not devastated by the attacks of the powerful demon Balor. At this point, our story intertwines with four characters: the young Cai, the swordsman Dietrich, Queen Theodora, and the musician/dancer Leda. Each of them, before the advent of Balor, is in Dagsion, the rich and beautiful capital of Dagan, precisely during the important Gladiator Tournament, a competition that sees the world's greatest warriors challenge each other to determine the strongest. The winner will receive a highly coveted prize: the ability to make a wish. Through the powers granted to us by Fortuna, we can embody each of the four protagonists and experience their intertwining adventures. Thanks to pillars in our character's headquarters, we can move from one protagonist to another, advancing the various plotlines in parallel, in a system that promises interactions at various levels. From what I've played so far, I can't yet say how significant the plot changes will be based on our actions, but there's a very interesting atmosphere.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, between story and gameplay

Each of the four main characters has an interesting and mature story, although there are some stereotypes typical of Japanese video game narration, but even from the first hours of gameplay, we are at decidedly more satisfying and profound levels than those of Engage. Revenge, values to fight for, and, why not, the pursuit of self-perfection as warriors, are sentiments that give Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave a strong and human soul, and if the narration can maintain high levels until the end, they could make the game's plot truly memorable. Great importance is given to characterization, both protagonists and secondary actors, who manage to make the player empathize with them and become fond of many of the personalities encountered. Needless to say, in a short time, you end up with a list of your favorite allies.

The gameplay, from what I've seen, consists of separate moments that converge into classic grid-based battles. If you already have experience with the series, you'll have no trouble immersing yourself in Fortune's Weave's combat system, as the basics follow the system that uses movements and actions to be performed one turn at a time, on maps of varying sizes. The core is always the same: you move and choose what to do, between attacks, magic, item use, and support functions. The strategic component is, once again, predominant and manages to transform every battle into a challenge to the player's intellect, especially when maximizing the challenge level. Regarding difficulty, the basic level seemed a bit too simple to me, while the most difficult one requires a degree of commitment that stimulates ingenuity and encourages players to make the most of all available possibilities. There are two game modes, one with permadeath (recommended) and one without, which, in my opinion, removes one of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave's most important tools for immersion: becoming attached to units and fighting intelligently to ensure everyone survives continues to be a crucial lever in motivating gamers to give their best.

In Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, there isn't a true weapon triangle, but each weapon has specific characteristics that make it more useful in specific situations. Swords increase damage when performing double hits, bows are lethal against flying troops, lances against mounted troops, and so on. In short, not the classic "rock-paper-scissors" system, but a variant that comes close.

The main novelty is the system of blazing moves, specific to only some characters. Extremely powerful and effective on various levels, blazing moves must be used sparingly, as they consume the health points of those who use them and are linked to a fervor indicator. By using blazing moves, we will fill the indicator and see our stats improve, but if we abuse these arts, we will lose the acquired bonuses. The system adds further strategic depth to battles, although it is a bit more streamlined than Engage's. So, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave's combat system works, and works well, managing to uphold the saga's name, with variations on the theme that fit perfectly into the mechanisms we all know. The ability to rewind time returns, and each protagonist will receive a sandbag from the goddess Fortuna that will allow them to correct mistakes made and, perhaps, save a character from an inglorious end.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, new features and confirmations

The main hub is the city of Dagsion, where the gladiatorial games take place and where we can find many structures such as shops, taverns, bulletin boards to discover side quests, and, of course, many characters to recruit thanks to a system of gifts and fame: the more renowned we become through our deeds, the more we will be able to convince strong warriors to join our ranks. Dagsion is clearly inspired by Roman architecture, and the amphitheater within it cannot but recall the Colosseum and its gladiatorial challenges. Outside, the world map allows us to move to many places of interest, between classic battles and places to explore. This is precisely the biggest novelty regarding the game structure, as we are talking about sections where Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave's gameplay echoes that of JRPGs. With a third-person view, you move through real dungeons, and when you encounter opponents, you fight them in a turn-based system that seems directly taken from a Japanese role-playing game, in which you can also leave the battle to artificial intelligence. The system recalls a feature from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia, a remake of the second Fire Emblem, released in 2017 on Nintendo 3DS, but here the combat phase is extremely more streamlined. Naturally, these phases do not eliminate the epic strategic battles, which remain the beating heart of the game. From what I've seen so far, this innovation is somewhat inconsequential and represents a variation on the theme inserted in some plot situations and side quests, but it doesn't seem to have enough depth to satisfy Fire Emblem fans. Who knows if, in the long run, it will prove to have something to say that can truly enrich the gameplay offering.

In a style very reminiscent of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, between one section of the plot and another, we will have free time to manage as we please, choosing between various activities such as explorations, training, services at the temples of the deities, the always useful rest, and more. There is a real strategic system that, over time, emerges in these situations: how we use our time will have a real impact on the growth of the characters and the ranks of our group.

The character growth system returns, linked to exams to pass in order to change class. By purchasing specific tickets to access the trials, we will see, based on our situation, which classes we can aspire to. Based on our qualities and experience, we will have a certain percentage chance of passing the exam and changing jobs. To be clear, if we wanted to become soldiers and saw the percentage at 100%, by taking the exam we would be sure to succeed, while if we saw 30%, the attempt could prove to be a gamble with the result of having wasted an exam access ticket. There are many classes suitable for every type of strategy, and compared to the past, there are new features such as the Ornius Knights, lethal fighters riding fast and dangerous large bipedal birds similar to ostriches. The four protagonists, among other things, have unique qualities that make them substantially different from each other, both in and out of battle, and further enrich an already sumptuous gameplay, making it an almost perfect machine that creates addiction.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, technically speaking

Technically, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is a small gem, not so much because it moves an incredible number of polygons at a rock-solid frame rate (although I haven't noticed any slowdowns), but because of an artistic direction capable of effectively using cell shading, which finds its maximum expression in the realization of the city of Dagsion and the character models. The latter are the result of both careful scripting and a design capable of giving us many unique and detailed fighters. The style is colorful but manages not to clash even in the most dramatic situations, and in the cutscenes, the direction shows respectable shots capable of capturing the pathos of the situation. The music is of high quality, as is all the sound, and some excellent arrangements of songs that have made Fire Emblem history stand out. The two available voice-overs, Japanese and English, are excellent, while all texts boast an accurate Italian translation, a choice that demonstrates Nintendo's attention to our market.

It seems unlikely that as I continue my experience with Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave there will be negative surprises that manage to ruin the experience we've had so far, but we await the definitive review for a complete judgment, bearing in mind that my impressions after several hours of gameplay are extremely positive. Among other things, I also note the possibility of using the Joy-Cons 2 in mouse mode, simplifying life for those who don't like to combine the words "strategy" and controller: the result is more than satisfactory. I only have two doubts: the real value of the dungeon exploration sections and the evolution of the plot and the intertwining of characters. A little more patience and we will know everything about Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave... September 17th is getting closer!