Nintendo hosted a 30-minute, live-gameplay showing for upcoming Fire Emblem: Three Houses during E3. The Fire Emblem title is the 16th game in the long-running series and promises to host some of the most exciting elements yet for fans of the tactical RPG.
In the latest addition to the series, the player will start as a professor in a prestigious academy in the land of Fódlan, which is divided up into three large kingdoms sharing a tenuous peace. In the center of the landmass sits a monastery and officer’s academy where all of the countries send the future leaders of their armies; the academy is also divided up into three houses, each representing one of the three major nations.
Where does all of this lead in a tactical RPG? The game is divided into two parts. In the first half, the player will teach as a professor at the academy. In the second half, after a time jump of five years, the player and his former students will be forced to fight together—as well as against one another—in a massive tripartite war.
At the start, the player will need to choose one of the three houses (countries) to join. Then the player spends the rest of the time teaching the students and trying to recruit them to their household. Failure to bring them on board means you will be forced to fight against them in the coming war. Any recruitment failure could make for an incredibly heart-wrenching story because any enemies you defeat in combat during the war will be permanently killed off (unless playing in casual mode).
The first part of the game has plenty of other exciting features. As a professor, you will be able to schedule certain classes for the students that will affect who learns what. You can raise their proficiency with weapons like bows, lances, and axes or teach the students an entirely new skill. You can even assign chores for students to do on their off-time, talk to them and gain their respect (which if not used for recruitment can still affect later game developments), and even have lunch with them.
Many of the schoolhouse elements are similar to those found in life simulation games. But unlike those games, the player’s choices will have significant effects on later portions of the more in-depth tactical RPG, which is what Fire Emblem games are more commonly known for.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is scheduled for release on July 26, 2019.
