Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave - Switch 2 Review
"I for one welcome our new tactical overlords"
The land of Dagda is under an invasion of the undead and it's now your job to go back in time and change the fate of some champions to help save Dagda and the world. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is a brand-new entry to Nintendo's flagship tactical RPG and brings with it a plethora of content and experimentation to the franchise. Fortune's Weave is set before Three Houses and actively explores the connections between the two histories, as they are two regions that are only split by a sea.
The Good
Going back in time to save and recruit as many champions as possible to save all of Dagda is broken down across four playable characters. You have Cai, who fits the cliche hero's journey adventuring party with his friends; Leda, who is out for revenge against the soldiers who destroyed her home and, more specifically, the man who killed her father, Dietrich, who hails from Fodlan and just wants to fight strong opponents; and Theodora, a queen of one of Dagda’s independent nations. You're able to easily swap between each character's story at any point and jump into someone else's. This allows you to experience each main character in your own time without having to finish one story before moving onto the next one.
Speaking of the story, I have been completely encapsulated with each main character and their supporting cast so far and watching their interactions with each other and other notable characters in the tournament. There are also some incredibly interesting connections to the history of Fire Emblem: Three Houses in Dietrich's story, especially with one of his primary companions, Fabio. Avoiding any possible spoilers, but there is a lot for players to uncover, and keep an eye out for any pulsing rings on the Dagdan map, as you'll come across special interactions there.
One factor to always consider in tactical RPGs is their map design and the variety in them. The skirmish encounters on the overworld map aren't anything to write home about; however, the end-of-chapter maps are so much fun and challenging at times. The Colosseum brings forth a wide variety of options, even including a water-based map, where the opposing team is using pegasus riders that mitigate the terrain hazards. There are also features on the maps that you can take advantage of to turn the tide in your favour.
Fortune's Weave is a great entry point for new players to tactical RPGs and Fire Emblem, with an introduction that eases you into the mechanics slowly. Also with the new dungeons and simple turn-based battles providing a way to learn turn-based combat on top of the grid-based combat of tactics games. Although there are a few aspects of Fire Emblem that are worth looking up online, such as how the weight of items equipped affects your units.
TL;DR
- Easy swapping between routes
- Encapsulating story
- Stellar map design
- Perfect entry point
The Bad
My one and only genuine complaint I have with Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is the fact it was decided to only have a singular save file for players to use. There are a lot of features that do mitigate the issue, like the aforementioned being able to swap between each route freely, or the fact that support levels between characters remain.
Even the ability to replay any chapter of each route helps with the singular save file issue; what doesn't help is the fact that auto saves automatically override the current save. With poor in-game time management, this can result in having to start a chapter again from the beginning because you're unable to reach the required space on the world map in time from the last auto save.
TL;DR
- Singular save file
Final Score: 10/10
Not only is Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave a fantastic entry point for newcomers to tactical RPGs and Fire Emblem in general, but it also is a must-play for any fan of the franchise. While the singular save file is a problem, it is completely outweighed by all of the incredible experiences throughout your time with the game. Fortune’s Weave has a genuine opportunity to make Fire Emblem a more mainstream experience in the gaming world, and I for one welcome our new tactical overlords.
Thank you for checking out our Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Switch review, thank you to Nintendo AU/NZ for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:
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