Gameplay and Story
Fire Emblem Fates takes place in lands controlled by two empires called Hoshido and Nohr. Both empires’ royalty shares a line of descent from ancient dragons, although each kingdom worships a different dragon deity. This embroils the two in war, with your avatar- named Corrin by default- stuck directly in the middle.
Corrin is a member of the Hoshido royalty by blood, that was kidnapped at a young age and raised in Nohr. The player’s avatar has the unique ability to transform into a dragon. One of the other prominent story characters is Azura, a member of Nohr royalty taken in by Hoshido during their effort to save Corrin.
Both versions of Fates have the same first six chapters, with the sixth one titled “Branch of Fate.” Here, players choose between Hoshido and Nohr, where each version has a different story. Basically, it’s one conflict seen from two different sides. In addition, the third downloadable campaign has players rejecting both sides and being branded a traitor by both.
Fire Emblem Fates’ gameplay rests on the core tenets of the series. Battles take place on a 3D isometric grid from a top down view, between the forces of the player and the enemy. The two sides take turns, during which each side has the option to move every unit. Various pieces of equipment are used depending on what a unit can equip. Swords, lances, axes, bows, magic, whatever it might be.
A big change in Fates is the removal of weapon durability. Traditionally in Fire Emblem games you would have a limited number of times any given weapon could be used. With Fates, this instead changes to weapons altering your characters’ stats. Careful planning on which weapons work against which are still needed, but weapons now are much more “how do I use it” than “when do I use it.”
Corrin also has an additional ability that players can use. Members of the royal family have access to something called “Dragon Vein,” that allows them to use contextual actions to mold the environment in their favor. This ability is used for different things depending on the chapter.
Story segments are told largely in text, with some sequences being voiced, and animated cutscenes highlighting important moments. The “My Castle” feature is also a big focus for Fates, allowing players to interact with their units and create shops and weapons.
Fates also has one more change in store, as it offers three different difficulty levels. Classic retains the challenge of the series as once units die they’re gone forever. Casual brings back any fallen units at the end of the chapter, and an even easier mode called Phoenix brings back any incapacitated units upon your opponent’s following turn. Fates has quite a few changes in store but differences between the two versions should satisfy new and old fans.
