Not only hasFire Emblem Engagebeen a great showcase of characters and mechanics from the series past, it has also introduced a variety of new mechanics to keep the series fresh. Mechanics like Emblems, Bond Rings, and the Break system have all added depth to the gameplay ofFire Emblem Engageand mark a positive direction for the series. However, there is one missing mechanic from its predecessor,Fire Emblem: Three Houses, that makes changing units' classes less exciting and complex than it could have been.
UnlikeFire Emblem: Three Houses,Fire Emblem Engagedoes not feature the calendar schedule that dictates when activities like lessons and free time take place. While this mechanic was a nice change of pace whenFire Emblem: Three Houseslaunched, it could become tiresome after multiple playthroughs. Despite the return to a streamlined format inFire Emblem Engage, the use of Certification Exams as part of the academy motif ofFire Emblem: Three Houseswas one aspect that should have stayed from that entry, and hopefully futureFire Emblemtitles will see it return in some way.
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Certification Exams Should Return in Future Fire Emblem Games
Fire Emblem: Three Housessuccessfully found ways to incorporate staple mechanics from the series in new and interesting ways using school life as a backdrop. Giving lessons could help units grow proficient in certain weapons, which could then allow them to takeCertification Examswith the chance to change classes depending on their proficiency level in the required areas. Not only did this help enhance the feel of being at an academy, but it made each class change feel earned since there was often no guarantee that a unit would pass the exam.
Other elements thatFire Emblem: Three Housesintroduced included free time activities within a home base such as sharing a meal with units, giving them gifts to increase support and even additional mini-games like fishing.Fire Emblem Engageadapted many of these activities to its own home base, theSomniel, but missed out on seeing the return Certification Exams. Instead, the game returned to the classic way of changing a unit’s class by simply using Master or Second Seals on a unit that met the weapon proficiency requirements without the need to pass any test.
There are some ways to influence a unit’s proficiency with certain weapons that will allow them tochange classes inFire Emblem Engage, such as equipping them with an Emblem that grants proficiency in a particular weapon type. However, this method is a lot more passive than the lessons and Certification Exams ofFire Emblem: Three Housesand doesn’t give the same sense of achievement. Instead,FireEmblem Engagecould have used in-universe explanations for why units had to prove themselves worthy of a class change, such as Brodian units wanting to show their dedication to strength, or Firenese ones wanting to prove that they’re worthy of the Divine Dragon.
Even outside a school setting, the mechanic of requiring units to pass some sort of test with the chance of failure could be incorporated into futureFire Emblemgames. There are simple ways that it could be incorporated into the lore to make it work regardless of the rest of the game’s themes. While it’s disappointing to see the class change system inFire Emblem Engagerevert back to the style of older games, the fact that so many ofFire Emblem: Three Houses' new mechanics made their way intoFire Emblem Engageis a hopeful sign that future titles will continue to examine elements that worked in previous entries and incorporate them into new ones.
Fire Emblem Engageis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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