Unlike previous Fire Emblem titles, which all dwelled in the strategy RPG genre, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes takes things in a new direction with hack and slash gameplay. This draws an easy parallel to Persona 5 Strikers, another Warriors-style hack and slash game that’s connected to an existing title. However, Persona 5 Strikers was designed as a fairly straightforward sequel to Persona 5. Any inconsistencies between it and Persona 5 Royal seem to come from the two games’ development schedules. Meanwhile, what’s happening with Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes seems to be more complicated.
RELATED: Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Announced for Switch With Release Date
Seize Control of Fate
In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, players are introduced to the titular three Houses: the Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer. They’re led by Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, and Claude von Riegan respectively. Although these Houses start out as a simple way of organizing the students at Garreg Mach Monastery, they soon become the main factions in a war that threatens to tear Fodlan apart.
The player is given the choice to side with any of the three or Rhea, archbishop of the Church of Seiros. However, gamers must keep a few things in mind when choosing a House—including the harsh truth that the characters who aren’t chosen will likely die in the coming war. Although Claude can be spared by either Dimitri or Edelgard, he can’t return the favor, and Dimitri and Edelgard are guaranteed to die in each other’s routes. The tragedy of Fire Emblem: Three Houses is that none of these young lords are able to trust each other to work together, especially not after Byleth is removed from play following the Battle of Garreg Mach. This is where Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes comes into the picture.
A Glorious Future
Judging by the announcement trailer, it appears that Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes and Fire Emblem: Three Houses take place in the same world and even the same timeline. However, it seems that Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes will take the story off on an entirely new route. The trailer shows the three House leaders fighting together and seeming to come to an agreement on how to achieve their shared goals. This implies a much closer relationship between the characters in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes than they ever achieved in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s very possible that this game will showcase a version of events where the House leaders actually come to an understanding and are able to address the real enemy.
According to the trailer, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes will likely take place during the five-year-long gap between the Battle of Garreg Mach and the second half of the game. This could explain the relative lack of focus on Byleth, who would be out of commission for a significant chunk of time. Claude and Dimitri are also shown wielding their Heroes’ Relics, something that would be impossible in the first half of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. However, the trailer also implies that Byleth’s father, Jeralt, will likely still die.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is set to release for Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2022.
MORE: Fire Emblem Heroes’ Ongoing Story Could Set a Template for Three Houses’ Successor
