80 hours in, still confused

The author has played Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave for over 80 hours and still isn't sure how to play it properly.

Massive and excellent

It's structured like time loops and parallel stories in a linear campaign. It has the best storytelling in the series with challenging battles.

A must-buy tactical RPG

If you like tactical RPGs or Fire Emblem, this is essential. It ranks with Three Houses and Awakening as a series favorite.

Four stories, not just paths

You choose one of four stories almost immediately and can jump between them anytime. You're switching between four distinct timelines with tons of overlap.

A temple hub system

The game's hub is a temple where you walk up to an obelisk representing each character and start playing as them.

15 to 20 hours per campaign

Playing through one obelisk's full campaign takes 15 to 20 hours. Then you can select another obelisk or play the second act of your story.

The biggest unanswered question

The hardest question is whether to plow through one character's story or methodically go through all four before the climax.

“How to engage with the structure of Fortune's Weave is the biggest and hardest to answer question in the entire game”

A 100-hour commitment

The author chose to play all four first acts, taking 80 hours, and has only done one of four second acts. It's easily a 100-hour game.

Front-loaded with exploration

First acts are filled with exploration, side quests, recruiting, and training like Three Houses. Second acts are more direct campaigns like older Fire Emblem games.

You're fate's agent

You're the agent of Fortuna, goddess of fate, sent to meddle in four characters' timelines to change their futures and fight the end of the world.

The Heroic Games tournament

All four heroes head to Dagsion to compete in the Heroic Games, where the winner's request is granted by the holy emperor and deity Solel.

Four distinct heroes

Cai wants to save his father. Dietrich seeks the greatest fight. Theodora wants prosperity for her kingdom. Leda seeks vengeance.

Only one winner possible

There can only be one winner of the Heroic Games. But as a time-traveling agent of fate, how your interference affects the outcome isn't clear.

Different events, not repetition

The storylines don't cover the same events. Each character has a unique campaign that reveals a different aspect of the game's dense narrative.

Gods, politics, and sci-fi

One story explores the pantheon of gods. Another reveals political tensions. Yet another has sci-fi intrigue with laser guns.

30 hours to see it

It took about 30 hours before the author could confidently say this wasn't just choosing a team and going through the same game.

No right way to play

Even now, it's not clear what the right way to play is. But it's big, interesting, and fun, and that matters more.

Second act disappointment

Update: The second act appears nearly identical across all four characters, a disappointing chunk of repetition in an otherwise excellent experience.