The Fire Emblem franchise gets a lot of flack, for a lot of different reasons. Some people don’t know why there have to be so many FE characters in Super Smash Bros. Others find the “anime-ness” of the series to be tired and uninteresting. And when we got our first looks at the newest title, Fire Emblem Engage, many fans of the franchise feared it would only continue to fuel the flames of mockery with its garish art style and goofy attitude.

However, after giving a substantial amount of time to the game following its release, I’ve come away from it with a great deal of fondness. It’s not the deepest game out there, even by Fire Emblem standards, and for fans of the previous mainline title, Three Houses, it might feel like a massive step back. But in my opinion, as someone who’s not necessarily a series “veteran” but has a fair grasp on what the franchise as a whole can offer players, I think it’s a delightful return to basics that has far and away exceeded my expectations. Which is good, considering I spent nearly $100 on the base game and DLC pass. (Because I’m silly <3)

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