Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes: The developers tell us all about this Three Houses sauce Zelda Hyrule Warriors!

Play news Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes: The developers tell us all about this Three Houses sauce Zelda Hyrule Warriors!

Gameplay updates

What is the new gameplay mechanics of Three Hopes compared to the original Fire Emblem Warriors?

Hayato Iwata (Koei Tecmo Games), Game Director:

With Fire Emblem Warriors, we have created a game that represents the Fire Emblem series by increasing the strategic aspects during battles compared to the usual Warriors series thanks to elements like the weapons triangle and being able to give orders to allies.

Of course, we worked on improving and refining this part. But when we created this sequel, even though it’s part of the Warriors series, we also wanted to highlight the side of “promoting the story while training its characters, winning battles and sometimes being forced to make important decisions” throughout the game. This is one of the best things about the Fire Emblem series and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Therefore, we have greatly strengthened the strategy and RPG elements by giving a lot of freedom in character leveling in the battle preparation part, adding various character interaction elements and adding a new game element outside of battles called War Map.

Buy Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes for Nintendo Switch at Amazon

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Highlights

Besides the fights, what do you think is the most important thing about this episode?

Hayato Iwata (Koei Tecmo Games), Game Director:

It is not a specific topic, but as mentioned in the answer to the first question: When we added and reworked different elements, we favored the idea that each function had a synergistic effect on the gaming experience instead of leading to the creation of different stand-alone gaming experiences.

For example, in this title we have done so that the “Classes” of characters from Fire Emblem: Three Houses can be obtained freely. Not only do the character’s movements change, but by integrating the weapon triangle system between classes during combat, we have added a strategic layer. Thus, the player can say to himself “to rank up in a class swinging a sword is wise for the next quest because it will have many enemies of a class swinging an ax”. These thoughts are then tied to the choice of character leveling and strategies for completing quests.

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romance and relationships

Is it possible to have romances with the characters, as in Three Houses?

Hayato Iwata (Koei Tecmo Games), Game Director:

In this title, to give users a different narrative experience than Three Houses, one of the main concepts on which we based our work was to recreate Fire Emblem: Three Houses as a “war story or war chronicle”. In the process of selecting the elements to realize this concept, we decided to avoid staging romantic relationships more than necessary.

We have also been very careful in dealing with elements that could contradict the experience of the users of Three Houses.

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Cannon compared to Three Houses

Is this story considered canon in relation to the Three Hopes story, or should it be considered a non-canonical spin-off like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity? With the Ashen Demon character, the Three Houses players were able to imagine the period in which this new adventure takes place.

Mr. Genki Yokota (Nintendo), Supervisor:

Including everything found in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, we believe that what the player ultimately perceives as cannon is the cannon. We discussed and developed the game between the three companies (Koei Tecmo Games / Intelligent Systems / Nintendo) to play this way.

Mr. Toshiyuki Kusakihara (intelligent systems), character designer and supervisor:

I also think it’s great. Originally, in Three Houses, there were three houses and four main story lines, all of which were alternative destinies based on your choices. The paths that each player has chosen and experienced are all truths, and our idea was that there is not a single canon. It’s the same for this title, and our idea was that three brand new potential routes were opened up by having a new main character in the beginning.

Mr. Yosuke Hayashi (Cow Tecmo Games), Producer:

I think in terms of nuances, the term “second story” would be more accurate than “spin-off”. Even in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, there was no hierarchical relationship between the four story lines. We will leave it to the player to assess how he perceives this title.

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Links to Three Houses

What is the connection between Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes and Fire Emblem House? And when do the events of this spin-off take place compared to the original game?

Hayato Iwata (Koei Tecmo Games), Game Director:

This title begins with a battle between the mercenaries of Berling, to whom the protagonist belongs, and the mercenaries of Jeralt, who have begun to make a name for themselves on the continent of Fódlan.

In Three Houses, Shez, the main character in this title, is defeated by Byleth during this battle. But in Three Hopes, thanks to Arval’s intervention, Shez survives a character shrouded in mystery. This is the beginning of a branched scenario. Instead of Byleth, the one who meets the house bosses is the new main character, Shez, and when the character who was supposed to guide the house bosses does not show up, the environment around them also changes afterwards, leading to a completely different story.

Mr. Toshiyuki Kusakihara (intelligent systems), character designer and supervisor:

The war in the second part of Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes place five years later in Fódlan. Each chief awaits the return of his teacher, and the reunion with the latter marks the beginning of a great struggle. In Three Hopes, where the environment around the characters has changed significantly, the full-scale war that will determine Fódlan’s fate takes place two years later.

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Faction updates

What type of events are specific to each faction?

Hayato Iwata (Koei Tecmo Games), Game Director:

A very different event than Three Houses will take place at the beginning of the story for each faction. Thus, a completely different side of the same characters will be revealed and the story will unfold after that. I think the new facet of house bosses and the accompanying series of events will also be unique to players.

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Faction leaders

What can you tell us about the leaders of each faction and how they evolve differently over the course of the game?

Hayato Iwata (Koei Tecmo Games), Game Director:

As the academy is immediately suspended, homeowners are deprived of their time to learn with each of their allies and form bonds. In this sense, compared to the Three Houses, you are in a more inexperienced state when the war begins, and you need to build new relationships with your allies and become more mature during this war. Although each of the three landlords has different characteristics, all will develop in a different way than Three Houses, seen from their trust in their allies.

Buy Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes for Nintendo Switch at Amazon

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