Many acclaimed JRPGs are dozens of hours long and heavily narrative-focused, which would suggest they're one-and-done affairs. However, fans often find the genre encourages replayability. Some titles like Final Fantasy and Bravely Default offer a variety of character builds that make multiple playthroughs unique, while others may include branching story paths that create differing campaigns. Fire Emblem, Intelligent Systems' long-running series of tactical RPGs, has a few entries making good use of the latter option.
The franchise's latest title, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, is arguably its most accessible. Not only does it appear on the juggernaut Nintendo Switch, it also simplifies mechanics like the traditional Weapon Triangle and emphasizes social sim features in the Garreg Mach Monastery hub. As the name suggests, Three Houses has three primary diverging campaigns - with a fourth hidden away and a fifth available in DLC. These options offer users meaningful choices in how they want to play and increase the game's longevity, so Intelligent Systems' next entry should go even further.
Fire Emblem's History with Branching Narratives
Three Houses stands out for its branching narrative, which also enhances gameplay. Whether players choose to side with the Blue Lions, Black Eagles, or Golden Deer affects the units they start with, and ultimately leads to varying missions post-timeskip that explore different aspects of Fodlan's backstory and future. The Church of Seiros-centric Silver Snow and DLC Cindered Shadows routes offer more variety, cropping up as deeper branches within the main three campaigns. Yet, Three Houses is not the first title in the series to experiment with this idea.
Multiple entries in the Game Boy Advance era of Fire Emblem had alternate story paths to play through. Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade was the first title to release outside of Japan (named Fire Emblem in the west), and was custom-build for newcomers. After completing a tutorial section starring fan-favorite character Lyn, players had the choice to experience Eliwood or Hector's Tales, chronicling each lord's efforts to save Elibe from the evil machinations of the sorcerer Nergal. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones would follow suit by letting players follow either Renais sibling Eirika or Ephraim, with both paths featuring different missions that converge before the endgame.
Numerous other games have experimented with similar ideas. For example, Fire Emblem: Gaiden and its 3DS remake Echoes: Shadows of Valentia have a story that alternates between Alm and Celica, though their acts always come in the same order. The other big title to feature branching narrative paths is Fire Emblem Fates, but the fact that its options were sold as separate games (Birthright, Conquest, and Revelations) makes this a unique case. There is replayability in the Fates' story to see different sides, but only if fans purchase the other routes.
Where Fire Emblem Can Go From Here
Rumors suggest the next Fire Emblem game will be a remake, with speculation that Genealogy of the Holy War or The Binding Blade will be remade considering neither title has received an official English translation. Neither had branching narrative paths akin to The Blazing Blade or Three Houses, and it's unlikely such changes would be made. Genealogy of the Holy War in particular is separated into two acts, the first following "parent" units like Sigurd and Arvis; the second following their "child" units like Seliph and Julius.
Whatever original project Intelligent Systems puts out after that rumored remake should go back to Three Houses' approach and do more with it. Having multiple unique paths to follow that uncover different lore and appeal to different playstyles is great, and it worked for both Fates and Three Houses. The game could also take notes from Blazing Blade and Sacred Stones by telling the same story from multiple intertwining perspectives, offering characters and plot beats more room to breath without as many lingering questions about canonicity.
Regardless of how Intelligent Systems approaches its next title, Fire Emblem: Three Houses set sales records for the franchise, which suggests there's plenty of room to grow from here. A strong narrative with plenty of depth will help the next game thrive, but its developer should also focus on improvements to the core Fire Emblem formula, such as more representation of non-heteronormative relationships.
