Tag Archives: Emblem

Technology

Destiny 2 Lightfall Collector’s Edition: All Emblem Codes

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Last year, Bungie added a total of four universal emblem codes inside The Witch Queen Collector’s Editon that players could unlock in the game. This year, it seems to be the same case with Destiny 2 Lightfall Collector’s Edition.

With the Destiny 2 Lightfall Showcase event last year, Bungie also revealed a brand-new Collector’s Edition that features an 8” Pouka Replica with some lore books and a new exclusive emblem code.

And It looks like some players are starting to get their collector’s edition early. In this article, we’ll have all the universal emblem codes in the Lightfall Collector’s Edition.

Destiny 2 Lightfall Collector’s Edition Emblem Codes

While there are free emblems to be unlocked with the Ligthfall CE, it’s worth noting that these emblems will not be available in-game until after the release of Lightfall, which is February 28, 2023. So, unfortunately, we won’t be able to see what these emblems look like before that. You can find the emblem codes below. (thanks, Raid Secrets)

  • Lightfall Collector’s Edition Emblem 1: Unique code
  • Lightfall Collector’s Edition Emblem 2: YAA-37T-FCN
  • Lightfall Collector’s Edition Emblem 3: 993-H3H-M6K
  • Lightfall Collector’s Edition Emblem 4: XVK-RLA-RAM
  • Lightfall Collector’s Edition Emblem 5: J6P-9YH-LLP

Note: We will be updating this article as emblem codes are found in the Lightfall CE.

Image: Bungie

How to Redeem Codes on Bungie.net?

In order to redeem emblem codes and codes in general, you would first need to log into your Bungie.net profile. Follow the steps below to learn how to redeem codes on Bungie’s website.

  • Step 1: Go to Bungie.net
  • Step 2: Log in to your account by clicking the “My Account” button on the top right.
  • Step 3: Select your platform
  • Step 4: Sign in to your platform
  • Step 5: After signing in, click on your profile icon in the top right and you’ll see Redeem Codes option in the new menu.

Apart from that, Bungie recently released a brand-new trailer for Lightfall weapons and armor pieces this week. We’ve compiled a list of all currently-known exotic and legendary weapons players can expect in Lightfall. Check out the comprehensive list here.

Destiny 2 Lightfall launches February 28, 2023, on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

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Technology

UK Charts: Fire Emblem Engage Bags Franchise’s Second Biggest Boxed Launch

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Image: Nintendo

Well folks, it’s happened: FIFA 23 has finally been knocked off its throne by none other than Fire Emblem Engage, the latest entry in the tactical RPG franchise from Intelligent Systems.

Its debut marks the second biggest launch in the series to date, coming in ahead of the 3DS fan-favourite Fire Emblem: Awakening, but behind its Switch predecessor Fire Emblem: Three Houses. According to GamesIndustry.biz, Engage’s boxed sales were 31% lower than Three Houses, but obviously keep in mind that digital sales – for which Nintendo doesn’t provide figures – have made considerable strides since 2019.

Elsewhere, we’ve got the usual big-hitters from Nintendo, including the likes of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and Nintendo Switch Sports. Looking at third-party titles, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle enjoyed a 104% sales boost to come in at number twelve, jumping up nineteen spots from last week due to a significant discount at outlets such as Amazon and Argos. Its successor, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, is sadly nowhere to be seen.

Let’s take a look at the top ten:

Last Week This Week Game

–

 1 Fire Emblem Engage

1

 2

FIFA 23

2

 3 God of War Ragnarok

4

 4 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

3

 5 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

6

 6 Pokémon Violet

5

 7 Nintendo Switch Sports

7

 8 Minecraft

8

 9 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

9

 10 Pokémon Scarlet

[Compiled by GfK]

< Last week's charts

Have you purchased any of the top ten this week? Let us know what you picked up in the comments below!



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Technology

Fire Emblem Engage’s Intro is So Lovably Cheesy

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Image: Nintendo/Intelligent Systems

If you watch anime, you’re used to intros that alternate between being deeply emotional and serious or cheesy and silly as all hell. Sometimes it’s neither of those and is purely running off of good vibes. (Usually this is after the show in question hits a new arc.) Video games don’t always get flashy intros, and it’s a shame that’s the case. Because after watching the intro for Fire Emblem Engage, that kind of cheese is something games could stand to have more of.

Fire Emblem Engage is set to release in about two weeks, and along with impressions of the strategy-RPG, the game’s intro cinematic was released. A lot of the intro’s cheesiness is clearly owed to its song, which sounds like it was made in the 90s and then held in stasis for three decades. It’s so anime that you half expect it to end with an ad for Crunchyroll. The visuals try to hit that same cheese with colorful streaks of light corresponding with the toothpaste-colored protagonist Alear and their companions Alfred, Timerra, Ivy, and Diamant and footage of their in-game models showing off their special abilities. Maybe it’s not as strong an intro as the one for 2019’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but Engage’s opening is fun all its own.

Fire Emblem Engage – FULL Opening [English] + Title Screen

The big selling point of Engage is that Alear and their group can use special rings to summon main characters from previous Fire Emblem entries such as Marth from 1990’s Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light or Byleth from Three Houses. That alone sounds anime as hell (image the hands of the previous heroes lifting up Alear during a key moment!), and hopefully the game is able to match the energy its opening puts off. Games like these tend to be long, so an intro should hopefully get you in the mood to defeat evil empires each time you boot it up.

Fire Emblem Engage releases for the Nintendo Switch on January 20.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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Technology

Fire Emblem Engage overview trailer, Japanese commercials

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Publisher Nintendo [17,607 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/nintendo”>Nintendo and developer Intelligent Systems [128 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/intelligent-systems”>Intelligent Systems have released a nine-minute overview trailer and set of Japanese commercials for Fire Emblem Engage [6 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/fire-emblem-engage”>Fire Emblem Engage.

Here is an overview of the game, via Nintendo.com:

About

The Divine Dragon awakens.

In a war against the Fell Dragon, four kingdoms worked together with heroes from other worlds to seal away this great evil. One-thousand years later, this seal has weakened and the Fell Dragon is about to reawaken. As a Divine Dragon, use rich strategies and robust customization to meet your destiny—to collect 12 Emblem Rings and bring peace back to the Continent of Elyos.

Team Up with Iconic Heroes from Past Fire Emblem Games

Summon valiant heroes like Marth and Celica with the power of Emblem Rings and add their power to yours in this brand-new Fire Emblem story.

  • Emblem Marth – Known as the Emblem of Beginnings. A hero among heroes, brimming with nobility and charisma. Reads enemy’s intentions in battle and responds with a flurry of strikes.
  • Emblem Celica – Known as the Emblem of Echoes. The princess of a vibrant country, as well as a warrior priestess. Her holy magic is the bane of monsters.
  • Emblem Sigurd – Known as the Emblem of the Holy War. A noble knight with a mighty lineage. Boasts high movement and powerful lance attacks.
  • Emblem Leif – Known as the Emblem of Genealogy. A brave prince in whose veins runs the blood of two crusaders. A versatile knight proficient in axe, sword, and lance.
  • Emblem Roy – Known as the Emblem of Binding. A nobleman who excels as a general, brave and intelligent. Endures enemy attacks and cuts a path through with his sword.
  • Emblem Lyn – Known as the Emblem of Blazing. A virtuoso swordswoman from a nomadic tribe that lived in nature. Defeats closeup foes with her sword and distant ones with her bow.
  • Emblem Eirika – Known as the Emblem of the Sacred. A compassionate princess who takes up her sword for the sake of peace. Her flashing sword shatters her foe’s defenses.
  • Emblem Ike – Known as the Emblem of Radiance. A famous mercenary leader with unparalleled skill in battle. Destroys obstacles with his mighty sword and axe.
  • Emblem Micaiah – Known as the Emblem of Dawn. Bearer of strange healing powers as well as visions of the future. Supports allies with illuminating magic and a healing staff.
  • Emblem Lucina – Known as the Emblem of Awakening. A royal heir who knows anything can change and will not yield to despair. Creates bonds with allies, and pools their strength to attack enemies.
  • Emblem Corrin – Known as the Emblem of Fate [35 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/series/fate”>Fates. Someone with an iron will and the blood of the First Dragons. Can tap into dragon veins, a magic sleeping in the land.
  • Emblem Byleth – Known as the Emblem of the Academy. A mercenary who became a teacher. Wields various hero’s relics and knows a variety of tactics.

New Faces

  • Alear – SUCCESS Corporation [74 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/success-corporation”>Successor to the Divine Dragon, awoken from a long sleep. Summons Emblems to lead the world to peace.
  • Divine Dragon Lumera – The Divine Dragon and ruler of the holy land of Lythos. She vanquished the Fell Dragon 1,000 years ago.
  • Framme – An apprentice Steward of the Dragon and the determined, buoyant twin sister of Clanne.
  • Alfred – The staunch and loyal crown prince of Firene. He trains constantly to strengthen his constitution.
  • Diamant – The majestic crown prince of Brodia. His people trust him greatly for his strong, genuine demeanor.
  • Ivy – The mysterious, melancholy crown princess of Elusia. She never relaxes her icy royal decorum.
  • Timerra – The bubbly and outgoing crown princess of Solm. Known for being accessible and approachable by all.
  • Anna – A traveling merchant from a wintry part of Elusia. She is a cheerful and cunning cheapskate.
  • Veyle – A mysterious young girl who appears suddenly as Alear is ambushed by a Corrupted. It seems she’s on a journey to find someone.

Engage in a New Style of Combat

Aside from merging appearances, Engaging lets you use weapons, skills, and more from these legends during battle. The turn-based, tactical battle is back with the brand-new Engage system to add more layers to the strategy.

Welcome to Somniel

Explore the paradise of Somniel, your base of operations, located in the sky above the continent of Elyos. It hosts a variety of facilities and activities for the player to prepare for upcoming battles and strengthen bonds.

Fire Emblem Engage is due out for Switch [12,801 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/nintendo/switch”>Switch on January 20 worldwide.

Watch the footage below.

Overview Trailer

Japanese

TV Commercials

TV Commercial #1

TV Commercial #2

Web Commercial

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Technology

Fire Emblem Engage ‘Fire Emblem for Beginners’ trailer

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Publisher Nintendo [17,589 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/nintendo”>Nintendo and developer Intelligent Systems [126 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/intelligent-systems”>Intelligent Systems have released a new trailer for Fire Emblem Engage [4 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/fire-emblem-engage”>Fire Emblem Engage introducing the basics of battle and character development for series newcomers.

Here is an overview of the game, via Nintendo.com:

About

The Divine Dragon awakens.

In a war against the Fell Dragon, four kingdoms worked together with heroes from other worlds to seal away this great evil. One-thousand years later, this seal has weakened and the Fell Dragon is about to reawaken. As a Divine Dragon, use rich strategies and robust customization to meet your destiny—to collect 12 Emblem Rings and bring peace back to the Continent of Elyos.

Team Up with Iconic Heroes from Past Fire Emblem Games

Summon valiant heroes like Marth and Celica with the power of Emblem Rings and add their power to yours in this brand-new Fire Emblem story.

  • Emblem Marth – Known as the Emblem of Beginnings. A hero among heroes, brimming with nobility and charisma. Reads enemy’s intentions in battle and responds with a flurry of strikes.
  • Emblem Celica – Known as the Emblem of Echoes. The princess of a vibrant country, as well as a warrior priestess. Her holy magic is the bane of monsters.
  • Emblem Sigurd – Known as the Emblem of the Holy War. A noble knight with a mighty lineage. Boasts high movement and powerful lance attacks.
  • Emblem Leif – Known as the Emblem of Genealogy. A brave prince in whose veins runs the blood of two crusaders. A versatile knight proficient in axe, sword, and lance.
  • Emblem Roy – Known as the Emblem of Binding. A nobleman who excels as a general, brave and intelligent. Endures enemy attacks and cuts a path through with his sword.
  • Emblem Lyn – Known as the Emblem of Blazing. A virtuoso swordswoman from a nomadic tribe that lived in nature. Defeats closeup foes with her sword and distant ones with her bow.
  • Emblem Eirika – Known as the Emblem of the Sacred. A compassionate princess who takes up her sword for the sake of peace. Her flashing sword shatters her foe’s defenses.
  • Emblem Ike – Known as the Emblem of Radiance. A famous mercenary leader with unparalleled skill in battle. Destroys obstacles with his mighty sword and axe.
  • Emblem Micaiah – Known as the Emblem of Dawn. Bearer of strange healing powers as well as visions of the future. Supports allies with illuminating magic and a healing staff.
  • Emblem Lucina – Known as the Emblem of Awakening. A royal heir who knows anything can change and will not yield to despair. Creates bonds with allies, and pools their strength to attack enemies.
  • Emblem Corrin – Known as the Emblem of Fate [34 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/series/fate”>Fates. Someone with an iron will and the blood of the First Dragons. Can tap into dragon veins, a magic sleeping in the land.
  • Emblem Byleth – Known as the Emblem of the Academy. A mercenary who became a teacher. Wields various hero’s relics and knows a variety of tactics.

New Faces

  • Alear – SUCCESS Corporation [74 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/success-corporation”>Successor to the Divine Dragon, awoken from a long sleep. Summons Emblems to lead the world to peace.
  • Divine Dragon Lumera – The Divine Dragon and ruler of the holy land of Lythos. She vanquished the Fell Dragon 1,000 years ago.
  • Framme – An apprentice Steward of the Dragon and the determined, buoyant twin sister of Clanne.
  • Alfred – The staunch and loyal crown prince of Firene. He trains constantly to strengthen his constitution.
  • Diamant – The majestic crown prince of Brodia. His people trust him greatly for his strong, genuine demeanor.
  • Ivy – The mysterious, melancholy crown princess of Elusia. She never relaxes her icy royal decorum.
  • Timerra – The bubbly and outgoing crown princess of Solm. Known for being accessible and approachable by all.
  • Anna – A traveling merchant from a wintry part of Elusia. She is a cheerful and cunning cheapskate.
  • Veyle – A mysterious young girl who appears suddenly as Alear is ambushed by a Corrupted. It seems she’s on a journey to find someone.

Engage in a New Style of Combat

Aside from merging appearances, Engaging lets you use weapons, skills, and more from these legends during battle. The turn-based, tactical battle is back with the brand-new Engage system to add more layers to the strategy.

Welcome to Somniel

Explore the paradise of Somniel, your base of operations, located in the sky above the continent of Elyos. It hosts a variety of facilities and activities for the player to prepare for upcoming battles and strengthen bonds.

Fire Emblem Engage is due out for Switch [12,783 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/nintendo/switch”>Switch on January 20, 2023 worldwide.

Watch the trailer below.

Fire Emblem for Beginners

Japanese

Read original article here

Technology

Fire Emblem Engage ally activities on Somniel make Garreg Mach look stale

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Fire Emblem Engage is just around the corner, set to launch Jan. 20. And on Thursday a trailer introduced the new hangout spot where you and your allies will spend downtime between battles: Somniel, a verdant floating fortress. In the trailer, the main character — with an enormous mane of Colgate-ass red and blue hair — runs through Somniel’s lush layout, showing off fun activities. Just like in previous Fire Emblem installments, this one promises fun shenanigans like Wyvern flying, shopping for cute outfits, getting your fortune read — and of course classic bonding activities like sharing meals and going fishing.

Somniel is chock full of places to prepare for your battles. In the game’s plaza you can buy armor and other items. There’s a ring room where you can store the rings you’ve collected and craft new ones — a new gameplay element that allows players to boost stats. You can also fight in the arena to gain experience, and do a series of battles in the Tower of Trials.

Most importantly, there are plenty of activities to do with your allies in Somniel, like sharing (probably many) meals at Café Terrace to boost your allies’ stats. You can also work out together, get your fortunes read, ride a Wyvern around in the sky through a course, and fish (of course). There’s a freakin’ farmyard where you can care for animals you’ve found on your adventures — the trailer shows a cat hanging out with a donkey, a beagle, and and a camel. There’s also a very cute creature named Sommie who has, “been here since time immemorial,” and will grant luck to those who are nice to it.

The trailer also showed off fashionable customization options — you can buy clothes and accessories like different shades for yourself but and your allies. You can also take a break by napping in your dank, enormous bedroom; but a cute ally of yours might wake up you up, sort of like an Animal Crossing: New Horizons villager showing up at your home.

Fire Emblem fans know how much of the series downtime between battles is spent chatting with allies and doing silly activities. In Fire Emblem: Three Houses players roamed Garreg Mach Monastery’s hallowed halls, spending activity points cooking fish skewers and eating what felt like 17 meals a day with students — all in the service of bonding with each other before shipping off to battle. You might swordfight with Felix at the training grounds, take Dorothea (and her silly little hat) to choir practice, or attempt to wake Lindhart from a nap.

Even Fire Emblem Warriors, the recent musou take on the franchise, gave players downtime activities to do with their students like tea parties, horseback riding, and dusting.

I can’t wait to meet Fire Emblem Engage’s new allies, and enjoy on goofy excursions and activities with them — even if it must all come to a head on the battlefield.

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Technology

Nintendo Unveils Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass, Wave 1 DLC Launches 20th January 2023

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During The Game Awards show today, Nintendo announced Fire Emblem Engage would be receiving Expansion Pass DLC. The first of four waves of DLC will be releasing alongside the game’s launch on 20th January next year. Pre-orders for the full pass are now live on the Switch eShop for $29.99 USD (or your regional equivalent).

Wave 1

  • Emblem character – Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude
  • Emblem character – Tiki
  • In-game support items
  • In-game accessories
  • Silver card

“Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude from Fire Emblem: Three Houses as one in-game Emblem, as well as Tiki from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light as another Emblem. Emblems can be summoned in Fire Emblem Engage to fight alongside the main heroes, helping boost their stats and assisting them in combat.”

This first content pack will be followed by three additional waves throughout 2023. Exact release dates for Wave 2, Wave 3 and Wave 4 have not been confirmed yet, but players can expect an update in the future. This will also include details about the “new story scenario” in Wave 4.

Wave 2

  • In-game support items (consumable items & crafting materials)
  • New in-game accessories (additional emblems)

Wave 3

  • Additional Fire Emblem characters

Wave 4

  • New story scenario (a separate story from the main chapter based story)
  • New characters, location and maps
  • Added class types
Image: Nintendo

Nintendo also shared a slightly longer trailer in Japan. Here it is:

Fire Emblem Engage launches on 20th January – the same day as Wave 1 of the Expansion Pass. Will you be checking out this extra DLC? Comment below.



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US

U.S. Soccer briefly removed emblem from Iran flag to show support for protesters

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AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Nov 27 (Reuters) – The United States Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic as a show of solidarity with protesters in Iran ahead of the two teams’ World Cup clash on Tuesday.

A now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted on Saturday across U.S. Soccer’s official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts displayed the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colours.

Iran has been gripped by protests since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death in September while in police custody after she was arrested for flouting the country’s strict Islamic dress code.

The intent of the posts was to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights”, U.S. Soccer media officer Michael Kammarman told a news conference on Sunday. Players were not consulted on the decision to alter the flag.

“We didn’t know anything about the posts but we are supporters of women’s rights, we always have been,” U.S. defender Walker Zimmerman said.

“We’re focused a lot on Tuesday and the sporting side as well… but at the same time we’re firm believers in women’s rights and support them.

“And we know that it’s a lot of difficulties and a lot of heartbreak and in a very disturbing time.”

The banner on U.S. Soccer’s Twitter page was also changed on Saturday to feature the flag without the emblem. It was changed back 24 hours later to the banner they had been using during the tournament.

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – United States Training – Al Gharafa SC Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar – November 27, 2022 General view of U.S. team members during training REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency said the Iranian Football Federation will file a complaint against U.S. Soccer to the FIFA Ethics Committee for “disrespecting the national flag” of the Islamic Republic.

Iranian leaders have accused the United States and other foreign adversaries of fomenting the protests in which Iranians from all walks of life have mounted one of the boldest challenges to the theocracy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Washington has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protesters. Activist news agency HRANA said 450 protesters had been killed as of Nov. 26, including 63 minors, and over 18,000 have been arrested.

Iran’s players declined to sing the national anthem in their first game against England in an apparent show of solidarity with protesters. They sang quietly on Friday before their 2-0 win over Wales, where boos and jeers were heard from Iran supporters.

“We can’t speak for them and their message. We know that they’re all emotional,” Zimmerman said. “They’re all going through things right now, they’re human. Again, we empathise with that human emotion and completely feel for them.”

The United States and Iran will face off in a decisive Group B clash with their place at the World Cup on the line, in a match which was already freighted by decades of enmity between the nations.

With England sitting top of Group B with four points and facing bottom side Wales in their final group game on Tuesday, the Iran-U.S. contest will determine which team goes through to the last 16.

Their eagerly awaited meeting is a rematch of the 1998 World Cup group stage contest – which Iran won 2-1 – when relations between the two nations had also been hostile.

Reporting by Hritika Sharma; Editing by Angus MacSwan

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Technology

Video: Here’s An Extended Look At Fire Emblem Engage For Nintendo Switch

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Image: Nintendo

Update [Wed 23rd Nov, 2022 13:30 GMT]: Previously available in Japanese only, Nintendo has now published the new five minute trailer for Fire Emblem Engage in English, titled ‘Engaging With Emblems’.

The trailer gives us a little more information on how the series’ returning characters will play a part in battles as Emblems. Using Emblem Rings will draw forth abilities from the returning heroes, granting your units boots through additional weapons and skills.

For a full look at what is in store for us in Fire Emblem Engage, check out the English trailer below.

Original article [Wed 23rd Nov, 2022 04:30 GMT]: One game to be on the lookout for early next year is Fire Emblem Engage – the latest entry in Intelligent Systems’ turn-based tactical RPG series.

In the lead-up to the January 2023 launch, Nintendo has been introducing new characters and even sharing some video footage, and now we’ve got yet another trailer. This one is in Japanese, but it still provides an extensive look – showcasing Alear, relationships and more!

And here’s some more information about the game’s story, direct from the PR:

“In a war against the Fell Dragon, four kingdoms worked together with heroes from other worlds to seal away this great evil. One thousand years later, this seal has weakened and the Fell Dragon is about to reawaken. As a Divine Dragon, use rich strategies and robust customization to meet your destiny – to collect Emblem Rings scattered across the world and bring peace back to the Continent of Elyos. Summon and fight alongside legendary heroes from past Fire Emblem games, like Marth and Celica, and add their power to yours in this new story. The turn-based, tactical battle system the Fire Emblem series is known for returns with a fresh cast of characters you can customize and Engage with to carefully craft your strategy.”

You can get a full rundown about all characters in Fire Emblem Engage in our Nintendo Life guide:



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Technology

Symphony Of War Is A Steam Hit Perfect For Fire Emblem Fans

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Screenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

There’s been a raft of intriguing strategy RPGs this year, but one of my favorites so far is Symphony of War. It’s been climbing the charts on Steam in recent months, and for good reason. From a distance it looks like another Fire Emblem knockoff. Up close it’s doing enough interesting things to stand on its own, and I really recommend you give it a shot.

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga quietly came out on Steam in June and has been racking up positive reviews ever since. Developed by an indie team called Dancing Dragon Games with a history of RPG Maker projects, it’s a trope-filled military drama about civil war and demonic threats. But you can pretty much ignore all that. Beneath the predictable plot and airbrushed character portraits is a deep strategy game that’s hard to put down. Personally, I think it’s even better in the strategy department than Triangle Strategy.

Make no mistake: Symphony of War is old-school. While newer entries in the Fire Emblem series have delved deeper into visual novel elements and relationship mechanics, it’s focused almost exclusively on renovating the nuts and bolts of classic grid-based battles. What works so well is that Symphony of War nails the basics and also adds plenty of new wrinkles for fans to dig into (especially those who also dug last year’s Dark Deity).

Gif: Dancing Dragon Games / Kotaku

The biggest one is that each individual unit represents an entire squad made up multiple types of fighters. Maybe there are some knights in front flanked by pikemen while wizards and archers rain down death from the back. When two units move next to each other and throw down, a mini-turn-based skirmish ensues. Mages in the back cast fireballs and healing spells while knights in the front dish out melee damage. Combat unfolds across two rounds, with attackers getting the first turn and the defending side going second. Some fighters can only attack on the first or second turn, while others will occasionally luck into a bonus turn. The action is easy to follow and yet also opens up plenty of room for customization.

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Vertagear has a number of gaming chairs on sale right now. One in particular that caught our eye is the PL4500 which is embroidered with Swarovski crystals down to $500. You can also get one of their RGB kits to add a set of lights to either the top cutout sections around the headrest or a bottom LED kit for $200 to light up underneath like your chair is in Need for Speed: Underground 2.

Adding more subtle layers of complexity are unique fighter bonuses and an extensive research tree. Horseback fighters get to attack first without retribution. Infantry provide defensive bonuses to nearby units. And archers can naturally attack from a distance without facing counter-attacks. These and other stats can then be augmented and magnified by researching new tech. Rather than leveling up specific units, you’re growing the overall capabilities of your army.

Screenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

In this way Symphony of War forces you to sometimes think like a 4X strategist while playing like a traditional JRPG enthusiast. Instead of customizing one single party and fighting through a dungeon, you’re building up a small army of them and taking on a whole battlefield. Completing missions faster and capturing enemy units and buildings along the way nets you extra money and points that can then be poured back into outfitting your various crews. Just a few novel tweaks and the decades-old tactical JRPG formula feels fresh and modern again in 2022.

A few other games have also taken hybrid approaches to tactical RPGs recently. The Iron Oath and Songs of Conquest both come to mind. The former is a roguelike with battles that take place on a hexagonal grid. The latter also sports a hexagonal battlefield in service of map exploration and city-building closer to a 4X game. They’re really promising games in their own right (and still in Early Access), yet neither is as focused on plumbing the depths of leveraging small advantages so one group of animated sprites can wipe the floor with another.

Symphony of War is far from a perfect package, but it offers one of the more meaty and innovative takes on the tactics RPG formula I’ve come across in years.

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