Just like the first Fire Emblem Warriors, this episode Three Hopes is also a real "Warriors" and therefore a Musō. But while its predecessor offered us to play with different characters from the various parts of the Fire Emblem saga, this one calms down a bit on the stories of parallel universes and prefers to develop an original plot located in the Three Houses universe. . And as this episode is among the best of the series, it's obviously a very good idea! The scenario thus places us facing the former hero (or heroine) Byleth, who has become the main enemy of Shez, the new hero (or heroine, the choice is once again left to the player). In the end, it is therefore the students of the military academy, surveyed from top to bottom three years ago, that we find with the most pleasure. Petra the foreign student who regularly makes language errors is our favorite, but everyone can find their own favorite since the cast is rich with several dozen characters. These are divided into three houses, which will give the most relentless the opportunity to play three times and thus benefit from a gigantic lifespan.
More reasonable players who are content to explore a single path can count on forty hours of adventure, which is already very far from negligible. Note that in addition to the standard difficulty setting (easy, normal, hard), the game offers us to choose between a Beginner mode and a Classic mode. In the first case the characters who fall in battle get up after the battle, while in the second they are definitely lost. Three Hopes also allows you to switch at any time between two styles of play called "Progressive" or "Fast and efficient". This choice essentially influences the presence or absence of certain screens (level changes and mission briefings). Here we find the will of the developers to take care of the quality of life, as we already underlined in our test of Three Houses. For example, it is again possible to access the history of dialogues.
AND YOU TAP, TAP, TAP… (BUT NOT ONLY)
On the other hand, Musō obliges, turn-based combat is no longer relevant here. As in the first Dynasty Warriors came, the bulk of the opposing troops serves as sword fodder and is rolled over without even trying to retaliate. This is a classic behavior for the genre, and which contributes to the feeling of power distilled to the player. This one must still regularly face tougher opponents, whether gatekeepers, thieves or "named" enemies intervening in the scenario. Three Houses even places us from time to time in front of monsters, gigantic, equipped with several protections to blow up, and which release rare resources (a nod to Monster Hunter?). Obviously, the special effects fuse from all sides, the deaths are counted in the thousands, and we spend a significant amount of time getting into the pile without thinking too much. But if this "nag" aspect brings satisfaction, it is very far from being synonymous with stupidity or simplicity.
The combat system is indeed rich in many subtleties and mechanics. Normal hits, power hits, combos, class action, parry, dodge, abilities, magic, special abilities, unique techniques, emblem effects, awakening gauge, weapon attributes, possibility of temporarily using an assistant , or even a stun gauge allowing you to place critical hits are, for example, part of the game. Accompanied by the advantages of one weapon over another, the ability to switch from one character to another at any time, the need to capture strongholds, and a well-designed interface that allows you to give commands to attack, defense or capture to our companions. Want even more game mechanics? Don't worry, Three Hopes has provided you with a camp equipped with documents to collect, a training area, merchants, buildings to improve, dishes to cook, and a whole relationship management system. Just like in Three Houses, it is possible to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the different characters through chores to be done together, support dialogues, or even the offering of gifts. In addition, the camp interface has the good taste to let us choose between free movement or the use of shortcuts to teleport to the most important places and interlocutors. Ah, and there's also a war map that lets you capture areas and acquire strategic resources. Don't throw any more!
FLY YOUR MUSŌ
As you can see, Three Hopes is anything but a stupid and nasty Musō. The game inherits a whole bunch of RPG-stamped mechanics and really lives up to its "Fire Emblem" name. Even the dialogues are generally well written, with a few hints of humor that hit the spot. Anglophobes may however regret the absence of French voices but, fortunately, the English version is of high quality and the French subtitles too! The abundance of mechanics can also make some teeth cringe, because you really have to concentrate to remember them all and use them correctly. But it's better than the other way around. The repetitiveness of the missions will also be singled out by some, even if it's a bit like the kind who wants that. In the end, the main flaw of the game lies simply in its graphic design. There's nothing really shameful, but the very pronounced aliasing, the somewhat simplistic decorations, the not very high resolution, the hardly detailed textures, and the not very expressive faces bring us back a few years. We've seen more successful Switch exclusives (and much worse ones too). So you will certainly not come to Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes for its plastic, but you will definitely stay there for its universe and its fights.
