Fire Emblem Engage is in a lot of ways a very familiar game. It is very intentionally looking to harken back to previous titles in the series. But at the same time, there are elements of Fire Emblem Engage that make it a bit of an oddity. From its all-star cast of returning characters, to its healthy suite of mechanics, players are sure to have a number of questions.
Well, if you are one of them, you are in the right place, bucko. This guide is here to quickly, and succinctly, answer all those niggling questions you may have about the newest title in the Fire Emblem franchise.
Updated April 10th, 2023: We've updated this guide to answer a few of the questions that have been cropping up. We also updated our information for the recently released DLC.
FAQ
Q: Is Engage Connected To Any Of The Previous Fire Emblem Games?
It absolutely is, but in a somewhat strange way. Engage doesn't act as a direct sequel to any of the other Fire Emblem games, but the "Emblems" you equip are all heroes from previous Fire Emblem titles. So, while the narrative is completely separate, you will be able to fight alongside series favorites like Roy or Marth.
Q: What Is The Difference Between The Classic And Casual Modes?
The difference between Classic and Casual is very simple; in Classic, any unit who dies is gone for good. You lose access to them in battle, and you can't interact with them at The Somniel. You will also have to witness their final words and feel really bad for making such poor tactical decisions. While in casual mode, on the other hand, they will simply retreat. Classic mode certainly raises the stakes and—as its name would imply—delivers the classic Fire Emblem experience.
Story-centric characters won't die in the classic mode, but they will be too injured to return to battle. You will also be incapable of interacting with them at The Somniel.
Q: What Is The Difference Between The Normal, Hard, And Maddening Difficulties?
Normal will be a fine choice for any individual who wants a lighter, more carefree, experience. It isn't so easy that you can faceroll your way through the campaign, but you will be able to make more mistakes without it costing you the battle. Despite being the middle option available, Hard lives up to its name. It will provide an experience that can be, at times, genuinely brutal. One misstep can lead to a unit's death. Easily. However, the existence of the Draconic Time Crystal does help mitigate the difficulty to a certain degree. The Hard difficulty feels very much like the classic Fire Emblem experience (especially when paired with the appropriately named classic mode).
Engage's Hard mode is definitely harder than the one found in Three Houses. So, if you have played through that title on hard, expect Engage to push back a little more on the same setting.
And then there is the Maddening difficulty setting... This mode is not brutal to the point of being unplayable, but it does ask a lot of the player. You will need to play extremely sharply, and make use of all your tools in order to succeed in the Maddening difficulty. The Maddening difficulty feels fair, but it is absolutely unrelenting and without mercy. This is a difficulty setting that exists solely for Fire Emblem veterans, people who enjoy brutally difficult games, and players looking to play the game a second time with an enhanced challenge.
If you are looking for a recommendation for which setting you should play the game on, we strongly recommend playing on the Hard difficulty setting in the Classic mode. This will make the game tough, but fair. While the Draconic Time Crystal will help take some of the edge off. And hey, if you find that it is a little too difficult, you are free to reduce the difficulty by going to Alear's room in The Somniel.
Q: How Many Times Can I Rewind Time With The Draconic Time Crystal?
If you are playing in normal mode, then there is no limit to how many times you can rewind. On the other hand, if you are playing on Hard or Maddening, then you will only be able to rewind time ten times in total. Of course, you also use saves in conjunction with your time crystal to help create anchor points. Just in case you get into a particularly sticky situation and need to try a number of different solutions. Just remember, rewinding time will not change the outcome if you try to repeat the exact same move.
Q: Are There Any Mini-Games?
There are multiple mini-games! This ranges from classic side activities like fishing, all the way to a wyvern riding, an on-rails, shooting mini-game. These will unlock as you progress through the story.
Q: Are There Recruitable Characters?
There are multiple recruitable characters that you with encounter throughout the game. A couple of these are located in Paralogue Missions, while others require that you have specific characters (though, typically just Alear) talk to them during specific battles.
If you are wondering... Yes, Anna is back for another Fire Emblem appearance.
Q: Are The Recruitable Characters Missable?
Yes. If you do not acquire them during their specific chapter, you will miss out on recruiting them. Though some will give you a second chance to be recruited after the battle has concluded.
Q: What Do I Use Bond Fragments For?
Bond Fragments are one of the central currencies in Fire Emblem Engage. You will use Bond Fragments to Engrave weapons, create Bond Rings, and increase Bond Levels with Emblems. All of these things are extremely valuable, especially if you are looking to change classes and upgrade your units. Which, you know, is sorta a big part of a Fire Emblem game.
Q: Where Do I Get Bond Fragments?
Bond Fragments are encountered all over the place. Firstly, in battle, ending your turn on a tile that has glowing yellow orbs swirling around it will often reward you with Bond Fragments. After battle, you can find Bond Fragments lying on the ground. Also, talking to units that participated in battle will yield a bunch of Bond Fragments as well. Once you are back in The Somniel, you will also be able to find Bond Fragments while exploring. There will always be Bond Fragments inside the cave in the Grotto (where you go to interact with Sommie).
While we are in the cave, you should also interact with Sommie himself. Giving him tasty food will yield 100 Bond Fragments, and petting him will get you another 100. Wyvern Riding, Fishing, and training will all earn you Fragments as well. Finally, the big one: the bulletin board. Here, you will be able to cash in your various achievements for a ton of Bond Fragments. This will be the source of the majority of Fragments you receive. Of course, you can target these achievements, but even if you are just playing the game without ever giving the achievements a second thought you will complete tons of them incidentally. Additionally, when you donate enough money to a country to increase your level with them, you will rake in another sizable amount of Bond Fragments.
Q: What Are Skirmishes?
Skirmishes are Fire Emblem Engage's version of a random battle. However, these are completely optional. Skirmishes exist for people who want to level their characters up, gain SP, get a little extra gold, and upgrade their social ranks with the different characters. However, it would be a terrible mistake to take these encounters lightly. All the same rules apply here. If you are playing in classic mode, and a unit dies, they are still permanently dead. Moreover, Skirmishes get increasingly more difficult as you level up, so being super buffed up just means that the skirmishes will be that much harder. Many of these battles are genuinely harder than the majority of campaign missions. Taking these encounters lightly would be a grave mistake.
Q: I Bought The DLC, Where Is It In The Game?
You will not start off with the DLC unlocked. Instead, it becomes available a little later in the game. Some parts of it require that you play through special Paralogue missions. Currently, there are six paralogue missions tied to the DLC. Twelve if you include the Fell Xenologue campaign.
Q: How Many Chapters Are There?
There are a grand total of 26 chapters featured in the primary campaign. Additionally, there are 15 paralogue chapters, these are typically for maxing out your bond with Emblems, though you can recruit a few characters through them as well.
There are another 6 paralogue chapters associated with the first three waves of DLC. The last wave of DLC includes the Fell Xenologue campaign. This provides another 6 chapters.
Q: What Is The Fell Xenologue?
The Fell Xenologue is the campaign that is part of the fourth wave of DLC. It is wholly separate from the main game and features its own distinct cast of characters. The campaign is six chapters long, and once you complete it, the characters contained within become playable in the main game.
Alongside this campaign, the Fell Xenologue introduces two new playable classes: the Enchanter and Mage Cannoneer. You can access the Fell Xenologue campaign from the Ancient Well found in the Somniel after Chapter 7.