The opening cutscene for the upcoming Fire Emblem: Three Houses has been uploaded to Youtube and it's incredible. Fans of the series are in for an early treat as we are introduced to several key elements of the new game through a 3:30 minute action-packed anime scene that throws us into the middle of a bloody battlefield.
The cinematic, uploaded by Gamestop today, represents a slight shift in tone for the veteran series: two skilled warriors fight to the death as legions of battle-ready soldiers look on. There's quite a bit of blood, a rarity for the series and Nintendo in general, and the scene ends with with a particularly brutal slaying. Its a mature shift, certainly, but perhaps an appropriate one as the series makes its mainline debut on the Nintendo Switch.
The scene depicts the last battle in the War of Heroes, a conflict that began 1000 years before the events of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. What we know so far, is that Lady Seiros led an army called the Ten Elites into battle against King Nemesis in the Battle of Tailtean Plains.
The exact details of the conflict are not yet known, but what can be assessed from the cinematic is that Lady Seiros triumphed over King Nemesis, slaying him as revenge for his actions in The Red Canyon. Its a brutal, bloody scene, and promises some exciting action and plot development in Three Houses.
When Three Houses releases on July 26, players will assume the role of Byleth, a former Mercenary who has been hired to teach at the Garegg Mach Academy. The academy is the Fire Emblem equivalent of Hogwarts: you will be required to choose a house and teach the students of that house to be great warriors.
Whether you choose the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Dear, you won't be able to change, and the house you pledge to will immediately impact the story irrevocably. Each house represents one of the 3 countries on the continent of Fodlan, and though they are all three at peace for now, one can not expect things to stay that way.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is out on July 26th exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders include of set of pins for the three houses, so you can rep your team on the battlefield.