Fire Emblem can seem like a daunting series at first. With dozens of games to choose from, many of which are known for tactical turn-based RPG combat, picking one can seem quite difficult. While it may be overwhelming at first, there are many Fire Emblem games that are great places to start.
There’s no wrong answer to where to start with Fire Emblem, but depending on what you’re looking for in a game, your path in the series might take you somewhere else, but it will always lead you to a great series with amazing fights and even better characters.
7 Fire Emblem Heroes
Although Fire Emblem Heroes isn’t a full-fledged game in most people’s eyes, it’s a great way to start your journey with the series. Fire Emblem Heroes is a free-to-play mobile game with a unique storyline and fan-favorite characters. Gameplay in Heroes is similar to a regular Fire Emblem game, but on a much smaller scale.
There are many of the same mechanics from other games featured in Heroes. Many skills, like the powerful Galeforce, can be found in the game, but in a more condensed and casual way. This is a great game to start your journey in the series as it has a low barrier to entry and lots of familiar characters that you will find in other games.
6 Fire Emblem Warrior
Another game in the series that strayed from the tactical turn-based gameplay that Fire Emblem is known for, Warriors is a “sangokumusou.” game, or musou for short. Derived from the Japanese name of the Dynasty Warriors games, Fire Emblem Warriors is an action hack and slash game where your goal is to conquer territories while mowing your way through hundreds of enemies.
Like every other Musou spin-off game, Fire Emblem Warriors uses the formula with the series’ huge cast to add a little charm to their own games. You can play as fan-favorite characters like Marth and Lucina while enjoying a brand new story.
5 Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright
As the story of Fire Emblem Fates unfolds, you will find yourself drawn into a raging conflict between two powerful families; the one who raised you since you were a little kid and your birth family. It’s up to you to decide which side you take. To better approach this story, Intelligent Systems split the game into two parts: Birthright and Conquest.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is the simpler of the two, with more units available and advantageous starting points in combat, while Conquest was used to appeal to the hardcore audience, allowing you to play on the backfoot at all times.
4 Awakening of the Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem Awakening is the first game in the series to use the series support system to further expand the characters’ stories. By adding support talks with romance options outside of Genealogy Of The Holy War, Awakening adds a dating simulator aspect to an otherwise hard-hitting tactical RPG.
The game catered to the casual audience by being one of the most accessible Fire Emblem games, reimagining its old-school anime style into a fresher, new-gen art style while retaining older fans by showing Lucina’s lineage associated with one of the series’ most important recognizable characters in Marth.
3 Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones
The Sacred Stones comes as close as possible to old-school Fire Emblem in recent years. Although the game can be a bit difficult at times, it can be a great entry point for players who want to experience what the series used to be like.
This game is extremely accessible to new players as it splits the story into two different routes, giving you a handful of units to level up gradually without worrying about which will be good or not. The Sacred Stones also features plenty of side battles for extra experience points to level up all your units accordingly.
With great and underrated characters like the twins Eirika and Ephraim and a gripping story, The Sacred Stones is a great game for old and new fans alike.
2 Engage Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem Engage is a return to old-school Fire Emblem while maintaining its newfound accessibility for novice fans of the series. The return of the weapon triangle and countless previous protagonists bring back the old fans while the new anime style attracts a newer audience.
Maddening mode is tough enough to satisfy the most die-hard Fire Emblem fans, but the new Engage mechanic can make some of the toughest fights a breeze. The game also features tons of new content, such as mini-games, in the home base to cool your head after a difficult battle.
1 Fire Emblem Three Houses
Fire Emblem Three Houses is one of the most accessible games in the series. With tons of content to play, between the battles with amazing movement options and the activities to enjoy with the students to deepen your bonds, Three Houses is an incredible game for new players to try this incredible series.
This game has everything Fire Emblem games are known for. Branched paths, battles that can vary in difficulty depending on the route and a variety of lovable characters that you will invent for a long time in this game.
