Fire Emblem series

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1911JD said:
Finished all my playthroughs of Three Houses earlier this week. My last one was Crimson Flower.

18 FUCKING CHAPTERS? WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF BULLSHIT WAS THAT?

If Verdant Wind didn't exist, Crimson Flower would be the worst route in the game for that reason alone. I like the story, granted, but it felt so needlessly quick, as if that route in particular was specifically rushed out to make sure the game launches on July 26th. And it's a shame, because I love the Black Eagle characters.

What really, REALLY gets me is how empty CF is.

Look at this bullshit.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MTsFEOcEu1E:3663
Look at THIS bullshit.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3liNHv-U3fI:3613
Two big, pivotal moments in the story, both of which got cutscenes in the other routes, pushed aside, told as off-screen events.

Remember how much TWSITD were hyped up by the likes of Hubert and Edelgard? How they talk about how Arundel is evil and we must stop him and his group of miscreants, how they're the ones we have to deal with once Rhea is gone?

What happens when Rhea's gone?

Roll credits. Mention the battle against TWSITD in the character endings. End the game 5 fucking chapters earlier than the other routes for no fucking reason.

View attachment 950236

If Crimson Flower was my first playthrough, my first impression of Three Houses would have been MUCH less favorable.

Crimson Flower is Intelligent Systems acting like Game Freak. Never act like Game Freak.

And just like that, I'm done with 3H until more DLC comes out. woohoo
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Crimson Flower just so happened to be my first playthrough. I liked it until I finished Verdent Wind and began to notice the differences.

It seriously irritates me how much CF got shafted compared to the other routes. Even VW and SS despite being copies of each other still had more chapters and cut scenes compared to it. The only real cinematic we got in CF was the ending to the last chapter. And they could have easily made more chapters involving TWSITD, but they went fuck it after the last chapter and just wrote them off in the ending.

I'm now doing Blue Lions. I already kinda know what happens post timeskip, but I want to see how it plays out myself before I jump to any conclusions. After that, I'm done until I hear more about the last waves of DLC. Not gonna even bother with Silver Snow since I already completed Verdent Wind.
 
Zeke Von Genbu said:
I honestly think the church route isn't even worth playing unless you're a completionist, just get spoiled on the few lore differences and save yourself a playthrough
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Outside of the Rhea romance, which absolutely makes it worth it because it's actually pretty well written, it is the route I suggest when people ask about Byleth having a (somewhat) personal arc. Blue Lions has Byleth be integral to the plot, but Byleth stands around doing fuck all half the time in GD. Church route is much better if you want a more focused story about the triad of Byleth, Rhea and Edelgard. GD really feels like it apes story beats that were written for Church first.

1911JD said:
Look at this bullshit.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. I thought I got a glitch or skipped something, that transition was terrible.
 
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HeyYou said:
Outside of the Rhea romance, which absolutely makes it worth it because it's actually pretty well written, it is the route I suggest when people ask about Byleth having a (somewhat) personal arc. Blue Lions has Byleth be integral to the plot, but Byleth stands around doing fuck all half the time in GD. Church route is much better if you want a more focused story about the triad of Byleth, Rhea and Edelgard. GD really feels like it apes story beats that were written for Church first.
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The problem is Byleth isn't really a well defined character due to how they're written so them having a pseudo arc/route doesn't really work and Seteth, who is our lord stand in, doesn't really do anything different from what Claude does and Seteth is still there in GD so it isn't like him being here is very unique. His unique contributions in the Church route aren't really good or really dive into his character very much so it feels like he is here as filler because Byleth can't talk for themselves.

My biggest issue with the Church route is the big lore dump at the end from Rhea is so much more important to the entire conflict in GD then in Church which mostly focuses on a few points about Byleth when I personally had enough information from GD about Byleth. That exposition in Golden Deer changes how you see the entire story, the one in the Church not so much because it is so Byleth focused.

Considering a route is a few dozen hours, and the maps are reused like most this game, the story has to make it worth the play through and it just doesn't to me until the literal end where something different happens but it is worse then GD's imo so w/e.

Also the final boss differences make no sense plot wise and I can't tell which one is really supposed to happen, I personally prefer the GD one but that is subjective and I think depends on how much you enjoy the music. Rhea's romance cutscene is nice and settles a decent amount about her and her character, but I'll just watch that 5 or so minute scene on youtube over playing an entire route to experience it and about an hour of unique story context that doesn't really change a ton compared to every other route. I don't mind playing through cutscenes within the routes, but smaller bits and scenes like supports I don't feel like unlocking are what I use youtube for.
 
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Zeke Von Genbu said:
Also the final boss differences make no sense plot wise and I can't tell which one is really supposed to happen, I personally prefer the GD one but that is subjective and I think depends on how much you enjoy the music. Rhea's romance cutscene is nice and settles a decent amount about her and her character, but I'll just watch that 5 or so minute scene on youtube over playing an entire route to experience it and about an hour of unique story context that doesn't really change a ton compared to every other route. I don't mind playing through cutscenes within the routes, but smaller bits and scenes like supports I don't feel like unlocking are what I use youtube for.
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Who would've thought Nemesis' revival depended on which kid Byleth chose to teach
 
1911JD said:
Finished all my playthroughs of Three Houses earlier this week. My last one was Crimson Flower.

18 FUCKING CHAPTERS? WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF BULLSHIT WAS THAT?

If Verdant Wind didn't exist, Crimson Flower would be the worst route in the game for that reason alone. I like the story, granted, but it felt so needlessly quick, as if that route in particular was specifically rushed out to make sure the game launches on July 26th. And it's a shame, because I love the Black Eagle characters.

What really, REALLY gets me is how empty CF is.

Look at this bullshit.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MTsFEOcEu1E:3663
Look at THIS bullshit.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3liNHv-U3fI:3613
Two big, pivotal moments in the story, both of which got cutscenes in the other routes, pushed aside, told as off-screen events.

Remember how much TWSITD were hyped up by the likes of Hubert and Edelgard? How they talk about how Arundel is evil and we must stop him and his group of miscreants, how they're the ones we have to deal with once Rhea is gone?

What happens when Rhea's gone?

Roll credits. Mention the battle against TWSITD in the character endings. End the game 5 fucking chapters earlier than the other routes for no fucking reason.

View attachment 950236

If Crimson Flower was my first playthrough, my first impression of Three Houses would have been MUCH less favorable.

Crimson Flower is Intelligent Systems acting like Game Freak. Never act like Game Freak.

And just like that, I'm done with 3H until more DLC comes out. woohoo
Click to expand...

I came to a conclusion a while back, the lack of content in Crimson Flower is meant as a sign that something's up with it's story. That it's not quite on the level, that things aren't as neatly defined as it makes it out to be. Silver Snow's sheds light on Rhea and what she actually did to you, Azure Moon gives us info on how the Crest system is seen in the Kingdom, while Verdant Wind gives us more info on the Crests and Relics. All that information makes Edelgard's crusade come across as rather naive, showing that she didn't understand the issues as well as she thought she did while showing the lengths she would go to in order to win.

In ignorance, Edelgard is a hero. With knowledge, she becomes a foe. From what we've seen in other routes, Edelgard didn't need to conquer the continent in order to take out TWSITD. Fuck, Dimitri can cripple their organization by complete accident. You can go in and trash their base in Verdant Wind and Silver Snow, the latter with the same characters Edelgard would have had. They also aren't a factor in epilogues of routes where Rhea can live, meaning that Edelgard took out the one they feared.

But in Crimson Flower they are left unchecked with the final painting hinting they will infiltrate the groups Edelgard has conquered. The shadow war is a long, hard battle the likes of which would cause Bernie to come out fearless. The fact is, in order to gain their resources to take over Fodlan Edelgard made them stronger than ever.
 
Kamen Rider Black RX said:
I came to a conclusion a while back, the lack of content in Crimson Flower is meant as a sign that something's up with it's story. That it's not quite on the level, that things aren't as neatly defined as it makes it out to be. Silver Snow's sheds light on Rhea and what she actually did to you, Azure Moon gives us info on how the Crest system is seen in the Kingdom, while Verdant Wind gives us more info on the Crests and Relics. All that information makes Edelgard's crusade come across as rather naive, showing that she didn't understand the issues as well as she thought she did while showing the lengths she would go to in order to win.

In ignorance, Edelgard is a hero. With knowledge, she becomes a foe. From what we've seen in other routes, Edelgard didn't need to conquer the continent in order to take out TWSITD. Fuck, Dimitri can cripple their organization by complete accident. You can go in and trash their base in Verdant Wind and Silver Snow, the latter with the same characters Edelgard would have had. They also aren't a factor in epilogues of routes where Rhea can live, meaning that Edelgard took out the one they feared.

But in Crimson Flower they are left unchecked with the final painting hinting they will infiltrate the groups Edelgard has conquered. The shadow war is a long, hard battle the likes of which would cause Bernie to come out fearless. The fact is, in order to gain their resources to take over Fodlan Edelgard made them stronger than ever.
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This is one of the things I genuinely like about Three Houses- the replay value is immense. Until you've played all four stories, you CANNOT understand the truth behind the game's story. I'm only two playthroughs in right now- I started with Azure Moon, just beat Verdant Wind and am moving on to either Crimson Flower or Silver Snow. Haven't decided yet.

Starting with Azure Moon felt like an action movie. It never addressed the issue of Those Who Slither In The Dark, instead playing like a standard FE game with a concrete ending and a 'happily ever after fairy tale' to end it all. Nothing in the ending even speaks about them, which makes it all the more intimidating in hindsight. Verdant Wind, meanwhile, put more of the pieces together. I look forward to seeing what changes in my understanding of the story from Silver Snow and Crimson Flower.
 
littlearmalite said:
This is one of the things I genuinely like about Three Houses- the replay value is immense. Until you've played all four stories, you CANNOT understand the truth behind the game's story. I'm only two playthroughs in right now- I started with Azure Moon, just beat Verdant Wind and am moving on to either Crimson Flower or Silver Snow. Haven't decided yet.

Starting with Azure Moon felt like an action movie. It never addressed the issue of Those Who Slither In The Dark, instead playing like a standard FE game with a concrete ending and a 'happily ever after fairy tale' to end it all. Nothing in the ending even speaks about them, which makes it all the more intimidating in hindsight. Verdant Wind, meanwhile, put more of the pieces together. I look forward to seeing what changes in my understanding of the story from Silver Snow and Crimson Flower.
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You killed their leader during one of the maps in Azure moon (which seems to take away one of their main weapons), alongside one of their commanders. Between this, the loss of Edelgard and maybe Rhea living, they decide to go back into hiding according to the final chapter. They're still there, but with the changes Fodlan undergoes who knows how long until they can act again?

I went VW and then CF. CF's story relies on you not being aware of the greater context of Fodlan, and not really thinking about it. There's some stuff, including some endings, that make Edelgard out to be a major hypocrite if you find it. It just burned me out going along with it. Moral ambiguity is great, but don't ask me to turn off my brain.
 
Kamen Rider Black RX said:
I went VW and then CF. CF's story relies on you not being aware of the greater context of Fodlan, and not really thinking about it. There's some stuff, including some endings, that make Edelgard out to be a major hypocrite if you find it. It just burned me out going along with it. Moral ambiguity is great, but don't ask me to turn off my brain.
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Which endings? From the endings I've seen Edelgard basically made the generals of her army, basically the BE house who actually fought beside her, into heads of something within her united Fodlan which to me is in line with her idea of having what is basically a meritocracy. I mean if you're willing to fight the world with me, and can fight well, then I'd probably highly consider giving you positions of power. Considering everyone does their jobs well, this worked out for the better. Edelgard is kind of a dumb dumb for forgetting the concept of public education in this sort of society, because otherwise only nobles would be realistically educated enough to rise consistently, but Ferdinand makes light of the issue and Edelgard agrees with the idea of making a public education.

I went VM first and CF last and while I'm overall on team Claude, I can understand why Edelgard started this war in chapter 11 given what she knew. The missing context is due to how the church operates by hiding the truth in the most direct way possible considering Seteth will just remove books that he doesn't want people to read.
 
littlearmalite said:
This is one of the things I genuinely like about Three Houses- the replay value is immense. Until you've played all four stories, you CANNOT understand the truth behind the game's story. I'm only two playthroughs in right now- I started with Azure Moon, just beat Verdant Wind and am moving on to either Crimson Flower or Silver Snow. Haven't decided yet.
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I agree entirely, I noticed that right away starting my second playthrough--this seems like what they were trying with, and should have attempted with FE Fates, rather than one story where it's two (three) games and you just play on opposing sides of the same game, or the "true ending" which is just the game as it originally should have been.

Im avoiding spoilers but Im playing through my second time with Blue Lions. I did the best one, Golden Deer first because I liked Claude and his style the best--I didnt find out until reading the internet that apparently that final boss theme is their ending only, and Im a little disappointed because I was overpowered and that fight was not as "epic" as that opera music. There wasnt even any of the anime "RAAAAAGH Im powering up my final form, youre fucked!!!" They just kinda die.
GD's last battle music is like the "Kefka Theme" of Fire Emblem music.
I feel like Im at fucking Macaroni Grill and I kind of love it.

I kinda wish part 2 didnt feel as truncated as it seems. I understand development constraints and shit but part 1 is the one that I feel should have been truncated since half of the shit is after the time jump, but it's the more interesting parts of most of the characters--and it's what makes every path unique, so you should spend more time there. Up until then, it's like "Oh shit, students are disappearing, I thought they just eloped, welp, lets have the Battle of Eagle and Lion!" Like to me, part 2 could have started as early as chapter 10 or so if you cut out some of the more boring parts. Then you would have more time with each actual path. You could make some of the plot points only take one week instead of a whole month, maybe double up on the training points and call it a plot element that youre really pushing your team.
 
It's not that Edelgard is putting her classmates into positions of power. It's that she's only putting those of noble status into power. No commoner gets to rise through the ranks in Crimson Flower unless they marry into nobility. That said, when you have examples like Bernadetta withdrawing from public discourse and going into hibernation despite leading her territory (never mind the Felix pairing where he ends up the one running the show), or Caspar being made into a general despite his weakness in authority and Leeroy Jenkins tenancies, it just doesn't seem right.

Byleth/Ferdinand all but says the Empire is censoring history as well.
 
Kamen Rider Black RX said:
It's not that Edelgard is putting her classmates into positions of power. It's that she's only putting those of noble status into power. No commoner gets to rise through the ranks in Crimson Flower unless they marry into nobility. That said, when you have examples like Bernadetta withdrawing from public discourse and going into hibernation despite leading her territory (never mind the Felix pairing where he ends up the one running the show), or Caspar being made into a general despite his weakness in authority and Leeroy Jenkins tenancies, it just doesn't seem right.

Byleth/Ferdinand all but says the Empire is censoring history as well.
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Caspar's ending says that he became a reliable and good general, though it does acknowledge his reckless tendencies. Ignatz has an authority boon, that doesn't mean he is good at leading people compared to say Hubert who has the same boon, or Lorenz or Ferdinand who are directly taught how to be leaders. Authority boons are weirdly distributed in this game sometimes, why does Ignatz has an authority boon because he is a nerd with glasses so he is smart? Bernie functions fine enough as long as she doesn't have to just go outside all the time, if she gets a good partner who has less fear like Ferdinand or Felix she seems to work well from inside her house and takes her job seriously.

As for the lack of commoners being in power, the issue is without a noble pairing they just would rather do something else. Dorothea wants to sing, Ignatz wants to paint, Leonie wants to be a great mercenary, Raphael wants to be a knight, Cyril just wants to never be interesting, Alois wants to be a farmer and have a quiet life, and Ashe wants to be a knight (I think?). They're not really shooting for the stars here and Caspar wasn't going to originally inherit anything from his house as he was the second son of his house, so his chance of inheriting anything were slim and that is why he wants to make a name for himself as a warrior. Petra is technically a noble, just of a different country so I'm not counting her in any of this despite her being considered a "commoner" according to the game's classes.

The commoners had pretty low ball dreams in the grand scheme of things, the nobles had to inherit their respective positions as they've been groomed towards except Felix who becomes a murder hobo most the time. The only exception I can remember is Shamir who if she pairs with Hubert, which is not a romantic ending, she ends up in charge of an elite squadron and stops her mercenary life.

Shamir and Hubert's ending (no they aren't married, they're more like partners in crime to execute Hubert's shadowy assassiny stuff)

"As confidant of Edelgard, Hubert disposed of every burden facing his emperor by any means necessary, and excelled at working in the shadows. Supporting him from the frontlines was the former mercenary, Shamir, who commanded the emperor's elite troops."

This game in general has "they lived happily ever after just cause" problems. Dimitri is just perfectly fine mentally after his second big turn for some reason because the writers realized they have to end the story on a high note and thus must erase Rhea from the plot and TWSITD just exit out by accident basically because they need to be sort of wrapped up somehow in BL. This is not a CF route only problem, the entire game just says "they all are okay and everyone succeeds".

It kind of undersells and oversells Edelgard in a way, because on one hand it means you don't need Edelgard to lead, yet the war always makes a better Fodlan so what is the game trying to say? The only one who has a real shitty time in most the endings is Felix considering he goes murder hobo in most routes except BL. Rhea is inconsistent in the endings for some reason, just cause and because we needed 4 routes in case people didn't like Edelgard.
 
Kamen Rider Black RX said:
You killed their leader during one of the maps in Azure moon (which seems to take away one of their main weapons), alongside one of their commanders. Between this, the loss of Edelgard and maybe Rhea living, they decide to go back into hiding according to the final chapter. They're still there, but with the changes Fodlan undergoes who knows how long until they can act again?

I went VW and then CF. CF's story relies on you not being aware of the greater context of Fodlan, and not really thinking about it. There's some stuff, including some endings, that make Edelgard out to be a major hypocrite if you find it. It just burned me out going along with it. Moral ambiguity is great, but don't ask me to turn off my brain.
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Edelgard seems to believe that the dispute between Seiros and Nemesis was only because of a "minor disagreement", which is completely false if you play VW. I can't blame her for getting it wrong, but looking at it at a glance, it kinda feels dirty to me.

I'm not really sure how well-known the history is to people in-universe, but someone had to have figured that the battle between Seiros and Nemesis wasn't just a minor dispute.
 
Just started and curling my nose HARD at the lack of customization. Giving you a character feels pointless if you're a generic blue hair. Might as well just just focus on a single central, predefined protagonist like Ike.
 
So people are mad about the censorship in the Switch port of Tokyo Mirage Sessions. I don't mind it tbh. The pants look cooler than the lingerie outfit.
Don't get why they removed hot springs tho. Wasn't it in previous FE games?

Also apparently it was all Altus fault.
 
Crimson Flower and Blue Lions are largely self contained and linked to each other- I'd go with either of them first, but play GD (or SS, but preferably GD) in the middle to break it up.

Blue Lions have the characters with the greatest links to each other- Most of them start with links to each other and their connections as a house are probably the best of the three. It's also the most traditional FE sort of story of the three, but with a twist or two.

I like CF even though it was probably rushed- It has more unique maps than the others, but also fewer chapters.

GD and SS deal with the lore of the world that's barely looked at in the other two, with GD going into the history of why this is all happening.

SS deals with some Church only stuff, but half the route is CF so if you've just done one then do a different one and not the other so you get to know some different characters.
 
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