What I thought of Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Nintendo Switch) - some ramblings

I am playing a lot more games of late. It is an additional way to ensure that my mental health doesn't decay into a pile of smouldering ash.

Choose who you will lead as an instructor from these Three Houses, and you'll get a different approach, and perspective, on a tale of a land in turmoil and strife.

Five months ago, give or take a few days, Fire Emblem: Three Houses released on Switch. To those that don't know what Fire Emblem is, its a strategy and roleplaying game series. My first encounter with it was via the Gameboy Advance, what feels like a decade ago - in reality, it is much longer - fifteen years.

Few games leave such a lasting impression for their interpretation of how combat with weapons works - Sword beats Axe. Axe beats Lance. Lance Beats Sword. Throw in bows, fists, magic users, and turn based combat that feels far more real than something like Diesgea - and you've got a very solid game.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a title that has now consumed over 120 hours of my time. I've finished it twice, taken part in an enormous number of battles, and had the opportunity to become acquainted with its heroes.

This is a game that is pre-disposed to a cult following on the length of the Fire Emblem series, but also - as one that can enrapture new comers to the series.

It is easy to play, fun, but with such incredible strategic depth, that there's something here for even the most demanding and precise strategists through its hard and "maddening" difficulty settings.

There's a catch to the game though - you must own a Nintendo Switch. Many people view games like Mario, Super Smash, Zelda, and the typical Nintendo faire as console movers, but its games like Fire Emblem Three Houses that make the switch a console keeper.

This is a title, that through its expansive story, large cast of playable characters, ease of play and "one more thing" string of events that made me feel like I was playing a Civilization game.

There's classy animations, decent voice acting, lots of specialisations your characters can delve into, and a whole lot of game on an assuming, tiny, piece of plastic cartridge.

The only bitter part of this game is the coating that Nintendo demands on a cartridge so kids don't eat it. That, and the fact that the story ends.

The fact that story ends is okay, though - as there is a robust and deep New Game+, where you can use your knowledge of the campaign, character cast, and class system to tackle more difficult and intimidating opponents.

In a way, Fire Emblem is like XCOM - there's a limited number of choices to make in any given decision tree, and you can permanently close your access to things if you make certain choices.

It just isn't as ominous and brooding as something like XCOM. It is fun, colourful, and heroic. It is a game full of depth, decent visual appeal, and excellent mechanics that will entertain the right sort of person for at least a hundred hours.

Excellent value for money!