A dragon's madness forces a child to choose between two families
In short: In the world of Fire Emblem Fates, your loyalty is a weapon. You play as Corrin, a royal caught in a brutal war between their biological home of Hoshido and their adoptive kingdom of Nohr. Every choice you make reshapes the battlefield, but who is truly pulling the strings?
Developed by Intelligent Systems and released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS, Fire Emblem Fates introduced a unique multi-path structure. The game was split into three distinct versions: Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation. While Birthright and Conquest were physical releases focusing on different sides of the war, Revelation served as downloadable content that allowed players to rally both nations against a common threat. This design was intended to provide diverse experiences, with Birthright offering more gold and experience while Conquest emphasized strategic challenges like base defense and limited turn counts.
The narrative tension stems from Corrin's identity. Captured by Nohr as a child after the assassination of King Sumeragi, Corrin was raised by King Garon but eventually discovered to be the lost heir of Hoshido. After Queen Mikoto sacrificed her life to protect them during an assassin attack, Corrin inherited the legendary sword Yato. The player is then forced into a binary choice: side with their blood relatives in Hoshido or remain loyal to the family that raised them in Nohr. This choice determines which kingdom's aesthetics and gameplay mechanics dominate the experience.
Beneath this domestic tragedy lies a cosmic horror. The war is secretly orchestrated by Anankos, a dragon deity from the hidden realm of Valla. Once a wise being who gifted humanity knowledge, Anankos was corrupted by his own power and went mad after killing Valla's king. He sired Corrin in a human form before retreating to his dragon self to systematically destroy humanity. Players navigate this conflict using 'Dragon Veins'—map tiles that allow royals to alter the environment—while managing a persistent base called 'My Castle,' where they can farm food, run shops, and foster deep character relationships.
Mechanically, Fates overhauled the series' traditional weapon triangle. In this world, swords and magic defeat axes and bows; axes and bows best axes lances and hidden weapons; and lances and hidden weapons overpower swords and magic. Furthermore, weapons no longer have durability but instead impose stat penalties on the user, such as a Brave Sword granting double attacks at the cost of defense.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Fire Emblem Fates
- Also: Wikidata — Fire Emblem Fates · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest · CC0
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