Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes – Bringing The World Of Three Houses Into The Musou Genre

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is the latest entry in Nintendo and Koei Tecmo’s Warriors series, which spans The Legend of Zelda and Fire Emblem. This new Warriors game, like Hyrule Warriors which got a Breath of The Wild-specific sequel, Age of Calamity is set within the Fire Emblem universe. Three Hopes incorporates the characters and world of 2019’s hit. You can read my full review to see more. 

To find out more about Three Hopes I spoke with Genki Yokata from Nintendo Co. Ltd., Toshiyuki Kushakihara, Intelligent Systems’ character designer and supervisor, Yosuke Hayashi of Team Ninja, Hayato Ichata, Koei Tecmo Games’ director Hayato Itato. We dove deep into the making of this new Musou, how the teams integrated Three Houses into it, and what it was like expanding this highly beloved take on Fire Emblem’s world. 

Game Informer: We’ve had a more general Hyrule Warriors and then a very specific Breath of the Wild take on the formula. There’s also been the more general Fire Emblem Warriors, and now a very specific Three Hopes take on the formula. How does the team decide, ‘Okay, we want to make a Warriors game on this specific entry i.e., Three Houses?”  

Yosuke Yamada: It’s true that the progression of games was similar, but that is not something we are doing intentionally. Fire Emblem Warriors was a possible sequel. We thought that this would allow us to leverage our strengths and create a new game.

Genki Yokata: After working on Fire Emblem Warriors together, the three companies – Koei Tecmo Games, Intelligent Systems, and Nintendo – developed Fire Emblem: Three Houses. KTG presented a sequel of Fire Emblem Warriors. After that, everyone was excited about the possibilities for Fire Emblem 3:3 Houses. A game all three companies had created together. 

GI: How was the process of bringing back the Three Houses world to life with this side-story/sequel on Fodlan?

Yokata: With Fire Emblem, we don’t usually get the chance to create a game using exactly the same setting and characters a second time, so I was genuinely happy to be able to tell the story of the Fire Emblem: Three Houses characters again. It was a lot of fun. It was also fun to make new Fire Emblem 3 Houses outfits.

Toshiyuki KusakiharaFire Emblem Three Houses was not complete. I was happy to have the chance to create a Fire Emblem Three Houses game. It was fun to view the world of Fódlan from a new angle. 

Hayato IwataFire Emblem 3 Houses is loved by millions of fans all over the globe. The challenge was to create a game that exceeded the fans’ expectations. Although there were many pressures, the challenge was worth it.

GIHow did Three Hopes feel when it decided to do a Three Houses version Warriors?

YokataFire Emblem Three Houses staff were present at the KTG. There were also new designs by IS and Ms. Kurahana. We were therefore not concerned about expanding the world-building.

KusakiharaI felt that everyone was deeply involved in Fire Emblem, Three Houses. The Fire Emblem on Three Houses legend was also brought up again. The entire game was made with incredible attention to detail. I believe we have created something more like a major series title than just a spinoff. 

IwataWe wanted to create a new Fire Emblem game that reflected the feel and setting of Fire Emblem 3 Houses. This was why it was important to have a solid understanding of past collaborations. Because we cannot change the core ideas of the original game or its foundation, what we create is bound to be the same. At the start of development, Mr. Hayashi instructed staff to review all previous interviews about Fire Emblem: The Three Houses. This allowed for a greater understanding of the original title.

GIThree Hopes: I found that it feels very similar to Three Houses in my review/preview. However, the combat system is different due to the number of Three Houses systems present in Three Hopes. I was curious how the team decided what from Three Houses they wanted to add to Three Hopes.  

IwataKTG was the one that proposed the entire project. The three companies collaborated on gameplay elements. At the time the proposal was made, the training and social components at base camps had been included. We adjusted the elements to make them more effective and integrate well with the Warriors series. However, war map gameplay wasn’t included in the original plan. The suggestion of Mr. Kusakihara was that a war-game element be added to the game, as this is a game about warring countries. The element was a valuable part of this game. It provides a rich gaming experience as well as helps the players get deeper into the story. As development went forward, we had many valuable discussions. 

GI: What were some of the big changes you wanted to make in Three Hopes’ combat to differentiate it from not just Fire Emblem Warriors, but other games in the Warriors series?  

Iwata: As in Fire Emblem Warriors’ original Fire Emblem Warriors game, this was true. However, the gameplay in which you direct your allies allows for the tactical aspect of Fire Emblem while making it stand out among other Warriors games. In this game, we’ve strengthened this element even further. For example, we broadened the range of available strategies in ways such as allowing you to change a character’s class and making it possible to customize the affinity between units by assigning battalions. Also, we added information about battle predictions and made the map easier to use. By making the order-issuing map full screen and strengthening the sense of presence during the game, we tried to impart to the player that this screen is not just a user interface, it’s a location where gameplay is taking place in this tactical game.

GIWhat was the purpose of Three Hopes’ branching path structure? It would be a great idea to allow players the freedom of choosing which house they feel is equivalent to making your game three-fold larger.  

 Yokata: These were the three routes in KTG’s original proposal. It showed just how eager they were for this game. The fun of choosing between the three different houses was a big part of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, so although the main character’s situation is different this time, all three companies agreed that we should definitely do three routes.

KusakiharaFire Emblem 3: Three Houses’ core was telling an exciting story about the consequences of people who hold strong and uncompromising beliefs colliding. It was therefore inevitable that there would be three paths for this game. As you pointed out, this did lead to three times the game. However, this does not mean we slashed the content of each route. It was dense and complex when I played the initial playable version.

Iwata: Because we chose Fire Emblem: Three Houses as our theme, we couldn’t avoid having the player experience the story from three different perspectives. We were concerned about how much development would be required. However, it never came to the point where we could discuss the best way for players to experience this in one story. Only ever did we discuss how to proceed with the development so that all three paths could be completed. That was the goal of all members of development.

GI: With every iteration of Warriors, it’s a chance to improve the Warriors formula, add new things to it, and change things – what was the most exciting improvement or addition to the Warriors franchise you were able to make with Three Hopes?  

HayashiSometimes, the Warriors series gets criticized for its reliance on hitting the attack button. This game addresses this criticism. The game brings together the thrilling experience of fighting one warrior against 1,000 enemies. This is an important point in the Warriors series. It also combines that thrill with tactics and character growth from strategy role-playing gaming games. They form a new format for the Warriors.

GI: How essential or non-essential do you think it is that players play through Three Houses before Three Hopes and what was it like developing this title knowing there are assuredly players who haven’t played Three Houses?   

Yokata: If you’ve played Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you can perceive the changes in each character’s way of thinking, and I think it’s fun to get a sense of how strong Byleth is. On the other hand, even if you haven’t played Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you can learn about each character from square one, so you can still enjoy the game. You might find Fire Emblem Three Houses interesting if the characters, plot and setting appeal to you.

Kusakihara: We depicted the massive setting of Fódlan from four points of view in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, showing the different countries with their long histories in which diverse peoples live. This game offers three perspectives that allow you to view the world more clearly and from more angles. The game is also playable on its own. However, if played with Fire Emblem Three Houses you will see how the different elements interact, which can be very enjoyable.

Iwata: Personally, if it was possible, I’d like to wipe my memory of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, play this game, and then play Fire Emblem: Three Houses. That’s what I thought throughout development. In that sense, I’m envious of players whose first experience is this game.

GIWhich aspect was most challenging in developing Three Hopes, a game that is set within the Three Houses universe but must be able to compete with other Warriors games?  

Iwata: There wasn’t really anything about this game being in the Warriors series that made it difficult to stick to the Three Houses universe. It was difficult to find the right balance in the system design. However, it is possible to still enjoy the action gameplay without losing the fun and feel of Fire Emblem 3 Houses. The advancement systems, for instance, simplified the weapons and class system changes while keeping up with Fire Emblem’s progress in Fire Emblem Three Houses.

GI: If someone’s never played a Musou, is Three Hopes a good place to start, and if so, why?  

IwataWe put a lot of effort into creating the tutorials for this game. We provide a user-friendly environment by making adjustments to the difficulty level and play style. People who don’t have the skills to manage action games may issue instructions for them to use the game strategically. Users with a good command of action games will be able control their characters independently and can move through battles as they did in other entries in the Warriors series. I think it’s turned out to be an especially approachable game. 

Hiyashi: We’ve developed this game in an attempt to make it the newest and most interesting Warriors game. For those new to the Warriors series, this game is the best choice.

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