When making video games, numerous decisions go into developing every aspect of a title. You might think some things are “basic,” but they’re often very complex. That goes double for when you’re developing the next game in a series. For now, you’re not only developing a game but also trying to build off of what came before and continuing the momentum you may have. For Fire Emblem Engage, it’s following up the best-selling game in the franchise in Three Houses and having to live up to all that it did in both story and gameplay. That’s not an easy task.

For example, in the previous game, the player had not one but four different storylines to choose from, and that heavily affected who you played with and what missions you did. However, in a developer interview, the team behind Fire Emblem Engage noted that they went for a more “simplified” approach with the story:

“In this title, we wanted to simplify the story structure by having one major goal, so that players can put their full focus into enjoying the tactical gameplay. So, we decided to develop a game that can be played with an RPG-like feel, where players walk around the world map to progress through the story and raise the skills of different characters who join as allies.”

Or, as early reviews cite, it’s a return to the “classic games” from the series’ early days. To be clear, the team still wants you to have a “grand adventure,” they’re just doing it in a way that won’t “overwhelm” some players.

As for the inspiration for the Emblems, aka the Emblem Rings, the team looked at past titles where you could get married to characters and have children with them. You could also “pair up” with them and gain new abilities in battle. They noted that it would sometimes take a while to “see the results” of your efforts, but it’s more instantaneous with the Emblems. They even ensured that you get the rings early to have fun with them immediately.

Another interesting element within this developer chat was the title for the game. They noted that they have struggled in the past with naming the games but here, “it was easy.” That’s because “Engage” means “to attract,” and “Engagement” means making a promise or a bond with someone. That ties easily to the game’s characters between their promise to help one another and save the world.

Fire Emblem Engage arrives on January 20th.

Source: Nintendo