2019 video game

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a 2019 tactical role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo's Kou Shibusawa and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. A collaboration between Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo, it is the sixteenth entry in the Fire Emblem series and the first for home consoles since Radiant Dawn, originally released in 2007.

Three Houses is set on the continent of Fódlan, divided between three ruling powers currently at peace. These nations are connected through the Garreg Mach Monastery, which houses a church and an officer's school for students from each nation. Taking the role of Byleth, a former mercenary with a mysterious past and the academy's newest professor, the player must choose a class to lead and guide their students through a series of battles and crucial decisions. The game maintains the turn-based tactical gameplay of the previous Fire Emblem titles, while incorporating social simulation and time management elements.

The game's production was challenging for Intelligent Systems, who attributed its success and timely release to Koei Tecmo, who had previously partnered with the company for Warriors. The staff wanted something entirely new for the franchise's debut on high-definition home consoles, birthing the school life mechanics and expansions to battle. Chinatsu Kurahana was the main character designer. The game's school system and a time skip later in the story took inspiration from the fourth installment, Genealogy of the Holy War.

The game received highly positive reviews, with critics praising the integration of the school system and battalion mechanics, narrative, characters, soundtrack, and replay value. Minor criticisms were directed at the game's easier difficulty compared to past installments as well as some visual and technical problems. The game would go on to win Best Strategy Game and the Player's Choice Award at The Game Awards 2019. As of December 2022, the game has sold 4.12 million copies worldwide, making it the single best-selling game in the franchise. A Warriors-style spin-off, Three Hopes, was released for the Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2022.

Source: Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.