How is the new Fire Emblem?

[u/SaveADay89]

I'm a big fan of the fire emblem games, but I will admit that I didn't like engage. I found the combat to be as engaging as ever, but the anime tropes and characters were really annoying. I liked 3H, though. My issues is that I heard the new one is heavily skewed towards the out of combat activities, particularly the social features. Is this true?

[u/Nimstar7]

This is kind of a tangent but in regards to seeing all four routes in 3H - if you see the “true” route (if you want to call it that) first - it makes seeing the other routes seem kind of pointless and the value in pursuing them pointless, in my opinion

[u/BarbarousJudge → u/Nimstar7]

What do you consider the true route in 3H? There is none as far as I'm concerned

[u/Nimstar7 → u/BarbarousJudge]

Spoilers ahead, click at your own risk:

The Edelgard path shows that the church is essentially manipulating everyone into doing it's bidding, with the leader, Rhea, being not even remotely close to human. They're essentially a monster manipulating the populace into believing the church exists to serve the populace, when it's the other way around

[u/BarbarousJudge → u/Nimstar7]

I mean sure... But that's fair but it's not like Edelgard is a saint either. Dimitri path deals with her and still ends up with a better church than before

[u/Ha_eflolli → u/BarbarousJudge]

Just to add what /u/Nimstar7 said, The DLC Hub (once you unlock it for the Main Game) even has some Books saying that the Church straight-up banned several scientific advancements just for the sake of staying the defacto greatest political power; giving like one or two somewhat in-universe understandable reasons, but then another that's extremly blatantly "the Church is obviously just trying to get rid of anything that could threaten the current System". To give a quick list of all the specific examples mentioned:

• The Telescope: Banned for potential misuse in War Situations...and because "it would lessen the Mystery of the Goddess" once people think of using it to look at the Sky

• Oil: Banned for being a potential Fire-Hazard, wanting to avoid People going to War over it...and because it could give People who can't use Magic a potential advantage over those who can

• Book-Printing: Banned for being too easy to use for spreading misinformation, because so many People can't read in the first place...and because it would give OTHER Religions an easier way of spreading their teachings.

• And lastely Autopsies as a medical procedure: Banned because it's seen as desecrating the dead...and because it's entirely non-magical, and thus might get People to start trusting actual sciences more than the Church and its (Faith-based) Healing Magics. This one is especially blatant because the ingame Text straight-up says it's acknowledged how useful Autopsies are from a medical standpoint

[u/Nimstar7 → u/BarbarousJudge]

I don't see how allowing Rhea and her race of monsters to control the populace through the church could ever be considered a "true" ending. But maybe that's me. Personally I feel this is pretty standard for JRPGs - the church being evil is always the real path.

[u/BarbarousJudge → u/Nimstar7]

Rhea steps down at the end of Dimitris and Claudes route and Byleth then reforms the ways the church operates. Every route shows that Rhea did messed up shit and ends with a change for the better. Hell, the initial plan for the game was only the black eagles route with Byleth not siding with Edelgard (what is still in the game as church route). And even there after Edelgard dies, Rhea goes berserk and either dies or is healed after defeat depending on support level with Byleth. And in both cases she is done with the church afterwards