New Fire Emblem set for release in 2016

The new Fire Emblem game for 3DS is planned for release in 2016, and Nintendo says it will give players more control over the game's branching story than ever before. Still no official name for Western audiences, though.

The new Fire Emblem will let players create their own character, much as in Fire Emblem: Awakening. But rather than serving as a friend and adviser to the main protagonist, the created character will live at the heart of the game, making choices that shape the entire campaign.

The biggest decision is choosing to cast your lot with the peace-loving Hoshido faction or the warlike, revolutionary Nohr faction. Striving to preserve peace with Hoshido will provide a more traditional Fire Emblem experience that's also more welcoming to newcomers, while fighting for glory with Nohr will present more difficult battles and a more complex narrative.

You'll meet many of the same characters either way, but all of the following events and battles will be shaped by that one decision. Stay tuned for more news - and hopefully a title one of these days - about the new Fire Emblem for 3DS.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.