On August 4, like every other Fire Emblem fan, I tuned into Nintendo's Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Direct live stream. And, after analyzing the full 22 minutes of story details and gameplay footage, I still have a massive burning question that has been bothering me ever since about the upcoming Switch 2 game: where is the love?
Romance in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave hasn't been confirmed outright yet, and I didn't think I'd need it to be before the stream. The inclusion of some kind of romance system or pairings seemed obvious, given the franchise's long history of including relationships in its stories. Ever since the first game in the series came out in 1990, love interests have been a thing. And, even during the games with less overt romantic options, we at least had some kind of married couple, or relationship drama to watch unfold on the battlefield.
But as the recent Fortune's Weave presentation went into detail about its plot revolving around multiple timelines and time travel, distinct characters, and gameplay features, the absence of any love system or romantic pairings shown fills me with dread.
A confusing relationship
I've ranked the best RPGs with romance options, from Fire Emblem to Mass Effect
The more I reflect back on the Direct, the more I worry that romance and any kind of non-platonic pairings will be done away with completely this time around, because from the current known Fortune's Weave story details, I have no idea how it will fit in meaningfully.
So far, we know that a big chunk of Fortune's Weave's story revolves around four distinct heroes that enter the "Heroic Games", a competition where the winner gets a wish granted. Similar to Fire Emblem: Three Houses, who you pick will have a unique storyline to follow, and each main hero has a cast of allies that are there to help them. However, the main plot twist is that while you control your chosen hero for at least a portion of the game, the main protagonist is Eshmel, a soul later summoned by the Goddess Sothis.
We know that Eshmel's section of the game (which is likely to be the largest part considering they are the "true" protagonist) happens five years after the Heroic Games. The four heroes have vanished, and Eshmel is tasked with defeating a revived demon god.
Eshmel has the option to go back in time and change the fate of the four heroes, and in the stream we do see Eshmel physically meeting each one in some kind of way. Now, with all that in mind, I don't see Eshmel realistically romancing anyone as an essentially newly summoned soul, guardian-angel type. And I'm fine with that fact. I am worried, though, that this story structure will stop any potential romance that could have been forged between the four heroes and their allies, as well as other pairings from allied NPC units. The shift in focus to a divine being may result in human connections falling by the wayside and us getting a more generic depiction of relationships.
The importance of love
Romance has always been one of my favorite elements of Fire Emblem. It makes characters feel more real and the consequences of letting them die in battle more impactful.
Romance also feeds into the general support system as well where NPCs with raised bonds get bonuses in battle. But gameplay advantages aside, the real draw of pursuing relationships is how much more fleshed out every character interaction feels as a result. I rarely care about NPCs in games; however, following a romantic side plot, seeing allies with chemistry and then getting to see what pairings developed after the fog of war has settled is one of the reasons that Fire Emblem has become one of my favorite titles of all time.
The franchise's romance system, especially how it pairs couples based on support points and the bonds you raise, is also one of the reasons it stands out as unique. Few other tactical RPGs utilize romance to enhance their worldbuilding, and also care enough to make each of their NPC characters feel fully realized. Romance and relationships are universal to the human experience – of course feelings would form between allies – and a Fire Emblem game without either would be a downgrade.
A hopeful future
Not all romantic hope is lost. The Direct did show that you can develop support points with allies and potential recruits through sharing meals and giving gifts. We did also see support conversations. Hopefully this means that my fears are unfounded and romance will be integrated in at least some of these relationships. And, hopefully, the timeskip won't negate them or completely abandon the mechanics once it happens.
On the other hand, we have to take the last game into account and how it handled romance too. Fire Emblem Engage did away with pairings completely. And despite having amazing tactical gameplay, its story was one of the series' least popular because of it. One common complaint about Fire Emblem Engage is its characters feeling shallow (just read our Fire Emblem Engage review for more details on that), especially in comparison to Three Houses. Now romance isn't the only factor that contributed to the writing issues, but it does add to the problem.
Romance was an afterthought in Engage, with the game featuring no pairings outside of the player character and romance being tied to an optional map that many missed. It fundamentally misunderstands how pairing characters makes them feel more human, and how that simple mechanic makes players more invested in their stories and, by consequence, whether they live or die in combat.
I really hope that Engage's criticism is taken to heart, and that if we don't get romance storylines as the player character in Fortune's Weave, we will still see other characters' pairings and developing relationships. Love is intrinsically human. It is also one of the pillars that makes Fire Emblem so special, and for a mainline title, Fortune's Weave should hopefully remember its importance to the series DNA.
While we wait for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, you can check out our lists of the best tactical RPGs and the best Switch 2 games to play today.
