Intelligent Systems

Well, as has been the case, my gaming time is still very much taken up with Fire Emblem Fortunes Weave.

I'm now in the middle of part three of this game, and I gotta tell you, I am honestly astonished at how Intelligent Systems managed to take all of these various mechanics that are introduced through the four storylines in part one, and somehow manages to filter them down into one single experience, and yet at the same time, it does not come off as muddied or opaque or overly convoluted in any way, shape, or form.

Basically what happens, and I'm going to just sort of say this as a way to sort of state it without spoiling anything.

Part 3 basically begins where the prologue of the game ends.

I guess that's probably, you know, the most damning thing I can say about the story, right, is that I think it's fine for what it is, but I really don't want to see it come back.

Please just do like a normal-ass fucking video game again, I'm begging you, Intelligent Systems.

On the other hand, the gameplay starts to get a little bit better, at least the in-between map gameplay.

I do actually like this a lot better than I did in part one.

But once again, if you don't know, Fortune Weave came out September 17th of this year.

It's the 18th mainline Fire Emblem tactical RPG developed by Intelligent Systems, who we're gonna get to them in a second.

It's a Switch 2 exclusive.

It's not on Switch 1.

So I don't want to get too nerdy with the story, but overall, the reason why I say all that is because it's an 80 to 100 hour plus campaign, ladies and gentlemen.

So if you want to enjoy that, there's the, in lamest terms, the story and characters who you will be playing as.

So of course, now that we got into the sales and just the overall story of the game, I did want to get into Intelligent Systems.

As if you don't know, it's a Kyoto-based Japanese video game developer founded in December 1986 by Toru Narihiro.

Mm-hmm

... and it was by Intelligent Systems.

Yes.

Same company.

cut, yeah.

Yeah, Intelligent Systems has been open with the idea that the original pitch was having eight characters total, and that plot is still here, but you only got to do full chapters with the four they ended up picking.

I've seen a lot of assumptions of what form this DLC is going to take that I don't think we actually know for sure.

Um, because I think some people have been talking about it, like, oh, like they're, they're, you know, they're restoring and adding like full new part ones for each of them.

Wave two, uh, in holiday 2026 is new wearable cosmetic outfits, and three new ally gods who once ruled Dagna, Mars, Aurora, Smyrnus, and Jura, to assist in the story's final act.

And then wave three, 2027, this one I think is pretty huge, brand new story content featuring four, uh, brand new, uh, lords w- uh, that were originally planned for the game until, um, the developers d- Intelligence, Intelligence Systems decided eight separate storylines was too ambitious.

So really, if you think about this, $35, if it's as substantial as the, the base game, you're basically getting a whole other game.

Yeah, this sounds like it adds at least 30 hours, just a l- that, for that wave three alone.

But once again, if you don't know, Fortune Weave came out September 17th of this year.

It's the 18th mainline Fire Emblem tactical RPG developed by Intelligent Systems, who we're going to get to them in a second.

It's a Switch 2 exclusive.

It's not on Switch 1.

So it's very telling.

Anyways, GameSpot gave it a nine out of 10 saying, quote, Fire Emblem's Fortune Weaves is a sprawling masterpiece of a strategy RPG building upon the success of past Fire Emblem games with new interconnected elements.

expertly designed combat puzzles and an emphasis on flexibility and choice nintendo and intelligent systems have topped themselves making this the new high to beat for future entries i mean there's a lot of hot praise i kid you not for an 80 plus hour game as far as the main line we're not even talking about optional content i didn't even get into the runtime of that once you hear 80 to 100 hours as far as the main story you already know hey it's a gta level of As far as diving into the world, it's going to be GTA levels of having to ingratiate yourself into the world.

You're going to be there for quite some time.