With a Metacritic score of 82 and some highly-favorable reviews from major critics, Fire Emblem Engage appears to be well worth your time.
Reviewers particularly seem to be praising the return to classic Fire Emblem combat and the fan service the title provides – though some critics miss the social aspects present in Three Houses.
Here’s what the reviewers have to say:
| Outlet | Score | Review |
| Destructoid | 9/10 | “If you were overwhelmed by Three Houses, this is a great follow-up that doesn’t just follow that same formula: and in many ways, gets back to Fire Emblem basics.” |
| Dexerto | 5/5 | “Fire Emblem Engage is a departure from Three Houses, but an incredible degree of polish and a genuinely affecting story make it an easy recommendation.” |
| IGN | 9/10 | “Fire Emblem Engage proves itself worthy enough to be counted alongside the legacy it honors so well.” |
| GameSpot | 7/10 | “While Fire Emblem’s combat mechanics have never been better, Engage’s story and structure lack the ambition of its predecessors. The result is a predictable and straightforward romp that’s carried by its fantastic presentation and engaging combat.” |
| GameRadar+ | 2.5/5 | “Fire Emblem Engage resurrects the weapon triangle to great effect, making the turn-based combat feel like a game of death and dares, while an unmemorable cast of characters and an unexplored world sadly drag behind it.” |
| NintendoLife | 9/10 | “If all you really want from Fire Emblem is to test your mettle against super smart adversaries in some of the slickest and most satisfying turn-based combat around — Intelligent Systems has got you well and truly covered. We doubt you’ll play many better tactical RPGs in 2023 than this one.” |
| NME | 4/5 | “Whether you’re a fan of social-strategies like Persona and Marvel’s Midnight Suns or you’re chasing pure turn-based thrills, Engage is waiting and thoroughly unapologetic about the free time it’s going to devour.” |
| Polygon | Polygon Recommends | “It can’t quite reach the crescendos that Three Houses did, and it certainly doesn’t achieve the longevity of Awakening. But it is consistently great. And it’s confident enough to let me take the reins.” |
| Siliconera | 10/10 | “Fire Emblem Engage is amazing and a wonderful way for Nintendo to kick off 2023.” |
| The Verge | – | “As Fire Emblems go, it’s a great jumping in point if you’ve never experienced Nintendo’s foundational tactical RPG series. But if you’re like me and desperate to feel the same emotions Three Houses or Fates made you feel, you’re simply better off playing those games again.” |
| TrustedReviews | 4/5 | “Engage isn’t the best entry point into the series, and is rather shallow in terms of story and character development, but the combat is enjoyable enough alone to keep players engrossed until the end.” |
| Twinfinite | 3.5/5 | “Fire Emblem Engage ends up being a rather middling experience that wasn’t afraid to try a few new things as far as combat is concerned, but couldn’t come close to the heights that its predecessors have set for the series.” |
| VG247 | 4/5 | “As a fan of older Fire Emblem and strategy games in general, I was thrilled to see the depth of combat and the level to which you can make battling your absolute focus. That’s still true even if Engage doesn’t quite get the balance in its execution right in a way that might put a small subset of Three Houses lovers off.” |
| VGC | 3/5 | “While the anniversary cameos will please the hardcore fans at first, we worry that, much like the weak social aspects, their largely minor impact on the game itself will disappoint.” |
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