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Here’s what Fire Emblem Engage’s Emblem powers can do for you

A peek at the combat bonuses awaiting fans in Fire Emblem Engage

Owen S. Good is a longtime veteran of video games writing, well known for his coverage of sports and racing games.

Fire Emblem Engage will launch a little more than two months from now. So far, fans of the turn-based tactical RPG don’t have much to go on, apart from the game’s announcement trailer in September, and a story setup from last week, which revealed that heroes from past games will join players in their new adventures.

That’s where Wednesday’s trailer comes in. This five-minute breakdown explains, in gameplay terms, what Intelligent Systems is trying to do with the introduction of Emblem Rings. There are 12 of them in Fire Emblem Engage, each linked to a character from somewhere in the series’ 33-year history. Wednesday’s trailer confirms that, alongside Marth, Engage will feature Sigurd from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, Celica from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Corrin from Fire Emblem Fates, Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Lyn from Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (aka 2003’s Fire Emblem for Game Boy Advance) as emblems.

With an Emblem Ring, players gain a passive and persistent buff to their units’ attributes. From there, they may also engage the emblems (hence the game’s title), which will grant special weapons and abilities beyond the standard upgrade. Of specific concern: the powerful Engage Attack, which looks like a super-move that can finish an encounter, whether you’re ahead or behind.

The rest of the video describes what the specific Engage Attacks, Weapons, and Skills are for the set of Emblem Rings. Fire Emblem Engage is the 17th installment in the series, but just the third in the past 15 years to launch on consoles. It arrives Jan. 20 on Nintendo Switch.

The next level of puzzles.

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