Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Review - A Mix Of Old And New

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Published Sep 16, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

The famed Fire Emblem series is back, but this time it has a time-traveling twist that will either win over fans or put them off.

Fire Emblem is one of those series that almost didn't get a chance to cross over into the West. While Nintendo did provide access to a few games in the past, it wasn't until the modern era that the series really took off, and now we get full parity with Japan when it comes to Fire Emblem releases.

Depending on who you talk to, the Fire Emblem series has either gone up or downhill. Some folks love the idea of more social connections, and others are disappointed that the franchise has somewhat dropped its strategic roots, in favor of more social mechanics.

As for myself, I'm just enjoying the ride. While each Fire Emblem game has its pros and cons, the series as a whole has been a blast, especially when you dig into its rich history of in-depth and colorful characters. In that sense, Fortune's Weave shares much of the same DNA as those modern games, but adds enough of a twist to keep people interested.

Fortune's Weave's Premise Is Out There

While some Fire Emblems end with world-ending stakes, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave starts with them. In the original timeline, the forces of evil have prevailed over the empire of Dagda, now in ruins after a gigantic tournament five years earlier. In 1454, Balor, the demon God, is resurrected, and the world falls into peril. That's where the goddesses of Sothis and Fortuna come in.

Using the power of a supreme being, you'll create your own avatar and have the power to go back in time to recruit four powerful characters, all of whom have died, but have the ability to fight back the forces of evil.

While you can create a character unique to Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave (the JRPG protagonist, if you will), four other cast members are central to the story. First up is Cai, a boy fighting for his father's freedom. Then there's Dietrich, a mysterious man who loves the thrill of battle. Theodora is a ruling queen, bent on being a shield for her kingdom. Then there's Leda, the bard-like warrior seeking revenge for her father's murder.

Initially, Nintendo was coy about this premise, but eventually let the curtain down. While I won't get into spoiler territory, going through individual campaigns with each of these characters is a blast. All four have unique abilities that keep things interesting from story to story, and the fact that you are the God-like entity helping them also shifts the game's perspectivea bit.

Combat Is Varied, But Sometimes Rote

When you first get the chance to travel back in time, you can choose between all four heroes, during their time competing in the Heroic Games, during the prime of Dagda's reign. The immediate plus of this setup is that Dagda is not under siege, meaning each character has room to breathe, and their stories can really pop on their own.

Instead of throwing a generic warrior into a demonic war, you get to know these characters, their motivations, and form bonds with other NPCs (many of whom you can recruit optionally). Each character's path is different, not just in the literal story, but in how you interact with the continent.

That continent, mind, is accessible via a world map, not just the capital city where the games actually go down. There, you'll find optional storylines, dungeons (which play out like a classic JRPG rather than a grid-like strategy battle), and other secrets.

The open-world map keeps things moving, since you won't be stopping in, say, a Monastery for most of the game. Instead, you're encouraged to pass the time by exploring, which is a nice change of pace, even if it can feel aimless when the map doesn't offer anything particularly interesting to do.

The game's tactical combat system has a strong foundation, and maneuvering units around is a breeze. Blaze Arts (the game's new super moves essentially) mix things up, as each core hero has their own twist. My personal favorite is the vampire-like Dietrich, who can move around in the shadows to get better positioning.

Blaze Arts are a fun system to push, since you can buff your characters and pull off showstopping moves, but if you go too far, you'll overwork yourself and cut your maximum HP for that battle. These additions let each character stand out, so if you're going back in time to experience each story, it'll feel different not only on the battlefield but around the world map as well.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Has A Lot To Love

Fortune's Weave lets you play at your own pace. If you want to skip a ton of combat (especially dungeons), you can do that and focus on the game's social aspects and beef up your party around town. If you're focused on combat, you can ignore a lot of the day-to-day, play at a harder difficulty to keep you on your toes, and get the most challenge out of what you put into your party.

It won't make everyone happy, but Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave mostly delivers on its time-traveling premise, and the strong cast of characters really carries it to the finish line.