New Free-To-Play Mobile Game Fire Emblem Shadows Sucks

Recently, Nintendo surprised us with the sudden launch of Fire Emblem Shadows — a free-to-play mobile game spin-off that takes the franchise in an unexpected direction. Unlike Fire Emblem Heroes, which leaned heavily on the series’ established turn-based strategy formula, Shadows features a blend of real-time tactics and social deduction. And it is bad. Like, real bad.

Fire Emblem Shadows tasks players with entering battles as a party of three (you and two other people). The twist, however, is that one of these supposed comrades may secretly be a “disciple of shadow,” a traitor whose role is to sabotage the mission from within. After each encounter, the group votes on who they believe the betrayer is. Guess correctly, and the next battle is easier because you receive a buff. Guess wrong, and the battle that follows is harder because you do not receive the buff.

On the surface, you might be thinking of Among Us. But no, not really. Not at all, actually.

This shift away from grid-based, turn-driven tactics is disappointing. Fire Emblem has built its reputation on deep strategy, tense decision-making, and attachment to characters that can be lost forever due to permadeath. Shadows places less emphasis on carefully plotting movements across a battlefield and more on quick decisions with reading human behavior because one of your allies is secretly damaging you or your other ally, and it is not apparent who is the culprit. (Unless you yourself are the culprit.)

You can't even tell that Shadows is a Fire Emblem game if not for the aesthetic and branding.

Early impressions from across the Internet echo my thoughts as well. Fire Emblem fans are saying that Shadows does not carry the spirit of the franchise whatsoever. It is a strange experiment that could have been released under a new IP rather than borrowing the beloved Fire Emblem name. People are complaining that the gameplay feels shallow compared to the tactical depth they associate with the series. The real-time combat is functional, but many argue it lacks the satisfying layers of planning and counterplay that define Fire Emblem.

On the bright side, the monetization seems fair. Shadows naturally leans on in-app purchases to sustain itself, so there is a battle pass, and you can spend real money to unlock characters early and boost your selected character with better equipment. The good thing, however, is that you can simply play the game and earn these characters and their equipment. In fact, there is not even a gacha system. Fire Emblem Heroes, despite its enduring popularity, is often criticized for its heavy reliance on random draws and constant spending to keep up. Shadows appears to be a lot less predatory in its monetization (for now, at least).

So, yes. Fire Emblem Shadows. Why? No one asked for this. (I do like the chibi sprites, and the presentation is nice.) My prediction is that the game will not make much money and will fade into obscurity after about a year. Oh well. I am looking forward to Fortune's Weave next year.