Fire Emblem has long been one of Nintendo’s most quietly innovative series. Whether you’re talking about the dense themes of prejudice and privilege in Path of Radiance, or the brilliant way Three Houses twisted Persona’s time management with strategy, Fire Emblem has consistently thought outside the tactical RPG box. That experimental nature is part of what’s made it such a favorite to me, and what makes Fire Emblem Shadows such a colossal disappointment. Ostensibly an Among Us meets Fire Emblem experience, Shadows lacks any real depth but is more than happy to shove aggressive monetization in your face.
I’m not against the idea of an Among Us-Fire Emblem hybrid, and I’m not even against the idea of completely changing the series’ gameplay. A Fire Emblem game doesn’t have to be a tactical RPG as long as it has some kind of depth, like the Fire Emblem Warriors games. But the crucial issue with Shadows is that it feels like there’s nothing here. Once you’ve played five matches, you’ve seen everything. It’s a baffling experience that feels vapid in every sense of the word. If you’d told me this was a new IP that failed in development, prompting Nintendo to slap Fire Emblem branding on it and shove it out the door, I’d believe you.
