(15 - 12) 15) Fire Emblem Engage (https://varishangout.com/index.php?threads/fire-emblem-engage-writeup.2810/)
The two mainline Fire Emblem games on the Switch are quite evenly matched: Three Houses easily has the better story and the stronger cast of characters, while Engage boasts superior gameplay and graphics. Both games have excellent soundtracks, offer lots of content and provide you with tons of customization options. So while I ended up ranking Three Houses above Engage, I still really love the latter.
The most impressive thing about Fire Emblem Engage is that it gives you all these seemingly crazy overpowered toys to play with (in the form of the retro-pandering Emblems summoning past Fire Emblem heroes), and yet somehow manages to balance them due to expertly designed maps and clever tweaks to the core FE mechanics. The result is the best of both worlds: you get to play around with all sorts of insanely fun and powerful abilities without them actually breaking the game’s difficulty, and because of that Engage is probably the single most fun strategy RPG I’ve played in terms of pure gameplay.
I also don’t think Engage’s story is nearly as bad as the haters make it out to be – characters fellating the Avatar MC is nothing new, if anything Engage is just more honest about it than previous games. And while the story certainly has its fair share of goofy and even stupid moments, it also pulls oFf some well-executed twists and genuinely hype happenings. The characters are certainly for the most part more shallow and one-note than the Three Houses crew – but a fair few still ended up surprising me (dat Alfred – Celine A-Support!). On the whole, Engage is a brilliant and underrated SRPG.
Based Morality Score: +1/-2
14) Fire Emblem: Three Houses (https://varishangout.com/index.php?threads/fire-emblem-three-houses-thoughts-and-analysis.2802/)
Ultimately though, I just had to give Three Houses the edge over Engage – 3H is one of my foremost Comfort games on the Switch, a game I can do a playthrough of at any time and have a really great time with, despite its length. It’s my 4th most-played game on the Switch overall – though the fact that I rank it 14th instead of 4th on this list does reflect how a lot of the Garreg Mach Monastery activities are basically pure Filler, and that the game’s 4 routes do share a whole lot of content.
But again, this is a game I always have a good time with despite the fluff and filler, above all because of the phenomenal cast of characters, the wealth of customization options, and the tremendously enjoyable strategy gameplay (even if Engage’s maps are better, 3H is still a VERY fun game, and there’s tons of cool shit it lets you pull off).
Additionally, my Varis writeup of Three Houses reminded me that this is also a game I not only really enjoy playing, but also a game I really enjoy talking about – and the game’s writing is sufficiently rich in nuance (despite a predictable left-liberal bias), and the characters sufficiently complex, that there will always be so much to discuss and argue about – though I will point out, not to brag or anything (hehehe), that Three Hopes actually confirmed quite a few of my own personal Three Houses headcanons, which was quite gratifying to see.
Based Morality Score: +1/-2
13) Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (https://varishangout.com/index.php?threads/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom-writeup.2776/)
How ironic that the first REAL Zelda game to make the eponymous princess its protagonist is actually a more traditional entry in the series than the other two original Switch Zeldas. And while Echoes of Wisdom doesn’t quite boast the superlative highs of its open world counterparts, it DOES do a way better job of delivering a relatively non-linear Zelda experience without sacrificing either the story or the sense of progression in the process. The classic Zelda formula was already insanely good and satisfying, and yet EoW might just have improved on it. In some way it’s even a better open world game than its 3D big brothers, due to there straight up being optional mini-dungeons with actual boss battles than you can just stumble upon while exploring.
This is also the first new 2D Zelda since 2013’s A Link Between Worlds, and it features the first brand new 2D Zelda overworld since 2004’s Minish Cap. Compared to other 2D Zelda games, EoW’s overworld is absolutely massive, yet at the same time it’s dense with secrets, it’s like there’s something worthwhile to discover around every corner. Zelda playing like a somewhat passive Summoner might be a turn-off for some, but I personally found that combat in this game worked really well, and it’s also a surprisingly good fit with an open world format, as rare and powerful enemies (which you’ll be able to summon after defeating them once) serve as excellent rewards for exploration.
In terms of dungeons and music, EoW is only “pretty good” by Zelda standards – but not only are those standards extremely high, it just so happens that BotW and TotK jointly represent the series’ low point in that regard, so it still felt so refreshing to finally play an original Zelda game on the Switch with proper dungeons and an actual soundtrack.
And while somewhat tainted by trannylator shenanigans (they/them Deku Scrubs? Go fuck yourselves Nintendo of America!), EoW is blissfully free of modern feminism, despite it being Zelda’s Turn to be the main hero - Link is still given his due as the great hero that he is, and it’s very telling that Zelda time-limited Super Mode essentially just involves her temporarily playing like Link. And if that doesn’t convince you that this game isn’t feminist, then how about this: Zelda has a good relationship with her father!
Based Morality Score: -1
12) Super Mario Bros. Wonder (https://varishangout.com/index.php?threads/super-mario-bros-wonder-writeup.2764/)
Finally! After so many years of 2D Mario playing it safe and doing the bare minimum, we finally got a game where the classic Mario Bros. experience is truly enhanced and elevated. Finally, a 2D Mario game with the same kind of love and effort put into it as the likes of Galaxy 1-2, 3D World and Odyssey! And not only that, but a 2D Mario clearly inspired by the two Mario Maker games, and all the ways the user-created levels reimagined what 2D Mario could be.
Mario Bros. Wonder is such a massive upgrade over the merely okay-to-good New Super Mario Bros. games that it feels like going from driving a beaten-up old Volvo to getting behind the wheels of a fucking Ferrari! After all these years, it almost felt surreal for a 2D Mario platformer to look THIS good, to be THIS damn creative and varied. It’s such an embarrassment of riches that Wonder really didn’t even need its delightfully weird and world-warping Wonder Effect to stand out as a landmark entry in the series – but I’m so glad it’s there. Like so much else in this game, it’s clear evidence of Nintendo finally going above and beyond with the Mario Bros. series.
If Wonder was just a little bit longer and a little bit harder (hehehe…), and if the boss battles weren’t so bafflingly bad, this game would have probably replaced Yoshi’s Island as my all-time favorite 2D platformer. But make no mistake, despite those handful of shortcomings this game is still absolutely fantastic, phenomenal and yes, wonderful.
Based Morality Score: Neutral