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Fire Emblem: Heroes - 4 things we're hoping to see

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Fire Emblem: Heroes - 4 things we're hoping to see
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| Fire Emblem: Heroes

Nintendo has announced that its next mobile game following Super Mario Run will be Fire Emblem: Heroes, and that it will be hitting Android on February 2.

We have learned that the game will be a condensed take on the mainline series's tactical turn-based battles. The title stems from the ability to recruit loads of recognisable heroes from past entries, which is also where the game's freemium payment system will come in.

But there's still a lot that we don't know about Fire Emblem: Heroes. Here are some of the key things we want to see.

A generous payment system

It looks like you'll have to pay real money to unlock decent heroes at any appreciable rate in Fire Emblem: Heroes, through the game's orb system. We can make peace with that decision, as long as the requirements aren't too severe.

Will it be relatively simple to obtain orbs and new heroes without paying OR excessive grinding? Will there be a fair chance of obtaining the good stuff in such a manner?

And most importantly, will we be able to progress through whatever campaign mode the game offers in a reasonable way with only the heroes we obtain freely? If the answer to all of these questions is an unequivocal 'yes,' then we won't have too much a problem.

Don't dumb down

So Fire Emblem: Heroes is going to be freemium, and its battles are going to be simplified single-screen affairs played out on an 8x6 grid. That doesn't mean it needs to be dumbed down, though.

Don't let the anime art style fool you. The mainline games are extremely strategic, dauntingly deep affairs that factor permanent character death into its tactical considerations.

We're not expecting Fire Emblem: Heroes to be anywhere near as involved, but it would be a grave mistake to gloss over the franchise's hardcore nature.

Besides, games like Warbits have show that mobile turn-based strategy can work well, while the likes of Enyo and Hoplite have shown that intuitive single-screen strategy games needn't lack substance.

A proper story

Another key strength of the baseline Fire Emblem franchise is its story. Recent entries have revelled in a fascinating world of political intrigue and shades of grey. It could get surprisingly dark in places.

Will this new mobile iteration have the time and scope to call back to this narrative nuance? We somehow doubt it, given the general fat-trimming that's already (and understandably) on display, as well as the more general nature of a mobile audience. But we'd love to be proved wrong.

The game's pre-release blurb says that "The story brings together new Hero characters along with familiar faces from the Fire Emblem series. Lead your army to victory to save the Kingdom of Askr". Which doesn't tell us all that much either way.

A speedy iOS turnaround

We enjoy portable gaming whatever the platform here on PocketGamer, and we actually think that the news that Fire Emblem: Heroes is debuting on Android is a commendably fair move from Nintendo. After all, Super Mario Run showed up first on iOS.

However, we're sincerely hoping that the delay between the Android and iOS versions of Fire Emblem: Heroes isn't as long as it's been between the iOS and Android versions of Super Mario Run.

As things stand, the Android version of Super Mario Run is on course for a February release, which would mean a delay of up to three months between versions. For a developer with such rich resources, that seems way too long. Don't make a habit of it, Nintendo.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.