Fire Emblem Warriors is a game that really wants you to dive into battles and make the most of each fight you get into. It wants you to put effort into improving your characters and makes them great. That means the hardest maps aren’t in the Story Mode. Rather, History Mode makes you work as hard as you can to reach new heights. This supplemental source lets you be the best you can be.
This is absolutely a complementary experience. After all, you can’t even begin playing Fire Emblem Warriors’ History mode until reaching the fifth chapter of the campaign. That is when Invisible Ties, the Fire Emblem Awakening map, unlocks. Eventually, you will also get “The Path is Yours,” “Dark Pontifex,” “Noble Lady of Caelin,” and “Together to the End,” maps based on Fire Emblem Fates, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade, and Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. The more you play, the more of these maps show up.
The layout in History mode resembles a classic Fire Emblem map, with character and enemy sprites laid out. You select and move to different segments to recreate famous battles. You usually can place between four and six characters. (Naturally, not all are playable if more than four can be assigned.) Some are straightforward with multiple goalposts that must be passed as you run toward a major showdown with a specific character. Others have an arena-like focus, where the goal is to defeat as many enemies as possible. What is important is that they eventually get very difficult. You will eventually need to have certain kinds of characters prepared. You have to put levels in. You need to be smart about Crest Skills. Because eventually, you’re going to reach situations with level 80 difficulty.
Going through History mode offers many rewards. It is a fantastic way to farm items you need for Crests. You may also come across maps here with two Anna’s Mementos, and collecting all of them unlocks the History segment that lets you get her as a playable character. (Your characters will probably have to be around level 80 to complete that challenge and add her to your roster.) The only real downside is the reward for completing every challenge in this section, as all you get from “beating” Fire Emblem Warriors’ history mode is a medal.
For those who remember Hyrule Warriors, Fire Emblem Warriors’ History mode is comparable to Adventure mode, but more enjoyable. In the previous title, it could take a lot of time and busywork to get characters, weapons and important items. Except it could require you to use specific characters, earn specific battle ranks, and complete areas with rewards you might not have been particularly interested in. Fire Emblem Warriors is more streamlined and efficient. It should only take around eight hours or so to complete History mode, maybe even a little less if you are also making the most of Story mode and keeping characters from certain types at similar levels. (For example, having one archer at a good level, one horseback mage, one sword-wielder, and so on.) There is no superfluous padding here, only fights you will actually want to undertake because the rewards are so good and you don’t have to endure tedium to get things done.
Fire Emblem Warriors’ History mode is perfect for people who are enjoying the game and want it to challenge them further. This is a mode that offers more difficult fights reminiscent of major moments in the series and rewards you appropriately for your efforts. It is a rather pleasant thing and, best of all, doesn’t feel tedious. This may be here to add more depth and substance, but not the kind that doesn’t add significant value.
Fire Emblem Warriors is available for the New Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch.
Published: Oct 30, 2017 12:00 pm