After three long years, Fire Emblem returns to the 3DS in the form of not one, not two, but three different versions. While the idea of “splitting” the game of Fire Emblem Fates into two retail releases (Birthright and Conquest) and a third downloadable title (Revelations) could be seen as a lazy cash grab from detractors, the execution is anything but. Each game packs in as much content as the 2013 Fire Emblem: Awakening, but gives players a choice in their playstyle preference. Birthright allows would-be tacticians to grind out levels in random battles, while the more challenging Conquest takes its cues from the older Fire Emblem games. This review is based on Birthright.

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is structured much like Awakening. After customizing your protagonist (also somewhat amnesiac, albeit not to the extent of Awakening’s Robin) you set out to do war on multiple battlefields. By chapter 6 you have a serious choice to make: side with your birth family (Birthright), or choose to stay with the family that raised you (Conquest). If you decide that you like the path of the game you didn’t choose you have the option to purchase it as DLC for an additional $20.

Birthright’s army is from Hoshido, and all of the units have a feudal Japanese flair; your ninjas and samurai will square off against the kingdom of Nohr’s knights and wizards. It serves as a nice style change, especially if you are at all interested in playing through both games. Sure, both armies have the same types of units, but they reflect the flavor of the country they come from. Nohr’s wizards cast spells from arcane tomes, while Hoshido employs diviners who bring forth spirit animals from ancient scrolls. Both classes provide the same services, but they are distinct to each army, which adds weight to the choice you are forced to make.

Sticking with your choices is a hallmark of the series, as permadeath is still a large part of Fire Emblem. You can opt to have your fallen comrades come back at the end of a battle, but I would say that part of Fire Emblem’s tactical charm is living with your strategic errors. It lends a sense of finality to every battle decision, and while it is true that you can just reload a save to get that unit back, at some point you may find yourself so close to winning a grueling battle that you have to accept the loss of a loyal soldier.

As introduced in Fire Emblem: Awakening, units that work together by standing next to each other during encounters will develop a support affinity. This has real benefits, as units with a higher relationship rating will add bonus stats that could mean the difference between life and permadeath. On a deeper level, characters can fall in love and have children, which can eventually join your army.

Unfortunately, the overall translation leaves something to be desired here. While the script and conversations in Fates are serviceable, it is lacking a lot of personality that I lauded so much in Awakening. While the conversations between my troops in the previous game was a high point for me, I find myself barely paying attention to a lot of the incidental text in Fates. It’s a disappointment for sure, but did little to detract from my love of the gameplay.

That’s because the battles in Fire Emblem are still fantastic. There are few things as satisfying as maneuvering my units to rout an enemy, or as exhilarating as seeing a character just barely survive death. I found Birthright to be quite a bit easier than Awakening, with some odd difficulty spikes towards the end. It was nothing that some extra grinding couldn’t overcome, but with so many battles being decidedly one sided I found it perplexing when things took a sudden turn in the late game.

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a complete package, offering a good 20-30 hours of play depending on how much time you want to put into the extra challenge battles or invasions of your home castle. It is rare that a portable game can hold me, but just as in 2013 I have fallen deep into the Fire Emblem well, and I look forward to tackling Conquest and Revelations.