How good is the Three Houses Story and What order to play the houses in?

[jman1954goat]

I am Eyeballing Three Houses since it's on sale and wondering How good is the story?

Also assuming I get the Game and assuming I play all three what's the best order to tackle the different Paths? Which is a good story order and which is a good gameplay order.

Bonus Q. Which difficulty combo is a good choice?

also How good/necessary is the DLC?

 

[Strings]

I would not go into it expecting to play all three paths. There is way too much repetition and you'll like the game less.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

I went in and played 2.5 paths.

I stopped. Pick 1/2 you find interesting and go with it. The story honestly isn't good enough to play thru more than twice.

First time you beat it you are wanting more cause it feels incomplete. When you beat it the second time it feels the same but you feel burnt out.

That and

Spoiler

There is technically 4 paths...or 3.5 if you look at it that way

 

[AWizardDidIt]

In my opinion?

The first half of the game is pretty good and fun.

It kinda all falls apart in the second half, which is also where the story diverges meaningfully. Was not a fan of the story after that point.

Do not get it thinking you'll play it 3 times through. That way, madness lies.

 

[Deleted member 4090]

Don't expect to do all of them. IMO, go for whatever cast you think you like the most, as that is the main difference.

Don't do Edelgard-Church and Golder Deer back to back, or two Edelgard routes back to back. But any other combination is great... if you like the cast and writing.

Don't try to 100% min max everything on your first, as it will make later runs feel more repetitive and tedious.

Hard-Classic is the only justifiable option for somebody that isn't totally new to the series.

 

[Deleted member 11637]

Blue Lions is the most satisfying first run, no matter what Imperial propagandists will tell you.

 

[Lumination]

+1 don't go in expecting to play all routes. I'm all for making your first run the run you want to do.

But I hear that the fanbase generally considers Blue Lions to be the best starting route for story.

If you are someone who loves challenge, the second hardest difficulty should be great. The hardest difficulty is probably for people with experience in the series that can pick up on what skills are good/bad from the get-go.

 

[jman1954goat]

I would not go into it expecting all three paths. There is way too much repetition and you'll like the game less.

Click to shrink...

I would not rush and quickly play the paths in a row (like finish one then jump straight to the next.}

assuming I like the game though I could in theory play all three over the next few years.

 

[Nevermeltice]

Story is great tbh and I'd probably do Blue Lions - Golden Deer - Black Eagles.

 

[Weebos]

I'm in the middle of my fifth playthrough, but I'm a Fire Emblem superfan.

I wouldn't start with the Crimson Flower route, and other than that go hog wild.

I recommend Hard, but if you're not great at strategy games that could be too much.

 

[Phoenixazure]

I did Golden Deer and Crimson Dawn back to back where I thought I got the most variety story wise. It's what id recommend too. This was pre-dlc so not sure if that changes

 

[MagicHobo]

IMO it's a little over ambitious to start planning that out if you haven't caught the bug. The story isn't "great", it's usually more of an attachment you develop to the characters and the overall thrust of things. I let planning routes consume my initial planning and then when I finally got to playing never bothered with the other routes. Maybe if I return later, but I got my money's worth with just one route (Crimson Flower).

If you are familiar with FE and know what you want, Hard Classic. If you are new but have played games before and like a little challenge, Hard Casual.

 

[Reyes]

Its certainly the best story recently but the way its told by splitting up it between the four routes is annoying and a hinderance imo, its better then any story in FE in the past 10+ years and its more so for the character writing

Gameplay is pretty much the same across no new features in each path besides weapons, the big thing is maps which are all about the same though I do say one has the worst maps then the others (silver Snow).

Play in any order you want and its fine there is no optimal playthrough.

ALso get the DLC as its the best challenge and maps in the game, plus 4 extra party members you can carry over into the main game that also adds to the games story

 

[Dutch Masters]

The game was great but I only played the Edelgard route which is considered the shortest one.

I'm hearing that Golden Deer has the most lore packed into it. Also bump up the difficulty because even on hard mode the game is very easy, they added a new mode called Maddening Mode after I stopped playing but that might fix the difficulty issues.

 

[Smoolio]

Black Eagles is all I ever need. For my Queen.

 

[Kiro]

I would focus on one story with whichever party resonates with you the most.

Then if you want to play a second (or third) story I would wait a significant amount of time until you feel that Fire Emblem itch again. I wouldn't recommend playing stories back to back.

 

[kiguel182]

I've been meaning to play with the blue house after playing with the red one first. I don't think the story is good but I would like to see another path and the character interactions.

 

[Zukuu]

Just pick one House. From a narrative perspective, I'd say the Holy Kingdom (blue house) makes the most sense from an "outside" perspective.

I'd play on Hard but with no perma death. Also limit your party to 5-6. If you want an added challenge, use only "in house" party members and not the best from the best.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

THe story was good enough, but it is all about the characters really.

 

[Lobster Roll]

Three Houses is phenomenal. By the time you're done with the first path you choose, though, you might be a little sick of the gameplay loop of the monastery. That said, I went Blue Lions -> Golden Deer -> Black Eagles.

Golden Deer stood out as the best experience to me.

 

[TheYanger]

Golden Deer definitely has the most satisfying ending and the most like, complete? I guess, story if you just wanted to play it once. Blue Lions is a ton of fun though.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

I would focus on one story with whichever party resonates with you the most.

Then if you want to play a second (or third) story I would wait a significant amount of time until you feel that Fire Emblem itch again. I wouldn't recommend playing stories back to back.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I did that and I don't think I ever want to touch a Fire Emblem game again. I thought the story was good and deep but learned it's really not and the reward for multiple playthrus is non existent.

 

[Fisico]

In my opinion?

The first half of the game is pretty good and fun.

It kinda all falls apart in the second half, which is also where the story diverges meaningfully. Was not a fan of the story after that point.

Do not get it thinking you'll play it 3 times through. That way, madness lies.

Click to shrink...

^
It's still a huge step up from Fates, which wasn't a hard thing to do, and Awakening, the step wasn't too high either.
One playthrough felt more than enough, it's a big time sink, if you feal ready to commit hundreds of hours with a fair amount of repetitive content then that might be your jam, otherwise not really no.

 

[trajon]

Hard-Classic is the only justifiable option for somebody that isn't totally new to the series.

Click to shrink...

Can't say I agree here… I'm most definitely not new to the series, but while I enjoy them, I'm pretty bad at SRPGs in general lol. Thus I tend to go Normal Casual and that works well for me.

 

[Diarrhea Day-Lewis]

It's fun and good enough. Nothing world changing but amazing characters and vibe. Adequate twists and turns, world building

I'd say BE-E, GD, BL and make a second save in BE at chapter 11 to do BE-C.

there is pretty much 3 campaigns, a mini fourth campaign from a choice you have in game, and each play through is 50ish hours.

id say casual/normal. Great game enjoy!

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Blue Lions was my favorite.

I will put this behind spoiler tags just in case, but I really do believe you should read this anyway as playing the game this way soiled my experience with the game, so I am giving a fair warning. It's not really a spoiler, but I know some people can be touchy.

Spoiler

There is a "hidden" fourth path where you make a major choice in Edelgard's playthrough. The path is called "Silver Snow" and I would look up the requirements for it. Do NOT play Silver Snow first as Golden Deer is basically the same route but with better characters and more story. Despite being an extra fourth path it is actually easier to get this one than the other main path it diverges from, which is why I am giving the warning. Save it for if you want more of the game after the major three paths.

My personal recommendation is Blue Lions -> Black Eagles -> Golden Deer.

 

[Tochtli79]

It's a good story, and compared to recent FE it's a great one, but it's the cast that makes the game shine.

Start with Blue Lions or Black Eagles, whichever group of characters you feel more curious about. Also note that you can recruit most characters to your house in part 1 regardless of who you side with.

I played all 3 main routes but I love FE, if you haven't played before your mileage may vary, especially since you always have to replay part 1 and it's the same for all routes.

 

[starfoxxxy]

I played church and edelgard my first two, only because i missed the deadline/prompt for edelgard the first time and didn't have a prior save.

Then i did golden deer and never finished cause i eventually got burnt out with the life sim stuff they force you to do. It's a shame because i did want to do blue lion and the dlc but i don't have the patience to play through it again.

I hope for the next game they dont go so hard on the life sim stuff and make it less mandatory or make it more compelling.

 

[jman1954goat]

since you always have to replay part 1 and it's the same for all routes.

Click to shrink...

Can't you just make a save file before the story branches then keep going back to that save?

 

[Tathanen]

Whatever you pick first will ultimately color your other playthroughs with an understanding of character motivations that are otherwise unexplored. So Crimson Flower first. Then Azure Moon, finally Verdant Wind. Best setup, solid revelatory middle chapter, strongest conclusion. Skip Silver Snow.

 

[rickyson33]

Can't you just make a save file before the story branches then keep going back to that save?

Click to shrink...

generally no, because you pick a house at the start of the game and that determines your route

with one exception where one of the houses has 2 different branching routes

 

[Tochtli79]

Can't you just make a save file before the story branches then keep going back to that save?

Click to shrink...

You choose your house at the very start after the prologue, so no. But as other posters have mentioned, Black Eagles has a branching path near the end of part 1, and you can keep a save file there to go back and choose the other option.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

Can't you just make a save file before the story branches then keep going back to that save?

Click to shrink...

No. You can in Edelgards route cause there is technically 2 there

You choose and lock in your house at the start of the game essentially. Then play thru the same story for half the game (with some slight differences)

 

[ryseing]

also How good/necessary is the DLC?

Click to shrink...

The other questions have been answered so I'll tackle this one. If you're really determined to play all the routes, I would get the DLC with the game, as it adds some much needed map variety to the side content. TH STRETCHES the available maps as is- you will see a ton of repeats during one playthrough, let alone three.

There's also a pretty good 8-10 hour side story that I would play after your first route- you can recruit the characters on subsequent playthroughs once you beat the side story.

 

[celigio]

Blue Lions - Black Eagles Edelgard - Golden Deer - Ashen Wolves DLC

You dont really learn anything new from Church route that isnt covered in Golden Deer and DLC and final boss is nonsense storywise but is a good challenge if you wanna tacle that

 

[Deleted member 4090]

Blue Lions - Black Eagles Edelgard - Golden Deer - Ashen Wolves DLC

You dont really learn anything new from Church route that isnt covered in Golden Deer and DLC and final boss is nonsense storywise but is a good challenge if you wanna tacle that

Click to shrink...

But doing the DLC unlocks a bunch of extra stuff for the main campaign, so is best done before a 2nd run of the main game.

 

[hydruxo]

I played Blue Lions first and really enjoyed it. Though I didn't find the story to necessarily be anything special. The characters are great and are what kept me engaged though.

 

[NioA]

It's good, nothing that blows your mind: it's a bit lame in terms of plot twist, but it's not boring thanks to the three lords that are well-written characters.
I suggest playing Blue Lions > Black Eagles > Golden Deers simply because BL and BE is more about a personal conflict, while Claude's story is a more conclusive story that deals also with the world itself.
I don't recommend doing all three (/and a half) in a row though, I did it and that highlighted the various problems of the game

 

[King Dodongo]

Blue Lions is the most satisfying first run, no matter what Imperial propagandists will tell you.

Click to shrink...

 

[Rayman not Ray]

In my opinion?

The first half of the game is pretty good and fun.

It kinda all falls apart in the second half, which is also where the story diverges meaningfully. Was not a fan of the story after that point.

Do not get it thinking you'll play it 3 times through. That way, madness lies.

Click to shrink...

I thought I was the only one. I actually never finished the game because I found the second half to be sort of dull. I think that's both a story and gameplay issue, as I had built a pretty OP team at that point. I'll go back and finish the game at some point, or at least that's what I tell myself. Still think it's a fantastic game, though.

 

[Disclaimer]

It's a good and compelling story, especially relative to Awakening & Fates. What makes it less satisfying is that it's very clear it could have been a great story, but the game was overly ambitious to a serious fault, and a lot of it suffered as a result, being spread too thin.

All three houses are enjoyable, with different strengths and weaknesses, and all are worth playing eventually (just not back-to-back). Pick your first by whichever's cast appeals to you; there is no best first. (Although I think Blue Lions shows a certain mid-game event the best.)

Play only Blue Lions, and you might come away satisfied by its character focus, but thinking "what happened to x, y, or z plot?", or "where's all the lore?" -- questions which are answered by the Golden Deer route. Or you might come off of Blue Lions or Edelgard's route wanting to play the other, since they're somewhat entwined. Whatever the case, you'll probably have some form of attachment to your first house -- for all its faults, Three Houses is great at making partisans out of people.

 

[Randomless]

I would recommend not playing the routes back to back unless you're a Fire Emblem maniac like myself. There's a brief prologue where you get to interact with the characters from the three selectable houses/routes and see which ones you like before committing to a route. I would recommend going in with an open mind and picking the house you like best based on the characters in it, because you will be stuck with those characters for the whole playthrough. You can recruit other characters from the other houses but if you don't look up the best way to do it you probably won't be recruiting all the characters on your first playthrough, which is fine. You can almost never bring more than 10-12 characters in any given map, anyway, and you'll get 10 characters just from your starting house.

As for difficulty, I would recommend Hard/Casual if you are new to Fire Emblem games. Difficult enough that you have to actually engage with the systems but Casual mode lets you make mistakes without perma-killing your units. Do Normal/Casual if you're new to tactics games in general. If you've played other Fire Emblems then Hard/Classic is the way to go imo. Don't play Maddening difficulty unless you hate yourself or really want a dumb challenge, it's super poorly balanced.

The story is good in all Three Routes, down more to personal taste of which one is best.

 

[Ozzie]

You want the best story and amazing character development? Blue Lions.

You want majority of the answers, lore and lots of animated cutscenes? Golden Deer.

You want to play in a unique perspective? Black Eagle.

 

[Jadow]

Story is good, nothing groundbreaking but considering what Fates did...well lets just say FE is in a much better place, at the end of the day its all about the characters and their interactions, which I feel it is the best in any FE so far

 

[Giga Man]

The story is great. Play the routes in whatever order you like. My motto is choose the characters you like on first impressions. For me, that was Claude and the Golden Deer.

 

[Xater]

The story is not good enough for 3 playthroughs. You also better start at a higher difficulty because the normal one is brainless.

 

[Waxwing]

Blue Lions is definitely the best starting place from story perspective if you have multiple playthroughs in you. And it looks like that's mostly the consensus above.

And definitely hard/classic if you're decent at SRPGs- anything less will be fairly brainless. Normally, I might be a bit wary of classic (losing units), but the game gives you the chance to rewind a battle as many action/turns as you want a certain number of times per battle. It was fairly rare that I found myself needing to refight a full battle.

 

[Kraq]

The story is really good.

I'd recommend for a first time player to go with the Blue Lions. I went with the Black Eagles first but I feel like they're meant for a second runthrough.

Recommended starting difficulty is Hard/Classic. DLC is not needed.

 

[No Depth]

Is it ok to never recruit heathens that hail from other schools? Will one be ok if they stay a pure school route?

 

[decoyplatypus]

The story is about average for an FE game--which is to say, bad. Blue Lions and Edelgard-Church are stronger than the other two routes. I would start with one of those. The rest of your route-order doesn't matter much.

For difficulty, hard-classic is the place to start. Three Houses' hard mode is not going to challenge anyone with FE or turn-based strategy experience. And the game already includes a rewind mechanic to help you recover from deaths.