Seven Tactical RPGs to Play Before Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Seven tactical RPGs to play before Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is scheduled to launch for Nintendo Switch 2 on 17 September, giving tactical RPG fans a short wait before the next major entry in the 36-year-old series. The game is expected to return to the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the franchise’s best-selling release.

Across its history, Fire Emblem has become known for permadeath, the weapon triangle and, in newer games, deeper character relationships and social-simulation systems. These seven alternatives cover those same pleasures in different ways, from demanding grid battles to political stories and relationship-building between missions.

1. Unicorn Overlord

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X

Released in 2024, Unicorn Overlord sits comfortably alongside Fire Emblem: Engage and Three Houses as a large-scale fantasy strategy game. Its story follows an exiled prince who builds an army to free his homeland from an evil empire while travelling across the continent of Fevrith.

The major difference is how battles work. You arrange small teams for real-time encounters, then rely on the Tactics system to determine what each character does. Priorities, conditions and actions can be as simple as attacking the enemy with the lowest health or healing below a set threshold, or as involved as a layered sequence based on equipment, statistics and allied units. It is an excellent choice if planning formations and equipment is more appealing than issuing commands during the battle itself.

2. Tactics Ogre: Reborn

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch and Windows PC

The 1995 game Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together helped reshape tactical RPGs through branching routes, multiple endings and serious political drama. After a PlayStation Portable remake in 2010, it returned as the 2022 remaster Tactics Ogre: Reborn, which brings the conflict between Valeria’s factions to modern platforms.

Like Three Houses, the story divides into Law, Chaos and Neutral paths, pushing protagonist Denam towards difficult, morally questionable decisions. Combat uses an isometric grid, and simply over-leveling a durable unit is rarely enough. Your Union Level raises party level caps as the story advances, while enemies usually match or exceed those limits. Terrain, placement and careful party construction therefore matter enormously.

3. Horizon’s Gate

Where to play: Windows PC

Players who enjoyed the seafaring sections of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia may find a broader maritime adventure in Horizon’s Gate. Developed by Rad Codex, this open-world tactical RPG lets you sail through Eral as an explorer, trader or privateer, choosing which people and factions to trade with, support or oppose.

A three-part fame system tracks your progress towards becoming a renowned swashbuckler, merchant or explorer. Battles take place on land and at sea, with control extending from individual characters to naval fleets. Its turn-based grid combat, recruitable characters and branching class system will feel familiar to Fire Emblem players, while the sandbox exploration and deliberately spare story give it a more open-ended identity.

4. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

Where to play: Switch

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle combines turn-based strategy, puzzle-solving and movement-focused combat in a package that is far more tactically serious than its unlikely cast might suggest. Dashes and Team Jumps turn movement into an offensive tool rather than a simple way to reach the next square. Yoshi, for example, can launch from an ally to extend his range before landing a ground pound that damages nearby enemies.

The game’s tactical reputation is also reflected in its influence on XCOM creative director Jake Solomon, who said it prompted him to rethink the genre. Anyone seeking a lighter alternative to traditional fantasy warfare should give it a chance.

5. The Banner Saga

Where to play: Android, iOS, PS4, Windows PC and Xbox One

Stoic’s The Banner Saga is a stark contrast to the colourful tone of Mario + Rabbids. Inspired by Norse mythology, it follows a caravan of humans and giants during a struggle against the Dredge, an ancient race determined to wipe out humanity. Its setting is defined by dead gods and a sun that has stopped moving.

The game shares Fire Emblem‘s story-led tactical structure and permadeath, but characters can be lost through dialogue and narrative decisions rather than only through combat. An autosave system discourages reversing those choices. Decisions carry into the two sequels, with the player’s save file preserving the consequences of earlier events.

6. Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Where to play: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Windows PC

Designed by XCOM creator Jake Solomon, Marvel’s Midnight Suns blends superhero storytelling, tactical deck-building and social simulation. Between missions, the customisable protagonist known as the Hunter returns to the Abbey, a social hub that serves a similar role to Garreg Mach Monastery in Three Houses.

Gifts and shared activities improve relationships with teammates, while heroes including Wolverine, Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man can join the roster. Stronger friendships unlock combat cards and passive bonuses, linking the social systems directly to battle performance. It is particularly well suited to players who value the personal stories and relationship mechanics in Three Houses and Engage.

7. Triangle Strategy

Where to play: PS5, Switch, Windows PC and Xbox Series X

Released in 2022 by Square Enix and Artdink, Triangle Strategy uses grid-based maps and a high-fantasy setting, but replaces the familiar Player Phase and Enemy Phase structure with a turn order determined by unit speed. Elevation and facing are crucial, and a poor position can quickly turn a safe-looking battle against you. Fallen characters return after combat, making the system closer to Fire Emblem‘s casual mode than its classic permadeath rules.

Dialogue and gameplay decisions shape branching routes that eventually lead to four endings. An unseen conviction system tracks Serenoa’s commitment to unity, liberty and utility, influencing persuasion attempts and the recruitment of new characters. With visuals reminiscent of Octopath Traveler, the game combines political drama, demanding battles and lengthy cutscenes for players who want intrigue alongside strategy.

Which tactical RPG should you choose?

• For detailed pre-battle planning: Unicorn Overlord.
• For difficult political choices: Tactics Ogre: Reborn or Triangle Strategy.
• For open-ended exploration: Horizon’s Gate.
• For movement-driven battles: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.
• For consequential storytelling: The Banner Saga.
• For relationships between missions: Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

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