Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - Mysterious Mercenary Trailer

[Fabulously Olivier]

11 minutes ago, Etrurian emperor said:

One reason I've heard for people being down on it is that Byleth is replaced by a new protagonist. As someone without much attachment to Byleth I don't really mind.

I also think that's a trivial criticism. It's obvious that Byleth will be playable. They wouldn't let you select your Byleth if they weren't.

[Azz]

Japanese version uploaded. Doesn't seem to have any differences, however I am a fan of Shez's voice

Spoiler

 

At the end, it confirms the two other acrylic figures in the SE are both form of Shez who have an orange coloured flag underneath them.

EDIT:

Official Shez art from twitter. They are voiced by Hatanaka Tasuku for M!Shez and Tomita Miyu for F!Shez. Their description reads:

'A lone mercenary who fought against Jeralt's group during a job and was then defeated by Byleth. While training in a forest to make up for the loss, Shez will then meet the academy students.' Credit to @bk2128 on twitter for the translation.

https://twitter.com/FireEmblemMusou/status/1513884643602296832?s=20&t=rm2aHv4jfOyEIU12X093TQ

M!Shez

Spoiler

F!Shez

Spoiler

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Azz

[tipperthescales]

The trailer has a lot to unpack, but before that the Japanese website also updated

http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/fe_fs/

 

Biggest things:

- the God(dess) in Shez's head is called Arval (and the Japanese kana is literally ラルヴァ and probably is pronounced like Larva)

- Shez's description: 

Quote

A mercenary alone on their own. Defeated by the Ashen Demon. They were in training to avenge their defeat. In the forest, they encounter a group of students from the military academy.

- the System page confirms free classing (as Olivier mentioned in the other topic), and a three phase progression of game flow (Preparations which is basically like the Monastery, Marching which is that map with the option to select missions, and Combat which is the actual battles)

[Use the Falchion]

There's a lot to unpack, and I'm far from the person to unpack it, but this trailer had me intrigued, worried, and then it circled back to interested. 

I'm curious about Shez being the POV character here, and I'm happy for both the male and female versions of both Shez and Byleth. I'm not necessarily happy Byleth has been taken out of the spotlight for another Avatar, but I'm curious to see what the game does with it. More importantly, we've got new designs and new characters!

Dedue and Hilda's designs are interesting. Dedue's looks a lot like his post-timeskip Three Houses design, but now it looks like he may have a beard! Hilda's updo is interesting as well. 

Monica is playable as well! I'm still a little unsure if it's Kronya or truly Monica, but I can wait to discover that in the game. 

Lorenz's design looks exactly how I expected and wanted it to look. 

We see some new characters too. Potentially Claude's father, Holst, and Caspar's dad?

If we're seeing new playable characters, I'm counting on all of the old ones to return as well or hoping at least. 

 

We also got some new features and some old features, so now I'm even more excited! 

 

The diverging paths route is both a blessing and a curse. I'm curious to see what will happen with Shez in the place of Byleth, and I'm happy that this doesn't immediately negate all of the other paths in Three Houses due to a "golden route," but part of me still really does want that Golden Route. Will I have to play through three or four other routes to get there? Will it be available after just one? Will it even be in this game? I have so many questions, but I guess I'll have to wait until June to get them!

[Fabulously Olivier]

In retrospect, split paths shouldn't be as surprising as it was. Dynasty Warriors is founded on split campaigns for Wu, Wei, and Shu.

 

And notably, Warriors All Stars, a game which appears to be deeply foundational for future Warriors games mechanically (it was the first musou to feature map-based stage selection and multiple active abilities per character), also featured multiple routes and multiple endings. You could view All Stars as the mediocre testing ground for Age of Calamity and Three Hopes in the same way that Echoes SoV was the testbed for Three Houses' new mechanics.

[defensedefumer]

My feelings:

Reaction (pre-video): I wonder if we will get a special golden ending this time. Who is this purple hair dude we have to kill?

Reaction (during video): I am shocked that Byleth isn't the protagonist! I am the purple-hair dude!

[Fabulously Olivier]

Could you even imagine how much harder this would have hit if Amazon JP hadn't put out those screenshots showing Shez as the perspective character?

[MagicCanonBalls]

I feel like from the trailer this seems to be going Empires style gameplay where you "conquer" a region by taking all their fort/base in the map. 

I like that protag is wielding twin swords, even happier when it seems like we can change weapon as well as seen in class change section (I know 3 House don't have weapon restriction but in FEW 1 they locked weapon types for each character.)

[5PointGordin]

Trailer looks interesting, though I am disappointed that Byleth is not the main character.

[vanguard333]

Well, I believe I jokingly predicted the purple-haired person being the protagonist. My exact words were:

Quote

I think he's Koei Tecmo's OC do-not-steal that will use time travel to save everyone, and when you cast Silence on him, he is revealed to actually be a robotic celery that is Terrako's fraternal twin brother.

I was closer to being correct than I thought I'd be. Now I just need to see if they use time travel and are indeed related to Terrako.

 

I must say that I am surprised by the split narrative; I thought they'd go full-fanservice and make a "you can finally work alongside all three houses" story. I guess even the fanservice Warriors crossover has to have everyone fighting each other. But I guess that does make a lot of sense.

[RaIsMyPet]

I think someone in the comment section pointed out Ferdinand Von Aegir is probably also in the game (barely recognizable during Hubert scene).

[Fabulously Olivier]

3 minutes ago, RaIsMyPet said:

I think someone in the comment section pointed out Ferdinand Von Aegir is probably also in the game (barely recognizable during Hubert scene).

I really hope you aren't a Ferdinand von Liar. Playing as him is my Ferdinand von Desire.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Fabulously Olivier

[Etrurian emperor]

9 minutes ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

I really hope you aren't a Ferdinand von Liar. Playing as him is my Ferdinand von Desire.

Congratulations you just won the topic.

[RaIsMyPet]

9 minutes ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

I really hope you aren't a Ferdinand von Liar. Playing as him is my Ferdinand von Desire.

I know. I don't want my pants on Ferdinand von Fire. Timestamp is 0:55 I just checked that comment.

[Heir of Dragons and Beasts]

4 hours ago, Azz said:

His hair looks slightly blue but I also could be seeing things.

It seems that Holst and Duke Bergliez are duking it out 

[Jacien]

Eyyyyy, Male Byleth confirmed. I did find it odd how none of the voice actors spoke about the game yet (they’re not allowed to announce their roles till later on), and that included Zach for Male Byleth. 
What I find interesting is the game hasn’t named Byleth exactly, and since we choose the gender, it makes me wonder if it’s gonna do a Shadows of Valentia dual story thing too. Cause of course Byleth will be playable in some capacity.  
But what I am looking forward to is all the extra cinematics. Age of Calamity had a shitton of them and really made the main story hype. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Jacien

[Use the Falchion]

Just a small note: 

At the end of 2:26, Dimitri is clearly shown in the background before Edelgard starts running to attack something. 

If I had to wager a guess, this is either after all the House Lords team up for something (possibly a continuation of the scene at 1:10 in the original trailer, where Edelgard is greeting Claude? The color is off though - the original trailer has an orange/yellow cast light, making it seem like sunset. This trailer has a normal light, making it seem like early-to-mid day at best) or maybe a small hint that in each route, you can ally with another lord. (Yes, I'm back on my Silver Routes Bull-ish!) In the first trailer, we see a potential truce between Edelgard and Claude at 1:10 immediately followed up by Claude and Dimitri back-to-back at 1:10-1:12. But we never saw Edelgard and Dimitr team up. Could that be this scene here?

[Fabulously Olivier]

I find it odd that noone is commenting on just how hard this soundtrack friggin slaps. Koei's metal renditions are usually great, but this is exceptional and I want the soundtrack now.

[Edrey]

1:48  Post time skip Edelgard is level 6, so the time skip has to happen very early in the game, maybe that scene where she is talking with a purple hair student from the previous trailer is just a flashback 

1:43: There isn't a mage batallion category on the screen

1:00 Hubert is using a tome, though it looks red to me instead of purple (dark magic tome color) 

1:31 That's anna alright, in the japanese trailer you can see her walking around more easily in the map

 

Maybe the Byleth in this timelime never made it to the monastery...or returned in time to take the necessary steps for a golden ending (like saving Monica who went missing before the events of Three houses)

[zuibangde]

The trailer made me excited because it seems like the story is more fast paced and interesting. With the exception of Hubert, I quite like the character designs in this game (compared to post skip in TH) and it seems like we'll get to play as or at least meet characters that were mostly absent in TH (Monica, Holst etc.). Just makes me more sad that this game isn't a traditional FE game instead. 

[DefyingFates]

5 hours ago, Sire said:

2. The "Golden Route" we play as Byleth, setting things right with Divine Pulse and uniting all three warring factions. (They did not know what happened previous, and now that they do, they won't make the same mistakes again.)

As someone more unnerved than they thought they would be by Byleth possibly being a villain, this would give me some peace of mind. I forgot Silver Snow was a secret route until @vikingsfan92's comment, so... there's hope, right?

5 hours ago, lenticular said:

Claude, Dimitri and Hilda are all shown wielding their Relics. Edelgard and Byleth are not. So if there is a point of divergence from Three Houses, it's likely before Byleth got the Sword of the Creator (or else they lost it somehow).

The divergence point (or at least one of them) seems to be Shez surviving their encounter with Byleth* and ending up at Garreg Mach instead. If that's the case, Byleth would simply never have gotten the sword (but would have still met Sothis through other means than fighting Kostas).

* I'm assuming Shez was just a regular mercenary in the original timeline who died fighting them.

(Also, Shez doesn't seem to be a professor, just a fellow classmate/ friend, so if there's romance involved, hopefully it'll go over better this time.)

2 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

Could you even imagine how much harder this would have hit if Amazon JP hadn't put out those screenshots showing Shez as the perspective character?

Likewise, I really didn't want to watch this trailer, but one of the top posts on my Twitter feed was PM1 talking about it, as were the top few posts on r/FEH, so since all of the talking points had already been spoiled for me...

In any case, taking such a swerve and making Byleth an antagonist (if not a straight-up villain) has my interest. I'm also glad Shez is fully voiced, which gives me hope that Byleth and future avatars will too.

40 minutes ago, Edrey said:

Maybe the Byleth in this timelime never made it to the monastery...or returned in time to take the necessary steps for a golden ending (like saving Monica who went missing before the events of Three houses)

While I'm sure the "golden ending" would anger people, this would turn Three Hopes into the opposite of Age of Calamity: by using time travel to turn the supposed spin-off into a stealth sequel instead of turning a supposed prequel into a spin-off. Speaking of:

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

Well, I believe I jokingly predicted the purple-haired person being the protagonist. My exact words were:

Bravo xD

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

I must say that I am surprised by the split narrative;

Same here, but also because I thought they wouldn't bother with split routes for a spin-off. I guess the expected playtime got multiplied by 3 (or 3.5 if there's indeed a secret route too). I hope there's full NG+ though. Warriors games are tough to 100% at the best of times, having to start from scratch with each run is going to be painful.

P.S. I hope the Ashen Wolves aren't DLC, but I won't get my hopes up. Wouldn't it be something if they were tied to the "Golden Route" this time?

Edited April 12, 2022 by DefyingFates

[Fabulously Olivier]

4 minutes ago, DefyingFates said:

As someone more unnerved than they thought they would be by Byleth possibly being a villain, this would give me some peace of mind. I forgot Silver Snow was a secret route until @vikingsfan92's comment, so... there's hope, right?

The divergence point (or at least one of them) seems to be Shez surviving their encounter with Byleth* and ending up at Garreg Mach instead. If that's the case, Byleth would simply never have gotten the sword (but would have still met Sothis through other means than fighting Kostas).

* I'm assuming Shez was just a regular mercenary in the original timeline who died fighting them.

(Also, Shez doesn't seem to be a professor, just a fellow classmate/ friend, so if there's romance involved, hopefully it'll go over better this time.)

Likewise, I really didn't want to watch this trailer, but one of the top posts on my Twitter feed was PM1 talking about it, as were the top few posts on r/FEH, so since all of the talking points had already been spoiled for me...

In any case, taking such a swerve and making Byleth an antagonist (if not a straight-up villain) has my interest. I'm also glad Shez is fully voiced, which gives me hope that Byleth and future avatars will too.

While I'm sure the "golden ending" would anger people, this would turn Three Hopes into the opposite of Age of Calamity: by using time travel to turn the supposed spin-off into a stealth sequel instead of turning a supposed prequel into a spin-off. Speaking of:

Bravo xD

Same here, but also because I thought they wouldn't bother with split routes for a spin-off. I guess the expected playtime got multiplied by 3 (or 3.5 if there's indeed a secret route too). I hope there's full NG+ though. Warriors games are tough to 100% at the best of times, having to start from scratch with each run is going to be painful.

P.S. I hope the Ashen Wolves aren't DLC, but I won't get my hopes up. Wouldn't it be something if they were tied to the "Golden Route" this time?

It would be the first licensed spinoff with a route split. But Warriors All Stars is the first spinoff to have a route split, and this game seems to share much of its DNA with that one. Intentionally so I think, since that game was likely a rough experimental trial meant to gauge reception to different mechanics.

[Armchair General]

Only thing that I hate about this is that everyone is relying on the MC, again. Granted, the same is true for just about every other Fire Emblem game; but it really undermines the weight of the rest of the cast, in this case.

But hopefully, the Demonic Beasts and the named characters will be challenging, this time around.

[Fabulously Olivier]

https://mobile.twitter.com/bk2128/status/1513925363914608641

 

Confirmation of class system.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Fabulously Olivier

[vanguard333]

40 minutes ago, DefyingFates said:

Bravo xD

Same here, but also because I thought they wouldn't bother with split routes for a spin-off. I guess the expected playtime got multiplied by 3 (or 3.5 if there's indeed a secret route too). I hope there's full NG+ though. Warriors games are tough to 100% at the best of times, having to start from scratch with each run is going to be painful.

Thanks. Now just to see if the protagonist is actually a robotic celery related to Terrako; if that actually happened, I'd be really surprised.

Oh, yeah; that's definitely another reason why the split routes is surprising. 

 

44 minutes ago, DefyingFates said:

While I'm sure the "golden ending" would anger people, this would turn Three Hopes into the opposite of Age of Calamity: by using time travel to turn the supposed spin-off into a stealth sequel instead of turning a supposed prequel into a spin-off.

Don't remind me of Age of Calamity; that game was a massive waste of potential; an actual prequel to BOTW, like what they advertised, could have been truly amazing. Mercifully, this game at least doesn't seem to have any pretentions of being anything other than a crossover spin-off.