Fire Emblem: Three Houses is going to be a big game. We’ve spent the last few months reporting on Nintendo’s slow tease of the game’s cast, which looks staggering in its size and scope. The game’s story seems to be taking a similar approach with time hopping and three distinct paths you can take. How big are we actually talking, though? Well, strap in, because according to the Director of the game, we’re talking over  200 hours.

At the Japan Expo in Paris, Directors Genki Yokota and Toshiyuki Kusakihara talked about various aspects of the game. When it came to the game’s length Kusakihara said it took him 80 hours to clear one of the three House paths without skipping cutscenes and dialogue. So that would be a total of 240 hours between the three paths without skipping anything, though even with skipping a lot we’re still easily talking over 200 hours here (thanks to Twitter user Stealth for translations from French website, jeuxvideo).

Of course, how distinct each path will be isn’t clear, but at the very least, to fully complete the game with each of the titular three houses is going to take a long while. Couple that with the recently announced expansion pass, and boy, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is looking like a long ride when it releases on July 26th.

Yoshiyuki Kusakihara, Director of Fire Emblem: Three Houses said it took him 80 hours just to beat one of the House Path's without skipping cutscenes. Also unknown how many of the sidequests/stories he did.

This is one of my most anticipated games.https://t.co/mf0gdCcwXS

— Stealth (@Stealth40k) July 5, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is shaping up to be possibly the biggest game in the series yet (its ridiculously massive cast of characters should have clued you into that), both in terms of story and in terms of all the mechanics that are going to be in play. But on the development side, it’s also a first for the series, in that though Intelligent Systems are still the main developers of the game, as they have been since the series’ inception, the title is also being co-developed by Koei-Tecmo, who also took the lead on 2017’s spinoff, Fire Emblem Warriors.

In fact, Koei-Tecmo have been more instrumental to the development process than you might initially have thought. During an interview with VG247, Intelligent Systems team members went into what Koei-Tecmo’s contributions have been during development, saying that without them, Fire Emblem: Three Houses “simply wouldn’t have been possible”- and if it had been, it would have taken a lot longer to develop.

“As far as this game goes, I’m pretty sure that without the help of Koei-Tecmo it simply wouldn’t have been possible,” said Intelligent Systems’ Toshiyuki Kusakihara, director of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

“Or maybe it was possible,” added Genki Yokota, the game’s director on Nintendo’s side of things, “but it would have taken a lot more time.”

The “strong” element of strategy that had been involved in the aforementioned Fire Emblem Warriors, in Yokota’s words, is something that has bled into Three Houses as well, with the same teams collaborating on the game again. “When we were developing Fire Emblem Warriors, it was of course an action game,” he said. “But Mr. Hayashi [Yosuke Hayashi, head of Team Ninja] was the producer of Fire Emblem Warriors, and he introduced us to a very strong strategy team. Now, we’re working with that same very strong strategy game team on Three Houses.”

But what exactly is it that Koei-Tecmo have had a hand in during Three Houses’ development? Kusukihara went into the details- while things such as character design, story, gameplay mechanics, and the like have been handled by Intelligent Systems, the game’s programming and coding is something Koei-Tecmo have been involved in.

“Regarding the design aspect – Koei-Tecmo didn’t do so much,” said Kusukihara. “It was especially us at Intelligent Systems who did all of the graphics and design. For example, we had the help of a freelance illustrator Kazuma Koda [Nier Automata, Bayonetta 2] and also Chinatsu Kurahara [Uta no Prince-sama, Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters], who was the character designer. My team and I were in charge of designs like weapons, monsters and other details like that. So in design terms, it was mainly Intelligent Systems.”

“The main plot, the game system, all the ideas, all the gameplay mechanics – that basis was all decided with Intelligent Systems also,” Yokota added. “Then after a lot of discussion with Koei-Tecmo, we figured out all of the details, and Koei-Tecmo helped with programming the game.”

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is due out on July 26th exclusively for the Nintendo Switch- take a look at over 9 minutes of new gameplay footage through here. The game’s file size has also been revealed, while Nintendo have also officially confirmed an expansion pass entailing four “waves” of post-launch content. Read more about both through the links.

This last week has been a big one for Fire Emblem: Three Houses news. Not only did we get the announcement of the special expansion pass for the game, we also got a massive amount of content with a ton of trailers with new footage. To top it off, though, we’ve going back to teasing specific cast members with the spotlight on an interesting character in Shamir.

Shamir is, like several recent character highlights, part of the Church of Seiros. She uses a bow and is highly skilled with it, being one of the stronger knights of the order. Interestingly, unlike the other characters, she lacks the feverish devotion to the Church. She was once a mercenary and owes a great debt to the Archbishop. Shamir actually doesn’t seem to care too much for a lot of the Church’s beliefs and activities and instead is loyal only to the Archbishop (thanks to Twinfinite for translations). You can check out her character introduction and artwork below.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release exclusively on the Switch July 26th.

うろちょろしてごめんなさい。シャミアとの会話です。 #FE風花雪月 pic.twitter.com/PkINWvIcjk

— 『ファイアーエムブレム』総合 (@FireEmblemJP) July 5, 2019

Nintendo’s marketing of their upcoming RPG, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, has been on the small drip variety. Largely they have focused on the cast, one of the largest in the series history, with a few other highlights here and there. Today, though, Nintendo seemingly let loose with not one, not two, but five different trailers to highlight various aspects of the game.

The first four videos are relatively short and highlight certain characters and environments that you’ll encounter as you play through the game. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces that we’ve covered through the months. The final video is a 10 minute long one highlighting the gameplay. All of these trailers are in Japanese, so if you can’t read or understand that language, you may not be able to follow along exactly, but if you’re familiar with the franchise you’ll be able to understand what’s happening gameplay wise pretty well. If nothing else, it’s a great unfiltered look at what the game will look and play like.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release on July 26th for the Switch. Check out the recently announced expansion pass and what it features as well.

https://youtu.be/ZPHL8hcdDlE

https://youtu.be/ZpQh321AtZo

https://youtu.be/dqS2IEj5rEM

https://youtu.be/Vo_MF3F14tU

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is already looking like quite the epic, if for nothing else than the game’s massive cast. But it looks like it’ll be getting even bigger, as Nintendo announced today that the game will be getting an expansion pass to extend what’s bound to be an already lengthy adventure.

We knew that DLC was coming, but the official announcement came via Nintendo’s Twitter. The expansion will consist of 4 DLC packs that they are calling waves. Thankfully, all four waves are not only detailed, but dated, so you’ll know exactly what you’ll be buying. And it begins on day 1 with officer uniforms for both male and female variants of the main playable character.  Apparently there will also be some free updates, but none of that is detailed.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will launch on July 26th for Nintendo Switch. You can see the official Twitter announcement below, as well as full details given for each DLC pack taken from the pre-purchase of the game’s expansion pass that is live now.

• Wave 1: Officers Academy outfits for female and male Byleth available Day One (July 26)
• Wave 2: Additional Auxiliary battle maps, helpful in-game support items, and more will be released by October 31, 2019
• Wave 3: Additional quests and costumes will be released by 12/31/2019; plus, another free update
• Wave 4: Discover new story content, with additional playable characters, locations and more will be released by April 30, 2020; plus, another free update

Get access to all four waves of DLC as they release, including the Officers Academy outfits for Byleth on Day 1, when your journey continues with the #FireEmblem: Three Houses – Expansion Pass! pic.twitter.com/BtXSgFjaXt

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 4, 2019

Yesterday, we changed pace a little with the marketing for Fire Emblem: Three Houses and got a trailer dedicated to the entirety of the House of the Black Eagles. Today we’re back to highlighting individual members of the game, however, and we get a look at a serious and devoted man in Gilbert.

Gilbert is a knight for the Church of Seiros, the entity that oversees the functions of the academy where the game’s plot takes place. He’s a serious man who doesn’t talk very much, staying very to the point. Because of that it can be rather difficult to know him, but apparently he does enjoy cooking. He’s part of recent spotlight put on key members of the church, all with a focus on how very devote they happen to be, something that could very well come to a head in the game’s plot in some way.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release July 26th exclusively on the Switch. You can check out Gilbert’s introduction and character artwork below.

茶化してごめんなさい。ギルベルトとの会話です。 #FE風花雪月 pic.twitter.com/NIfJlfbgLN

— 『ファイアーエムブレム』総合 (@FireEmblemJP) July 3, 2019

Nintendo’s upcoming RPG, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, has been highlighting its incredible cast over the few months in anticipation for the game’s release next month. From the villains, to the supporting characters, and the in-between, we’ve seen a little bit of everything. Now, we get a look at the broader picture of things with a trailer highlighting one of the titular houses, House of the Black Eagles.

In a trailer released by Nintendo, we get a look at the entire faction in the game. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces, as we’ve detailed a lot of them through the months, including the leader of the house, Edelgard, who is the future Empress of the Adrestian Empire. Check it out below.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is slated for release July 26th on Nintendo Switch. You can check out the trailer for what promises to be an epic story in the meantime.

We continue our ongoing look at the cast of Fire Emblem: Three Houses today. While we’ve gotten the gambit of students as well as the villains, we’re now turning to those in the inner circle of the Church of Seiros. We’ve seen what the Archbishop looks like, as well as her Assistant. Today we get a look at the main record keeper with the wise Tomas.

Tomas is an older gentlemen who is the main archivist for the Church. He not only knows every book in the massive library, he knows the circumstances of how each book came to be there. Talk about some serious devotion. But he’s one of the many devoted (maybe a little too devoted?) members part of the Church of Seiros that oversees the academy, which is the main setting for the RPG (thanks to Twinfinite for translations).

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release on July 26th for Nintendo Switch. You can check out Tomas’ introduction and artwork below.

書庫ではフォドラの歴史に関する書物なども読めますよ。トマシュとの会話です。 #FE風花雪月 pic.twitter.com/A5T3IPSXFq

— 『ファイアーエムブレム』総合 (@FireEmblemJP) July 1, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is less than a month away, and we have gotten a pretty comprehensive look at the game’s massive cast. Last week we got a look at Setes, the Assistant to the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros. Today we continue in that vein as we get introduced to his younger sister, Fren.

Fren is actually not a student at the academy nor has any direct connection with the church. She is able to live in the academy due to her brother. Setes is pretty protective of his sister, and she worries about his stress levels at times. It feels like a conflict could be brewing with the Church of Seiros, so Fren might play a part in that if things go sideways. Also, as you can see from the character introduction and artwork below, she’s got some groovy hair (thanks to Twinfinite for translation work).

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release for the Switch on July 26th. For game size and potential DLC plans, read here.

学級に入りたいみたいですよ。どうします？フレンとの会話です。 #FE風花雪月 pic.twitter.com/F5TKcWFVSD

— 『ファイアーエムブレム』総合 (@FireEmblemJP) June 28, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Intelligent Systems is teaming up with Koei Tecmo for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, releasing on July 26^th for the Switch. While the series’ tactical combat is still present, the story takes an intriguing turn, casting the player as a teacher. You’ll be guiding the students of the Black Eagles, Blue Lions and Golden Deer, each house representing a nation formerly at war and having a key character associated with them. That’s just the pre-time skip though – what happens after five years when the nations are at war once again? You’ll need to play the game to find out.

Stranger Things 3: The Game

So Telltale Games’ Stranger Things went bust. The good news is that Bonus XP and Netflix are delivering Stranger Things 3: The Game, a companion title to the upcoming third season. And it’s an…overhead beat ’em up style game with local co-op? We can dig it. Players will take on different quests, solve puzzles, battle enemies and choose from 12 characters, each with their own abilities. Stranger Things 3: The Game is out on July 4^th for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PC.

Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers

Square Enix’s next massive expansion for Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is nearly upon us. Shadowbringers provides players with a darker task than before – they must venture to the First Star dimension and become the Warrior of Darkness to stop the Light’s overwhelming influence. Along with an increased level cap, new zones, new jobs like the Dancer and Gunbreaker and new races, Shadowbringers will also have a series of new raids. This includes one based on NieR: Automata which director Yoko Taro is overseeing. Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers is out on July 2^nd for PS4 and PC.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Set in a new universe and retaining the signature Marvel Comics look, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is developed by Team Ninja and published by Nintendo for the Switch. It sees our heroes battling against Thanos and his Black Order for the Infinity Stones. The signature beat ’em up action is still intact along with a large cast of characters, from Captain America and Deadpool to Magneto and Wolverine. We’ll see how well it captures the spirit of Marvel when it releases on July 19^th.

Sea of Solitude

Jo-Mei Games’ Sea of Solitude is a emotional adventure game set in a submerged city. Protagonist Kay has become a monster and is on a mission to regain her humanity. Along the way, she’ll encounter other bizarre creatures and learn to cope with her psychological issues. Though a relatively low-key release, Sea of Solitude has an intriguing aesthetic and premise. It’s out on July 5^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Taking place two decades after The New Colossus, Wolfenstein: Youngblood takes the series in some interesting new directions. B. J. Blazkowicz’s twin daughters travel to Nazi-occupied Paris to find their father and aid the resistance as well because why not? With co-op support, missions that can be attempted in any order and level design that takes cues from Arkane Studios’ Dishonored, Wolfenstein: Youngblood looks to be a worthy follow-up. It’s out on July 26^th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Dragon Quest Builders 2

The sequel to the hit action RPG sandbox title, Dragon Quest Builders 2 features an epic new story and massive world to explore. As an alternate version of Dragon Quest 2’s story, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is about fighting the Children of Hargon who want to wipe out all builders. To accomplish this, you’ll take on various tasks, constructing buildings and improving your building skills. New features include underwater exploration, flying, online and offline multiplayer with up to four players and much more. It’s out on July 12^th for Nintendo Switch and PS4 in the West.

Just Cause 4: Los Demonios

Available early for Season Pass holders, Just Cause 4’s second expansion Los Demonios is out for everyone else on July 3^rd. It sees a parasitic alien species attacking Solis, bringing new terrifying enemies for Rico to deal with. Fortunately, he’ll have some new weapons including alien tech to hold his own. In terms of missions and scale, the jury’s still out on whether Los Demonios is worth checking out when it arrives on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle

Yes, the craze for Attack on Titan isn’t what it used to be but that doesn’t mean Koei Tecmo is slowing down on content for its game series. Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is an upgrade which sports new original episodes for Story Mode, new characters like Zeke and Kenny Ackerman, and scenarios from Season 3 of the anime. There are also two new modes, the first focused on squad battles against Titans for territories and the second more focused on aerial combat. Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle is out on July 5^th in the West for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Beyond: Two Souls (PC)

Quantic Dreams’ hit cinematic adventure titles have finally come to PC…via the Epic Games Store. Regardless, PC players can finally experience Beyond: Two Souls in their preferred resolution and frame rate (we hope). The story stars Hollywood actor Ellen Page as Jodie, a woman with immense psychic powers thanks to her connection with an entity named Aiden. Along the way, she’ll battle against the CIA including her surrogate father-figure portrayed by Willem Dafoe. Beyond: Two Souls is out on July 22^nd for PC.