We’re only a couple days away from the mobile title Fire Emblem Heroes gracing our smartphones, but some new details have arrived just before launch, courtesy of The Verge.
First is how the game structures its freemium costs. The game is free-to-play, with two different “currencies” in how you play – stamina and orbs. Stamina is required to play maps, with one stamina being refilled every hour to a max of 50. According to the article, it seems Nintendo is being relatively fair with the system, as early levels cost only one stamina to play, but it remains to be seen whether later maps will be less forgiving. Orbs, meanwhile, have two different functions – you can use one to refill your entire stamina meter, or multiple to summon a new FE character to your army. While orbs can be acquired through playing the game, you can also buy them with real life cash – starting at $2 for three orbs, and ballooning up from there.
The collection system Heroes employs is better known by the name of “gacha,” after the gachapon machines in Japan that dispense random trinkets when you insert coins. Mobile gacha games have become a fixture in recent years, with some titles having absurd recruitment rates in order to rake in as much cash as possible. It remains to be seen how forgiving FE Heroes’ system will be, but the rates will be shown up front, and it was revealed previously that you can rank up your units, so recruiting lower starred characters isn’t a horrendous fate. We’ll have to wait and see where the game falls on the mobile “fairness” spectrum.
A couple more details were also revealed or reconfirmed. Series staple permadeath won’t be making an appearance (though in a mobile gacha game, that makes sense – it would be utterly unfair with the price structure). The game will feature extensive voice acting, and also rotate percentages for summoning on a weekly basis. On a lesser note, it will require an internet connection to run, just as Super Mario Run did – meaning that the game won’t be playable in dead zones, unfortunately.
Overall, though, impressions seem positive. You can check out the full Verge piece for more details. And be sure to stay tuned for our own impressions when Fire Emblem Heroes launches February 2nd.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
