Famitsu recently revealed a wealth of new information about Nintendo’s upcoming RPG Fire Emblem: Three Houses. 

From past reports, we already know the game focuses on being a tutor at an academy for warfare and magic. You choose one of three houses to work for, with each house representing one of three nations. You can then train students in specific ways to ensure they develop into the ideal class. We now know more information about the game’s story and mechanics:

The protagonist, a male or female with the default name ‘Byleth’, is part of a mercenary group their father runs. Their mother had passed away, while the father formerly ran the Seiros Knights. They have been plagued by recurring nightmares of a violent battlefield and a strange girl standing in the aftermath. While trying to save some youths from bandits, time stops, and the strange girl Sothis appears. She then gifts her powers to the protagonist and vanishes.

We know that Sothis seems to have more powers beyond time manipulation. She seems to be able to speak directly to the protagonist “directly in their head,” so no one else can see her. She also seems to have no memory about her past, further adding to her mysterious nature.

The protagonist then learns the youths are not only class representatives at Garreg Mach Monastery officer’s academy, but they are the future leaders of the three major nations of Fódlan. The three nations are the Adrestian Empire of the south, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus of the north, and the eastern collective of the Lecester Alliance. While the nations have had a history of war, there is currently a balance of power. Joining the protagonist at the academy will be former knight Jeralt, a living legend who was said to be the strongest knight in history.

The protagonist’s skill earns them a position as teacher at the academy. Garreg Mach Monastery is almost directly in the middle of Fódlan, acting as the headquarters for the Church of Seiros. Each of the three nations have a house within the academy. The Black Eagles for the Adrestian Empire, the Blue Lions for Faerghus, and the Golden Deer for the Lecester Alliance.

The Black Eagles and their students tend to specialize in black and dark magic, possibly due to the Adrestian Empire’s long history. Their future empress and class representative is dignified and cool-headed Edelgard von Hraesvelgr.

Blue Lion students tend to be better with spears as Faerghus is famous as a “country of knights.” Their future leader is Dimitri Alexandre Bladud, who despite his polite and chivalrous nature, is a little suspicious.

Golden Deer students are rather unique as most of their number are made up of commoners as oppose to nobles. They also tend to do well with bows. Claude von Regan is the son of the “lead family” of the Lecester Alliance. Behind his kind face and laid-back attitude, he actually has keen insight and notices things others miss.

Gameplay utilizes what you may expect from past Fire Emblem games. You control a squad of characters to defeat a group of enemies, taking advantage of terrain and class advantages and disadvantages. This time however, there is a greater focus on training your students. For example, you train students in their ‘proficiency levels’. These can improve their skill with a particular type of weapon, allow them to utilize mounts or heavy armor, and learn new abilities that can alter their stats in various scenarios.

When a student has met the right requirements in level and proficiency, they can take the “Qualification Exam” to promote to another class. For example, most students start of as either Noble or a Commoner. Once they reach level 5 they can use a First Tier Exam Pass to promote to a Myrmidon, Soldier, Fighter, or Monk.

This time around, a character does not go back to level one when they change class. In fact, they can not only change freely between the classes they have learned, but the “type of weaponry available to you does not change.” Combined with the above information, it seems that classes are much more flexible this time around and function beyond a basic and evolved version.

Players can also utilize Sothis’ time manipulating abilities. While it has “limited uses,” the player can rewind time to undo an action you have just made. For example, you can use this to undo an action that just got a character killed. The game does offer normal and hard difficulties, as well as a separate choice for classic and casual mode (affecting whether a character defeated in battle is perma-killed or not).

Battles are also no longer just one-on-one fights. Each unit on the field represents the leader of a squad of units similar to themselves (i.e. a group of knights or archers). This will also play into a new undisclosed mechanic that was not detailed at this time.

Finally, the player can roam the monastery in 3D. This allows them to talk with students and deepen their bonds. Doing so is said to help grant them special abilities.

In case the above was not enough, you can read the full run-down from Nintendo below:

War is coming to the continent of Fódlan.

We will keep you posted as we learn more.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will launch July 26th for Nintendo Switch.