Developer Dontnod's choice-focused, narrative Life is Strange games have come to occupy a specific niche on the video game industry landscape. Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2 tell stories about coming of age and growing up, and while both seasons of the franchise also include kids with fantastic supernatural powers, they also try to focus on getting at subjects that are relatable in everyday life. Life is Strange 2 is particularly interesting for its setting in the current US political climate, taking place right before the 2016 presidential election and including a lot of the issues and rhetoric surrounding it.Life is Strange 2 director Raoul Barbet and lead writer Jean-Luc Cano took part in a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, where they discussed some of the ins and outs of working on the Life is Strange franchise and creating the young characters who make up its world. Ahead of the panel, Barbet and Cano sat down with GameSpot to talk about the burgeoning Life is Strange "universe," which now spans Life is Strange, its prequel Before the Storm, Life is Strange 2, and The Adventures of Captain Spirit, a free episode that functions as an add-on story for Life is Strange 2.While the franchise seems to be expanding to include a variety of different stories, neither Barbet and Cano were sure where the franchise might be headed after the conclusion of Life is Strange 2's last two episodes, the next of which is due out in August. Regardless of whether Life is Strange continues, though, the formula of narrative game it embodies is something both developers said Dontnod will pursue.GameSpot: As you think about the Life is Strange "universe," what is it that makes a Life is Strange game?Raoul Barbet: As you may know it's Square Enix, the publisher, that owns the brand of Life is Strange. So after the first Life is Strange, we were discussing with them if they were interested in creating a new season. That was the case and we were asking ourselves what really was the DNA of those games, and those style of games. So for the first Life is Strange, we didn't want to create, like, a universe or something like that, it was more about creating a game--a good game, I hope. And even after the first episode, we didn't know if we'd continue to create the other episodes. We were in luck because it works quite well and we were happy, so we were able to finish the first season and create the new one.So I'd say that because it was really an independent game and a full story that works by itself, we wanted to do the same thing with Life is Strange 2, so it's a new story, new characters, but of course, the DNA of the game is still there. So it'll be the artistic direction, it will be that we want to create, first, believable characters and a good story, and that tackles some actual subjects of society's problems and that kind of stuff, and puts the player in some interesting situations. And in the end, you've got the supernatural element, so in the first season, it was the ability to rewind, linked to the story of Max and the coming of age story. And this one involves Daniel and the education subject, and the fact we wanted to talk about, what does it take to educate someone and take care of someone else?What are you guys thinking about as this world keeps getting bigger, and what do you want to do with it?Jean-Luc Cano: We don't really know if we're going to do another Life is Strange game, but with Captain Spirit, Life is Strange 2 was already written, and we were thinking about how to present it to the players, to the community, to the fans, the new flavor of Life is Strange 2. That's why we made Captain Spirit, to introduce in a smart way Sean and Daniel, not by making them the heroes of Captain Spirit, but by making them the guests at the end. When you see Sean and Daniel at the end, nobody knew that they would be the heroes of the new season. Then we released the first trailer for Life is Strange 2, people were like, oh man, it's the two guys from the end of Captain Spirit.For the future, we don't know if we're going to make Life is Strange 3 or expand the universe. We haven't been thinking about it in this kind of way. Actually, we're working on Episode 4 and Episode 5, and we're really dedicated to these last two episodes because it's a lot of work. We don't know what we're going to do next.Barbet: The fact is that Square Enix owns the brand, so it's their decision to expand the universe. Even if we have created the first season and the characters, and for this one and the characters. They own the brand. So I don't think we're going to continue, but if we continue as creators, game creators, we'll continue to create narrative games like this. And I think Captain Spirit was a great experience for us because it was very different. It's a small game some would say, it's a shorter game, but I think we managed to create very quickly our universe and believable characters, and it was quite a challenge at this time, but we would be able to continue to create small games like this. So it might not be in the Life is Strange universe but we don't know. We're game directors, so we don't know what we'll be working on, and I don't know what Square Enix wants.As you were focusing on Episode 4 and 5, was the whole story written ahead of time or is it evolving as you're making it?Cano: The whole story was written from the beginning. So our process is to write and imagine the story with Michelle and Raoul, we three imagine the story, then I write the first big [take on the] story. And then after that, the story's cut into five episodes. We're working from the top, the main story, and then we divide it into sequences, and then from sequences into small scenes, and then from scenes into dialogues. So we know from the beginning where we're going to, but because of the game itself, the episodic approach, we're able to change stuff in production. But basically, the main story is written from the beginning.Have there been any changes like that, any responses to how maybe how players are experiencing the game or their feedback?Cano: Yes, the fact that we have four months between two episodes and at the end of every episode we have the statistics, we can shape the experience of the new episode we are in production on. So we've made a few adjustments regarding player choices, and also from a production point of view, sometimes the episode is too big to be done, so we have to cut some sequences. Our job is to say, okay, if we cut all these sequences, what we're saying in these sequences has to be said somewhere else. So we have to reshape the episode from this point of view.The game is very much set in this specific current political climate. It's reacting to things that are happening in our real world, like with its mention of Donald Trump's wall on the Mexico-US border. That situation is, even now, evolving every day--is what's going on in the real world filtering down to you as you make each new episode, and are you responding to what's happening in our world?Barbet: I don't think we want to make statements, for sure. It's not the purpose of our game. It's more about putting the players in interesting situations where they can think about all those subjects. The idea is not to make political statements or to say this is good or this is bad, it's more to see the situation, live this moment, and to think about it. ...But I think it's not evolving so much in the beginning of the game, because by the time we had written the story, all those subjects were already there, and I think even like a hundred years ago. It's the same in Europe and in other countries. Our game is taking place in the US so we talk about it here, but in France it's the same. We wanted to talk about those subjects because of the story and the sequences we wanted to create for the players. Like you say, it's evolving very fast, but we're not changing the story for that, I think it was already there from the beginning.Creating believable kids is a big part of what you're talking about on your panel, and it seems like a big challenge. What's it like trying to build those characters, and what work are you doing maybe from a research perspective?Barbet: At the beginning, we were doing a lot of research about that, and about education in a general way, books and documentaries about psychologists and sociologists who talk about this. And after that, it's a lot of work with the writers and with the actors. For Daniel, it was a very young child, and the voice actors as well, so we discuss with them. Jean-Luc has a daughter, so there is a lot of his own story inside the story of Life is Strange 2. And after that, we research and talk about the scene with different people to be sure to be accurate. But having a believable young child is really difficult. It's dialogues and sentences, cues, but it's also acting, like in the animation, those little elements that give Daniel believability. It's a lot of small stuff like that during production.So you're bouncing lines off the actors and asking "Does this feel authentic to you?"Barbet: Yeah, even when we are shooting a scene, we're asking, "is it believable like this?" and they're saying, "no, it's not really believable to do that," et cetera. And the same for the voice actors, each time we record some lines, as we're French, we prefer to trust American people to tell us it sounds natural or to make sure it's not cliche or the French way of saying things.All the Life is Strange games, they don't back down from dealing with social issues and things that are real part of kids' lives and of growing up. What kind of issues would you say you're trying to tackle in Episodes Four and Five, thematically?Cano: To be honest, we can't really talk about what will happen in Episodes Four and Five, but the themes we are tackling in Four and Five are new themes that haven't been seen in the first three episodes of Life is Strange 2, or in the first season of Life is Strange. Sean and Daniel will face new scenes, new characters, new moods. So we really can't wait to see the reaction of the fans and the players and the community, because it's a new subject.You mentioned that a lot of the story is kind of yours, with your daughter. Can you tell me more about that?Cano: Yeah, when we were imagining what Life is Strange 2 could be with [co-director] Michel [Koch] and Raoul, I was just figuring out that, as a father, everything I was doing, everything I was saying, my little daughter took it as an example. For example, if I said to her, "You know, it's bad to say bad words," she'd say, "Yes, but when you're driving you say a lot of bad words." Okay, so, yeah, I figured out that everything I was doing or saying, I was an example for her, so I had to behave myself not for me to be a better person, but for her to learn to be a better one.So I think the beginning, the seed of Life is Strange 2 came from this, and when we imagined the story of Life is Strange 2, I told Michel and Raoul, we could have this thing where you shape a new character by your actions. So the fact would be in LIfe is Strange 2 every decision you make as Sean would have an impact not only on you and your story, but also on Daniel. So as a player it will be really interesting to see, oh my god, Daniel is growing up, but he's becoming a bad kid. But it's only because of me, and what I had done? I thought I was making good decision for him.Is it tough to balance the idea of consequences for your actions with giving the player a chance to fix things? I know after Episode 2 I was thinking, okay, how can I get Daniel back on track, how can I "win." How do you balance the push and pull of wanting consequences to flow forward with giving the player the ability to try to "fix" things?Barbet: I would say there's not a good or bad ending, or things to "fix." Because I think it's more, maybe you think you have made a mistake, or you think you could have done better with something that happens every day in your life, you know? You make decisions, you make choices with any of that. But you can't rewind. You can't go back in time. So the idea of this game is: be careful, you will be responsible for some consequences, but you will also be responsible for Daniel's whole life, maybe, because of this education aspect.So I really think it's strong as a basis for a game. It was really strong. And from a design point of view, I would say we find good moments for the player to be able to choose a bit, but we really, of course, stay on a storyline we have to tell. So you can have very different endings, like you have seen in Episode 2, but we have to go on and continue to tell the story. So we can't, I would say, have too many different scenes and different endings, for example in this episode, because we want to keep the characters believable, and we want the story to continue to work, even if Daniel is changing a lot. So you have to find the right balance between giving some freedom to the players and in the meantime, keep your story safe, or keep your story believable.Cano: And I think the main difference between the first season of Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2 is that, in the first season of Life is Strange, when you make a decision with Max, you can see the consequence immediately. And you see, two or three sequences later, another consequence, but you knew it was because of this decision.In Life is Strange 2, you don't see immediately the consequences. You don't have your massive, big decisions. The behavior of Daniel is shaped by a lot of small details you don't notice at the time. Even if we have big, huge A or B choices, Daniel is not always shaped by only these big decision. He is shaped by a lot of little stuff, vital choices, action you've made, picking up some stuff. And it's all separate stuff, you know. So when you say, "Okay, what I've done wrong?" It's not one decision you have made. It's a lot of different small details that shape Daniel, but it's not right or wrong. It's only your experience.Info from Gamespot.com

Armored Mewtwo may be leaving Raid Battles in Pokemon Go in only a few days, but a new Legendary is set to take its place. Rayquaza, the Legendary Dragon Pokemon from Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, is returning to Raids beginning Wednesday, July 31, and this time around, you'll have your first chance to capture its Shiny form.Rayquaza will begin appearing in five-star Raids at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST and will remain in the game until the same time on September 2, giving you a little over a month to add one to your collection. The Shiny version of the Legendary has black scales rather than green ones, although you'll need to be pretty persistent to come across one, as Shiny Pokemon don't appear in the game very often.To catch Rayquaza, you'll first need to team up with other players in-person and defeat it in battle. Rayquaza is a dual Dragon/Flying Pokemon, which makes it particularly susceptible to Ice-types such as Mamoswine, Lapras, and Weavile. Rock, Fairy, and other Dragon Pokemon will also prove effective against Rayquaza in battle.Shiny Rayquaza Rayquaza forms part of what's known as the Legendary "weather trio" together with Groudon and Kyogre. In Pokemon lore, Rayquaza only emerges when the other two Legendaries are warring, which makes its return to Raid Battles fitting, as both Groudon and Kyogre recently appeared in Raids as well. You can read more about the Legendary Pokemon on the official Pokemon Go website.As previously mentioned, Armored Mewtwo is leaving Raid Battles the same day that Rayquaza returns, July 31. This version of the Legendary Psychic Pokemon is wearing the armor it dons in the Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution movie, and it has a different movepool and more defense-oriented stats than a standard Mewtwo.In other Pokemon Go news, Team Rocket recently made their long-awaited debut in the mobile game. The villainous trainers can be fought at certain PokeStops, and they use Shadow Pokemon in battle, which you can rescue and purify for various bonuses. The game's next Community Day is also just around the corner. That event takes place Saturday, August 3, and will feature Ralts, the Gen 3 Psychic/Fairy Pokemon.Info from Gamespot.com

It seems a new fighter may enter the Dragon Ball FighterZ ring. Rounding out the six-character FighterZ Pass 2, a new leak suggests Janemba, the demon of pure evil, is the 2D fighter's latest DLC character.The leak comes via Nintendo UK, who posted a description of the character. That page has since been removed, but Google crawled the page and confirms that Janemba was mentioned on Nintendo's website. According to the description, Janemba "joins the fight from the Underworld," and the content is said to include "Janemba as a new playable character, five alternative colors for his outfit, a Janemba Lobby Avatar, and a Janemba Z Stamp." Though the Nintendo UK link leads to a blank screen, GameSpot sister site Comic Book gathered reaction tweets to the leak, one containing a picture of the description from the Nintendo UK page.JANEMBA IS GONNA BE GREATNESS! pic.twitter.com/k4HqzTpIWJ — Mamba Lamba (@mambalambaa) July 29, 2019Developer Arc System Works and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment have not confirmed the leak.Janemba, a demon regarded as the living definition of evil, was first introduced in 1995's Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. The same movie, which saw Janemba as the main atagonist, saw the introduction of the Goku-Vegeta fusion Gogeta.Dragon Ball FighterZ's FighterZ Pass 2, which retails for $25 USD / $36 AUD / £20 GBP, contains Jiren, Videl, and GT Goku. All three characters are unlockable now via the pass or can be purchased individually for $5 USD / $7 AUD / £4 GBP. The end of the FighterZ Pass 2 announcement trailer, above, reveals Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta and Broly (from Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which may have a sequel in the works) as the final two characters. These two are expected to release at a later date.Info from Gamespot.com

Back in May, Nintendo kicked off a limited-time voucher program that gives Nintendo Switch Online subscribers the option to purchase a pair of game vouchers for $100, saving up to $20 off of the two titles' regular combined retail price. If you're interested in taking advantage of the offer, however, your time to do so is running out, as the last day you can purchase these vouchers is Wednesday, July 31.As previously mentioned, this offer is only available to those who have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. If you fall in that camp, you can purchase the vouchers through Nintendo's website or the Eshop and then redeem them on select first- and third-party Switch games. The vouchers are valid for a full year from the date of purchase and don't both need to be redeemed at the same time.The Switch games eligible for the voucher program range from already-available titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and the recently released Super Mario Maker 2 and Fire Emblem: Three Houses to upcoming releases like The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Pokemon Sword and Shield. You can find the full list of eligible titles on Nintendo's website.Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership, which costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts across multiple systems. In addition to special offers like the voucher program, the subscription allows you to play Switch games online and back up your save data to the cloud. It also gives you access to certain games like Tetris 99 and the Switch NES library, both of which are free to download for subscribers.Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a game with a lot of choices, and a game where things can go wrong--your favorite characters can die permanently on the battlefield or you might accidentally waste a whole day of free time. You could accidentally offend someone in a conversation, or you might have a disastrously embarrassing tea party with someone you're trying to get closer too.Thankfully, Fire Emblem has an autosave function and it prompts you to manually save very regularly. But the one thing it doesn't tell you is how to boot back into the main menu to load a previous save. That's what we're here for. To soft reset the game and go back to the main menu, press and hold: [-] + [+] + [L] + [R].You're welcome.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com

When you first start Fire Emblem: Three Houses, You'll probably spend a whole lot of time agonizing over which of the three groups of students you want to teach for the rest of the game. It's a tough choice--each class brings the potential for major differences in the story, and the composition of each is a real mix of pros and cons, both in terms of the personalities of the students, and the initial abilities they bring to the battlefield.But remember--with enough time and effort, you can recruit almost any student you want to your class with the exception of the house leaders and their closest retainer. Each student will value a certain attribute and a certain skill. All you need to do is work to meet that threshold through battles and training, while also making an effort to raise your social rank with them (which will take away time from increasing the social rank and motivation of those already in your class).We've had varying experiences here, and found that the conditions might be different with each student--anywhere from E to D+ ranks for skills and C to B for social ranks. In some instances, certain characters will be much easier to recruit depending on your gender (namely, Sylvian and the Female protagonist).To actually recruit someone, you need to talk to them in the monastery on a free day. On the odd occasion, if your ranks are high enough a student will reach out to you during the week to ask if you'd be interested in having them in your class.Here is a list of what each student is looking for:Black EaglesDorethea: Charisma and AuthorityBernadetta: Strength, BowPetra: Dex, RidingCaspar: Str, BrawlLinhardt: Mag, ReasonFerdinand: Dex, Hvy ArmorHubert: N/AEdelgard: N/ABlue LionsAnnette: Mag, FaithAshe: Cha, LanceIngrid: Dex, FlyingFelix: Spd, SwordSylvain: Cha, ReasonMercedes: Mag, BowDedue: N/ADimitri: N/AGolden DeerLeonie: Str, LanceLorenz: Cha, ReasonRaphael: Str, Heavy ArmorLysithia: Mag, FaithIgnatz: Dex, AuthorityMarianne: Mag, RidingHilda: N/AClaude: N/A Just in case you weren't aware, you also have the ability to recruit most of the monastery staff characters into your team. Yes, that means you can recruit fellow professors into your class, and then teach them as part of your day-to-day. It's weird, I don't know.Some of them will join as part of the story, depending on which house you're in. Some of them can't be recruited at all for various reasons, but we'll leave the specific details of this one a mystery.Monastery staff recruits differ from the students in that they don't require a skill level check (at least as far as we know), just a social level check. So if you have your eye on someone (it's Alois, I know everyone is falling over Alois), be sure to invite them to dinner and give them lots of gifts.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses certainly gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of how you can develop your protagonist's abilities, as well as those of your students. While you're free to pursue any combat skill with any character you wish, the game definitely nudges you in a few different directions when it comes to certain characters and certain classes.When it comes to picking a goal, it's important to keep a few things in mind:Your gender: Three Houses unfortunately still has gender-specific classes, so it's important to look ahead and see what options you have available in the long-term before you start to pursue a class discipline. I was in the process of making my female protagonist the best hand-to-hand fighter possible until I learned that the later brawler classes, the Brawler, Grappler, and Warmaster, were exclusive to males. You can find a list of the gender-specific classes here.Innate learning advantages: Every character has specific skills they're particularly good at learning, indicated by a blue arrow next to it on their character sheet. This means they'll get more skill points when training in this ability.Innate learning disadvantages: Some characters have skills that they are poor at learning, meaning they'll earn fewer points when training in this ability. It's usually not a fantastic idea to keep pushing a character in a direction they hate unless they have a…Hidden potential: Some characters have hidden potentials next to certain skills indicated by three stars next to it on the character sheet. This is usually in a skill that doesn't seem like a natural part of their initial class designation and means that with enough consistent learning in that skill, that character will be able to unlock a unique or advanced ability. Sometimes, this hidden potential will also come with an innate learning disadvantage, but if you work at it hard enough, then you can flip it into an advantage instead.The Story: Without spoiling anything, the plot of Three Houses will eventually push your protagonist and house leaders quite hard towards a particular skillset, typically the ones they start with. That's a sword for the protagonist, axe for Edelgard, lance for Dimitri, and bow for Claude. So, if you really want to excel in one type of weapon for these characters, stick with what they have.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over."Info from Gamespot.com

In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, as was the case in previous Fire Emblem games, each gender has its own variety of classes that are unique to them. Most of them will be common, but for whatever reason, only dudes can punch things and be a hero, and only girls can ride the flying horsies. Here is a list of all the gender-specific classes in the game, so you don't waste time training anybody to be certified in a class they're locked out of. Male Only:Intermediate:Brawler (Brawl)Dark Mage (Reason)Advanced:Hero (Sword, Axe)Grappler (Brawl)Dark Bishop (Reason)Master:War Master (Axe, Brawl)Female Only:Intermediate:Pegasus Knight (Lance, Flying)Advanced:NoneMaster:Falcon Knight (Sword, Lance, Flying)Gremory (Reason, Faith)For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com

In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you're the one teaching students. But what about your own self-development? Weapons skills are easy to practice in battle, but you can't level up things like reason, faith, riding, or flying skills unless you're already certified for the associated classes--and you need Faculty Training in order to do that.Early on, it's a better use of your activity points to invest in those skills so you can, say, become certified as a Pegasus Knight and continue practicing your flying from there. Here's who can teach you the aforementioned skills:Flying: Manuela, SetethRiding: Jeralt, Hanneman, GilbertFaith: Rhea, ManuelaReason: Hanneman, RheaAnd here's a list of what all the teachers at Garreg Mach Monastery can teach you:Rhea: Sword, Brawl, Reason, FaithSeteth: Sword, Lance, Axe, Authority, FlyingManuela: Sword, Faith, FlyingHanneman: Bow, Reason, RidingCatherine: Sword, BrawlJeralt: Lance, Authority, RidingAlois: Axe, Brawl, Heavy ArmorShamir: Lance, BowGilbert: Lance, Axe, Heavy Armor, RidingLater on in the story, you'll open up more avenues to teach your protagonist skills, but we'll keep that a mystery for anyone just starting out.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over."Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will painstakingly explain the mechanics of how to take out monsters when you first encounter them. But let's be honest--with all the stuff going on in this game, you'll probably forget about it by the time another one rolls around and just spam Gambit abilities at it, which is not the best way to do things.Here's what to remember when you take on monsters:Each monster has a number of different segments available for attack. These are all initially shielded, as indicated by the golden squares underneath it.You need to take down these shields by attacking them. You won't do as much damage, but it's a necessity--think about using your weaker units to help out with this.The gold squares that indicate shields will eventually crack, and then shatter. Once they're gone, that particular square will be susceptible to full damage.Gambits will do damage to multiple segments, as well as stun the monster, which means it won't be able to counterattack until it is hit again.As you can imagine, the fastest way to take down a monster is to have units prepared to make targeted strikes one after the other. If you don't think you can take it down in one phase, try and make your last attack a Gambit attack so the monster will be stunned during their phase.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com

Sharing meals in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a pretty straightforward concept: Pick two students to eat with, bonus points if they favor the dish, have a great time. Here are some good things to always keep in mind in order to make sure you're making the most out of every meal.Think twice before sharing a meal with a class member who has full motivation. Could you be making this meal have a bigger impact by sharing it with someone else who doesn't have any motivation? You don't want to let any activity points go to waste when classes start back up for the week.Do the two characters you're sharing a meal with have the potential for social bonds with each other? If they don't, look for a different pairing. This is especially important when you're incorporating students from other houses--not every character can have a social relationship with every other character. (Pro tip: You can hit the X button when choosing your meal companions to view their social ranks between everyone else at the table, if any)And later on in the game: Do the two characters you're sharing a meal with already have a maxed-out social bond? You might have your favorite characters, but if they're not going to get any benefits out of the meal, it might be worth checking the support menu and see who might stand to gain a bit more.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over."Info from Gamespot.com

Fishing in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a great way to increase your Professor Level without spending any activity points, with the bonus of being able to stockpile ingredients to have for meals. Sometimes, there will be events on Sundays where rare fish become available to catch, which you can sell for cold, hard, cash. But it's important to fish smart, meaning you shouldn't necessarily reel in the first fish that bites!When a fish catches on, there'll be an icon that shows what kind of rarity the fish will be. When you're using expensive bait to catch rare fish (like during a special event day, for example), you'll want to wait for the Purple, Gold, or Rainbow fish icon to show up to make sure you're making the most of it.However, there is a risk of losing your bait after the third snag, sometimes fourth if you're lucky. So try and get out while you're ahead.Here's how the rarity scales: Blue -> Red -> Gold/Rainbow/Purple (Special Fish Event Only)And remember: the better your timing is on the minigame, the better the fish will be! Or so the game says, anyway. Excellent! Perfect!For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is all about taking a group of students, and as their professor, turning into absolute killing machines. That's a problematic setup, but the real question is: What kind of killing machines should they be? Before you start each Sunday, you'll be given the chance to certify your students in a new unit class, provided they've met the requirements.You'll need Seals to do so, which can be found in battle or purchased from the item shop. You'll have a greater chance of passing a certification exam if your student has reached all the recommended skill thresholds listed. You can definitely still pass on lower percentages too, but it's worth noting that each unit can only take on exam per week.It's also worth noting that there's value in sticking with a more basic class for a little while: Maxing out the experience of a certain class will earn you a class-specific ability which you can retain, even if you change to a different one.In a similar vein, you'll later find that some students will develop a personal, unique Combat Art when they master an Advanced class--one that will be available on top of the three Combat Art slots for each character--which is a pretty good reason not to push them any further into a Master Class just for the sake of it.To make sure you're working towards the right goals for each of your units, here are the thresholds and requirements for your convenience:Beginner - Level 5 RequirementMyrmidon (Sword: D)Soldier (Lance: D)Fighter (Axe: D, Bow: D, Brawl: D)Monk (Reason: D, Faith: D)Intermediate - Level 10 RequirementMercenary (Sword: C)Thief (Sword: C)Armored Knight (Axe: C, Hvy Armor: D)Cavalier (Lance: C, Riding: D)Brigand (Axe: C)Archer (Bow: C)Brawler (Brawl: C) [Male Only]Mage (Reason: C)Dark Mage (Reason: C) [Male Only]Priest (Faith: C)Pegasus Knight (Lance: C, Flying: D) [Female Only]Advanced - Level 20 RequirementHero (Sword: B, Axe: C) [Male Only]Swordmaster (Sword: A)Assassin (Sword: B, Bow: C)Fortress Knight (Axe: B, Hvy Armor: B)Paladin (Lance: B, Riding: B)Wyvern Rider (Axe: B, Flying: C)Warrior (Axe: A)Sniper (Bow: A)Grappler (Brawl: A) [Male Only]Warlock (Reason: A)Dark Bishop (Reason: A) [Male Only]Bishop (Faith: A)Master - Level 30 RequirementFalcon Knight (Sword: C, Lance: A, Flying: B+) [Female Only]Wyvern Lord (Lance: C, Axe: A, Flying: A)Mortal Savant (Sword: A, Reason: B+)Great Knight (Axe: B+, Hvy Armor: A, Riding: B+)Bow Knight (Lance: C, Bow: A, Riding: A)Dark Knight (Lance: C, Reason: B+, Riding: A)Holy Knight (Lance: C, Faith: B+, Riding: A)War Master (Axe: A, Brawl: A) [Male Only]Gremory (Reason: A, Faith: A) [Female Only]For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com

If you're playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you might have noticed that in the middle of Garreg Mach Monastery, there is something called an "Amiibo Gazeebo", which is frankly, a fantastic name. There, you can scan Amiibo, and even if you scan even just one, then the area surrounding the gazeebo will populate with a selection random items--mostly tea, food, and fish--every time you come back to visit on a free day.If you have an Amiibo of a Fire Emblem character, scanning it will give you new music tracks from the character's respective game. You can listen to these during the game's optional auxiliary battles by choosing them in the "General" tab of the options menu.Here is a list of the tracks each Fire Emblem amiibo will give you:Marth - The Time to ActIke - Eternal BondRobin - Id (Purpose)Lucina - Conquest (Ablaze)Roy - Beneath a New Light (Roy’s Courage)Alm - March to DeliveranceCelica - With Mila's Divine ProtectionCorrin (Male) - Alight (Storm)Corrin (Female) - A Dark Fall (Fire)Chrom - Destiny (Ablaze)Tiki - The World TreeFor more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over."Info from Gamespot.com

There are two nice side-distractions you can partake in when exploring the monastery in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Fishing is a nice distraction that comes with a few perks. Gardening, on the other hand, is a much more valuable activity, and you should be making the greenhouse your first destination every time you decide to explore the monastery on your free day. You'll increase your Professor Level by doing so, as well as getting a bunch of nice items: food to eat and cook with, flowers to gift to your students, and later on, you'll even get some stat-boosting items.Here's everything you need to remember about gardening:As your Professor Level grows, so will your ability to plant more seeds and use more lucrative methods of cultivation. Growing that level by any means possible (teaching, fishing, etc) should be a priority.Your yield will be better if you plant seeds of the same type in one batch, eg. flower seeds, herb seeds, vegetable seeds, etc.Always cultivate. There are ratings of effectiveness for each of the methods, but just go for the best available to you. Your yield will be better, and you'll only get those valuable stat-boosting items at the top end.ABG: Always. Be. Gardening.For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It's a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we're dying to give you.For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series' increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you're managing inventories or battlefields, it's the kind of game that's hard to put down, even when it's over." Info from Gamespot.com