These updates typically provide additional side battles, reintroduce old characters and add new classes and skills to the game.įates, of course, was criticized for locking its additional branching paths behind a paywall, but with this aside, Fire Emblem DLC levels have historically been either one-offs that feature supporting characters or ones not in the game, multi-chapter side stories that don't add to the main campaign or the gaming equivalent of an anime beach episode. Related: The Biggest 2020 Games (That Still Don't Have Release Dates)ĭownloadable content is nothing new for the Fire Emblem franchise, which has been receiving paid updates since 2012's Fire Emblem: Awakening, long before most Nintendo games got such support. Upon opening the Home Menu after reaching certain point in the Side Story, the game will let you know that additional content is available in the Main Story. The new characters are only recruitable in Part One (as is the case with the other recruitable characters), but players who have already made it to Part Two do not have to wait to learn about and use them in the new chapters. This will start a new Cindered Shadows specific file in a separate tab from the main save file. Instead, the new content is accessed from a "Side Story" tab on the home menu. What Cindered Shadows gets right is striking the balance between fitting in with the main campaign and being its own thing. Though it takes place during Part One of the main story, it does not require players to have a less-than-half completed save file or to the start the entire game over again. There's also a new NPC, Aelfric, who finally tells Byleth (and the player) some important information regarding their origin. The Ashen Wolves are well integrated into the (under)world of Garreg Mach and, while certain assets like animations may be reused, each is well established as a distinct character from those already in the game in terms of both story and gameplay. The DLC also adds four new playable characters, Yuri, Balthus, Constance and Hapi, who are members of a secret fourth house called the Ashen Wolves who having been living in a place called Abyss located underneath the monastery. While progressing through the new chapters, the Ashen Wolves will become recruitable in the Main Story and come with new quests, classes, paralogues and support conversations.Ĭindered Shadows adds quite a bit to the game. Related: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore Is A JRPG Feast Of Fire Emblem & Personaįebruary's Wave Four, the final piece of the Expansion Pass, adds far more to the game than the previous three updates, most importantly, the Cindered Shadows Side Story. Separate from the main story and accessible regardless of the player's progress in the main game, Cindered Shadows provides about eight to ten additional hours of story content which fleshes out the universe and character backstories.
Interestingly, Anna lacks support conversations (but does receive a paralogue) while Jeritza, a new playable character for Crimson Flower added in a free update, received them, including an S-Support with both male and female Byleth.
In addition to new outfits, this update added the ability to recruit one of the franchise's only recurring characters (Anna), the ability to give gifts to the dogs and cats that wander Garreg Mach Monastery and a sauna where players can relax with their favorite characters while receiving a small growth bonus for the month. November's Wave Three was the first to add significant content to the game. This launched alongside a free update which added the Maddening difficulty setting for players looking for an even greater challenge. Wave Two released in September with several additionally Auxiliary Battles, several stat boosting items and new House Loungewear for most students. The Three Houses Expansion Pass was released in four waves, the last of which launched February 12. The first launched the same day as the game itself and added an Officers Academy outfit for Byleth, a minor addition clearly meant as a gift for those who bought the DLC with the game.