Despite a genuine appreciation for the game's world and characters, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave suffers from significant pacing issues in its early hours, leading to a "soporific slog" that can last between 15 to 30 hours, depending on playstyle. The primary culprit identified is the game's "clash" mechanic, a turn-based battle system used for dungeon crawling and routine encounters.
While initially conceived as a way to integrate more battles without lengthy, traditional strategy segments, these clashes are described as "utterly mindless." The reviewer notes that enemies in these encounters are "paper-thin and toothless," allowing for the use of an auto-attack function while players attend to other tasks. This lack of engagement makes the hours spent traversing dungeons and collecting items feel like a chore, interrupting the flow of the game rather than enhancing it.
Narrative Encounters vs. Mindless Chores
There are moments when the clash mechanic serves a narrative purpose, such as when players take on bounties in Dietrich's story, facing more formidable foes. However, these instances are presented as rare, with the majority of clashes devolving into repetitive tasks that detract from the player's progression towards more substantial story missions. The mechanic's core issue lies in its implementation, where players often have a set number of "turns" to complete objectives in often unengaging environments.
Potential for Improvement
The reviewer expresses hope that the gameplay will become more dense and challenging as the game progresses beyond the initial section of each lord's story. The game's world-building is described as "fascinating," and the process of recruiting attractive characters is a "delight." However, when not actively engaged in these more compelling aspects, the time spent in Fortune's Weave can feel like an opportunity for "beauty rest" due to the repetitive nature of the intervening gameplay loops.