alaterdate | Three Houses II [No Spoilers]

Well, I've made it to the TIME SKIP and I'm around 30 hours in, somehow, I think.

The maps aren't particularly hard and a good chunk of my time is probably from me sitting there thinking about how I'm going to level up these characters and checking the inventory as well as walking around the monastery picking up items. I don't really spend too much time in the monastery though because I only talk to my students and the teachers/knights, but it definitely feels like that part is most of the game. I'd say each map is only around an hour at most. Maybe more if your units are not stacked as fuck like mine are. Three of my units can sweep the whole damn map without batting an eye. I don't even know how I got so over leveled (with EVERYONE, though some units are glass cannons). I only did three paralogues, but I've pretty much been waltzing through the maps easy until right before the time skip. I don't even use the Divine Pulse to go back turns and I sweep the map, it's a bit sad. Definitely going to choose hard-classic for my next run. The only thing that gave me a challenge after the real early chapters was the 2nd Death Knight encounter where I actually tried to kill him. The next time I saw him though it was considerably easier. Perhaps Part 2 will have more challenging maps as I get into it. I know it's been a staple of the latter Fire Emblem games that every objective is rout the enemy/defeat the commander, but please, some variety. Where are the seize maps, the survival maps? I can think of one map in Three Houses right now that would have been HELL(a cool) as a survival map. Or better yet? Hold the line 😏 There was only one escape map and it's OPTIONAL and it was kind of lame because most of the enemies were really far away and easy to avoid. Fates had a lot of gimmick maps, but at least there was fun in the variety.

The characters are absolutely the heart and soul of this game. Supports are AMAZING. Some are sweet, some funny, and some in which tea is spilt. Few of them are one-note compared to most of the supports in Fates as one-note (tbf there were A LOT of support convos for them to write in Fates). They've done such a good job in Three Houses with making the conversation more interesting, serious, tackling heartfelt issues. I'm enjoying them immensely. I'm even not that annoyed at the avatar's lack of personality anymore. Do I wish they spoke more? Yes. Do I understand the blandness as characterization now? Yeah, a little begrudgingly. They needed a set look so they could do more of those cool anime cutscenes, okay fine. Why they had to have no personality though I don't know, but at least they mention it in the narrative so that I understand and can slightly like the choice. The no-personality really stands out negatively against the wonderful variety of personalities for me though. But... I guess, sure, it's fine, somewhat.
Anyway, I love everyone in the Blue Lions class so much too. Legit emotions here. I didn't end up recruiting more than Dorothea from the other classes, but MAN I wish I had grabbed at least Ferdinand as well because I love him too lol. Probably wouldn't have used him much though because I already have so many fucking lance adepts in Blue Lions and I'm doing more than good with the units I have.

The story got WAY better since my last post. The INTRIGUE, THE MANEUVERS, THE DRAMA. Probably one of the most exciting Fire Emblem stories since Path of Radiance lmao. I did NOT think I was gonna love it this much. I was dreading the entire time that this game was gonna be another dud, but →

I'm honestly enjoying it a lot, despite some gripes with the overall gameplay.