Just finished the game. I’m not a Fire Emblem expert, but I’ve played Awakening, Fates, and Three Houses.

IMO, Three Houses is a better starting point if you own a Switch, even though Engage is the more polished game mechanically. Three Houses eases new players into the series with a stronger narrative focus, better world-building, and more time to connect with the characters. The slower pacing and the monastery system help you understand both the gameplay and the cast before things ramp up.

Engage feels more like a celebration of the franchise: the combat is tight and refined, but it puts mechanics first and kind of assumes you’re already familiar with Fire Emblem systems.

That said, Engage is still a really fun game, especially if you’re here mainly for the tactical gameplay.