Fire Emblem: Three Houses – The Switch 2 Upgrade It Deserves But May Never Get
The Nintendo Switch 2 is doing wonders for a lot of older Switch games that didn’t have the best performance or even visuals at launch. However, while the raw power of the console itself is enough for a handful of games, some need dedicated Switch 2 editions that serve as remasters. A number of titles have received these, including both BOTW and TOTK, as well as the likes of Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree.
However, as much as these games all deserve their Switch 2 upgrades, there is a Switch game that needs one more than any other title. This game was hampered by poor visuals and terrible performance at launch, and it still suffers from a lot of those issues now. If it were to get an upgrade, it would easily be one of the best Switch 2 editions available, and I suspect many people would be happy to pay to upgrade.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Needs A Switch 2 Port
It Is Unlikely To Get One
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a truly spectacular game that I hold very close to my heart. While not every story path is as good as the Blue Lions – sorry Golden Deer and Black Eagle fans – its ambitious approach to storytelling, introduction of meaningful life-sim mechanics, and intriguing setting made it one of the most spectacular RPGs ever made, and easily one of the best Nintendo Switch games of all time.
However, despite that high praise, Three Houses had many problems, especially when it came to its visuals and performance. While there were plenty of great animations, the backgrounds during conversations were weirdly stretched, often resulting in characters looking smaller than chairs and tables. Loading times were also atrocious, with certain areas simply not opening for a few seconds as the game loaded them in real time.
A Switch 2 edition that addresses these issues, improves the game’s textures and backgrounds, speeds up load times, and bundles in the underrated DLC would be a huge win for Fire Emblem fans. Unfortunately, due to the game’s age – it launched back in 2019 – it is unlikely to get a dedicated Switch 2 upgrade. Nintendo is likely more interested in releasing a new Fire Emblem game than remastering Three Houses, as extremely disappointing as that may be.
Three Houses Is Better On The Switch 2
Loading Times Have Improved Massively
Fortunately, Fire Emblem: Three Houses does greatly benefit from the Switch 2’s improved power. While the textures still look muddy, and the backgrounds continue to be hilariously warped, its load times, when playing on the Switch 2, are significantly improved. No longer are you waiting for the northern gate to open because Byleth’s run speed is faster than the game takes to load the next area.
That’s a hugely transformative improvement that makes Three Houses an infinitely better game. Frankly, that free upgrade is better than BOTW and TOTK’s disappointing upgrades. Of course, at least in my opinion, it isn’t enough, and I wish Nintendo would push out a Switch 2 edition of Fire Emblem: Three Houses that addresses the aforementioned issues. At the very least, I hope Nintendo learned from Three Houses’ mistakes and releases a perfect Fire Emblem game on the Switch 2.
