Games like Fire Emblem but less weaboo

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

Anyone know of any games with gameplay like Fire Emblem but less Japanime stuff? I really enjoyed Three Houses but the anime stuff wasn’t my favorite. PC is preferable to any other platform, but I’m open to anything.

 

[Falksi]

but I’m open to anything.

Just like your mom.

 

[Morality Games]

Bioware (Mike Laidlaw???) wanted to make something like Fire Emblem as a Dragon Age spin-off but it didn't seem to ever go anywhere.

 

[ValeVelKal]

I haven’t played Fire Emblem but from what I understand the best choice would be the totally free Battle For Wesnoth (probably the best free game around, full stop)

The venerable Fantasy General ans the less venerable but still old Fantasy Wars and Elven Legacy (+DLC) may fit.

 

[Poseidon00]

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

 

[Reality]

Ideally you would graduate directly to Battle Brothers

If you still need some story along with the gameplay play Shadowrun: Hong Kong or Blackguards 2

If you want a pick up and play feel - Emulate the 1st SNES Front Mission or Shining Force 2

If you want a overly complex charather building equally important to actual combat play Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Front Mission 3 / 4

 

[Great Deceiver]

Anyone know of any games with gameplay like Fire Emblem but less Japanime stuff? I really enjoyed Three Houses but the anime stuff wasn’t my favorite. PC is preferable to any other platform, but I’m open to anything.

Earlier Fire Emblem games. Thracia 776 has an english translation, but both GBA games are pretty good too.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Anyone know of any games with gameplay like Fire Emblem but less Japanime stuff? I really enjoyed Three Houses but the anime stuff wasn’t my favorite. PC is preferable to any other platform, but I’m open to anything.

Majin Tensei II. The character art is alright and various twists on the Fire Emblem formula (i.e. conversations from MegaTen games, the ability to fuse demos during the battle and whatnot) make it a worthy game.

Not to mention you can offload your old equipment to your demons, giving their attacks extra punch.

 

[Johnny Pneumatic]

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Front Mission or Shining Force 2

Earlier Fire Emblem games

Majin Tensei II

Came in to suggest these. Sticking with the console recommendations I would add

Vandal Hearts (I really gush over this one. Get it? Anyone who has played it should)
Dungeons and Dragons Tactics for PSP (combat doesn't have the depth of ToEE but it is a decent time waster)
Jeanne D'Arc also for PSP

For PC you can't go wrong with Templar Battleforce

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Wait a minute!

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[Pocgels]

Would second everything said so far.

The most similar thing to three houses would be the earlier fire emblem games. They're all Japanese, of course, but the weeb stuff wasn't so bad before the 3DS games. So anything before that will be a lot more tolerable.
There's also Berwick Saga and/or TearRing Saga, which you'd have to emulate. They were close enough to Fire emblem to create a lawsuit, though.

 

[eric__s]

FEDA: Emblem of Justice is an SNES strategy RPG with c&c and multiple endings that reacts to both choices you make during the game and the way you play. It's pretty similar to Shining Force - it was made by people who worked on those games - but not quite as good. It's got a grittier world and great graphics, but the AI is really horrible. It's alright, though, and you might enjoy how differently playthroughs can go.

 

[Nutmeg]

No one mentioned Advance Wars?

Anyway there's nothing non Anime at that level of quality. There's not much at that level of quality period. Classic FE is one of gaming's peaks.

 

[Anonona]

Anyone know of any games with gameplay like Fire Emblem but less Japanime stuff? I really enjoyed Three Houses but the anime stuff wasn’t my favorite. PC is preferable to any other platform, but I’m open to anything.

You may want to check some of the older Fire Emblems, specially those before Awakening. The art style and character design was quite different, and the writing in general was less "anime" so to speak, less over the top. I don't know much about the saga in general, but I heard that some FE like Path of Radiance were quite good. Although you may need to emulate some of them.

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

No one mentioned Advance Wars?

Anyway there's nothing non Anime at that level of quality. There's not much at that level of quality period. Classic FE is one of gaming's peaks.

I have tried Advance Wars, but it turns out I was retarded. I thought it didn't have a single-player mode. Looks like you just have to finish the tutorials before it will appear as an option on the main menu.

 

[Galdred]

I second Wesnoth. It may be the closest to the Tactical JRPG formula.
Elven Legacy is pretty close indeed.

You also have:
Warbannes/Drums of War (awesome system with a lot of environment interactions, like manning a catapult, digging ditches... Linear campaign, but that's just like Fire Emblem. The story is forgettable).
Mordheim (similar to Battle Brother, with a worse UI, and less variety, but a great combat system).
The StormGuard: Darkness is coming (tactical RPG with a few sequence of battles and events[regrouped as "dungeons" and a bit of base building. Quite solid, but lacks diversity).
Wargroove (but I'm not sure it really qualifies as less anime).

 

[Trash Player]

Fell Seal and Troubleshooter features extensive character building options but the later is still Korean anime, like a less fanservicey light novel with a silly plot. The fromer is typical 90s JRPG without translation charm.
Pick your posion really. Both are grindy time sinks.
Wesnoth and Elven legacy are closer to 5star generals in terms of campaign rather than a real character builder. Still fun though, grab the later on sale.

 

[Yosharian]

"Japanime"? What the fuck is wrong with you

 

[Nutmeg]

I second Wesnoth

the best choice would be the totally free Battle For Wesnoth

Wesnoth is a Master of Monsters clone.

If you like this there's a really good one called Dark Wizard on the Sega CD.

But the best Master of Monsters like is Vantage Master. Probably the best AI I have played against in a turn based tactics game.

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

"Japanime"? What the fuck is wrong with you

You want a medal or something?

 

[boot]

earlier FE games are less... uh, you know

and Berwick Saga. Berwick Saga is great.

 

[Grauken]

"Japanime"? What the fuck is wrong with you

It's actually called Japanimation

 

[Yosharian]

Is Fire Emblem Fates any good? I played Awakening a long time ago and found it pretty boring once I got past the mid game

I've been meaning to try Fell Seal or whatever it's called but I'm put off by the reports that it's super grindy

 

[deuxhero]

Yosharian Fates is easily the worst or second main worst (after awakening) game in the main series. Black Kingdom has decent gameplay and shit everything else, and the other two are just plain old shit. Before Awakening the only game considered bad was Gaiden and maybe the first due to exceptionally primitive mechanics (and awful maps in Gaiden's case) due to be a first in the genre.
dacencora The first 12 Fire Emblem games. 13/14 are abominations and 15/16 are merely competent.

 

[TigerKnee]

Is Fire Emblem Fates any good?

Strictly based on Gameplay, the Conquest path in Fates is one of the better designed FE games. The presentation is also pretty good, especially the music.

Everything about the writing is horrendous, which may or may not be a problem since a lot of FE games don't really have good plot, but this one goes straight into retarded territory

 

[Yosharian]

Interesting, so what game is the best? I don't have a Switch so I can't play Three Houses

Preferably something a bit modern