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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is a strong choice if you want a demanding tactical RPG campaign built around varied map objectives and tight resource decisions. Critics praised its strategic battles and depth, but its limited opportunities to train make it less forgiving than Birthright, and its story received less consistent praise. It is the Nohr route: Corrin sides with the adoptive Nohrian family.
Is Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest good?
Yes—especially for players who enjoy hard-fought tactical battles. Metacritic listed Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest at 87 from 40 critic reviews when accessed in 2026; that aggregate reflects a snapshot, not unanimous agreement. Across individual reviews, the most consistent strengths are tactical depth, challenging maps, and a charming cast. The main reservations are the severity of the difficulty and a story that drew more mixed reactions. Metacritic’s critic-review page.
![Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Nintendo 3DS World edition [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51QH6e0CVBL._SL160_.jpg)
Conquest’s challenge comes from more than enemy strength. Experience and gold are limited, opportunities to grind are fewer, and missions ask for different objectives rather than always requiring the player to defeat every enemy. Nintendo Life highlights goals such as defeating a set number of units or surviving a number of turns. That variety rewards adapting to the map’s win condition, but leaves less room to prepare through extra battles. Nintendo Life’s review.
What makes Conquest challenging?
Fewer chances to train between story battles
GameSpot reviewer Peter Brown says the campaign offers little time outside story missions and notes that Conquest lacks the optional scouting missions found in Birthright and Revelation. Without those extra opportunities, a difficult map can feel like a real campaign bottleneck: you have fewer chances to build experience or recover from a run of tough fights. GameSpot’s review.
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Objectives demand different tactics
A mission built around surviving turns or eliminating a specified number of enemies rewards a different plan from a map where the goal is simply to rout the opposing force. Conquest’s objective variety gives its battles a deliberate, puzzle-like character: positioning, timing, and knowing when to pursue the goal matter as much as defeating units.
Difficulty can become frustrating
The same pressure that makes Conquest satisfying can make it punishing if you want more opportunities to experiment or recover. Brown describes enjoying its hardcore lean, but also wishing he had chosen Birthright after a series of hard fights left him with no resolution but lowering the difficulty. That is one reviewer’s experience, not a universal outcome, but it captures the route’s central trade-off. GameSpot’s review.
Rank #2
- Compatible with all 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS and New 3DS XL consoles
- For the first time in the series, the player plays as the main character and commands his or her own army. The player character is customizable avatar, like in the Fire Emblem Awakening game. Select male or female with many options
- Conquest has the player take the Nohr path: this will force you to revolutionize an unruly kingdom from the inside - this path offers a slightly more complex story and will be more challengingl
- Birthright (sold seperately) has the player take the Hoshido path: it is a more traditional path as you work together with your allies to fend off Nohrian invaders
Should you choose Conquest or Birthright?
The routes tell different versions of the conflict, and they suit different play styles. Nintendo describes Birthright and Conquest as distinct versions with unique story paths, characters, and battles; Revelation follows a third path. Nintendo Life recommends Birthright for newcomers and Conquest for players seeking a greater challenge. Nintendo UK’s route overview.
| Consideration | Conquest | Birthright or Revelation |
|---|---|---|
| Story allegiance | Corrin sides with the adoptive Nohrian family. | Birthright sides with Hoshido; Revelation follows a path where Corrin chooses neither side. |
| Training and resources | Limited experience and gold, fewer chances to grind, and no optional scouting missions, according to GameSpot. | Birthright offers more resources and grinding; GameSpot says both Birthright and Revelation include scouting missions. |
| Battle objectives | Varied goals and more strategically demanding level design. | Nintendo Life describes Birthright as having more straightforward objectives, often routing enemies. |
| Best fit | Players who want a harder campaign and are comfortable with fewer preparation options. | Newcomers or players who prefer more flexibility and chances to train. |
Source: Nintendo UK, Nintendo Life, and GameSpot.
Is Conquest a good first Fire Emblem game?
It can be, if you already like tactical games and want a challenging introduction. But Conquest is the less forgiving starting route: its restricted training options mean a newcomer who hits a wall has fewer ways to strengthen units before trying again. Nintendo recommends Birthright for newcomers and players at any level, while positioning Conquest for experienced series players seeking a challenge. If difficulty spikes would spoil the experience, Birthright is the safer starting point.
Can you still buy Conquest or its DLC?
Nintendo ended new purchases of Nintendo 3DS software and DLC through the eShop at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 27, 2023. Previously purchased content can still be redownloaded for the foreseeable future; Nintendo’s Fates-specific support page says that previously purchased routes and maps remain redownloadable and playable. Redownloading depends on having bought the content before the closure, and Nintendo does not promise indefinite availability. Its instructions also note that story paths and DLC are generally inaccessible until Chapter 6 is completed. Nintendo Support: 3DS eShop shutdown and Nintendo Support: accessing Fire Emblem Fates DLC.
For someone without a prior digital purchase, a physical Conquest cartridge is the relevant route to the game. Check the listing’s region, condition, seller, and compatibility with your system before buying; current stock and prices vary, and a cartridge does not provide a way to acquire routes that were sold as digital content.
Rank #4
- The limited edition includes a physical version of the game, a soundtrack on 3 CDs and character cards.
- Please note: the envelope is opened on the product as this is a collector's edition item.
- Text is available in these languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian), the Audio Lines are only available in English
What critics said about Conquest
Peter Brown’s GameSpot review, published February 16, 2016, praises the tense battles and cast while acknowledging that the game’s difficulty can corner the player. His reported 20-hour completion time excluded repeated attempts and other time, so it is an individual review experience rather than a reliable playtime estimate for every player. He summed up the appeal and frustration this way:
“Conquest is a great game, and I fell for its hardcore lean at times, but when I was backed into a corner after a series of hard fights with no resolution but to lower the difficulty, I wished I was playing Birthright instead.”
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zheFanku Fire Emblem Fates - Azura's Pendant - Imitation Sapphire Necklace
- Pendant Size: 2 inches
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Conquest first released on Nintendo 3DS on February 19, 2016, according to GameSpot; Nintendo UK lists May 20, 2016 for its regional release. Those dates reflect different regions. GameSpot’s game listing and Nintendo UK’s overview.
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