As a long-time player and fan of tactical role-playing games, few franchises exemplify excellence in the genre like Fire Emblem. I‘ve played every North American series entry dating back to the Game Boy Advance days – completing countless Ironman runs and investing over 1000+ hours into these intricately crafted worlds.
So I entered Cindered Shadows – the latest DLC expansion to last year‘s phenomenon Fire Emblem: Three Houses – with sky-high expectations. Previous Fire Emblem DLCs like Awakening‘s excellent Future Past saga set a remarkably robust bar, integrating substantive new maps, characters and lore. Did Three Houses‘ mysterious underground prequel manage to eclipse the lofty measuring stick of its predecessors? Read on for my comprehensive dive into this shadowy expansion!
First Steps Into Abyss
Accessing any add-on content first requires actually acquiring the DLC. Cindered Shadows is included as part of Three Houses‘ $24.99 Expansion Pass – which also bundles four upcoming waves of bonus content.
For new players considering a first purchase, I strongly recommend grabbing the deluxe edition with all DLC bundled in. But for existing owners, Cindered Shadows alone justifies the season pass price given the breadth of content covered in this review.
Installation is smoothly handled through the Nintendo Eshop and main menu.From there, booting up Cindered Shadows prompts you to create a new save file independent of your main campaign. This lets you directly dive into the DLC regardless of your existing story progress or difficulty preferences. It‘s a welcome quality-of-life touch that more RPG add-ons should replicate.
The expansion then chronicles a fresh standalone tale following an elite faction of characters operating beneath Garreg Mach Monastery. Even series veterans will find new lore and backstories aplenty across the 10+ hours of gameplay within.
The Alluring, Enigmatic Ashen Wolves
The subterranean city of Abyss houses an eclectic cast even by Fire Emblem standards. These social outcasts – collectively dubbed the Ashen Wolves house – operate under the cover of their hidden civilization.
Each recruit able member brings intriguing self-contained narratives sure to enhance your appreciation of Three Houses‘ expansive backstory:
Constance exhibits a schizophrenic duality, alternating between delusions of grandeur in the sun versus crippling depression at night. Her descent from fallen nobility infuses Constance with plenty of complex foibles, alongside an endearing admiration for those who accept her. Her high Magic perfectly complements Sword talents learned from her House Nuvelle lineage.
Hapi endured imprisonment and human experimentation at the hands of radical Church factions. Her suppressed childhood trauma bred an apathetic, sarcastic personality contrasts wonderfully against traditional Fire Emblem tropes. Hapi also hosts mysterious sigh-related powers enabling summons of demonic beasts – offering great combo potential with her Black Magic talents.
The cunning duplicitous Yuri plays off "Professor Moriarty-esque" airs with his occult skillset and expertise in the sword and dagger arts. His relentless dedication toward protecting those he cherishes humanizes Yuri‘s anti-hero qualities. Zealous loyalty, quick wit and lethal bladesmanship cement him as my favorite of the core quartet both narratively and in combat.
Lastly, the rowdy brawling brute Balthus wears his heart on his sleeve. His oafish fighting style and reckless spending habits greatly contrast with his softer side toward people in need. Balthus complements the others through sheer brawn – specializing in Grappling weapons and technique.
Each present radically distinctive personalities and combat capabilities compared to all prior series characters. They collectively form the most intriguing anomaly faction I‘ve seen in over 15 years playing Fire Emblem games.
| Character | Health Points | Strength | Magic | Defense | Luck | Dexterity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constance | 26 (+3) | 18 (+3) | 38 (+4) | 9 (+2) | 7 (+5) | 6 (+2) |
| Hapi | 31 (+4) | 16 (+4) | 48 (+4) | 11 (+2) | 7 (+4) | 11 (+2) |
| Yuri | 28 (+3) | 15 (+4) | 11 (+4) | 9 (+3) | 10 (+2) | 12 (+4) |
| Balthus | 35 (+6) | 18 (+6) | 7 (+1) | 12 (+4) | 9 (+6) | 7 (+2) |
Growth rates in key areas like HP, Strength and Magic surpass nearly all Three Houses casts. And the enhanced skills learned from four new associated classes help the Ashen Wolves carve unique combat niches normally inaccessible.
Gameplay Enhanced by New Ways to Fight
The Ashen Wolves‘ specialized talents translate into four brand new base classes unlocked partway through the DLC chapters:
Tricksters serve as high avoidance dagger masters who also wield magic for potent spellcasting combinations. Their stealthy capabilities enable devastating critical hit-fueled attacks even against bow-wielding foes.
War Monks transcend brawling by integrating offensive White Magic for both versatile weaponry and healing. This class peaks with access to the mighty Fistfaire proficiency boosting bare-handed damage.
Valkyries lean hard into Black Magic, wielding mighty Excalibur and Banshee spells. They‘re even more offensively potent versions of Dark Knights and excel at exploiting magician-countering foe weaknesses.
Lastly, Dark Fliers reprise the mobility and Magic of conventional Pegasus Knights – with a focus on Reason over Faith abilities. They dominate both physically and magically vulnerable aerial opponents.
Each class trains new Weapon Proficiencies while building a satisfying niche absent from the main game. The DLC‘s extended progression also unlocks their full array of Combat Arts and spells:
| Combat Art | Effect | Class Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Encloser | Deals massive backstab dagger damage. | Trickster |
| Hexing Blow | Adds Black Magic critical chance. | Valkyrie |
| Shining Air Slash | Boosts avoid and triggers aerial Critical Hits. | Dark Flier |
| Fading Blow | Enables consecutive unarmed strikes. | War Monk |
Completing a playthrough in each also grants useful transferrable Mastery Skills. But the true joy comes from the distinctive strategic opportunities the Ashen Wolves provide over vanilla Three Houses classes. Their unpredictable new abilities kept even a tested series veteran like myself on my toes!
On higher difficulties, however, the DLC‘s early-mid game presents a significant jump in enemy threat levels. Adversaries boast amplified stats and brandish dangerous Combat Arts requiring more calculated responses. These changes made re-learning core combat dynamics an exciting challenge.
To overcome these challenges, I leaned heavily into the Ashen Wolves‘ strengths while reviewing my tactics fundamentals. The tension created by these genuine threats made progressing feel like a genuine achievement.
An Impactful Self-Contained Story
Cindered Shadow‘s underlying lore prominently features "Chalice" artifacts blessing citizens of Abyss in legend. The actual sacred Chalice of Beginnings takes on great narrative importance when a mysterious faction steals the holy relic.
Episodic chapters then see the Ashen Wolves investigating each theft while rescuing kidnapped students. These events draw ever-closer toward revealing the perpetrators and their motivations.
Further intrigue brews from the transformed appearance of missing citizens re-emerging as deadly demon beasts. Solving why seemingly requires uncovering secrets extending as far back as the Church of Seiros’ formation. The core narrative offers plenty of compelling threads for Fire Emblem lore aficionados like myself!
Support dialogues with the lead protagonist Byleth provide further welcome color. We learn the Ashen Wolves once attended the main campus until facing unjust persecution. This ostracization bred lasting rivalries with current Knights of Seiros members forcing their eventual exile. Support scenes organically integrate the DLC roster into established Three Houses events and backstories.
Some playable main game characters also make intermittent cameo appearances. For example, Ashe assists tracking down missing Abyss students using his proficient archery and scouting skills. And permissible flirt Hilda guests as a quest-giver for rare materials. These inclusions help better interlink Cindered Shadows to the base experience through familiar connections.
| Chapter | Key Events | New Paralogue Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Chalice theft, discovery of transformation | Dapper Derision (Constance) |
| 2 | Yuri‘s troubling past with a Kingdom noble | Oil & Water (Balthus, Hilda) |
| 3 | Incursion against the Ashen Wolves base, evidence of betrayal | Hostile Springs (Balthus) |
| 4 | Advance warning of assault on the Church | Our Treasure (Yuri) |
| 5 | Revelation around Chalice thefts and those responsible | Gift Basket Scheme (Hapi) |
| 6 | Identity of antagonistic faction leader revealed | Foreign Land & Sky (Hapi, Constance) |
| 7 | Motives explained, preparations to retrieve Chalice | Inherited Duty (Balthus) |
| 8 | Final bosses, aftermath and ending | – |
I genuinely looked forward to unfolding each chapter of Cindered Shadow‘s self-contained narrative between its memorable new characters and wealth of backstory contributions. The added Paralogues provided brilliant additional spotlights highlighting more nuances for the four to shine.
Worthwhile Rewards Await Below Ground
Completing the Cindered Shadow‘s storyline bestows two invaluable prizes carrying permanent worth to your saved game file.
The first comes in a whopping 10,000 Renown – enough to purchase stacks of Master Seals, Relics, Faculty Training, and other scarce provisions. I‘ve formatted a specialized shopping list to optimally capitalize on these bonus funds:
| Item | Cost | Priority Tier | Recommended Quantity | Total Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Gem | 500 | 1 | 5 | 2,500 |
| Master Seal | 400 | 1 | 10 | 4,000 |
| Secret Transport Force Scroll | 500 | 2 | 3 | 1,500 |
| Dark Seal | 400 | 3 | 5 | 2,000 |
| Grand Total | 23 | 10,000 |
Spending 10,000 renown in New Game+ also unlocks the Saint Statue goddess blessing, granting +2 bonus experience to each action. This mathematically enables faster grinding andweapon mastery for NG+ file characters.
Your party also retrieves the sacred Chalice of Beginnings – one of Three Houses‘ outright best equip-able items. All combatants gain the powerful Devotion skill along with exclusive +20 Avoid and Defensive terrain-agnostic bonuses. Units can even counterattack regardless of distance removing range disadvantages!
Equipping the Chalice single-handedly allows durable front-liners like Dedue and Edelgard aggressively initiate against Archer battalions once impossible to safely approach. Its benefits further enable enemy phase tactics pivotal on higher difficulties.
Stacking the combat potency of a 10,000 Renown shopping trip and the Chalice illustrates the sheer value gained from experiencing Cindered Shadows first-hand!
A Resounding Endorsement for all Fire Emblem Fans
Cindered Shadows hits the bullseye in nearly all vectors I evaluate DLC expansions by:
Its Story and Characters: Crafting arguably the most memorable original faction with narrative threads that Collector‘s will adore.
Gameplay: Introducing four innovative classes with mechanics to freshen combat and progression for veterans.
World-Expanding Lore: Deepening existing backstories and fleshing out Church of Seiros political intrigue referenced previously.
Rewarding Payoff: Bestowing mighty combat accessories and wealth channels for purchasing coveted rare resources.
So whether you are a fresh fan embracing your first Fire Emblem journey or series devotee pining for the finest over-the-top challenges… Cindered Shadows is an absolute must-experience expansion!
The only group I‘d advise exercising patience are players newer to strategy RPGs in general. The difficulty spike here over main story content presents a dramatic adaptation curve. Otherwise, this DLC earns my highest recommendations – making Three Houses‘ sublime initial release even better.
I‘m happy to elaborate any additional questions or feedback in the comments regarding Cindered Shadows – or my experiences across decades enjoying such a storied tactical role-playing franchise!
