i really wish i liked this game. i really do. it has all the parts of fire emblem that i was missing from the two non-remake 3ds releases, aka an actual plot with intrigue and complex characters outside of supports.

That being said, the gameplay, pacing, and map design is abysmal. I got through two routes (Crimson Flower and Golden Deer) before shelving in halfway through the school part of my third playthrough. If you want to play this game to completion, I highly recommend not starting with Golden Deer because I ended the route feeling like I had no more questions about the game or world, thus losing all of my motivation to go through the other two routes.