Fire Emblem Fates is a tactical role-playing video game for the Nintendo 3DS handheld video game console, developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo. It is the fourteenth installment in the Fire Emblem series and the second to be developed for Nintendo 3DS after Fire Emblem Awakening. In Revelation, the Avatar rallies both sides against the true mastermind behind the war. The gameplay, which revolves around tactical movement of units across a grid-based battlefield, shares many mechanics with previous Fire Emblem games, although some elements are unique to each scenario.
After the critical and commercial success of Awakening, development began on Fates, with the staff of Awakening returning to their previous roles. The team's main concern was adding new features and refinements to the original gameplay, and improving the story, which had received criticism from some fans. To show all sides of the story and provide players with different Fire Emblem experiences, the game was split up into multiple versions. In Classic Mode, a fallen unit is subject to permanent death, a recurring mode in the Fire Emblem series that removes fallen characters from the rest of the game. The gameplay of Birthright is similar to the prior installment Fire Emblem Awakening and features opportunities to gain extra gold and experience. Also included are additional objectives in battle such as defending a base or suppressing enemy forces, and some levels have a limited number of turns.Revelation uses a mixture of elements from Birthright and Conquest: while offering opportunities for gold and experience as with Birthright, it provides varied objectives and strategic elements similar to Conquest.
A new feature introduced to the series is "My Castle", in which the player is able to create a base for their army, where they can establish shops, buy weapons and items, and interact with allied characters. Shops can be leveled up, which allows the player to choose from a wider range of items to buy.
