There are three Difficulty Settings in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, accompanied by two unique Game Modes that govern how challenging your playthrough of the game will be.
If you’re confused as to what Difficulty Setting and Game Mode you should pick, worry not as we’re here to help you out with this guide where we’ll be explaining the Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Difficulty Settings system in depth.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Difficulty Settings
When you start your playthrough of FEW: Three Hopes, the first thing you’ll need to do in the game is select the Difficulty Setting for your playthrough.
You will be given three difficulty options: Easy, Normal and Hard. According to the game, the Easy difficulty is for players who just want to enjoy the story; the Normal difficulty is for beginning and intermediate players, while the Hard difficulty is for experienced players who like a challenge.
After you’ve chosen your difficulty in FEW Three Hopes, you’ll have to choose whether you want to play the game in Casual or Classic mode.
An important thing to note is that the Difficulty Setting that you choose in FEW: Three Hopes can be changed at any point. However, you cannot switch between Classic and Casual mode retroactively.
Once you’ve chosen either the Classic or Casual mode, you will be stuck in that mode for your entire FEW:3H playthrough; so you have to make your choice wisely.
Difficulty Setting Differences
There are many differences between the different Difficulty Settings of FEW:3H. The first difference is the offense and defensive power of enemies. As compared to Easy and Normal difficulty, not only will the enemies hit harder on the Hard difficulty, but they’ll also have stronger defenses; meaning that you’ll deal much less damage to them.
The second key difference is the rate at which your gauges fill up. When you’re playing on Hard, your Awakening and Warrior gauges will charge very slowly. This means that your overall damage output will be decreased.
Another key difference is the fact that on Hard mode, the side enemies will actually take part in the battle and attack you instead of just standing around as spectators.
The final difference between the difficulties is the rewards you’ll obtain during your playthrough. The higher the Difficulty Setting, the better the quality of the rewards that you’ll gain from missions, battles and enemies.
Difference Between Casual and Classic Mode
The main difference between the Casual and Classic modes is that in Casual Mode, you can revive units and playable characters after the battle ends.
Whereas in Classic Mode, units and playable characters cannot be brought back to life after battle. So if a unit or a playable character dies during combat in Classic Mode, they will not return for the rest of your playthrough.
How to Unlock Maddening Difficulty in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes continues the franchise tradition of having a secret difficulty setting. Just like before, this difficulty can only be unlocked by beating the game.
This secret difficulty setting in FEW: Three Hopes is known as the “Maddening Difficulty”. And to unlock it, all you need to do is beat the game one time.
There is nothing in particular that you need to do aside from beating the game. You can beat the game in any difficulty and mode, and you will unlock the Maddening Difficulty irrespective of whatever ending you beat the game with.
Once you’ve beaten the game and start a new playthrough, you’ll see an option for the Maddening Difficulty in the “Select Difficulty” screen. According to the game, the Maddening Difficulty is for those who crave the ultimate test of skill.
And the game is not exaggerating in the slightest. The Maddening Difficulty will be significantly more difficult than the Hard Difficulty.
Which Difficulty Should You Choose?
The best difficulty and mode for you depends on your preference. If you’re looking to have a fun time playing FEW: Three Hopes casually without having to worry about carefully planning out your strategies in combat, then the Normal Difficulty Setting + the Casual mode is best for you.
If you play on the Normal Difficulty Setting and Casual mode, the enemies will be strong enough that the game will feel relatively challenging and engaging. They won’t be so powerful that you’ll need to use all your focus and determination to beat them.
If you’re one of those players who love challenging games, the Hard Difficulty Setting + Classic mode is best for you. If you play with these settings, the enemies will be very strong and strategic. This results in the game becoming incredibly engaging and challenging.
Keep in mind that you can change the Difficulty Setting any time during your playthrough of FEW: Three Hopes. Experiment with the different settings to see which one matches your own preferences.
How to Change Difficulty
The Difficulty setting in FEW:3H can be changed whenever you want, as long as you are not in the middle of a mission or battle.
To change the Difficulty Setting in FEW: Three Hopes, open the Main Menu before a mission/battle starts.
In the Main Menu, select the “System” option and then select “Settings”. In the Settings menu, navigate to Game Settings. The first option in this tab will be the Difficulty. You can set it to whichever difficulty you want. Once you’ve set the difficulty, exit the menu and select “Yes” when it asks you for confirmation.
