The second wave of DLC for Fire Emblem: Three Houses has launched, finally adding that third difficulty setting. Maddening difficulty has been added to the game, as have new auxiliary battles, consumable items, and outfits for your students. While the Maddening difficulty was added in a free update, though, the rest are only available via the Expansion Pass.
Those looking for a greater challenge in #FireEmblem: Three Houses, Maddening Mode is available now via a free software update. If you finish a game in this mode without carrying over your previous cleared save data, the title screen will slightly change. Good luck, professor! pic.twitter.com/L30WyxGc0u
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 11, 2019
The Maddening difficulty, which had been referred to in the past as “Lunatic” difficulty, makes the game much harder by improving enemy stats and AI. While players can select Maddening from New Game Plus, clearing the difficulty from a clean save file will net a small change to the title screen. A minor reward, but when you’ve already mastered the game, what else do you need?
The paid portion of the DLC seems a bit more meager, but it’s all part of the Expansion Pass. The outfits for students change their appearance quite a bit, while Byleth gets a nice pair of glasses. Good for them. Consumable items are also provided, each permanently boosting a stat, including a hefty +2 to movement. Finally, five new auxiliary battles are added, as is the option to change the music in all auxiliary battles.
What’s next for Three Houses?
The next wave of DLC is set to release on Dec 31 – although according to the Nintendo eshop page, Wave 2 was meant to release on Oct 31. Wave 3 will include more quests and costumes, as well as one more free update. The last wave will add more story content and another free update. The final DLC is set for Apr 30, 2020.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses has kept me entranced, and the Expansion Pass is going to continue extending this already ludicrously long RPG. Are you crazy enough to take on Maddening difficulty? Let us know your experience in the comments.
