Good story *and* good combat? It's more likely than you think
After 10 hours, Nintendo’s new Fire Emblem is somehow even better than Three Houses
Image: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo via Polygon
Fire Emblem Awakening saved Nintendo's strategy game series 14 years ago, but it also laid a curse on it. Since then, no Fire Emblem has managed to pull off a good story and good combat. Awakening had bland maps and a good story. One branch of 2015's Fates had excellent maps, but they all had terrible stories (and one lets you marry your sister, but let's not talk about that). The pattern repeated with 2019's Three Houses and 2023's Engage. But after playing 10 hours of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, it looks like Intelligent Systems might've figured out how to break the curse and make a Fire Emblem with all the good parts and none of the old problems.
The Japanese government has reacted angrily to Vladimir Putin’s first visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, which are claimed by both Tokyo and Moscow.
Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, summoned the Russian ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev, while the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, called Putin’s actions “absolutely unacceptable”.
A woman and a child walk past Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24, 2026.
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Iran is set to join the BRICS New Development Bank, the country's central bank chief said Thursday, as Tehran seeks to shore up its economic alliances almost six months into its war with the U.S. and Israel.
The Icelandic and Canadian consulates building, left, in the historic old district of Nuuk, Greenland, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
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A Texas-based company with links to President Donald Trump has delayed plans to drill for oil in Greenland, after the Arctic island's government issued a "strong warning" to its joint venture partner for bringing equipment ashore without permission.
Keely Hodgkinson's bid for European gold continued as she stormed into the final of the women's 800m - moments after rival Audrey Werro suffered a dramatic fall that put her place in Friday's showpiece in doubt.
Emily Long is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City.
After graduating from Duke University, she spent several years reporting on the federal workforce for Government Executive, a publication of Atlantic Media Company, in Washington, D.C. She has nearly a decade of experience as a freelancer covering tech (including issues related to security, privacy, and streaming) as well as personal finance and travel.
At the United States Naval Academy, even walking comes with rules.
First-year midshipmen, known as "plebes," follow regulations dictating how to walk, eat, speak, and countless other expectations as part of their transition from civilians to officers in the US Navy and the US Marine Corps.
Image: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo via Polygon