What happens when you combine the anime-tinged dating sim mechanics of the Persona series with the isometric grid and turn-based combat of XCOM or Final Fantasy Tactics?

You get Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the latest instalment of the long-running JRPG franchise exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

Players assume the role of a professor at an academy who recruits potential waifus and husbandos as their students, training and leading them into battle for the sake of their chosen factions. Just like the Persona series, there’s a school calendar semester system to keep track of and fill with meaningful activities before the next combat skirmish.

These social elements are relatively new to the franchise, especially on this scale. Couple that with the engrossing story with political turns and twists ala Game Of Thrones, and you have a game that you’ll be playing for hours and hours, not to mention the massive amount of replayability.

Behind all the cute girls and handsome boys featured in the game lies a deep and in-depth strategy game that’s comparable to any other tactical strategy title out there.

Even if you’re not a fan of anime or similar aesthetics, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a great addition to the burgeoning JRPG lineup and library of the Nintendo Switch, especially with the PS4 already claiming titles like Persona 5 as exclusives.