Fire Emblem Engage has somethings that make it harder for me when compared to Three Houses. I like both, but I want to at least explain why I might prefer things about one to the other.
Fire Emblem Three Houses had so many ways to build supports. But my favourite ways were either the mess hall foods (for the flavour text) or assigning someone an adjutant while I grind up. That was so easy. Just pair up the units and have one unit grind until you get the support chain fully unlocked. Engage doesn't let you do that. To be fair, adjutants have kind of been replaced by emblems. But it's still a shame, because I now find it way harder to grind up supports. If I could pair up units, I could keep characters benched whilst still unlocking their supports. I'd love to do that for Etie and Vander and Céline, because they're really not my favourite characters.
This is my biggest complaint. I love supports, and I'm a bit frustrated by how much harder it is to get them. I'm also a bit bugged by the changes to the fishing mechanic, to the point where I don't think I can actually handle the fishing minigame at all. And finally, I'm frustrated by that difficulty curve.
I haven't finished chapter 10 yet. I had to restart it three times over, so I can't even remember what I did or what supports I'll be capable of unlocking now. But Hortensia... fucking Hortensia killed Alear two times! She killed basically every character she fought, until I managed to get lucky and barely killed her. I know she isn't actually dead, but I almost wish she were after how awful fighting her was. Now I still have to fight her father and the corrupted, corpse of that awful brodian king. Hopefully they're easier. I do take some sick pleasure in killing King Morion, because I've hated him since I met him. But chapter 10 is gonna be a point of deep aggravation for me. Three Houses wasn't usually as hard as this chapter was, I don't think. To be fair, I grinded in Three Houses a lot. Maybe I need to start doing that for Engage, too. Hopefully starting my massive grinding mission on Chapter 12 won't be too late in the game. Because I can't keep having characters die.