There is one more change to the Western version of Fire Emblem Fates, one that isn’t central to the story, but less fans are going to approve of than what they did to its most controversial scene.
Fire Emblem If in Japan introduced a feature similar to Pokemon-Amie in Pokemon X and Y. This feature has been removed in the localization into Fire Emblem Fates.
Regarding this removal, Nintendo shared this statement:
Yes, that is the case [that petting isn’t in the English version]. You might have heard somewhat misinterpreted or exaggerated information about the Japanese original game, but even in the Japanese original version, we have not included any features which are considered inappropriate in Japan.
To better understand why Nintendo removed the Fire Emblem Fates petting minigame, one needs more context on how it works. As you may imagine, it allows you to touch your party mates, including your proverbial siblings. When you reach S-rank, your siblings will react in an even more provocative, even sexual, manner.
Here are some examples of the dialogue your siblings will use upon reaching S-Rank.
Camilla: “The way you’re using your hand feels so good. Very skillful.”
Lazwald: “I also want to touch you, will you come closer?”
Takumi: “You can touch me wherever I like, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…”
There’s even more here.
It’s also possible that not bringing this feature over saves the localizers time and effort, but as Nintendo says, the main reason for removing it is to not have any features that would be inappropriate for the region.
How do you feel about this change? Don’t hesitate to let us know what you think in the comments.