With the original Fire Emblem seeing a port to the Nintendo Switch, I have been inclined to reflect on the Fire Emblem series as a whole. It is a crime against humanity that most fans outside of Japan have never played what is, in my opinion, the best in the series: Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy war.
Released exclusively in Japan for the Super Famicom in 1996, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War is the fourth installment in the Fire Emblem franchise. It is generally referred to by fans as FE4. It is an understated classic that has never seen, and likely never will see an official western release. Despite that, it’s one of the best strategy games you will ever play, and definitely worth getting a hold of.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy war is one of the linear Fire Emblem titles, meaning that the entirety of the game takes place through the story campaign. It is broken up into chapters, and you aren’t able to revisit past maps, and any stores, arena battles, or side-missions take place on the same giant map during the chapter. Also, there isn’t exactly an easy way to trade items between units. Each unit has its own gold to buy and sell with, and any trading and menuing will take up a turn during an active battle. Everything takes place during an active battle. What’s more, permadeath is not an optional feature. If one of your units dies, they’re dead for good. If your lead unit, Sigurd, dies, it’s an automatic game over.
OK, so it’s difficult. Why play it? To me, none of the things I’ve listed are negatives. There are checks and balances for every obtuse or difficult aspect of the game.
For permadeath, you have access to more than 40 individual units over the course of the game. You can only deploy a set amount per map. If one of your units dies, it isn’t really as dire as it feels. Allowing units to die is a completely viable way to play through the game. Most people (including myself) won’t play the game that way, but it does work. The gold management system adds an entirely new level of strategy that forces the player to consider the long game instead of just the immediate fight. And, again, the battle maps are massive. In most cases, you’ve got time to dawdle and experiment. Most importantly, FE4 has an autosave feature that makes it so much more forgiving from turn to turn.
What makes Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War truly shine is its story, characters, pacing, and challenge. It’s engaging throughout, and if you are willing to take risks and explore, the world is filled with rich detail. Its characters are memorable, and each unit has its own niche in some way. The maps are enormous, and each turn can feel like its own mission, especially if you’re a completionist. Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War is riddled with secrets, and once you’re on the good side of the learning curve, it lends itself perfectly to subsequent playthroughs. It feels as if it was designed for you not to know what you’re doing. It may sound ridiculous, but if you approach FE4 with the mindset of patience and learning, you will see how much time and value you can glean from this game. Try not to stress out, and just enjoy its excellent mechanics and ahead-of-its-time gameplay.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War certainly isn’t free from criticism, but within the context of it being a Fire Emblem game from the mid-90s, I think it more than accomplishes everything it sets out to do. It is difficult to do it justice in such a short time. If you aren’t afraid to leave your comfort zone, you should give FE4 a chance. While it can be intimidating, with dedication you might find yourself dazzled by this game that most people haven’t had the chance to discover.
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