Genealogy of the Holy War is almost less of a game and more like a story that you interact with. If it wasn’t for the near unrivaled mix of worldbuilding with gameplay I would not like FE4 as much as I did. Despite birthing some elements that would be integral to Fire Emblem as a franchise going forward, it’s also the most unique entry in the series by far. Even with all of its influence and acclaim, not ONE game past this has ever tried replicating everything this game did. Some of that could be attributed to the new systems being seen more as flaws rather than benefits, or the sheer complexity maybe too scary for newer players. I’m not sure.
I finished this game over a week ago, and I’ve been banging my head on the wall trying to figure out what to say. I feel like I need to get the word out of what this game is, but it’s just not fully coming to me. I’d love to write a review as long as a single enemy phase in this game but I really can’t do that as much as I try. So I’ll suffice by writing something shorter while explaining why YOU should at least experience this game once.
War. Legacy. Succession. Betrayal. Tragedy. These are all themes that Genealogy of the Holy War focuses on. Fire Emblem has.. well obviously always been about war. However Genealogy, out of all the games I’ve experienced, delves the most into the pure tragedy and unfairness of what war is. There are so many moments where you just.. can’t save everyone. The other games have similar moments, but this one melds it into the gameplay so perfectly and precisely. Every map is vast with history, communities, and density. They genuinely do feel like actual locales rather than “a video game level”. That goes both to its benefit and detriment from a gameplay perspective, but from a story perspective, it’s pure bliss. We follow our heroes through lush forests, sprawling plains, harsh mountains, scorching deserts etc. You slowly proceed through this seemingly endless war, each map becoming more and more hopeless.
I should also preface that you need to experience this story blind. I know it’s very hard to do as such with how much the middle plot twist is spoiled to everyone, but I encourage you to stay as blind as possible. Genealogy’s narrative is fantastic, not only for a Fire Emblem game but for a piece of media in general. Seliph is one of my favorite video game characters of all time because of how we follow his journey from suffering a harsh young life, but growing to become a fine young man himself capable of what his mission is. Once again, I’m not going to elaborate so the reader can find out what happens themselves, but the story is, no exaggeration, simply masterful.
Generational storytelling is one of my favorite tropes of all time. Seeing how descendants of a generation will remedy the mistakes, regrets, or failures of their predecessors has always been so engaging to me. While Genealogy's latter half isn't nearly as narratively complex as the former half, it's story about the next generation of heroes is among one of my favorites for this trope. Ily Seliph.
Presentation also goes a long way, of course. Every music track in the game adds to the atmosphere so heavily, it’s easily one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard on the Super Famicom. Some tracks were so masterfully composed I nearly shed tears, I couldn’t believe how well it played me especially when I can rarely cry at soundtracks anymore. The graphics can be hit or miss, especially with the character portraits, but the maps and environments are top notch. I could really look at them for so long.
I think that’s pretty much all I could think of to say about Genealogy of the Holy War. As a game… it’s a mess. Possibly even objectively bad. But as a story, a piece of artistry… it’s an undeniable masterpiece. It’s certainly not for everyone, I’m aware, but it is worth experiencing in full at LEAST once. Not my favorite Fire Emblem because of the gameplay, but definitely the best narrative and cast of characters in my eyes.
Also ever notice how so many of the people who say this game sucks (or other classic FE games for that matter) are Three Houses fans or have Three Houses pfps? curious ….