Kain-Nosgoth
Member
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Gameplay wise, the huge maps really make you feel like a tactician. It makes maneuvering your troop as important as actually engaging in combat -- just like real world wars. The process of sacking one city after another offers a sense of continuity, it makes a war feel like a dynamic flow, not an aggregation of static segments.
Story wise, it's the best story in the series hands down. The plot line is bold even in today's standard. Chapter 5 is unexpected, but totally reasonable. As a classic revenge story, the game successfully carries the weight of it, it never feels cheesy. The characters are drawn in broad brush, but they really stick with you, especially the villains. Alvis and Trabant share the title of best villain of the series. More impressively, each of them has less than ten lines. The writing is a beauty of its time (depends on the translator). You don't see this classic play writing style often in videogames (latest example is probably Odin Sphere).
same here, you said it all! Really challenging with a good story that doesn't think your dumb! When you see the story of fate in comparison, it's hard not to scream! (even though i love the gameplay)