Gemfire

"Crack wishes it was this addictive. Too bad nobody's heard of it."

If I could say one thing to the developers at KOEI, it would be, "Give me back my childhood."

The company famous for the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series released this complete financial flop well over a decade ago. One thing is for certain about Gemfire though. Though its fans are few, they all love and respect the game.

Why did this game become a forgotten note in time? Probably because the concept of a strategy game was foreign and uninteresting to Western players back then. In a sense, the game was way ahead of its time.

The overall concept of Gemfire is that it's a strategy game set in a medieval fantasy place, much akin to early Final Fantasy games or what have you. The gameplay exists on two levels, nation-building and turn-based battles. The not-too-complex gameplay lacks a lot of pure action, but it's very addictive, very rewarding, and non-linear.

The game starts with us discovering the point behind Gemfire. The island country of Ishmeria is ruled by a king, Eselred. The symbol of his power is a crown which houses seven Gems. Each Gem contains a supernatural guardian, and collectively, the crown is known as Gemfire. One day, the king's daughter breaks the Gems off the crown and they scatter across the land. Each Gem selects a lord they feel can overthrow the king and bring prosperity back to Ishmeria. The king retains the most powerful Gem guardian, the Dragon, and locks his daughter in the dungeon. This all sets in motion a seven-way war for country of Ishmeria and the chance to reunite the pieces of Gemfire.

The game's starting point can be in one of four different scenarios, all set on a progressive timeline. Within each scenario, the player can choose one of four families to represent themselves. This gives no less than 16 ways to play and beat the game, adding immensely to the replay value.

Choosing at what point in time to jump into the story adds a sense of open-endedness to the feel of the game. The winner of the war is not pre-determined. It's up to you to see how the story plays out.

Gameplay - 9/10

Political and military warfare is addictive. You have to decide how to spend your resources each turn, who and where to attack, manage diplomatic and domestic situations, hire soldiers and units, and do many more things I won't mention. There are so many little things you can do to make the game different every time, even ways to set up scenarios, banish rulers, and just plain manipulate the game once you've mastered it.

The battles are fun. Mainly, you win by either destroying the other side's units, capturing their "flag," or making them run out of food. Of course, there isn't a set number of troops to take into battle, and your army only makes up four of the five units on a "team." You can use the Gem guardians you acquire as a 5th unit in battle, adding to the purpose of collecting them by beating other families and taking their land. If not a gem Guardian, you can also hire a very wide array of 5th units like orks, bug bears, or my favorite, wyverns.

Battle plays out on a grid, and strategy comes in mostly positioning units and not leaving sides exposed. Hits to the side do more than the front, and hits to the back do more than the side.

By the time you have conquered half the map, you *will* feel like a military mastermind.

Graphics - 6/10

The graphics are nothing to write home about. On the plus side, there's a lot of color, and the character portraits look very nice and detailed. The animation in battle, or anywhere, is somewhat limited though. The appearance as a whole is perhaps not as much of a step up from the NES version as it should be, but nothing here is offensive, and it doesn't get in the way of enjoying the game at all.

Sound - 8/10

Honestly, I've played this game countless times over the years. Most games I play this much, I eventually put the TV on mute and turn up the stereo because I get sick of the music before long. That has yet to happen with this game. The music in Gemfire, while not trying to be a masterpiece, always fits the mood of the game perfectly, and is a little catchy too.

Controls - 8/10

The controls are perfectly responsive. This being a turn-based game, dexterity isn't a problem anyway. Many of the commands are somewhat non-intuitive for a first-time player though. It takes a bit of experience to remember what everything does. Once you do get the hang of all the commands though, it becomes second nature.

Replay Factor - 10/10

You cannot play Gemfire just once. It's like a Lay's potato chip. I understand the game may not be for everyone, but for fans of turn-based strategy, once you beat this game, you'll probably turn right around and start a new game.

Considering how forgotten this game is, considering how mediocre the graphics are, I really cannot understand then why I've played it so many times. Every time you play, you can discover new little game mechanics quirks, new challenges, new approaches to winning.

Overall - 10/10

I think there are maybe 20 English-speaking fans of Gemfire out there, and I've probably interacted with most of them. It's not a big fanbase. However, of those people who like old school strategy, and who play Gemfire, it's almost always a positive experience.

The game is not everything you will ever need in a game. It's not overblown, and it's not trying to be a blockbuster. But for what it is, it has tremendous charm. What it tries to accomplish, it does so with flying colors. That charm is almost intangible, because the game is somehow more entertaining than the sum of its simple parts. It's all too easy to get sucked into the world of Ishmeria and time after time join the struggle with your vassals and your armies to unite the land and the crown.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/05, Updated 11/20/06