Suikoden

Breakdown

The general idea of Suikoden is this: You are a young man, the son of General Teo McDohl, a great general of the Scarlet Moon Empire. After your father leaves north, through certain events you become a rebel, and eventually join the Liberation Army in hopes of defeating the cruel and unjust empire. The story is wonderful, and everything is
explained in detail.

Graphics: Personally, I like them. I prefer them over polygons any day. They are smooth graphics, especially for being made in 1996. They are more cartoonish, yet serious enough to make the game more respectable. They are not as good as those as in Breath of Fire 3, but they are not bad.

Music: The music in Suikoden is superb. It rivals that of Final Fantasy 6, which wasconsidered the video game with the best music. It fits every situation perfectly, and it often sends chills along your spine, especially in sad events, such as the death of main characters. The HeadQuarters Music is another wonderful piece, that changes when you
get half of the characters.

Length: Suikoden is a little short for an RPG, but not too bad. If you look for all the characters, without knowing where to look, then it will probably take about 25 hours to beat.....the first time. After that, it will take more like 12 hours, sometimes less. It could have been a bit longer, but it’s not too short.

Plot: The story in Suikoden is one of the best, if not the best, I have ever seen in an RPG. It makes you smile, laugh, and even cry. Events are perfectly planned, and make you feel as though you were a part of them. The story flows smoothly between events, and doesn’t have any pointless parts where you go on a quest for no reason at all. All events have a
point.

Characters: Another high point in Suikoden. In this game, you can get up to 109 (including the hero and Sanchez), which is an immensely large amount compared to the average 8 or so in most RPG’s. (Yeah, 100 extra is more than a LITTLE better, hehehe.) While the characters that join you don’t all have an important purpose, they are all helpful. Also, all of the important characters are well described well.

Fun Factor: This is a 10. It is my personal favorite RPG, and for one main reason: It’s a fun game! The battles are fun, the rune system is nice, and the story will hold your interest the whole way through, and beyond (hint hint Konami, Hurry up and finish Suikoden 2!) None of the dungeons, caves, etc. are so long that you want to shut to game off either, but they still offer a fun time while traveling through them.

Replay Value: This is another 10. The quest to find all of the 108 Stars of Destiny will keep you playing again and again. And even after you find them all (which some people do the first time through) you will still want to play it through again. It’s a game you won’t soon put in storage.

Other Highpoints: This game has a few unique factors that make it stand out. Since you command an army, there are three types of battles: Traditional RPG Battles, Army vs. Army battles, and One-On-One Battles between you and a general of the opposite army. It is very unique.
Also, about 3 or so hours into the game, you get to take control over an abandoned castle, and make it the Liberation Army’s new Headquarters. You can recruit people to work for you here, such as Shop Owners and Gamblers (hehehe). It’s an awesome feature.
Warning, big spoiler: At one point in the game, one of your recruits must die....a very important person in the game. But, if you are able to collect the remaining 107 Stars of Destiny before a certain point close to the end of the game, he/she will be revived! It’s nothing new, but it’s still cool.

Problems: There are not enough One-On-One and maybe ever army battles in Suikoden. All together, there are three one-on-one battles, leaving you yearning for more, which you won’t get. Also, the game is too short and too easy. None of this is terribly affecting the game though, they are just minor flaws.

All in all, Suikoden is an excellent game. If you are an RPG fan and don’t have it, I pity you. So what are you waiting for? Go out and rent (or buy) one of the best, if not the best, RPG’s ever made.

Wandering Prophet's Reviews
Suikoden Reviews


This Page © Copyright 1997, Brian Work. All rights reserved. Thanks to Sax for his help with the layout. Do not take anything from this page without my consent. If you wish to contact an author, artist, reviewer, or any other contributor to the site, their email address can be found on their index page. This site is link-free, meaning you don't need to ask me if you'd like to link to it. Best viewed in 1024x768.