Suikoden IV

by Konami

Product Features

• Explore a vast ocean environment by ship, in a beautifully detailed 3D game world
• Multiple battles with different tactics - Dynamic sea-based strategy battles, one-on-one combat and four-person team fights
• Discover the 108 Stars of Destiny on your adventure

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002SQ0AY
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: January 12, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,181 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #86 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Adventure
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Game Informer Review

Any game featuring a hero with an extreme bowl cut is going to have to try a little bit harder to endear itself to the gaming community. Fortunately, with outstanding gameplay trumping its predecessor and a plot to rival today's global power struggles, Suikoden IV covers more than enough ground to compensate for the fashion follies of its nameless hero ("Buster" in my playthrough. Try it. It works). From the little touches like dilated pupils and oddly satisfying death animations to the grand world-enveloping storyline, Suikoden IV is a unique and gratifying RPG experience for gamers seeking something a little different.

As fans of the series have come to expect, the battle system for Suikoden IV has been entirely reworked. Though characters can still perform combo attacks with each other, the pairing system from the previous game has been scrapped in favor of a more traditional four-person lineup, with each warrior acting individually. To give the combat a little more variation, you'll occasionally have fights that depart drastically from the standard form: Ship battles have you firing your rune cannons across a grid-based battlefield, and the one-on-one duels (think "Rock, Paper, Scissors," but with swords) make a return. Though these additional combat styles are simplistic, they are still great fun, and a welcome deviation from the normal pattern.

With the numerous entertaining battles and engaging story, part of me wants to wholeheartedly recommend Suikoden IV, but it gets hamstrung in a couple of important places. First of all, with the advent of recorded dialogue, the whole "silent hero" concept has ceased to be endearing, and instead makes every story point surrounding him awkward. The supporting cast typically won't even do the "What was that? You want us to attack?" work-around, which renders your main hero a strangely mute non-presence in the events determining his fate.

Perhaps the biggest detriment to Suikoden IV can best be characterized by Milhouse Van Houten's immortal utterance: "When are they going to get to the fireworks factory?" There are always exciting events just looming on the horizon, but many require bouts of oceanic exploration before they unfold. Here's the problem: your ship moves like a landmass with sails, and random encounters spring up every five seconds or so. This means that every time you need to go exploring, the game is artificially extended by about 45 minutes because of the inordinate amount of time it takes to traverse even a small expanse of the ocean.

Fortunately, between these bouts of tedium (which aren't a constant problem), the story progresses at a respectable clip, with plenty of revelations and a steady influx of new members to keep your party interesting. Add to that several moments in the story that will leave you staring at your screen slack-jawed in awe, and you have an outstanding adventure that rewards you well for your perseverance. Wisely borrowing elements from classics like Final Fantasy X and Chrono Cross, at its best moments Suikoden IV sits right up there with the most outstanding RPGs ever created.

Concept:
Another 108 Stars of Destiny are in desperate need of rallying. Get crackin'!

Graphics:
Crisp, colorful visuals (especially running in 480p) and a stunning oceanic setting puts this entry leagues ahead of its predecessors

Sound:
The score is beautiful, and the addition of voice acting (except for the silent hero) breathes life into the world

Playability:
The new battle system is fast and fun, but controlling your ship is like driving a soggy sweater

Entertainment:
When it's good, it's amazing. When it's bad, it utterly stifles the urge to continue playing

Moderate

Rated: 8.5 out of 10
Editor: Joe Juba
Issue: February 2005

2nd Opinion:
While not as emotionally charged as the triptych tale of its predecessor, Suikoden IV's story lures you in with uncertainty and the sinking feeling that a terrible fate will befall your character and the world. The inclusion of excellent spoken dialogue helps flesh out the characters, but for some reason, Konami opted to keep the lead character silent. This absolutely drove me nuts. People are conversing with him, why is he just standing there? Your main character may seem like a ghost at times, but Konami did a tremendous job with the supporting cast. Combat has also improved dramatically, and thankfully, Konami has ditched the horrendous teammate system from the previous iteration. I love how the Rune of Punishment has a backlash, and combo attacks are always fun to watch. Ship battles are a bit simple, yet are a nice addition, and nothing beats questing for all 108 of the Stars of Destiny. Once again, Konami has crafted one of the finest RPGs to date. Don't miss it.

Rated: 8.75 out of 10
Editor: Andrew Reiner


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Product Description

Suikoden IV brings the popular role-playing adventure back to complete the story of the first games. This game begins 150 years prior to the original Suikoden, with a young knight in service to the Gaien navy. When he comes into contact with the cursed Rune of Punishment, he's banished from his country -- and his adventure begins.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Did You Ever Wonder Where the Wonder Went?, January 22, 2005

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Suikoden IV (Video Game)

I had very high hopes for Suikoden IV. Suikoden III was one of the first games I bought when I shifted to console games from the world of the PC. I liked it very much on the first play, when I didn't have much to judge it by, and in a recent replay, I found it still provided a rich experience, despite some problems that I now recognize as flaws.

Suikoden IV is a return to an earlier time than Suikoden III. To be honest, it is also a return to an older style of game. For all its graphics and animation, this latest effort plays like a lot like a PSOne game. One where they kept some of the flaws in Suikoden III and threw out some of the things, which gave that, game its special charm. The only really new feature in this game is that is mostly a sailing based RPG, with a ship-to-ship strategy conflict element as well.

Unfortunately, both sea and land experiences are slow-paced and battle-ridden. Until late in the game, your normal playing experience will be combat every 20 seconds. And until you are well into the game you not only walk or sail everywhere, but you go very slowly. There aren't a lot of opponent types in this game, so leveling up can become excruciatingly boring. Not hard, mind you, just tedious. If you've played other Suikoden games you will remember that you have to worry about not four, but 108 possible team members.

The story is straightforward. Two boys are raised and become knights together. One (the hero) excels at his tasks. The other, Snowe, has the benefit of rank and privilege, but falls short in skill and courage. The relationship becomes strained, there is a falling out, and a suspicious incident in battle results in you (of course you're the hero) and a few friend exiled from the knights and determined to prove your innocence.

The real culprit is the Kooluk Empire, which has decided to spread its power into the ocean kingdoms. Rune technology has reached the point of creating cannons capable of destroying whole cities, and the hero's only strength is the Rune of Punishment, which has great power, but inevitably destroys its wielder. The flow of the game is pure Suikoden - establish a headquarters, enlist supporters and fight, fight, and fight,

Other than the excessive and tedious fighting, the game's greatest weakness is poor character definition. Suikoden III, offered three different key players, all with strong personalities and stories. With little effort, you could make the game into something meaningful to you as a person. Suikoden IV is a fill in the dots story with an almost generic hero, one who is supposed to be you, but who never speaks aloud, never has a line longer than 5 words, and manages to develop no close ties with other characters. There are third person shooters with more compelling characters.

The game starts out shakily, gradually builds momentum, but never reaches the heights of its predecessors. For all that it covers an entire ocean, it really isn't a large game. Subquests and mini-games are lightweight - my favorite was the fishing game, which is an interesting way to spend some non-productive time. The game plays out shorter than Suikoden III and competitors like the Final Fantasy series. To be honest, I'm not sure if that is a bad thing or a good thing.

This is an acceptable game, but not one that will leave much of an afterglow. Since RPG's of any magnitude are rare, many of us will play it eventually. And as long as you don't expect something that sets the bar higher you will be passably entertained. However, I recommend you wait until the price comes down a bit.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, But I Have Mixed Emotions, February 12, 2005

By 

Mark J. Kretzschmar "collegemk" (Out There) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Suikoden IV (Video Game)

Well, I just beat Suikoden 4 without getting all 108 characters and I thought I would write a review. I have all the other Suikodens and I enjoyed them (especially 2), but for some reason no one likes to read my reviews. Oh well.
So Suikoden 4 takes place about two centuries before Suikoden 1. If the gamer is expecting to see many returning faces, they will be disappointed. Needless to say, the game starts off rather slow. Give it about 2-3 hours, and you will be hooked. Unfortunately, there is never really any reason why there is a war like in the other three games. Instead, events seem to just happen and the characters react. The action is pretty one-sided for the most part. While you collect your 108 characters, the enemy doesn't seem to attack and the ball is always in your court. I will list a few pros for this game as well as a few cons.

Pros
1. The graphics look very nice. They are a step about Suikoden III.
2. The voices don't really kill the mood. For the most part, they are all well-acted for an rpg.
3. Magic is easier to cast in this game than in 3.
4. Some of the characters are great and will probably grow on you.
5. For the most part, the music is nice. Sure a few songs are crappy, but the soundtrack fits the game well. There are times when I would prefer to listen to Iron Maiden, but the music for this rpg will do.
6. There are many sidequests to look out for.


Cons
1. While many characters are entertaining, some lack depth and are just there to fill in space. I didn't really feel any emotions towards many of them. Furthermore, the conflicts each main character has don't really make much sense and the audience is left wondering what the hell is going on.
2. The naval battles get old after a while. The last battle is a piece of cake if your fighters are at least at level 41 or so. I don't think Konami really thought this through.
3. Speaking of the sea, getting too close to islands will knock your ship off course. It gets annoying after a while.
4. There are too many random encounters in the game and the enemies don't really drop enough money. The equipment in this game is quite expensive and without money, it is definitely hard to stock up for your characters.
5. I will not spoil it (there is another one, though), but the ending is lacking. It leaves you wondering what this has to do with the 25-30 hours you put into this game. The other three Suikodens tied everything together at their ends, but this one does not.
6. Beginning=slow. Middle=drawn-out, one-sided, but interesting. Ending=disappointing.


Well, these comments are all I have to say about Suikoden 4. I did enjoy this game (even though it sounds like I hated it), but it certainly is lacking in depth compared to its predecessors. I would recommend picking it up because like the other games, it will soon be gone I imagine. On a completely awkward final note, Konami should hire me to write the script for Suikoden 5- I could probably do a better job making a story with awesome characters and gameplay.

Peace Out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat of a letdown, January 21, 2005

By 

Isackson "Reader/Gamer" (WA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Suikoden IV (Video Game)

Okay so i've finished the game and let me tell you i'm pretty damn unimpressed with a few aspects of the game.

Most importantly and my major complaint is while the game had plenty of story potential it fell VERY flat at the end. About 22 hours into the game i had trouble fighting a boss so i grabbed up a copy of the strategy guide to get some pointers and guess what - that boss was the final boss? Yep you heard me - this game is incredibly and frustratingly short. After spending a couple more hours leveling up i beat the game with about 90 of the 108 stars of destiny.

While all the fundimentals i loved from the previous games were all there and i really loved my entire experience. (however short it was) The bad ending (it was almost as if the game was released unfinished) costs this latest chapter of Suikoden major points in my mind.

If you haven't played Suikoden III yet get a copy and ignore this one unless you're already a fan and can get over the fact that it is so short and unmeaningful plotwise.