Customer Reviews

Suikoden

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Suikoden is my favorite game for Playstation. It's easy to play, but is a very in-depth RPG. You get to meet tons of characters, and put them in different fighting "groups" depending how well they get along and how tough they are. You get to build your own castle! You fight big scale wars and small scale, traditional battles. The story moves really fast, and is really engaging. You will be heart-broken whenever one of your "friends" dies. The story gets you THAT involved.

And all of the drudgery of some RPGs has been taken out. Random encounters are made faster and less tedious, shopping for items is simpler and more straight forward. I tell you, they thought of everything when they made this game! The characters even walk really quickly so you don't have to run everywhere you go.

I've now played Suikoden II, and I really love that one as well. But there's something about this first one - I don't know. If you're one of those people who always has to get the latest version, I think you should change your ways in this case. The second one's great, but there's nothing else quite like this first one. In fact, I'm sort of jealous of people who have never played it, because they get to start from the beginning without knowing what's going to happen!

And one more thing. The ending is great. It's not one of these, "let's just roll the credits" kind of endings. They make up a little story about what happened to every single person you met. The ending takes a long time, and is really rewarding. As soon as you're done, you'll want to start all over again by buying part two!

Okay, the graphics are pretty old school. Not much better than SNES quality, you might think. But forget about them. Play the game...

I won't spoil the story (and you've got that big review up top to read if you want to know) as one of the major parts of any RPG is the plot. And while the translation isn't great - typos abound - the story works well. It stays interesting towards the end and I did start to care about some of the characters.

There are three types of battle - group, major and solo - which offers some welcome variety. Group is your standard party vs monsters battle. If you've played any Final Fantasy games you'll be right at home. Solo and major battles aren't far off being rock-paper-scissors, but they're still fun.

People have complained that Suikoden is too short. Personally, I thought it was just right. Took me about sixteen hours to get through - and I didn't find all of of the 108 characters by any means. I can't spend hours and hours playing a game each day, so Suikoden lasted me a couple of weeks. Long enough not to feel cheated, but not so long that I lost interest.

All in all, this is a very decent RPG and you can't go wrong at a budget price. If this were a more expensive game, it'd get four stars. But at half that price then it's a real five star game.

If you don't like old-school then this probably is not the game for you. The graphics in this game are not awful, I mind you, but they are certainly not what makes this title so great. So if your looking for hi-tech FMV that will make you drool, then stop reading this review and check out one of the newer titles. Now for you true RPG fans who stuck around after that warning, I commend you. This is a story based game. The story is powerful and it hits hard. Basically you lead an rebel army against the evil king. Now I know what your thinkin' "that's been done, how does that cliche story become powerful?". I understand but you've gotta trust me, this story is no cliche. Your gonna remember it when you finish, I guarantee it. Also featured in this game is an unique recruiting feature. As you progress in the game the need to build your army becomes greater, therefore you meet people along the way and are opted to recruit them. As they are recruited, they all add to your castle. It ain't easy though because they all want something. I still haven't gotten everybody. The only problem with this game is its length. Even an unexperianced RPer (who stuck around after the warning) should finish it in under 30 hours. That is of course, if you decide not to recruit everybody (which is an entirely optional quest). If you don't mind a game that looks like your playing Super Nintendo,but are lookin for a great story,then my friend, your game library is not complete without Suikoden.

Suikoden's chief appeal comes from its behemoth cast of 108 playable characters, some of whom join you for no reason whatsoever, some of whom you need to mollify with special items, or impress by other means, and most of whom have no semblance of any personality. There, I said it. By combining different character in special formations, you can also stumble upon combination attacks, but there are so many possible formations that this task is well beyond daunting.

Combat is a standard six-character front-and-back row affair, completely turn-based. Most magic spells and abilities are rune-based, while most runes can be bought en masse and assigned to virtually any character. This simple, functional arrangment makes for interesting strategies and fun boss battles, but during the frequent random encounters the routine of selecting "Attack" six times in a row can drive the player up a wall.

The graphics, music, and plot bridge the gap between the elegant simplicity of the 16-bit era RPGs and the complicated, flashy RPGs for the current-generation consoles. The music is very memorable. Although the graphics can become pixelated in combat, they allow the game to move at a fairly quick pace. The plot is nicely done, with your army of 108 characters staging a revolution to depose the tyrannical government. Luckily, the all-too-cliche supervillain doesn't become overly obvious until the last few parts of the plot.

Suikoden is a fine example of early Playstation RPGs, perhaps even one of the best. If you don't care too much for constant change and innovation, Suikoden just might fit your bill.

This game is the best. Have you ever sat down to read a really good book? You can't tear yourself away? That is exactly what this is like! It doesn't matter that the game has super nintendo graphics. SOme of the best RPGS ever were on super nintendo. This RPG has one of the best story lines. After playing this game you will see what I mean. Then, when you finish the game and want more, try playing the second!

Suikoden is an RPG similar in style to older RPGs like Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Wild Arms. There are no fancy cinematics, no complex subplots, and rarely as challenging as the newer, full-scale RPGs. But this does not deplete the value of the game, considering it was made in 1996, before FFVII and Chrono Cross ever crossed the PSX radar.

You are the son of a famous general who, on a quest for the empire, stumbles onto a renegade army of outlaws, called the Liberation Army, a group of people who seek to overthrow the empire. You, inevitably, get caught up in their cause. Where Suikoden differs from other RPGs is the diverse selection of fighters you can choose from, 108 intotal. Each character has various abilities and attributes, and can help in different ways. Finding all 108 characters helps give Suikoden some decent replay value. Unlike Final Fantasy VII, which spans 3 CDs, Suikoden only spans one, so don't expect the 100+ hours of game time.

Graphically, this is nothin to get too excited about. The typical top-scrolling view you expect from old-school RPGs is here. As said before, there are no cinematics, so anyone expecting FFX material are lout of luck. Being someone who loves old-school RPGs, this is a pro rather than a con. The music is nice and atmospheric, and blends in nicely with the game.

Overall, this is a fine, albeit short, little RPG. All the elements that make RPGs great are here. The only complain I have is that there are times when the game seems too easy. Otherwise, I am happy with Suikoden and would recommend it to any RPG lover.

I remember getting this game when it came out. I didn't hear anything about it but my mom was willing to buy me anything. I'm glad she bought it for me.

This game is truly epic. The music is awesome. It's no par with FF7's music. It truly is some of the best. The battles are great. There are normal ones which are fun. You get to use 6 characters. Your party is up to you. Over the game you get 108 different characters, of which 2/3rds are playable in battle. There are also duels. Duels are fun. Wars are awesome in this game. There is alot going on. The graphics are well done. For a 2d game. There are tons of different good looking sprites. The story is also magnificent. My favorite story ever. You come to love the characters. The game also ends perfectly. It is a tear-jerker. Right after the final battle I may have teared a little. The game is fun though. If you see it buy it. The game is well worth it because it is my favorite game of all time. It beat out MGS on my list, so it's good.

Suikoden is the best RPG ever made, The story is so fantastic that i almost cried the first time i played it. The music is GREAT,i don't think i ever heard something better on playstation! The charecters is FORMIDABLE and you will think of them a long time after you have turn off the playstation. there is nothing bad whit suikoden,nothing! i just love it...and the same will you do if you just like RPGs a little bit.

I hate to let everyone know just how old I am. let's just say I once owned a "new" Coleco-vision system. (now that was state of the art technology). Anyhow...being an older gameplayer, and having played everything from Final Fantasy (no number behind it..I'm talking the original) to FF VIII (give or take an I), I can appreciate the "old school" RPG play of Suikoden. Like it's been said a few times in other reviews, don't expect the FF cinematics or breath taking graphics. but do expect a real fun game that will draw you in and eat away those hours before you know it. I bought this game along with 2 other RPGs and Suikoden ended up in my system almost permanently. My wife watched for awhile before she got involved in the game. (she tries to weasel her way in and play time to time.) My favorite part is the meeting and recruiting of the 108 people you meet throughout the game. Your little hole-in-the-wall castle at the beginning slowly builds into a huge fortress in no time. (one hint: recruit EVERYONE you meet, even gardeners and chefs and others who wouldn't be very useful in a battle.). The storyline is very good and will keep you saying: "well maybe just one more hour of playing..then bed!" I have Suikoden II on my wish list now.

This game has every thing an RPG should, and then some! Even though its graphics are a little old, it still rules. Besides what matters is the story, right. And what a story it is. Collecting all 108 Members for your army adds huge amounts to the replay value, since you're sure to miss two or three the first time around.