Gather the 108 Stars of Destiny . . .
Throughout the years, I've heard quite a few people mention the Suikoden series, and it's excellence. Actually, I've only really heard them discussing Suikoden II, with nary a word spoken about the other games in the series. Seeing how a copy of Suikoden II will run you between $50-$100 on ebay, and I purchased my copy of the original Suikoden from SEARS for 10 bucks, I'd have to say I'll stick to the original.
Any fan of Japanese developed Role-Playing games will immediately feel familiar with Suikoden. You play as a brash young warrior with something to prove, serving an Empire, which you eventually learn is corrupt and generally not very pleasant. So you set out, wandering the world, fighting random battles, gaining XP and cash-monies which you shall put towards better gear, so that you may fight more difficult random battles, etc. It's pretty standard stuff, and if that style of game appeals to you, then you should be happy with the way this game is executed.
The big drawing point of Suikoden is the legend of the 108 stars of destiny, which is based on some ancient Chinese story or some-such. What this means in the game is that there are 108 characters out and about in the world, and it's your job to find them and convince them to join your resistance. This ranges from characters that are part of the plot and are automatically recruited, to obscure ones hiding out there behind bushes and shit, that no-man would stumble upon without game-faqs. It isn't necessary to find all 108 to complete the game, however, the more you find the more pimp your castle gets. so it is well worth seeking them out.
While you might not want to put every individual you recruit in your active fighting party (trust me, that random farmer with a rake planting turnips is not as useful as a battle-hardened warrior who can engulf enemies in balls of flame,) they still find ways to be helpful around your castle. For instance, they build elevators to help you get up and down floors quicker, run shops and inns, and even let you gamble. The drawback to such a large character pool is that all but a few select story characters fall victim to Chrono Cross Syndrome. This means that in the few minutes before you recruit them, they have strong opinions to express, and rich, detailed lives to lead. But as soon as you get them back to the castle, they are content to stand in one room by themselves not speaking out for the rest of their days.
Any fan of Japanese developed Role-Playing games will immediately feel familiar with Suikoden. You play as a brash young warrior with something to prove, serving an Empire, which you eventually learn is corrupt and generally not very pleasant. So you set out, wandering the world, fighting random battles, gaining XP and cash-monies which you shall put towards better gear, so that you may fight more difficult random battles, etc. It's pretty standard stuff, and if that style of game appeals to you, then you should be happy with the way this game is executed.
The big drawing point of Suikoden is the legend of the 108 stars of destiny, which is based on some ancient Chinese story or some-such. What this means in the game is that there are 108 characters out and about in the world, and it's your job to find them and convince them to join your resistance. This ranges from characters that are part of the plot and are automatically recruited, to obscure ones hiding out there behind bushes and shit, that no-man would stumble upon without game-faqs. It isn't necessary to find all 108 to complete the game, however, the more you find the more pimp your castle gets. so it is well worth seeking them out.
While you might not want to put every individual you recruit in your active fighting party (trust me, that random farmer with a rake planting turnips is not as useful as a battle-hardened warrior who can engulf enemies in balls of flame,) they still find ways to be helpful around your castle. For instance, they build elevators to help you get up and down floors quicker, run shops and inns, and even let you gamble. The drawback to such a large character pool is that all but a few select story characters fall victim to Chrono Cross Syndrome. This means that in the few minutes before you recruit them, they have strong opinions to express, and rich, detailed lives to lead. But as soon as you get them back to the castle, they are content to stand in one room by themselves not speaking out for the rest of their days.
Another cool feature of Suikoden are the different types of battles. Throughout the game, you will find yourself pitted in one on one duels. These play out like rock-paper-scissors affairs, and you must carefully read each of your opponent's moves to respond correctly if you hope to survive. Also spread throughout the game are large scale army battles, in which your Liberation Army must wipe out the imperial forces, in order to gain entry and take down the leaders within. These also follow a rock-paper-scissors scheme, but once you start recruiting special units like Strategist and Ninjas, it can tip the scales in your favor.
Overall, Suikoden isn't a bad game, considering how early it came out in the original playstation's lifespan. It deals well with the limitations of the system, with some cool 3-D in battles effects and nice sprite-based graphics. The music is catchy too, with both up-beat battle themes, and slower tunes during dramatic plot moments. Overall, I'd say it's worth playing through, especially for only 10 bucks.
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