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GRAPHICS: C- (7.25) Graphics were never the most important part of an RPG, and following that tradition, Suikoden arose. Before the arrival of the Final Fantasy series on the PlayStation, Suikoden was hailed "Perhaps the greatest RPG ever" and to this day, it remains only beaten by Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation. It's really that good. During the game, the graphics are slightly better than SNES graphics, which is quite odd after seeing a masterpiece such as FFVII being run on the same 32-bit system. The battles are some of the best I've seen yet. The battle backgrounds are made of polygons, so all kinds of camera effects take place. The characters are still 2-D sprites during battle, so when the camera zooms in too close, they can get pretty pixely, but it's not enough to annoy you. Magical spells are nowhere near as good as FFVII's but they are still quite good, and better than most other PlayStation RPGs, so for the most part, battles don't get boring (although they still occur randomly and can annoy you when you're trying to get somewhere). The three different kinds of battles (that's right, there's three different kinds in Suikoden) are one-on-one, which are the least common and occur between two characters that somehow have a vendetta against one another. The second is army vs. army, which happen often but aren't the most common, and take place between the two opposing armies, the Empire and the rebellious Liberation Army in a large epic battle. And finally, the standard party vs. party battles that all RPGs have, though a bit faster, are found here as well. The graphics in Suikoden certainly won't amaze you, and actually, at first they are a bit of a turn-off. The graphics during the game are completely 2-D, with not a single polygon... A rare thing to see nowadays on the PlayStation. The characters don't have very much animation for walking, and running is done with the same frames only faster, summing up for a really weird effect. The world map is, I have to say, the worst I've ever seen (I haven't seen THAT many though). The character is really small and detail is almost none-existent. The graphics in this game certainly don't suck, but let's just leave it at that.
SOUND/MUSIC: A+ (10) Depending on what you find more important, music or gameplay, this may be the best aspect in Suikoden for you, because the music is awesome. It's composed of high instrumentation and sounds like authentic classical and new age music. Perhaps the best match for this great soundtrack would be the classic Final Fantasy III, still among my favorite RPGs. Sometimes you'll even want to go back to places already visited just to hear that particular music. Click on music above for a few downloads. The sound is the standard RPG fair during the game, but the battle sounds are very good, and some magic spells actually affect the music. I hope the sequel lives up to this game's sound/music quality. GAMEPLAY: A+ (10) This is one of the most involving RPGs I've ever played, virtually demanding you to play again and again. The storyline is engrossing and captivating with its many twists and turns, and the way the story and gameplay develop is like non ever seen before. You start out as the son of a great Imperial general, Teo McDohl, assigned a series of errands by a commander designated to you during your father's departure. It is under his orders that you realize what the Empire is really all about, and after an unfortunate event, decide to form a new Liberation Army. To overtake the evil Empire, it's your job to recruit any and all helpful characters you meet around the world, be it cooks, inventors, strategists, fighters, or just about any other profession. You must also create a castle and raise up armies to battle your adversary. Each of the 108 or so characters you get to recruit have a particular personality, and have their good and bad sides, so every character is different and you sort of grow an emotional attachment to them. So basically, the game consists of travelling around the world trying to find and recruit anyone you see to the Liberation Army, plus everything else that's involved in an RPG. All this with superb story-developing writing and excellent movie-quality music. Everything related to gameplay is simple to understand and done with much care. All menues are easy to navigate, the text is easy to read and walking and talking around the world doesn't require a genious to do. Earlier I mentioned that the battles are faster, this is because many characters can attack at the same time on both sides, so the battles are fast-paced and exciting. Army vs. army battles are very cool. You select your attack from Bow (where you shoot arrows a la Braveheart), Charge (self-explanatory, also like Braveheart), Magic (magicians use magic spells against opposing army), and Other (in which you can try to convince members of opposing army to turn traitor, View the opposing army's next strategy, etc.). Most army vs. army battles take place for an important or plot-twisting event in the storyline, and are among the highlights of the game.
FUN AND REPLAY VALUE: B (8.75) Suikoden is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that wraps you into its world with its excellent storytelling. Though it is a typical RPG, it has so many new features that aren't even in the newer RPGs that it stands out as one of the better ones. It is relatively long and challenging, therefore you'll spend many hours entertained with this title, and you may even want to re-play it to recruit people you missed the first time around. I'm already on my second go at it and it still feels new. WORTH BUYING: YES Go out right now and spend those few measly bucks to have one of the best RPGs ever. It's well worth its price. OVERALL: A (9.75) Suikoden is a worthy title for ownership and ranks among my favorite RPGs ever. Konami is rapidly becoming one of my favorite game companies, what with Metal Gear Solid, Vandal Hearts, Castlevania: SOTN, and this. If you ask me, I can't wait 'til the sequel. To order Suikoden, click
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