Video Game Review - Suikoden (1996 - Sony Playstation)

My first experience with a role-playing game (RPG) was by watching my buddy Kodi play a game called Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo. I then had my own experience with a little-known game called Shining Force II on the Sega Genesis. When my brother and I got our hands on a PlayStation amidst the buzz of Final Fantasy VII, we just played normal stuff. I didn't even know that this game existed until I noticed it at Blockbuster Video. Reading the back I found out that this game had 108 playable characters, featured dragons and plenty of adventu--
WHAT THE HELL?? ONE HUNDRED EIGHT CHARACTERS?
UNBELIEVABLE!!!

You're damn right that sold me. Let's do the math:

• Chrono Trigger allowed you to control a mix of any 3 recruited/joined characters in battle out of a possible 7 recruitable characters total.(42.8% of all characters in battle at any given combat)
• Shining Force II allowed you to control a mix of any 12 recruited/joined characters in battle out of a possible 30 recruitable characters total.(40%)
• Genso Suikoden allows you to control 6 recruited/joined characters in battle out of a possible 81 available for battle out of 108 recruitable characters total (7.4 percent)

And with that, I rented it and I haven't stopped playing the Suikoden series since.  For those that aren't into Suikoden as much as I am, please take note of the story. From what I understand, this game is loosely based on the story "The Water Margin" about 108 honorable bandits who lived in the 12th Century that fought for the rights of the people and against corrupt officials. It was written in 14th Century China and made popular in the Edo Period of 19th Century Japan. This story was translated into the digital medium to relfect a story that works like this:
You're the hero, a privileged son of a general in the kingdom of Gregminster. In your efforts to be like everyone else, you find out that you're destined to be different--beyond all expectations. Things go awry, friends die and you're stuck with a powerful magic Rune called the Soul-Eater Rune. When you find out what goes on in the real world, you're thrust into battle against your own kingdom with rebel allies from all the provinces. You gain allies, abilities, features and minigames along the way as you build your base of operations. In the end, you do fight your father and you fight your king. Once that's done, the kingdom is free, and it's all thanks to you.

The game's features allow you to get more acquainted with the mythology of the world of Suikoden and its workings. Talk to people and you'll get moree information on how to get things done in the game world. Learning how things are done allows you to access more characters. The more characters you have, the more people you must house, thus your castle grows more and more each time you recruit more of the 108 characters. Once you have enough characters, you can do something spectacular: battle combinations.

Above: The hero of SUIKODEN,
Tir McDohl. Inset: Soul Eater Rune.

Battle Combinations are where you get 2 or more people with a certain relationship or something in common and in battle, you'll have the option to use the combination attack. When the combination attack is used, the characters involved will combine their might to attack one enemy with a powerful set of moves, or multiple enemies with an increased attack. This is one of the reasons why you should recruit all 108 characters. Another reason to do the legwork in recruiting is to get all the magicians and their Runes.
Runes are magical stones that grant magical powers. Some runes are broken into shards and can be placed on weapons to do magic damage, but mostly they are whole runes that are worn by an individual. These runes allow the average fellow to wield awesome power. There are the standard 4 elements (earth, wind, fire & water) and a fifth magical element unique to Japanese culture (lightning), in addition to the other fighting runes that allow its wearer to have special powers beyond the elements. Then there are the special runes worn by magicians that are a step above the normal elemental runes in magic strength. The most amazing thing about the runes in this game is that if you time it right, you can get magicians to combine their magics to create a stronger magic, just like a battle combination. This maneuver ends up having disastrous results for the enemy. For all the magic and battle combinations you may have up your sleeve, it ain't nothing unless you SHARPEN YOUR WEAPON.
Sharpening your weapon is like literally leveling up your weapon. The weapons go up to level 16, increasing from its initial level (whatever it may be) and increasing in damage at an average rate of 4-20 attack points each level. The weapons have names and the names change on the weapon when they reach certain levels. The one thing I had a problem with initially is that your character uses a bo staff. How can you sharpen a bo staff and not call it a spear? I realized after a time I was thinking on it too hard. I then went on playing the game and got into by first skirmish.
Skirmishes are the war portions of Suikoden. In these skirmish battles, you'll fight with everyone--yes, everyone--in a bid to attack a general under King Barbarossa. You'll have limited use of all of their skills, plus skills they can only access in a skirmish. When you boil down the control system of fighting in the skirmishes, it's basically a grand game of jan-ken-pon (rock-paper-scissors). The down side to skirmish scenarios is that if someone dies in a skirmish scenario, they're gone for good. With the battle scheme dependant solely on chance and an understanding or rock-paper-scissors, anyone can complete a skirmish scenario with little or no casualties.

There are motivating factors in this game that should keep you going when you think you've had enough of the game, and enough features to keep you in your castle when you should be out leveling up your fighters. The music is good; tinny at first, but swelling afterward, particularly in the case of the free-roaming Map Screen. The boss enemies are hard, particularly at the time you meet them. For me, that's always a plus. If you're a treasure-hunter like me, you'll really like all the little goodies they throw into the background for you. This game is a treasure in itself and receives a rating of 9.

RATING: 9/10