Retrospective: Suikoden II
By the late 90’s, the Sony PlayStation has become a prominent system to own by all means. In fact, there were tons of titles to own spanning many different genres for many different gamers. Luckily for gamers, the RPG genre has officially become a staple thanks to the successes of not only the Sony-based console, but with such titles as Final Fantasy VII, Wild ARMs, and a little title that debuted years back called Suikoden (or Genso Suikoden in Japan).
The first Suikoden garnered a ton of reception for its story (cause it’s fun to put political struggles in the spotlight), music, and the gaming mechanics that very much delivered, especially considering how relatively new the PlayStation was back in the day when it first made its mark. Tir McDohl must be so proud of his 108 Stars of Destiny by now.
The well-received reception by the general gaming public was good enough to bring about a sequel to the original, and it led to what is one of the best in the whole franchise:
Suikoden II is a direct sequel to the first game, and puts players in the boots of an unnamed main character in the game (but christened “Riou” as per the novelization), a member of the Highland Army’s Unicorn Youth Brigade along with childhood friend Jowy Atreides. They are caught up in a rigid turn of events coming from the violent prince of Highland, Luca Blight. The protagonist is later destined to not only lead his own army (including gathering the “108 Stars of Destiny”, a recurring theme in all Suikoden games) against the Highland Army in a war that would be known in the Suiko-canon as the “Dunan Unification War”, but also become the bearer of the “Bright Shield Rune”, one half of the “Rune of Beginning” whch is part of the 27 True Runes. Jowy would be the bearer of the other half, known as the “Black Sword Rune”. But what they may not have expected is that Luca Blight is the least of their worries as the war would soon pick up pace and lead everyone into a fateful battle of epic proportions.
In quite an interesting case, the sequel has pretty much succeeded its predecessor in many aspects. Not only has it improved on the colorful graphics and imagery, but the mechanics has been adapted well from its predecessor, not really necessarily changing what already works as well as focus on improving those same mechanics.
That being said, the three forms of battle in this game, the usual 6-member party system, one-on-one duels, and the epic battles between armies, have returned with flying colors. But the army battle has been given some neat changes like using the grid-style in the battleground, adding more depth to the feel of battle. New additions for this game include the ability to equip different runes (as much as three runes per character) and the inclusion of mini-games (i.e. the addictive cooking mini-game). Castle management, another fun staple in the series, in Suikoden II is basically more of a hobby than a chore, no doubt. Some characters may be easy to obtain, while others require you to take an extra mile to get them to join you, which is fun all throughout.
You have to give it to the makers of the game for giving life to the “Suikoverse”, allowing fans to appreciate different forms of culture within a fantasy world (knights and ninjas do mix well) and demonstrate a sense of continuity to the story. And speaking of the story, talk about compelling. Not only is this story focusing on a major war between factions and its long-term effects, but it has a deep emphasis on how this war has affected the friendship of the protagonist and Jowy, along with fellow childhood friend Nanami. This is proof that political and internal conflicts collaborate very well with each other.
To this day after Suikoden II, the franchise has not only spanned through a sequel (III), prequels (IV and V), and spinoffs (Suikogaiden, Tactics and Tierkreis), but also in novels and CD’s at that. Familiar characters like Apple the Strategist and the lovable teleporting Viki have also made their presence known after II, a testament to their lasting appeal. If one was to measure the amount of success of a franchise by the basis of its impact towards the fans, then Suikoden has certainly proven its worth for many years.
Yes, had it not been for the first Suikoden, we would not have seen a lasting tradition reach the light of day. But Suikoden II helped mark its spot in the annals of gaming, guaranteeing the series a long and prosperous life for years to come. Suikoden Tierkreis is the first Suikoden game to be featured on the Nintendo DS, but here’s to a hopeful Suikoden VI in the future, and more to come!
I agree with this whole article. The game is an RPG treasure, recommended for all to try.
I salute you, good sir. =D