Suikoden

SUIKODEN
Sony Playstation
Konami
Role Playing Game
Available Now
(US)$59.99
Available now
2 Memory Blocks

Copyright ©Konami

— by Eri Izawa

What? It's been how many months and you still haven't gotten this game? For shame...

Konami's SUIKODEN (its first U.S. RPG!) almost has too many features to rave about: speed, pacing, plot, combat design, graphics, music... suffice it to say that this combination spells hours of non-stop, glued-to-the-seat play. Of course, this reviewer might be biased, having played the glacially paced BEYOND THE BEYOND just before SUIKODEN. Still, few console RPGs have ever displayed the intelligent design features that this one takes for granted.

The plot by itself is remarkable for its overall strength and originality. Our hero is the son of a famous Imperial general, and is a loyal, decent citizen of his Empire. But he and his friends soon find themselves turned against their country, joining and eventually leading a massive rebellion to overthrow the Emperor. Along the way, in between quests, fights, and full-scale army battles, our hero sets up shop in an old castle and begins to recruit up to 107 other allies to help with the revolution (for a total of 108 characters). His path is not always easy or predictable; death and loss, betrayal and sacrifice, rediscovery and joy are all part of SUIKODEN's story.

The game's actual Japanese name is GENSOU SUIKODEN, "Illusion Suikoden" or "Fantasy Suikoden." The original Suikoden is best known as the SHUI-HU CHUAN in China, known to the English speaking world as THE WATER MARGIN or ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS. It is a legendary Chinese fantasy epic about the 108 reborn outlaws of Liang Shan Po, who fight against a corrupt Empire. The story was eventually written down in about the 14th century by the author Shih Nai-an (Shi Tai-An in Japanese), possibly in collaboration with the author Lo Kuan-Chung. Shih Nai-an might be pleased to know that the ancient SUIKODEN has found such a worthy heir in the electronic age.

SUIKODEN has graphics to rival the best RPGs on the market. Some players may find reason enough to rejoice simply because the characters are far less super-deformed than in some other games, helping them look less like walking octopi and more like human beings.

SUIKODEN's music, though not quite as memorable as something like FINAL FANTASY III's, is certainly less depressing and can definitely hold its own. One minor gripe is that the same music is recycled in different places, which removes some of the mystery of entering new areas.

Combat is unusually fast and entertaining. Even better, escaping from boring random combats is nearly instantaneous. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the game balance is set such that after only a few encounters with monsters, combat may suddenly become too easy, especially with certain combinations of characters. Some combat-weary players may find this to be a welcome relief. Meanwhile, the trumpeted "war" feature is, as the instruction book describes, much like a card game. So are the rare instances of person-to-person dueling. While fun, one gets the feeling the war and dueling systems could have been polished a wee bit more.

SUIKODEN really distinguishes itself with its quests. Instead of relying on the usual method of slowing down game play with huge labyrinths in which the party gets attacked every 5 steps or so, SUIKODEN has small, compact dungeons with a relatively low number of random encounters. To compensate for this faster system, this game has a greater number of quests and activities to do outside of dungeons. This unusual and intelligent design philosophy translates to a much lower level of frustration than this reviewer has seen with almost any other console RPG game.

The plot starts out with excellent atmosphere and a strong story, nearly as engrossing and emotionally involving as FINAL FANTASY III's, and somewhat better paced. This tightly knit storyline continues for a good third of the game, and includes some surprising and touching moments involving the main characters. Given this wonderful beginning, it is almost tragic that the plot starts wearing thin by the second half of the game. Granted, a story involving over a hundred characters would naturally have a number of shallow side plots, but the later ones could have been less steeped in cliche. For example, one of the later major plots involves dragon riders a la recycled Anne McCaffrey, and another plot uses an old, tired vampire story. Moreover, several developing character relationships stop cold in the later parts of the game. And perhaps worst of all, many players of SUIKODEN agree that the ending of the game is sadly disappointing (one might say it is "monotarinai" —"lacking" in Japanese). Thankfully, if the player succeeds in accumulating and keeping alive as many of the 108 characters as possible, at least one last memorable scene will occur near the end of game.

There is no denying this is an excellent and entertaining game, despite its flaws. Given the industry rumors about how Sony is hesitant to import more Playstation RPGs for fear that they won't sell, SUIKODEN stands as the perfect excuse to help prove Sony's fears wrong. It's not too late. Buy this game. It is worth it.

Rating:

***1/2 Stars