Ben-DutkaI get it. I do. I know the role-playing genre has changed forever and can't revert, and I know that JRPGs have either disappeared or tried so hard to become WRPGs, that the sub-genres have blended into one another. I also have a terrible feeling that even if Konami granted my wish, they'd wreck the project by turning it into a real-time hack 'n slash. But I'm still allowed to hope.
To this day, I say the Suikoden franchise is the second-best role-playing series ever, second only to Final Fantasy . Considering the number of RPGs I've played over the years, you know I don't say such things lightly. But while it was 2nd-best in my eyes, it was a distant 2nd and the huge shadow that was FF (back in the day when Squaresoft ruled the world) always eclipsed Suikoden . If Square's unbelievable games weren't so mind-bogglingly amazing, I'd feel seriously miffed at this, because Suikoden deserved a ton more credit. I also think it's fair to note that even after derailing with Suikoden IV , Konami actually righted the ship with Suikoden V . How many franchises returned to glory so quickly?
But besides that, four of the five titles in question all featured great stories, interesting twists on the standard turn-based combat formula, and of course, that always-engrossing 108 Stars of Destiny setup. Oh yes, I got all 108 in every entry and yes, I do have an original, mint-condition copy of Suikoden II …and no, you can't have it. I've gone back to play the original title more than a few times and I've always wanted to go through Suikoden III again. I just loved the way the latter was set up, too; seeing the story through three different sets of eyes, in any order you wished. And I loved Chris; I made her my Flame Champion. 🙂 It was always that emphasis on story, great world design, and army recruitment that kept me involved.
Now Konami, please bring me Suikoden VI . And no, not on the freakin' DS or PSP. A full role-playing adventure for the PS3 and that, at the very least, is distinctly Suikoden in nature. I know everyone only plays shooters these days and and I know the world just doesn't care about RPGs anymore, but I refuse to believe I'm the only one who wants a sixth Suikoden . I can't be the only one. I just can't .
It's sad that the JRPG fans are being shunned no matter how hard they ask for something.
Time has changed, and some Japanese are "baka".
AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
I WANNA YELL LIKE MY AVATAR!!!!!
Last edited by Snaaaake on 11/19/2010 9:48:12 PM
Never played Suikoden, but if you give it props, I'm more than willing to try it out. Listen to the man, Konami! Make it happen!
Peace.
Suikoden has always been my number 2 series as well, then Grandia, then Star Ocean. Love the six person party decisions plus the autobattle in case it isn't necessary to make all those commands. My order:
Five
Two
Three
Four
One
I made Chris my Flame Champion too 🙂 She reminds me of Saber from Fate/Stay Night. But I get the feeling they wanted me to pick the little boy. Pfffft.
A new Suiko would probably be far better than FFXIII in terms of being an RPG and I just think it sucks balls that if a title can't pull down CoD numbers then well it must not be worth making. I don't want to JUST shoot things.
Ouch, no love for the original. Suikoden II and Suikoden I remind me of the first two Back to the Future movies. Although II improved upon a lot of things and is technically superior, you can't dismiss the originality, creativity and the establishment of the franchise with the first in the series.
Contrary to many reviews, I wasn't a huge fan of III.
V was definitely a return to form minus a few problems:
Random battles should have taken more thought and strategy and lasted more than 45 seconds (less encounters please and I'd like to hear the world map theme without being interrupted and forced to start over). I felt the use of magic and items wasn't as well implemented as the previous entries, hard to describe. And make the main character a little bit more manly please if its gonna be a guy (the hair drove me nuts). Finally, the length was insane considering the first 8 hours were slow. I think I clocked in 80 hours without going crazy with side quests. But hey, I got my dollars worth.
Last edited by Drake_RB3 on 11/19/2010 11:11:45 PM
Well, part one was the last one I played, so it kind of never had a real shot at grabbing me. And I agree about the Prince and his hair in SuikoV, his sheer gayness was hard to accept. Though I loved the lockable three piece staff.
Though IV wasn't so great, I liked that hero the most. Guy looked a bit like me.
My second favorite jRPG is Xenosaga. Which isn't saying much because outside of FF games, Xenosaga was the ONLY other jRPG I ever finished. But it was good =)
Technically I finished a few others. WHen my brother would go to work/school I'd secretly load his save game profile on Dragon Warrior and also Phantasy Star 2 and play through the last sequences and see the end. Outside of that he'd teach me to level his characters for him in Ultima Exodus and Final Fantasy I (that's right FFI)
I did download the Suikoden from PSN when it was $2.99. I plan to play it when I finish FFIX–I freed my dudes from Kuja's prison chambers.
I wouldn't be surprised if doesn't happen in this gen.
But I can see it has a PSP2 game.
I think they are definitely going to come out with one. They haven't finished telling us all the 27 true runes. I know it has been a while, but give them time. Then again, sells probably could have been so poor that they decided to scrap it.
I've played suikoden 1 to 4 and suikoden tactics. 2 was my most favorite. Tactics was the least, but none the less I enjoyed all of them.
Not a huge fan of the whole final fantasy franchise. Even though I absolutely loved dirge of cerberus, x-2, and tactics. More of a fan of the suikoden franchise. Hence why I adore every single installment.
Since they're RPG's I never played any of the Suikoden's, so I had to check in my games library to if I even had any.
Well, so far I'm sorry to say, I only have #1(but it's mint).
Guess now I'll have to be on the lookout to try completing the rest of series into my collection.
never going to happen!
id much rather kingdom hearts 3 though, and for once $E has not changed the series much like they did with FF so maybe, just maybe for once $E would release a game the way i want it?
i honestly cant understand $Es obsession with the PSP!
KH3 would sell so well, it would make FF look like enslaved!
This is a Konami article so……..what you onto?
Suidoken isn't a SE title.
As much as I love FF's, the best jRPG ever made was Xenogears. Hands-down, no competition. Had that become a series…. whooooo baby.
And where's Highlander? (If you read this,) have you ever played Xenogears? Same creator of the Xenosaga series, you know! I bet you would have loved it.
I liked Suidoken too, though. First one I got was a gift from my little sister for Christmas. She's apparently smarter than I gave her credit for. lol!
Last edited by Underdog15 on 11/20/2010 1:09:46 AM
I had a room mate who loved that game more than any game. He was one of those major geeky Squaresoft fans. You know, the guy who kept his Squaresoft games proudly displayed in the same book shelf with his fantasy novels. He loved Xenogears, Chrono Cross, and Chrono Trigger. He thought FFIV (FF2 back then =p ) was the best FF until FFVIII.
Anyway, I always meant to play Xenogears. I even owned it. But I just never got to it.
Xenogears is the one JRPG I sorely regret missing. During the next downtime – NO idea when that will be – I might have to find a copy and play it.
I had xenogears beat it then traded it. After about 4 years i repurchased it because i missed it so much. If there was every a JRPG that truly emotionally stuck with you for countless years it was Xenogears. Still my number one. I love the Suikoden and Final Fantasy series but if xenogears became a franchise it would be an equal contender if not surpassing. That's in my humble opinion of course based on my own experience.
I think that's why , along with a few others here, it was so heartbreaking to find that the xenosaga series was ending quicker than expected. It was the closest thing we had to xenogears.
Frankly at this point I don't care if its Square, Squaresoft, Square-Enix, Monolith, Monolith Soft or Namco Bandai. I just want SOMEONE to continue the beautiful story of Xenogears or Xenosaga for that matter.
Last edited by shadowscorpio on 11/20/2010 11:27:32 PM
With all the background stories, the side stories, the fact that they turned the second disk into a narrative, thus taking away HOURS and HOURS of gameplay, it could have easily been a series.
Plus, it had a FF7 shoutout. In the city of Solaris, there's a poster in a house of Tifa. lol
@Ben
Totally need to, if you ever find that free time, lol. I know you would have liked it, for sure. Top notch jRPG and among the best. I think you know I wouldn't say that lightly. (My avatar is the protagonist, in fact. His name is Fei. My favorite character was Citan, although Bart was cool. So was Elly… aw damn… they were all friggin' awesome.)
Here's a gameplay video. Shows hand-to-hand combat as well as battle in gears. It shows the open world map exploration, and flying in an airship. Mind you, they're end-game, so the moves you COULD consider spoilers, I guess… and the guy playing isn't breaking a sweat against such weak enemies… Anyways, it's enough to show a thorough gameplay element. Especially if you peek at the menu at the start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0xGILHchUo
You'll just have to trust me about the amazing storyline.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 11/21/2010 11:00:40 AM
oh yeah… did I mention it was a SquareSoft title? Might have something to do with why it was so sweet…
ohhh my. Suiokoden. I feel nostalgic everytime i hear that.
Like most games, it was probably in development but quitely got cancelled for economic reasons. In such a case I don't give a developer any wrong for for cancelling planned title because it doesn't make any sense to dump millions into games that would otherwise sell to a few consumers.
dude o.m.b.j. i love the fact you did this article soikoden was my first rpg well that and beyond the beyond but only soikoden made a first impressing the game was my fav rpg and till this day it still is im dying for a part 6 i love the fact this rpg lets u make your own kindom and/or town fill it up with people you recruit its awsome i love this game
Suikoden VI on the PS3… what a sweat dream that is. The number of RPGs showing up on handhelds makes me think it's not that gamers don't want RPGs, but that devs don't want to spend the money on putting them on HD consoles.
I've been playing a lot of DQIX on DS and MH3 on Wii and it's absolutely heart breaking that these games are not on a HD console. If they were to bring a new Suikoden to the PS3, well, I'm pretty sure I'd buy it on day one.
Love the Suikoden series. Even if they recycled the engine for the 5th installment and just made improvements I'd take it. Suikoden 5 was the best looking and it was during the end of the PS2's prominence. Just imagine how it would look if it was made for PS3?
I think some game dev's have become corrupted. The minute they saw that a video game could sell and make a ridiculous amount of money like Call Of Duty games, they all of a sudden viewed games that don't sell that much as "not worth it". Sadly JRPG's took the hardest hit but no other demographic of gamer has as much love or passion for the genre. Period. Just with devs would truly consider this…
Maybe if they released an HD remake of Suikoden V to test the waters? Help them fund VI?
I've always said… the PS3 NEEDS
-Suikoden!
-Chrono Something
-Xeno Something (won't happen… oh well live with the memories of the older games)
-Shin Megami Tensei: Persona AND Non-Persona (eg DDS 1+2 and Nocturne… but I think Catherine might fit here)
Lets not forget the Legend of the Dragoon!
The Breath of Fire series would also do very well in the HD era, me thinks. Capcom should do themselves a favor and actually make a good game such as this…
Konami should make Suikoden game on PSP