Suikoden
1995
- role-playing (rpg)
- turn-based strategy (tbs)
- adventure
- fantasy
- single player
The story
Suikoden is a Japanese-style role-playing game with several unusual additions. There are three kinds of combat in the game, the most common one being the traditional turn-based party combat (players can have up to six people in their active party). Magic runes can be equipped on the player's characters which allow limited usage of offensive and healing spells. There are also a few army battles, where the player must control whole units of fighters, archers, magicians, etc., and one-on-one fights (duels).
What it’s like
Warm, hand-painted fantasy: 2D sprite-based towns and castles rendered in soft, saturated pastels, with the overworld drawn as wide, sunlit map views and night scenes dropping into deep blue. Its PlayStation-era look carries a slightly rough, chunky charm, and the music is a rolling, melodic score of pipes, strings and gentle percussion that loops comfortably under long walks between towns. The pace is unhurried and steady, built around recruiting a large cast and slowly assembling a party of six, with turn-based battles punctuated by occasional army skirmishes and one-on-one duels that break up the rhythm. The mood is earnest and warm, a kind of hopeful adventure with a patient, quietly sincere register, where camaraderie and loyalty matter more than dread. Violence is present throughout in the stylised way of classic JRPGs: cartoonish, bloodless hits and no gore, though wartime themes and some tense moments give the story weight. It suits a rainy Sunday, a long evening alone with a controller, or a comfort replay for players who want a sprawling, gently heroic journey that rewards patience and gathering friends along the way.
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