Two extra things I want to mention: 1. I really like how fast low level characters level up in this game. Your party may be in the 40s or 50s, but you don't need to worry about bringing a level 10 character with you because they'll catch up in just a few battles. That was a great touch for a game like this with so many characters in it. 2. A lot of the information in the development history section of this video came from a great book called The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers. You can get the book yourself here, and I totally recommend it! www.amazon.com/Untold-History-Japanese-Game-Developers/dp/0992926025/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EKMGAW17XV7Z28DD8YPT Other than that, it's time to move on to Suikoden 2!
@@Chapterhouse86 to this day, I still consider Suikoden 2's antagonists as the best RPG villains period. And no, not stopping at Luca, but also at what comes after him
A proper suikoden would cost too much to make in the modern graphics intensive era. I would not mind inferior graphics if the game will be longer with more difficult bosses though, always felt the bosses were too easy. Even Luca Blight lost his aura with some grinding.
The main problem with the first one is it constantly forces people into your party. You get small little down times where you can mess around but often you're forced to bring in 3 or 4 other members defeating the purpose of having so many characters to choose from. I think the main thing about the first one for me at least is when it came out it was so different from the regular JRPG offerings. Large characters, very fast combat, fast movement but only with a rune or Stallion in your party. It's like you go from Wild Arms which was basically a better SNES style JRPG to Suikoden which was different. And yes 2 is better in every way you should play it someday.
Yeah the OST and difficulty balance are better here, and it's a more concise experience. 2 is still worth playing though and has some mechanical improvements.
Wonderful tribute to a masterpiece. The game has so much heart and soul in it that you can tell the developers really cared about it. I still have a copy of it I bought not long after it was released and have replayed it on emulation more recently so I could finally get all 108 for the special ending and save export for Suikoden 2. It's also worth noting that the Outlaws of the Marsh novel is highly readable in translation (I'd suggest the non-abridged version by Moss Roberts and Sidney Shapiro) as you get the same level of characterization of the supporting cast (the "main character" of Song Jiang is not even introduced until many chapters into the story).
I think they're working on it right now. twitter.com/resonantarc Based on my memory of this game, this is a pretty long undertaking. But I think it's on the way.
In my opinion, the Play Station 1 was the golden era of RPGs/JRPGs with a few games on newer consoles, with The Legend of Dragoon being one of my favourite games
Well said! Greatest system of all time. For over 20 years now I've been slowly trying to acquire a complete PSOne library, so far I've got 675 so I still have a ways to go, but git all the gems. Lunar & Breath Of Fire 3 & 4 are my personal favorite. Legend of Dragoon was sooooo damn good.
The best game of all time! This is the Origin of my Nickname. By the way... here's a trick for war and not lose a character. If you don't know the enemies attack (by Ninja or Thieves) then only use core characters groups. Core characters can't die in battle, because they are necessary for the story! ✌😉
Yes, but all he's saying is there's a viable option to not lose characters if you'd rather not. I, personally, never paid attention to the fact that characters could die. Playing a lot of Fire Emblem growing up prepared me for that. But theres a lot of people out there bot tryna lose their favorite characters.
@@animesocialgreengodgamingn7826 using core characters isn't really cheating the game. Yes, there's a loss mechanic, but it's designed with the idea that you can around it if you seriously want to.
I miss JRPG's like this that have amazing stories and don't take 100 hours to complete. Suikoden was an incredible experience and Suikoden 2 is even better
@@thehalvening8942 it's long because the world building has a bigger impact on the story than just being background fluff. A lot of the characters you see be it Anton, Ricky or even the capua family play a story in the overall narrative/world instead of being nensense, also characters that seem to be there for one arc come back in the next for a purposeful reason.
I think the old 20-60 hour range was the sweet spot for RPGs. I LOVE Final Fantasy IX, but it is fatiguing in length. As a result, I've returned to games like Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and Suikoden much more often. Games that can be completed within a week's time as an adult.
@@cookieskoon2028 absolutely, I think some games now have become too focused on just filling their game with as much content as possible without nearly as much concern for quality. As an adult I would much rather buy a 20-40 hour rpg that's engaging and fun all the way through instead of an 100 plus hour game loaded with filler
I remember getting Suikoden for my birthday because everyone knew I loved RPGs. I looked at the title and the cover art (which I'm sad wasn't mentioned in the video) and I was like "What the heck is this about?!" Needless to say I loved it and after I beat it I told myself "With some polish, this could be one of the best games ever made." Little did I know what was to come next.
I play this game once a year. I have a friend that's the same age as me. He's completely jaded in regards to video games. He came by one day and I was playing this game. When he saw it he kept talking and talking about stories from when we were young and his memories of the time when we played this game. It's a great game.
Please support Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, the spiritual successor to the Suikoden series developed by the same developers ! www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/description
Suikoden feels to me like it tragically gets lost between the beloved late Super NES RPGs that came out slightly before it and the post-FF7 RPG explosion that came after it, and I think any RPG lovers who haven't played it need to give it a go. It's only $5.99 on PS3 or Vita, can't argue with a brilliant game that's cheaper than ordering a pizza
@@chaosguardianxp While Suikoden II is the best in the series (and frankly one of the best games of all time); Suikoden I is amazing and is a direct prequel to II. I'd really recommend beating I first if you're not too far into II yet...
Most people says suiko 2 is good, but this is just as great and has to be cherished the same. Very true!! The first suiko game I played was suikoden 2 at my junior high, I loved it. Then I play suikoden 1 at junior high as well. At first I don't love it as much as suikoden 2. But now.. I play it again when I'm 25, I learn so many new things.. wisdoms.. I come to love suikoden 1 very much and now I can't move on from suikoden 1. It's awesome, tear jerking, heart warming, inspiring, epic, hillarious.. gosh.. suikoden 1 and suikoden 2 and hunter x hunter is lyfe..
Suikoden 1 is fun, but rough around the edges. Start with Suikoden 2, and if you really love the game, then you can play 1 to get the hidden easter eggs that a Suikoden 1 save file unlocks in 2. (If you want to keep canon names, I highly recommend you name Tir into Mir so when you get the easter egg in 2 you don't end up with a typo'd name TcDohl. After that, import your Suikoden 2 into 3 if you want to try something new. Skip 4 and Tactics unless you're a glutton for punishment. Play 5 and experience the best mechanics the Suikoden series offers.
+EzioYuio Considering that 2 is a direct sequel, of sorts to the first game, I'd recommend everyone to start with 1. People generally considering the second game to be the better one, but that doesn't make the first one bad.
Well I wasn't going to say anything but after reading the comments I feel like I have to LOL. I am in my early 50s.... I only got into gaming in my mid-20s because I could afford it because we were very poor coming up. That being said I was never really into RPGs... I found them to be boring. And then one day in my local GameStop I heard these two guys talking about some game called suikoden. I remember I couldn't even pronounce the name LOL. But on a whim I bought a used copy of suikoden 1 and took it home with me that night. After saying prayers with my two boys I settled into my study to do some gaming. At first I didn't know what to think of the characters and there was so much reading involved. But then I started playing it.. and before I knew it it was 2:00 a.m. in the morning and I had to get to bed so I could get up to go to work but I didn't want to stop playing. Never in all my years of gaming have I ever been so engrossed in a story never have I been so eager to see what was going to happen next... And all this was accomplished with very meager graphics but with an outstanding story and characters that you grew to love and hate. This is the art of gaming. For people who still want to make the argument that video games cannot be art this is the first game I would show them. Even now years later if I hear a musical note it will remind me of the first time I ever played this game. Suikoden 2 was technically better in every aspect and probably the better game overall but one will always have a special place in this old farts heart. I truly enjoy reading the comments from other players who have had similar experiences so please keep them coming. This video deserves millions of views the guy did a really great job breaking down this game and why it is so special to so many people. Okay so I run my mouth enough I'll wait to hear from all of you guys....and gals...lol. Randy
I load up and play suikoden around once a year and finish it. The nostalgic feeling when the starting music plays is incredible. It's a very enjoyable game.
TBH i never finished this. I feel like with the Suikoden games, everyone else played different games to me or something because I came away feeling they'd been overhyped.
I know I already commented. But I feel after I've watched more of your reviews and discussions videos ( the Xenogears ones in particular) , I most defiantly need to see a review of the Suikoden series ( at least Suikoden 1 through 5) . I feel your style of patient, analytical and thoughtful reviews are perfect to go over these fan faveroits. I felt the service of honest yet in-depth attention in your review for Xenogears was outstanding and prompted me to binge through many more of your content. I feel you would also enjoy many if not all of these titles in this series far more than the original ( witch has not aged well graphically). Please, please tell me you've started Suikoden II! Tell me you've started playing what many ( and myself) one of ( if not the) best ps1 era JRPG. Don't leave us hanging lol.
For me I couldn’t agree more that 1 is as cherished as 2. For me, the things that make 2 better aren’t really about the core of the game or story, but refinements in style and quality-of-life improvements. The story/world and tone and core mechanics were all there in the original
One of my all time favorites. Suikoden 1 and 2. These games are golden and totally underrated. Touching story with great sense of humor, unforgettable characters, and cool gameplay features mixing minigames with tactics type game and rpg. Like the castle part of the game that grows with the recruits. So unique. Even the runes and leveling system for the characters and special abilities. Worth playing again and again
I wish I could forget all about it and erase all the memories so that I'd be able play these(Suikoden 1 and 2) games for the first time again. Favorite JRPG of all time! Great review! Liked and subscribed.
The original Suikoden was one of the best games ever made. A stellar JRPG that became underrated because it had 2D graphics during a console generation when 3D was all the rage, polygon graphics were brand new and people wanted that, which is why Final Fantasy VII sold a ton more than Suikoden. It may be "simple" by modern standards, but that game has more heart and soul than most modern AAA RPGs combined... Seriously, anyone reading my comment, just grab a Suikoden ROM and play it on any emulator. Thank me later.
This franchise is absolutely brilliant. Even the fourth one (the weakest of the bunch) is still a very enjoyable game. And the second game is hands down one the best games ever made as far as I'm concerned.
I would argue that the 3rd was the weakest to be honest, the 2nd and 4th were my favourites, 1st holds a special spot in my heart, but I never got around the 3rd or 5th But to each their own
Hmm, interesting. I think this is the first time I heard someone put the 4th among their favorites. I love them all really, the 4th one was just the one I "liked the least". Such a shame we don't get these games anymore.
@@daarkenn4535 I never got to play tierkreis, but I've heard good things about it. Heard good things about woven web of a century too but my Japanese is not nearly good enough to enjoy it.
@@jeremybrito5705 I'm honestly amazed that you put 4 over 3 and 5 but like you said, each their own I guess lol. 4's story and MC felt very.. idk, bland to me.
I just want to say, this is the video that has gotten me to my channel which is awesome. Thank you for making this. Suikoden is my favourite game and has been for a decade. I even have a Soul Eater tattoo. People always talk about Suikoden 2, and I do love that game. But I think the simplicity of the first is magical.
well i am crying too, not because some onions, but because my generation is such a shame they only played Moba and battle royale, i was born in the wrong generation
Suikoden was my first RPG and my first game for Playstation. I remember 24 years ago being with my dad in the game store to buy the console and a game,for it. I chose Suikoden and he thought I wouldn't like it and tried persuading me to get another game instead. But I wanted it and still it's the best RPG I have ever played along with Suikoden 2. Still I remember the names of the characters, the locations and the plot. Many good memories there both in game and out!
Suikoden 2 will always be the BEST. I still play it from time to time. It's like a book or a movie you keep coming back to even though you know the plot by heart. Y'know?
THANK YOU! Suikoden has been largely overlooked - both at the time of release, and til this day. I really appreciate the nostalgic reminder of my favourite RPG of all time. I know it's not objectively the best, but it's the one nearest and dearest to my heart. Perhaps it's time that I revisit the game after all these years, and take command of Odessa Castle once more.
(4:00) "... inspired by *X-Men* " Remember when japan used to be inspired by stuff outside of japan, Like: Devilman - inspired by Paradise lost Gundam - Inspired by Starship troopers Dragon ball - Inspired by Journey to the West Astroboy - Inspired by iRobot Now I feel Japan is just inspired by itself and is basing works off of itself. Like: Sword art online => Log Horizon => .HACK => Star Ocean Online :(
you'll probably fine while watching to this review. but when the soundtracks begin to play, you know you'll gonna have a hard time holding that tears in your eyes
Just yesterday I was thinking I should play Suikoden 1 and then replay Suikoden 2, so this could not have had better timing. I think you've convinced me to do just that.
Hey! Don't forget to support the spiritual successor to Suikoden! www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/description
I never had Suikoden as a kid, I just started playing them some months ago and let me tell you is one of the best RPGs I've ever played, just my opinion
I love the broken dice game. Only way to bankroll all those top grade weapons. It's actually a common low-stakes game in Japan called chin-chi-ro-rin. I crashed a party for a group of fire fighters one time and they didn't have to teach me how to play. Thanks Konami!
Hi! Did you hear about the spiritual successor of Suikoden that’s currently on Kickstarter? Eiyuden Chronicle! It’s going to be amazing! The original creator of S1&2 is leading this one!
I'm only 40 seconds in. Had to pause and say thanks for the memories and thank to this game . I lived in this little world way back for a while . Feels like home , same with the sequel.
It's nice to see people still talk about this game nearly 23 years after it launched in North America. I remember playing this game when I was 13 or so. Rented it at Blockbuster Video. Later I found a used copy of it luckily which I still have today at Gamestop (EB Games/Electronics Boutique at the time). For me personally, this is the best in the series. Great soundtrack, great story, awesome battle system. Nails all three, which is quite difficult to do in today's standards. They really don't make soundtracks like this anymore either. The acoustic flair of the Nylon Guitar in it's solo pieces, along with the Celtic scores, really make the game feel more alive. I keep remembering listening to that Guitar during Gremio' and Teo's deaths. The soundtrack really made this game. Village of the Elves, Warrior's Village, Dragon Knight's Den! Brilliance. The battle system was very fast paced with the options provided. "Free Will" was just simply great in Battles. I don't know, there was just something to it that made the fighting refreshing. Some people rave about Suikoden 2. It was good, but I feel that the first one was well balanced overall. If you ever find this, grab it. It's an ultimate gem for any JRPG player.
The only RPG series ever made based on an adaption of a Chinese classic of literature (The Water Margin). I DID play it as a young teenager, probably 22 or 23 years ago or so at this point, and it had a strong effect on me, I remember where I was very well. The music had a strong effect on me, it's excellently composed. I have all the original files of it on my computer.
12:40 Medium ranged units could never hit the enemy's back line, they only had the choice of attacking from the front or back of their own team to strike the front line of the enemy team. Only long ranged units could directly attack the enemy's rear units.
I loved Suikoden so much when I was younger. It had so many great ideas that I'm sad didn't spread to other series. To this day I'm disappointed that the standard RPG party is limited to 3 or 4 characters. Also, and I can't remember if it was 1 or 2 that did this, but I thought it was a great touch how you could queue up a healing spell and, even if the enemies were cleared out before the healer acted, the heal would still go through. So many games end the battle the instant the last enemy dies and then you have to spend extra time digging through a menu to heal after the battle.
The OSTs, Musical Collections, Celtic Collections, Asain Collections rival any music outputted by a final fantasy. I mean Shusei Murai's Piano Collection 2 is incredible. Rustling in the Wind is amazing, Orrizonte.. I mean this series has epic music.
First rpg for me back in 1998. flik was my dude and valeria was my second fav. Unlike beating final bosses in other games the ending is so bitter sweet. The empire wasn't one hundred percent evil and its more like both him and tir have to fight due to destiny its very tragic.
I managed to pick this game up at a second hand game store for around $15 recently, and this review makes me think its about time i get around to playing it!
Few video game series are as near to my heart as Suikoden. I played Suikoden II for the first time one day when I went to my local video store to rent a game, back in probably 2000 or so. I see Suikoden II sitting on the shelf and after reading the back of the box I figured I'd give it a shot. I expected a half decent rpg, but I had no idea I was about to experience one of the best rpgs of all time. That game blew me away, and quickly became one of my favorite rpgs ever, especially because it was so different from the Final Fantasy and other jrpg series I had played at the time. Shortly after I had played Suikoden II, I randomly found the original game on a clearance rack at a GameStop for $10, so I snapped it up. Despite it having some of the most awful cover art in video game history, it was a great game as well. This series is special to me. The music, the art style, the story. If you have not played these games, check them out, they are worth your time. Viktor, Flik, and the gang are all names that warm my heart, remembering the adventures we spent together. I have all the Suikoden games, well at least the main line games, no tactics, so maybe I need to go back and play Suikoden II again, it's been a long time. Unfortunately, after Suikoden V, the artist who did all of the character designs for every Suikoden game, Kaori Fujita, tragically died at the age of 47. So even if we do see future Suikoden games, it's likely they will not feel the same without that stunning art from Fujita. Great video my dude! You did a great job explaining the game and I really enjoyed how you showed how great the game is for beginners. Hopefully more people will play this game!
I still have my disc for this game even though i have long since gotten rid of my playstation, this game along with FF7 hold a special place in my heart as it was these two games the taught me to read when my school abandoned me saying i was just lazy and unwilling to learn, i was actually critically disabled with Dislexia to the point that in later years i would be officially registered disabled (ye its not as bad as losing a limb but trust me its close) if it wasnt for this game pulling me in so much i likely would never have learned to read (and i still cant read well all these years later taking me at least double as long as most even with all the tricks i use) so yes i love this game and i dont know if im happy or sady that Konami didnt carry on to make more games after all they may have become Metal Gear survive :(
Nice video my absolute favorite game of all time! Rented a copy from the local blockbuster when I was 9 or 10 and loved it so much that I hired it out over and over again. It was months later that I actually realized you had to go back to Kraze to start the first mission. So I just ran around the map and villages in the first area. When I finally went back to Kraze and flew on that dragon that sounds like an elephant I elated and then my love just grew as the game progressed. Better than my first girlfriend. I replay it every 2 years or so and love it every time. Surprised at the mention of Michael Moorcock as an influence. I found one of his novels in early highschool and he was my favorite author throughout my teens. I think the artwork by Yoshitaka Amano on the front cover of the Corum novel is what drew me to it in the first place. Pretty sure Michael Moorcocks universe mixed with music encouraged me to try all sorts of psychedelics... now I'm rambling. Suikoden is amazing, this review is fantastic!
I messed up 2 years ago and sold my collection... Dude got lucky and got entire series for $100 uhg I hate broken shoulders not able to work and stupid being $100 short on rent!
@@joshmcdohl8684 I only played the digital versions now on PS3 I won't even take them out of the case. They're still perfect with no scratches. I was bummed when PSN decided to release them because my suit coat into copy was worth like $300. I don't have the original double case that Suikoden came in. I threw it away and favor of a single game jewel case.I feel like the picture might be better on the PS3 with smoothing on, but I hear it might look good with component cables playing through a PS2.
I have Suikoden 2, But i liked Suikoden 1 best. I know i have it some place. I just found my Suikoden 2 a few days ago. But i was looking for my Suikoden 1 , because it was my favorite game. So i started looking online and noticed how much people was trying to sell their games for. Suikoden 2 was being sold for a bunch of money. The cheapest i saw it for was $600. Others was asking over $2000 WOW
"NEW" SUIKODEN announced! A spiritual successor to Suikoden named Eiyuden Chronicle has been announced. It's being developed by Suikoden veterans including Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama. The soundtrack is going to be composed by Motoi Sakuraba (Tales, Star Ocean, Golden Sun, Dark Souls) and Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms). The kickstarter is live until 29 August 2020 and very successful (by now $3,6 million): www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/description There is also a new sneak peak online: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W-AJv6LvKFs.html =)
My first JRPG I played outside of Pokemon was Skies of Arcadia on the Nintendo GameCube, a port of the classic SEGA Dreamcast game. So for me it was the first JRPG for me and I loved it allot to the point where I started to look out for other JRPGs for a really long time. This was also during a time when RARE was brought by Microsoft so being a person who only had enough money to get a Nintendo console, I was really wanting to search for any JRPG on the Nintendo GameCube until I got older to afford all 3 systems at once in the next console generation during the Nintendo Wii/XBox 360/PS3 hardware generation.
You hit the nail on the head regarding the importance of a great soundtrack to RPGs. It can really elevate the game as a whole, not just individual scenes. I wish Miki Higashino would return to games because her style is one of a kind.
This is such an understatement! Music is important in any kind of electronic entertainment, not just RPGs. And i agree, the music in the original PSX Suikodens was simply incredible. The hallmark of good music, is music you remember decades after you first listened to it... And Suikoden's music is simply unforgettable.
I wish they would make more games like this. There was so much to do in this game i loved everything about it. Recruiting people to expand the base was my fave thing to do.
One of the many things I loved about the game is that if you're overpowered then instead of running away the option changes to you letting your enemies run away, and it has a 100% success rate. It really goes a long way to making you feel like a badass. Edit: You mentioned it. XD
Thank you for giving Suikoden 1 the credit it deserves. So many people brush it aside just because S2 is better, but S1 is still one of the best RPGs on the PS1.
When people talk about the great JRPGs of that time they come up with Final Fantasy 6 & 7, Secret of Mana, and the like. But the first two Suikoden are true gems that need to be known by many many more people.
