FYI, a few spoilers included that I'm too lazy to hide. The game came out in 2002, you've had your chance to play it!
So, I got bored earlier this month and decided to re-visit some of my old and loved PS2 role playing games. This ended up in me deciding to play Suikoden III again, as the last time I played it was in 2003 and I barely remembered the game at all.
So, 64 hour laters, and I've beaten it. This was 6 hours longer than what my saves from 2003 indicate the game took to beat. The only reason for this that I can think of is that I remember when I first got the game, I found it to be quite slow moving and a bit confusing, and I think I put it down for a few months before fully diving into it just to beat it. I tried to power through most of it the first time.
This time around, however, I was fully intent on experiencing as much of the game as I could. Please note that this does NOT include wasting my time with bullshit like the theatre scripts or any mass-playing of the various card games available in Suikoden 3. I just wanted to actually hunt around a bit, optimize my parties, and hoard LOTS of cash for whatever I needed. Not to mention be a little more invested in understanding the various characters encountered to reach the 108 stars by the end of the game.
I will say that Geddoe's chapters are REALLY long compared to those of Chris and Hugo. I did each character's chapters to completion before moving on to another character. I went: Giddoe 1-2-3, Thomas 1-2, Chris 1-2-3, Hugo 1-2-3, and chose Geddoe as my Flame Champion (when I beat it in 2003, I went with Hugo).
After a second playthrough, I still really enjoy this game. Not so much for the gameplay itself, because it is basic, but moreso for the story and the characters. I have a soft spot for sim-type elements in games too (real estate in Fable, etc), so seeing your castle develop after recruiting more people is something I really enjoy.
The story for this game is a little more interesting than the other Suikodens, which mostly focus on kingdom-building and rival country clashes. In this Suikoden, Luc, a character from Suikoden 1 & 2, is the antagonist. His desire isn't power or to see Kingdom A become the super-power in the region, but rather to undo the power of the True Runes, which he thinks will unshackle humanity from the predetermined path of 'destiny'. Sure, war is still present in Suikoden 3, but it's more of a puppet-master scenario via deception rather than various countries pushing for territory (as the game originally presents the conflict).
I also enjoy the 108 SOD bonus for this game (being able to play a chapter as the antagonist after completing the game). This bonus chapter isn't too comprehensive, and mainly hops around to the main points of conflict between the protagonists and the antagonist, but from the antagonist's perspective. Still, fleshes out the story a bit more, which I'm all for because I love the story in the Suikoden franchise (yes, I realize the games are based off of the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan).
Best thing about this Suikoden? Being able to have four True Runes in your party by the end of the game. I love the lore around the True Runes, and the other Suikoden's just don't expose you to as much insight into the True Runes, although I may find that memory of the series to be incorrect as I play more of them.
Worst part about this Suikoden? Having to wait until literally the final battle before being able to freely put Hugo, Chris, and Geddoe in the same party. At least you can still roam at this point, but by the end of the game there is little reason to do so.
So now that I'm done with Suikoden III again, I'm finally playing the original. I've started it twice before, only playing it for a few hours each time, but I'm in it for the long haul this time. So far I'm about 10 hours in (just got the 3rd & 4th floor of the castle). It's no Suikoden II, but the game is entertaining enough.
So after I'm done with Suikoden I, I plan on re-playing Suikoden V, and then Suikoden II.
I really can't see myself playing Suikoden IV or Suikoden Tactics again. The stories in the games were ok, but the gameplay and substandard environment/graphic design in the games make them hard to WANT to pick up again. Tactics and IV really felt like they lacked in direction, and gave me the impression that they were low-budget games, or poorly executed designs.
So, I got bored earlier this month and decided to re-visit some of my old and loved PS2 role playing games. This ended up in me deciding to play Suikoden III again, as the last time I played it was in 2003 and I barely remembered the game at all.
So, 64 hour laters, and I've beaten it. This was 6 hours longer than what my saves from 2003 indicate the game took to beat. The only reason for this that I can think of is that I remember when I first got the game, I found it to be quite slow moving and a bit confusing, and I think I put it down for a few months before fully diving into it just to beat it. I tried to power through most of it the first time.
This time around, however, I was fully intent on experiencing as much of the game as I could. Please note that this does NOT include wasting my time with bullshit like the theatre scripts or any mass-playing of the various card games available in Suikoden 3. I just wanted to actually hunt around a bit, optimize my parties, and hoard LOTS of cash for whatever I needed. Not to mention be a little more invested in understanding the various characters encountered to reach the 108 stars by the end of the game.
I will say that Geddoe's chapters are REALLY long compared to those of Chris and Hugo. I did each character's chapters to completion before moving on to another character. I went: Giddoe 1-2-3, Thomas 1-2, Chris 1-2-3, Hugo 1-2-3, and chose Geddoe as my Flame Champion (when I beat it in 2003, I went with Hugo).
After a second playthrough, I still really enjoy this game. Not so much for the gameplay itself, because it is basic, but moreso for the story and the characters. I have a soft spot for sim-type elements in games too (real estate in Fable, etc), so seeing your castle develop after recruiting more people is something I really enjoy.
The story for this game is a little more interesting than the other Suikodens, which mostly focus on kingdom-building and rival country clashes. In this Suikoden, Luc, a character from Suikoden 1 & 2, is the antagonist. His desire isn't power or to see Kingdom A become the super-power in the region, but rather to undo the power of the True Runes, which he thinks will unshackle humanity from the predetermined path of 'destiny'. Sure, war is still present in Suikoden 3, but it's more of a puppet-master scenario via deception rather than various countries pushing for territory (as the game originally presents the conflict).
I also enjoy the 108 SOD bonus for this game (being able to play a chapter as the antagonist after completing the game). This bonus chapter isn't too comprehensive, and mainly hops around to the main points of conflict between the protagonists and the antagonist, but from the antagonist's perspective. Still, fleshes out the story a bit more, which I'm all for because I love the story in the Suikoden franchise (yes, I realize the games are based off of the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan).
Best thing about this Suikoden? Being able to have four True Runes in your party by the end of the game. I love the lore around the True Runes, and the other Suikoden's just don't expose you to as much insight into the True Runes, although I may find that memory of the series to be incorrect as I play more of them.
Worst part about this Suikoden? Having to wait until literally the final battle before being able to freely put Hugo, Chris, and Geddoe in the same party. At least you can still roam at this point, but by the end of the game there is little reason to do so.
So now that I'm done with Suikoden III again, I'm finally playing the original. I've started it twice before, only playing it for a few hours each time, but I'm in it for the long haul this time. So far I'm about 10 hours in (just got the 3rd & 4th floor of the castle). It's no Suikoden II, but the game is entertaining enough.
So after I'm done with Suikoden I, I plan on re-playing Suikoden V, and then Suikoden II.
I really can't see myself playing Suikoden IV or Suikoden Tactics again. The stories in the games were ok, but the gameplay and substandard environment/graphic design in the games make them hard to WANT to pick up again. Tactics and IV really felt like they lacked in direction, and gave me the impression that they were low-budget games, or poorly executed designs.
