Suikoden is back

[Chris]

seriously I havn't enjoyed a games story in years as much as I am enjoying suikoden 5. One of the best stories I have ever decided to sit though so far. a little slow at the beginning with tons and tons of cutscenes (with pretty decent voice acting for the most part) and great character moments developing and making you care about the people in the story. Really has blown me away so far. If there is one thing the suikoden games have had going for them it's the combination of great gameplay elements. (The war and dueling system in this one is a vasst improvement over the last game) and the battle system with many many different formations to your 6 member battle group has kept me interested and actually having a decent time level grinding. (Although that could be the fact that I play MMO's so I'm used to the level grind) There really isn't a huge level grind either. I just do it because I like being at my best at all times. But so far this has been a truly ffascinating experience far better than 3 and 4 which by all accounts I enjoyed but really were lackluster in comparison to the first 2/. This at the point I am at now is actually a more enjoyable and interesting gaming experience than I have had since Suikoden 2.

Oh I also need to mention the music is freaking spectacular. Brings back the musical feel of the older 2 games in a way. far more engrosing than 4.

[Chris]

I should mention though that the game is hampered by some technical problems. at some points there is somewhat noticible slowdown. Not bad enough that it effect anything and it seems random so it may just be my PS2 but it's kinda weird. the other big problem is insane load times which do bug the hell out of me. sometimes it will be a second but others it will be well, pretty fdamn long. .

but so far the experience has been worth it.

[M'k'n'zy]

I am about 17 hours in (just got my castle) and I have to agree with you, Suikoden is defidnetly back. This game has been nothing short of incredible, and I really cant put it down. I hope I can finish it before Kingdom Hearts II comes out, otheriwse Kingdom Hearts is gonna get put on the backburner for now

Oh yeah a word of advice. When the time comes that you can recruit Egbert, DO NOT SPEED UP HIS RAMBLING. Just let him go on, and only hit the button when its ready for you to. You only get one chance, and that is how you screw it up.

[Julius Seeker]

This game seems to be getting a lot of praise. Too much for me NOT to check it out. I do have a bit of extra cash, I think I can fit that one into the budget this summer. I don't have any console games on the go right now except Xenogears and Mario Kart (which I am playing infrequently now anyways, which is why I took them off my list for now).

[M'k'n'zy]

This game seems to be getting a lot of praise. Too much for me NOT to check it out. I do have a bit of extra cash, I think I can fit that one into the budget this summer. I don't have any console games on the go right now except Xenogears and Mario Kart (which I am playing infrequently now anyways, which is why I took them off my list for now).

Its defidently worth the time to play it. I cant recomend it to you enough.

[Blotus]

The first eight-or-so hours licked sack. I've got Lucretia now, and it's been pretty good for the last few hours.

CONS!
-Frequent loading
-Camera (don't tell me to hit R1)
-ALL conversation should be voiced, with the exception of townsfolk. Long text conversations from a BIRD'S EYE FUCKIN VIEW were very frequent and annoying. You can barely make out the characters. Lazy, lazy direction here. All conversations (again, aside from those with nobodies) should look like the so-called cutscenes.
-Only two skills equippable at once? Lame. What's the point of building up any but the character's best two? Or one skill for characters like Georg and Sialeeds who have set skills.
-Menu bites. I really don't need to be asked an "are you sure"-type prompt every time I want to use a medicine
-War battles (well, only been in one so far) seem weak. On the plus side, the 1-on-1s are done well

I'll post some pros after I've played some more. So far, my complaints mostly relate to the game's presentaion... which was done far better in Suiko 3 (the best one).

[M'k'n'zy]

The first eight-or-so hours licked sack. I've got Lucretia now, and it's been pretty good for the last few hours.

CONS!
-Frequent loading
-Camera (don't tell me to hit R1)
-ALL conversation should be voiced, with the exception of townsfolk. Long text conversations from a BIRD'S EYE FUCKIN VIEW were very frequent and annoying. You can barely make out the characters. Lazy, lazy direction here. All conversations (again, aside from those with nobodies) should look like the so-called cutscenes.
-Only two skills equippable at once? Lame. What's the point of building up any but the character's best two? Or one skill for characters like Georg and Sialeeds who have set skills.
-Menu bites. I really don't need to be asked an "are you sure"-type prompt every time I want to use a medicine
-War battles (well, only been in one so far) seem weak. On the plus side, the 1-on-1s are done well

I'll post some pros after I've played some more. So far, my complaints mostly relate to the game's presentaion... which was done far better in Suiko 3 (the best one).

I dont know if you have gotten far enough for more than one duel yet, but they actually reanimated the princes attacks for each dual.

Are you going for all 108 stars the first playthrough? Or waiting till a 2nd run through?

[Chris]

sorry blotus I gotta disagree with you. I loved the beginning. yes it was extremely slow but the story is so well told and the characters are so fleshed out that by the end of the tournament I loved every single person there. and in my ability to speculate everything I thought about what would happen turned out to be wrong. it's been a long time since I'mve been able to say that about a game. a very very long time since twists and parts I could actually call unpredictable happened. plus I really did love the characters and build sort of a connection that when the shit really hit the fan it actually did have an effect. fantastic job.

[Blotus]

Mac - I'm sure I'll try to get all 108, but that depends on the reliability of the detective's reports (I know there is a detective, I assume it'll work the same way it did in past games). I'm trying not to use a FAQ on my first time through.

Derith - Am am enjoying the story and characters, even moreso now. My problems in the early-going were gameplay and presentation related. You really didn't DO much aside from a lot of running and reading.

[M'k'n'zy]

Well all I can say is, as far as getting all 108 goes, dont rush things, and dont make stupid decisions. BTW, where you are now you have had the chance to see the games first bad ending. Did ya check it out?

[Chris]

the bad wending are great. I'll more than likely new game + it a few tiomes just to see all the good endings.

[Chris]

oh, and be sure to save......a ltot. especially before war scenes because if you screw up a war battle, non main story characters can and will die. yeah so that kills the getting all 108 stars thing.

[Blotus]

I'm investigating Norden, the man apparently responsible for not stopping the Lordlake uprising. Don't know if I'm coming up on the first bad ending or not. Will I know?

[Chris]

the first bad ending is in rainwall. it's a diologue option and if you choose the wrong one....boom, game over

[Chris]

oh and a couple more things from your first post. I actually really like the only being able to equip 2 abilities at once thing because you end up switching them in and out a lot dependeing on situation. fighting a hard boss that's kicking you but. put it on the more defensive specials and combine that with a good defensive formation and the fight suddenly becomes a gazilleon times easier. hunting for rare mobs for the musician dude? crank em all on attack and stick in on auto battle and watch things go down a hell of a lot quicker. but it also limits you so you have to strategically pick and choose what to do. I dunno I'm enjoying doing the constant in and out switching to see how much it effects it and it does. and I think makes it better than was last used as you can concentrate on one thing or just grind and crank a ton of points into all of it so your characters have the option of changing on the fly

[Blotus]

Heh. Bad ending's pretty neat.

[Chris]

there are more places I guess that either give a variation on the bad ending or just go straight to the game over screen with no chance to continue.

I am loving that you can lose stars in this game in warfare though. I find that to make it far more of a challenge than the last games where you couldn't actually lose anyone. It gives an incentive to win every warfare scene and really keep everyone alive. most often they get injured buit there is a chance of death and you lose the character permanently. I just lost 2 hours of progress this morning because I didn't save right before a big battle and got creamed hardcore astyle. won the battle but my musician died..

although it seems the big bad is bitter because he keeps losing arguements for invoking the name of hitler.

woooo and that there is my dumb joke of the day folks. stick around I'll be here all week

[M'k'n'zy]

there are more places I guess that either give a variation on the bad ending or just go straight to the game over screen with no chance to continue.

I am loving that you can lose stars in this game in warfare though. I find that to make it far more of a challenge than the last games where you couldn't actually lose anyone. It gives an incentive to win every warfare scene and really keep everyone alive. most often they get injured buit there is a chance of death and you lose the character permanently. I just lost 2 hours of progress this morning because I didn't save right before a big battle and got creamed hardcore astyle. won the battle but my musician died..

although it seems the big bad is bitter because he keeps losing arguements for invoking the name of hitler.

woooo and that there is my dumb joke of the day folks. stick around I'll be here all week

Actually, your secondary characters could all die in the other Suikoden games as well if your unit got routed. It just wasnt very frequent. I remember one time I was on the last tactical battle before the big point in Suikoden II and one of my characters died, right as I was about to win the battle. I was pissed, to say the least.

[Chris]

I never knew that. at least it never happened to me that I can recall

[Chris]

man after going through a couple one on ones I am really wishing they wqould add some sort of duel arena cause I could do it for hours. plus the fact that with every cduel the fighting stance and style changes giving you an actually feeling of progression to the character. he's not gaining levels he's learning and getting better. gives it a much better feel. plus the second duel has the greatest special counter ever. foot to your face. I'm the juggernaught bitch

[M'k'n'zy]

Wait till you duel with Lorelai. ^_^

[Blotus]

Yep, that one was pretty rad.

[Nev]

Goddammit, do I actually have to buy and play this?

I liked the first one decently (with the exception that the random encounter rate was WAY too high - can't we collectively move past "random encounters" as a concept, already?), the second one bored me to tears, and I haven't played any of the others.

With Kingdom Hearts II set to hit in three days, I'll probably bypass it unless you all tell me I really need to buy and play it.

[Blotus]

Radboy of The Fourth Reich rules over Zombie Infested Castle!

What did you two name your hero, army, and castle?


Mental- The encounter rate in this one is even higher... or maybe it just seems that way because of the loading.

[M'k'n'zy]

Mknzy of the Calhoun Army rules Lakeview castle.

[Chris]

Wait till you duel with Lorelai. ^_^

I know. but I actually liked the attack in the second duel where you do the whole thing with the 3 parts separate. serios face kicking ninja badass action. great stuff. Plus lorelie is easily my favorite suikoden characters before. always had her in my party.

Derithian of the Newsboy Army of Rising Phoenix castle. it's one giant pile of geeky goodness

[Chris]

the finshing minigame is a bitch and a half. I want to recruit this little inbread yokel but man I suck at the fishing. any tips?

[Chris]

uch. took me a buncha tries before I just started going for just the little ones....i like the minigame here. just wish I could keep all the ? pots

[M'k'n'zy]

Actually I think you can once you are playing it as a minigame.

[M'k'n'zy]

DAMNIT I think I have officially missed one. The armor vendor. I think because I didnt meet up with him and buy from his shop earlier, he wont join me anymore. Damn damn damn DAMN

[Nev]

Man, it sounds great. An RPG where you don't truly feel complete unless you can get all 108 characters, some of which have one-off or time-window restrictions that make it easy to miss them.

I wonder what I'm waiting for...ah, yes, that would be a *good* RPG.

Just for the sake of argument, let's give it a hypothetical name, like "Kingdom Hearts II"...

[Chris]

DAMNIT I think I have officially missed one. The armor vendor. I think because I didnt meet up with him and buy from his shop earlier, he wont join me anymore. Damn damn damn DAMN

you're safe. you can still get him at the very end in a different city

[M'k'n'zy]

Thank god....so there is no cut off point in this one where you have to get all the stars before a certian point?

[Chris]

there are but that isn't one of them. have you gotten the giant turtle yet? GIANT TURTLES RULE!

[M'k'n'zy]

I am working to get him now.

[Chris]

I know I'm walking you through it you pansy

[Blotus]

Got the armor salesman in Dorrat, just had to buy a few things off him.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILERS - POST-SECOND DORRAT WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you two are probably past me anyway...




I wish some cunt hadn't spoiled the Sialeeds turn on the GameFAQs board for me, but it was still a pretty wicked collection of scenes together around that point: Dolph wounding Lyon, the truth about Georg and Arshtat, and Lym telling Sialeeds to go to hell. I'm REALLY enjoying the game, however I will have to play through it again soon to get the two Island Nations captains (forget their names) because I suggested loading the rune cannon onto my ship instead of destroying it... pansies. Don't think you can get them again.

And as for playing through without a FAQ, well... that didn't last too long.


w00t!

[M'k'n'zy]

I am just before the final area now. The night before the final battle was done masterfully...for once you actually get to talk to ALL of your characters....very impressive.

[Blotus]

Beat it last night. Overall, quite impressed. Game clock was at 67 hours, but then again I'd left it idle sometimes. I'll have to replay 2 and 3 sometime soon to make the comparrison, but I'd say this one's on par with those.

[M'k'n'zy]

I am on the final area now and god is it kicking my ass. Think I have to do some leveling before I am ready.

[Blotus]

Dude, you suck! At no point in the game did I have to go out and level up... and the game still wasn't difficult. Granted, I got all the stars and some of them required some dungeon crawling, but still.

Best Fighters: Richard, Belcoot, Miakis, Zegai, Rahal, Cathari (L range), and obviously Georg
Best Mages: Zeraze, Jeane, Levi, Eresh, and Killey (who has a high attack as well)

Richard has a godly evade stat. Boost his Agility and Technique abilities and he counters almost any melee attack. With the right runes, he's god.

Any of the mages in the rear slot of the Sorcery formation can kill almost any random encounter with a level 4 double-cast (formation skill).

[M'k'n'zy]

Dude, you suck! At no point in the game did I have to go out and level up... and the game still wasn't difficult. Granted, I got all the stars and some of them required some dungeon crawling, but still.

Best Fighters: Richard, Belcoot, Miakis, Zegai, Rahal, Cathari (L range), and obviously Georg
Best Mages: Zeraze, Jeane, Levi, Eresh, and Killey (who has a high attack as well)

Richard has a godly evade stat. Boost his Agility and Technique abilities and he counters almost any melee attack. With the right runes, he's god.

Any of the mages in the rear slot of the Sorcery formation can kill almost any random encounter with a level 4 double-cast (formation skill).

*shrugs* Mabye I am just playing the game diffrently than you but the last area was kicking my ass.

[Oracle]

Devo of the Management Army rules over Corporate HQ

[Chris]

he my party was always belcoot dynn miakis roy prince and cathari in arrowhead formation.

evil as hell. essentially took out everything in one turn and belcoot couters every single attack that comes his way

[Blotus]

Richard owns Belcoot x1000000 fool. The only better front-liner is the insanely overpowered Georg.

Next time I'll go through I'll definitely not be using Richard or Belcoot... or Zerase, Jeane, or Levi. They just make the fights a breeze.

[M'k'n'zy]

Richard owns Belcoot x1000000 fool. The only better front-liner is the insanely overpowered Georg.

Next time I'll go through I'll definitely not be using Richard or Belcoot... or Zerase, Jeane, or Levi. They just make the fights a breeze.

Georg has one very fatal flaw though, and that is his INSANELY low magic defence.

[Anid Maro]

Glad to hear that Suikoden V is pretty good.

I always liked Suikoden, but number 4 just couldn't hold my interest. Ended up just turning the game off for good halfway through the game while I was halfway through with sailing across the stupid ocean.

The story didn't grab me much, combat was boring, etc. I was worried that Suikoden was going to just die off, especially after hearing about that Tactics game they made.

[M'k'n'zy]

The gameplay in Suiko tactics was excelent actually, and the story wasnt terrible. Defidently not great, but it wasnt bad either. The place where Tactics hurt was the HORRENDUS graphics. But other than that, defidently worth playing.

[Anid Maro]

Oh... well damn, I've missed out then.

After being disappointed in Suikoden IV, I just took the reviews at their word on Suikoden Tactics.

But if bad graphics were the only problem, then I guess I get what I deserve for taking magazine reviews at face value.