For role-playing junkies, the wait is almost over. At long last, Konami is about to release the RPG compilation that fans have been begging for – Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. While the title may be a little clunky, the important news is that both Suikoden and its sequel Suikoden II will finally be playable on modern consoles. That's cool news, but are either of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines that reviewed these games when they were first released. I sure hope you like collecting heroes, because this is a very turn-based episode of Suikoden Review Crew.


When we look back at the PlayStation, we see it as a bastion of important role-playing games that would once and for all bring the genre into the mainstream. But it wasn't always like that. If you were a big fan of Japanese RPGs, then those first couple years were rough. Thankfully, Suikoden came out at just the right time, bridging the divide between forgettable titles like Beyond the Beyond and seminal titles like Final Fantasy VII. Created by the fresh-faced Yoshitaka Murayama and based on the classical Chinese novel Water Margin, Suikoden offered an epic story with more than one-hundred protagonists, massive large-scale battles and sprite-based graphics, all things that helped to set the game apart from the other RPGs of the era. This was also the perfect game to tide RPG fans over until Square brought Final Fantasy VII to the West, with some gamers going as far to argue that Suikoden is the superior adventure. But what did the critics say? Were they as high on this game as the fans?

As is so often the case, the answer depends on what magazine you subscribed to at the time. Let's start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, who gave the original Suikoden an average score of 8.75 out of 10. Shawn praised the game's length, calling it “almost mind boggling.” “I have to admit that I was pretty intimidated as I was playing through and realizing what I was taking on. There is a huge amount of different characters in the game and the development and involvement of them in the story is awesome. I really enjoyed being able to battle monsters (or enemies) in different ways. The army vs. army battles reminded me of Dragon Force on the Saturn in a way, which is a great thing. This one is for those with a lot of time and patience.” Crispin agreed, arguing that “until Square releases Final Fantasy VII later this year, Suikoden will reign as the PlayStation's finest RPG. The story line is truly epic and well-conveyed through high-quality dialogue and sharp graphics, while a superbly orchestrated soundtrack sets the game's tone. Unlike other RPGs, you can build a party of more than 100 characters. The combat system is outstanding, letting you engage in the traditional party-versus-monster battles or more ambitious army-versus-army wars.”

For what it's worth, EGM's average sits right in the middle of the scale. When we look at the lower scores, we see Next Generation going with a straight 4 out of 5, while its sister magazine, Edge, couldn't muster up anything higher than a 7 out of 10. That said, the absolute lowest score comes from Computer & Video Games, who gave it a 3 out of 5 in their 182nd issue. “I doubt most players looking for their first RPG will be disappointed with Suikoden. It's everything you expect to find, and still more besides. The narrative carries a fairly melancholy tone more often than not, which keeps your heart with the story while your head is required for thinking problems through. I have a problem with the fact that none of the furniture found inside most buildings offers any treasures, as this makes a lot of locations redundant – it's so annoying to keep wandering into empty rooms. And for the average games player, this style of RPG might seem little different from the 16-bit examples they've been avoiding. Fans of this scene will have no problem acknowledging a skill tale, beautiful music and involving fight action.”

On the other side of the scale, we see GamePro rave about Suikoden, giving it an almost-perfect 4.5 out of 5. The recently rebranded Ultra Game Players also loved the game, going all the way up to a 9.1 out of 10. However, no magazine loved this RPG more than Game Fan, who had also recently gone through a rebranding. Takuhi explained that “Suikoden is one of the few fantasy RPGs that truly takes the genre in a whole new direction. There are some potholes along that road, like the equipping, unequipping problem and such, but the journey is well worth it. The storyline is great, the battle system is very well done, the characters are vivid and memorable, and the soundtrack is just stunning. Overhead graphics kind of bite, but otherwise, this is a truly spectacular experience.” And then there's Orion, who makes the case that this is the PlayStation's first great RPG: “Nothing hurts me more than my entire PlayStation RPG selection consisting of the very bad Beyond the Beyond. Thanks to Konami, that's all changing with the domestic release of Suikoden. Now THIS should have been the first PlayStation RPG release. It has an outstanding storyline, great battles, and amazing music, making Suikoden the best 32-bit RPG I've ever played. I can't thank you enough, Konami.” Game Fan gave the game an average score of 94%.

Even though there were a couple of high-profile detractors, most critics agreed that Suikoden was the first must-own RPG on the PlayStation. And I agree, this is definitely a strong start to the series. Let's see if that good luck will continue with the sequel, Suikoden II.

Oh what a difference a few years makes. When the first Suikoden was released, it was seen as the first truly great role-playing game on Sony's fledgling PlayStation. Now, three years later, things are much different. Thanks in large part to the overwhelming success of Final Fantasy VII, suddenly role-playing games are all the rage. This allowed Konami to deliver a bigger and more ambitious Suikoden sequel that not only looked better, but also helped to fill in a lot of the lore surrounding the series. Once again, the fans loved it, but that did not necessarily translate to high scores from the critics.

You might think that this sudden interest in role-playing games would help Suikoden II get more coverage, but the opposite happened. For example, Electronic Gaming Monthly went from having four critics enthusiastically review the original to only one (unnamed) critic covering the sequel. Giving it a 7 out of 10, they concluded that “If you have the time and are willing to commit at least 50 hours, Suikoden II is an RPG that will keep your attention. It heralds 108 characters, including some old favorites like Flik and Viktor. The storyline is compelling and features the adult themes of betrayal, death and tom-foolery. If you had the foresight to save your memory card from the first Suikoden, you can download those into this lengthy thrill ride. Annoyingly, the main character cannot move sideways. But otherwise, it's a real hoot. If you've got the time, it's worth the ride.”

Now, if you're a big fan of Suikoden II, then you might be surprised to see EGM go that low. However, they weren't alone, as PlayStation Power also gave the RPG a score of 7 out of 10. That's basically tied with the 71% that you saw from Game Fan in their 74th issue. Of course, that's nothing compared to GamePro, who went from giving the original a score of 4.5 out of 5 all the way down to giving the sequel a mere 2.5 out of 5. That's easily the lowest magazine score I could find. “Graphically, Suikoden II looks better than the original, with more detailed environments and explorable areas – but you'll find it all a waste of time, with too much to explore and nothing to gain. Unfortunately, the sound is pretty bland. There are virtually no voice-overs and the background music shines only during combat. The spell effects actually sound better than the tunes. Even fans of the first Suikoden will have a hard time enjoying this sequel, given that there's nothing new here. You probably won't want to invest the time or trouble it would take to embark on this pointless quest.”

While GamePro and other magazines were busy flip-flopping their scores, it was Next Generation who ended up being the most consistent. When they reviewed the original Suikoden, they gave it a 4 out of 5, the same exact score they would give the sequel. “At its heart, Suikoden II portrays a deeply involving struggle between two best friends embroiled in all sorts of political and emotional conflicts. Quietly epic in scope, but with moments of casual pace, this won't dazzle gamers with massive spells and a multitude of love triangles, but remains impressive and earns its place as a must-have RPG. One of the best RPGs to hit PlayStation this year.”

Climbing up the scale, we see PSM give the Suikoden sequel an impressive score of 4.5 out of 5. However, the most shocking revelation came from none other than Computer & Video Games, who went from giving the first game the lowest score to giving sequel a perfect 5 out of 5. Talk about a turn-around. “Though it doesn't have the visual flair of Final Fantasy VII, Suikoden II is more instantly playable, immediately rewarding and a lot more fun. The action may feel lightweight at first, but that's the game's clever way of breaking you into an amazing journey that'll last you weeks. One of the most satisfying and emotionally effective old-school RPGs you'll ever play.”

This is one of those rare sequels where the critics are all over the place. The magazines that were disappointed by the first game ended up loving the follow-up, and vice versa. It's exciting to see Suikoden II included in this upcoming collection, allowing gamers to decide for themselves if it holds up or not.