Suikoden (video game)

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Suikoden (Gensosuikoden)
Developer(s)	Konami
Publisher(s)	Konami
Release date(s)	December 15, 1995 December 1996 March 1997 September 17, 1998 (Saturn)
Genre(s)	RPG
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults)
Platform(s)	PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Media	1 × CD-ROM

Suikoden is the first installment of the Suikoden series by Konami. It is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami that was released initially in Japan in 1995 for the Sony PlayStation. A North American release followed one year later, and a European release came the following March. The game was also released for the Sega Saturn in 1998 only in Japan.

The game itself is a story that graciously borrows elements from the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan, about a young man who is destined to seek out 108 warriors (referred to as the 108 Stars of Destiny, in order to bring peace to a war-torn land.

[edit] Story

Set in a fantasy world resembling imperial China, the game follows the exploits of a young man named by the player, a skilled quarterstaff fighter and son of an imperial general who soon learns that he is destined to be the "Tenkai Star", a prophesied hero that will unite 108 Stars of Destiny to bring about a new age of prosperity. McDohl acquires the Rune of Life and Death, or "Soul Eater," which grants him great power at a terrible price, from his friend Ted. The Rune of LIfe and Death is one of the 27 True Runes.

The primary opposition during the course of the game is the Scarlet Moon Empire. Once a fair and just society, now a corrupt ruling body that imposes its will on everyone, dealing out harsh edicts and making life miserable for those who dared to be born low. With McDohl in command of the Liberation Army, a rebel force that seeks to bring down the Scarlet Moon Empire, he must gather a force strong enough to oppose them, and bring peace to the people of the land.

[edit] Gameplay

A battle scene from Suikoden.

Suikoden plays like a traditional CRPG, with the player moving characters across a landscape, meeting new people, engaging in battles (major battles using your army, and minor battles using your party of six fighters) along the way. Combat is turn-based, giving the player the opportunity to select their actions at their own pace, and the order the characters act in is proportional to their "speed" rating. The minor battle screen differs graphically from the rest of the game in that 2D sprites are overlaid on an 3D background. The major battle screen is much more 2d-based because there is a mass of small sprites on screen.

The purpose of the game is to recruit all of the 108 Stars of Destiny, all while progressing through the game's story by completing various quests. Though all the characters remain usable at any time, a party of up to six characters can be used for minor battles which occur while walking the map. Most of them can be used in the major battles, and are put into groups of 3 characters. These groups are then grouped into major groups, detailing their functions. The four major groups are Charge Attacks, Bow Attacks, Magic Attacks and Others. The winning system is basically a Rock,Paper,Scissors system. Charge Attacks beat Bow Attacks, because, theoretically, the enemy has took out their bows, which can hit only units that are not moving accurately, so they are almost defenseless until they can take out their swords and shields. Bow attacks beat Magic attacks, because, theoretically, the enemy takes time to cast their spell, so your arrows can hit them while they are casting their spell. Magic attacks beat Charge attacks, because, theoretically you can hit them before they reach you. To summarize that, Charge > Bow > Magic > Charge etc.

[edit] 108 Stars of Destiny

In all, there are 108 recruitable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. All 108 Stars of Destiny can be recruited to assist McDohl in various tasks and most of them are actually playable characters. Below is a complete list of their names, what astrological star they represent, and where they can be found. Generally speaking, if a character within the game is given a portrait beside their speech box when spoken to, they will join the party at some point or another. While many characters are optional recruits, some will join automatically as the story dictates their presence.

Two characters join McDohl in battle, but are not Stars of Destiny--his best friend Ted, and Odessa Silverberg, a young woman who bequeaths the title of Liberation Army commander onto him. One character, Sanchez, has a non-combat role in the army but is not a Star of Destiny.

Artwork showing several characters from Suikoden, with McDohl in the front center.

[edit] Notable non SOD characters

[edit] External links

• Konami's Official Genso Suikoden Site
• SARS: Suikoden Avouchment and Rumors Supply
• Suikosource: Your Source for Suikoden
• Suikoden at MobyGames