Suikoden II
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| Suikoden II | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release date | JP December 17, 1998 NA September 29, 1999 EUR July 28, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) USK: 6+ OFLC: G8+ ELSPA: 11+ |
| Media | 1x CD-ROM |
| Input methods | PlayStation controller |
Suikoden II (幻想水滸伝II Gensō Suikoden Tsū?) (pronounced: SWEE-ko-den) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation video game console and the second installment of the Suikoden video game series. It was released in late 1998 in Japan, 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Europe. The game features a vast array of characters, with over sixty characters usable in combat and many more who move the plot forward.
Suikoden II takes place three in-universe years after the events of the original Suikoden, and centers around an invasion by the Kingdom of Highland of the City States of Jowston. The player controls a silent protagonist whose name is chosen by the player; he is the adopted son of Genkaku, a hero who saved the City-State of Jowston in a war against Highland years ago. The protagonist and his best friend, Jowy Atreides, each gain one half of the Rune of the Beginning, one of the 27 True Runes of the Suikoden setting, and become caught up in the intrigues of the invasion and the dark fate of those who bear the halves of that Rune.
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[edit] Gameplay
Suikoden II is a console role-playing game with strategic elements covering those gameplay options pertaining to large scale confrontations, such as between two armies. The player controls a silent protagonist and travels with them around the world map, advancing the plot by completing tasks and talking with other characters. The player can also recruit new characters to his cause, often involving a short sidequest to do so. In towns, the player can gather information, sharpen characters' weaponry, and buy equipment; wilderness areas generally feature random encounters with monsters.
The battle system to Suikoden II features six person parties. A variety of statistics determine in-game combat ability. If all six characters lose all their hit points and are thus incapacitated, it is game over and the player must restart. Exceptions exist for certain plot battles in which winning is optional; the player can lose and the plot continues on, albeit in a slightly different fashion.
Runes, the source of all magic in the world of Suikoden II, are handled the same as the original Suikoden. Characters have a certain number of spell usages per "spell level;" for instance, a character with 4 level 1 spell slots and a Water Rune could cast "Kindness Drops" (the level 1 Water Rune spell) 4 times. Other runes offer different benefits, and some may be used as often as desired.
Updates from the original Suikoden include a grid and unit based tactical battle system, the addition of a three rune slot system which allows for three different runes to be equipped at once, a party inventory system, and a "dash" button that allowed the player to move around the screen quicker and vast graphical improvement. Also notable is the inclusion of a variety of mini-games including one quite reminiscent of Iron Chef. A transfer of data from the prior game in the series enables returning characters to enter the fray with higher levels and improved weapons. References to the original Suikoden are also adapted accordingly for a greater feel in continuity.
Following the original Suikoden, Suikoden II contains three different types of combat:
- Regular battles: The party the player has selected faces off with 1-6 enemies. This battle type is considered typical in RPGs, containing options for attack, magic (Runes), items etc. This is the only battle style where the player can gain experience, items or Potch (Suikoden II's currency).
- Duels: The main character is pitted against another character in single combat. This style of fighting only has three moves: Attack, Wild Attack, and Defend. This duel is played in a Rock, Paper, Scissors style where "Attack" beats "Defend", "Wild Attack" beats "Attack" and "Defend" beats "Wild Attack". The player can usually tell what kind of attack the enemy is going to perform by the taunts displayed.
- Massive battles: More interactivity was added to this element of the gameplay over that of its predecessor. While some of the shades of the old "Rock, Paper, Scissors" style battle of the original (where cavalry beats archers, archers beat magic and magic beats cavalry), Suikoden II introduces a grid style battle system reminiscent to that of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Fire Emblem games. As the main character recruits characters for his castle, this opens up more options for more units. Certain characters are 'unit leaders' while others are 'supports'. Every character adds a certain amount of defense or attack to a unit. In addition, certain characters also add special abilities to the unit they are attached to. The numbers affect the chances of win or loss as much as the type of units being pitted against each other. Every unit may take up to a total of two 'losses' which are counted when a unit suffers a severe amount of casualties. Each skirmish they take part in might result in no loss, loss on one side, or even loss on both sides. As mentioned before, certain characters add special abilities to the units. Examples of these abilities include being able to take more losses than usual, magic or archery to allow attacks from a distance, healing of itself or others, etc. When a unit suffers its maximum losses it will retreat from battle, when this happens there is a possibility of the characters in the unit being wounded or even killed. Should a character be killed in a massive battle, they are considered permanently dead.
[edit] Story
[edit] Characters
The protagonist of Suikoden II is Riou, who goes from being a member of a youth brigade in the Highland Kingdom to being the leader of its opposition, the New Alliance Army. In acquiring one half of the Rune of the Beginning, he is destined to become leader of the newly rebuilt Jowston Army, and also to oppose the holder of the other half of the Rune of the Beginning, Jowy Atreides.
The antagonist for the majority of the game is Luca Blight, heir to the throne of Highland. Luca is a bloodthirsty madman who developed a strong hatred for Jowston at a young age after witnessing his mother's rape by thugs hired by City-State capital Muse to attack the Highland royal envoy.
A variety of characters from the original Suikoden appear in Suikoden II. Some such as Viktor play major roles in the story, while others only appear in cameos (such as Kage who is briefly seen talking to Jowy before Mayor Anabelle is killed). If data from a Suikoden I saved game file with all 108 characters recruited is loaded, the first game's protagonist Tir McDohl can be recruited. List of recurring characters in Suikoden has a comprehensive list of all characters who span multiple parts of the series.
[edit] Plot
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The game stars Riou, the protagonist, and Jowy Atreides, Riou’s friend, who are both members of the youth division of the Highland Army. Luca Blight, the prince of Highland, and Captain Rowd, Riou’s commanding officer, orchestrate the slaughter of Riou’s and Jowy’s unit and blame it on the neighboring nation of Jowston, giving the prince an excuse to invade Jowston. Riou and Jowy escape the slaughter, then decide to split up.
They meet again after Riou is fished from the river by a group of mercenaries from the first game, and Jowy is rescued from the river by a girl named Pilika from the town of Toto. They decide that they must fight against Prince Blight after he burns Toto and Riou’s hometown of Kyaro to the ground.
During a spy mission, Jowy is seemingly caught by Blight’s army. Later, it is discovered that he has defected to Blight’s army. Riou, his sister Nanami, Pilika, and the mercenaries establish a base in the town of Northwindow, where they begin to build up their forces, ultimately gaining enough strength to challenge Blight’s Highland armies.
[edit] Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 7.6 of 10[1] |
| IGN | 9 of 10[2] |
| Compilations | Avg. score |
| Game Rankings (23 sources) | 81 of 100[3] |
| Metacritic (8 sources) | 82 of 100[4] |
Suikoden II saw a limited print run, and the lackluster initial response prevented a reprinting of the game. Despite this, the game was generally well-received by the media, and was given high scores by some of the most prominent gaming critics. Gaming website IGN awarded a rating of 9/10, and the GameRankings website gave it a score of 81 of 100 based on 23 sources. GameSpot granted a lower rating of 7.6/10, praising its innovative gameplay but criticizing its similarity to the original Suikoden.
Suikoden II remains one of the more valuable games for the PlayStation, commonly carrying an asking price of more than $130 USD[1] from potential sellers, or up to as much as $250 USD for an unopened version of the game due to the game's limited print run and lack of reprinting. The popularity of Suikoden III helped attract renewed interest in II, increasing demand with the supply fixed. The game is regarded by many fans as the strongest in the Suikoden series.
Konami released Genso Suikoden I&II, a compilation of the first two games of the series, in 2005 on the PlayStation Portable. However, it was released only to the Japanese market. As of 2008, there has been no move to bring it to the North American or European markets.
[edit] Additional Notes
- Dunan is the unofficial name for the army and castle the Hero acquires as the story continues; confirmed in the Manga release. Nevertheless the player is given the decision to name both the army and castle what they desire, with no definitive recommendations from the characters; although Jowy does prefers the name Orange.
- Despite being confirmed as the unofficial name, Dunan is not mentioned once throughout the course of the game.
[edit] References
- ^ VideoGamePriceCharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
[edit] External links
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