subject: Retro Rewind: Suikoden II [print this page] To Arms and To Battle To Arms and To Battle
Suikoden II has a variety of battlemodes. There is the usual turn-based battle modes that start with every random (or planned) enemy encounter. Though many RPGs have a turn-based battlemode, a unique part of Suikoden turn-based battle mode is that each party (enemy and ally) can hold up to six characters. Not many games can boast of having such a number fit in one screen where the camera doesn't even shift besides zooming in and out to its normal view. The six characters are put into two rows, three to each row. Battles are designed so that it would be most effective for long-range attackers, such as archers and magic wielders, to be set in the back row, while the melee fighters stand in the front.
In this mode, characters are also able to interchange their position with whoever is in front or behind them. Depending on who is in your party, you can also perform combination attacks, which reveal unique animations. Range of attack and speed of character determine when the character moves, and though the system is turn-based, the moment you confirm the attack, your characters seem to move in real-time. Many times, you will see three or four characters jump out at once to hit their particular targets. Battles can be redundant, but due to the feature of not having to wait each character's turn, most of them are quick.
Other battle modes are the One on One Duel Mode, where the Hero fights one character, and the Strategy Mode, where you control units of soldiers of various types to fight against incoming invasions. Mastering each mode requires some skill and playing experience, as you can predict the enemy attacks by what they say to you. The nature of these two modes is to progress the story, while adding in an opportunity for interaction. Most of the time, even if you lose these types of fights, it will not be game over and you will be able to try again or miss a certain event of the story. Thus these two battle modes have become a memorable part of the game to find best endings and alternative scenes.
Timelessness - Heroes of Old and New
Suikoden II takes place in the same world as Suikoden I and though it's not intended to be a direct sequel, the events take place two years after the war of the first game. For this reason, it's not too surprising to find to find familiar characters roaming around in Suikoden II. The feeling of continuity brings a sense of timelessness to the world and adventure, since many characters and races have quite a long history with other characters.
One of the most enjoyable features of Suikoden II is the building of your fortress and watching your castle grow. With every new ally you recruit to your forces, you see improvements and renovations being made to your castle. The beauty of the recruitment system is that the most useful characters are usually not the ones that you fight together in battle, but the ones that can teleport you around the world, put new runes on your comrades, upgrade your weapons, create items for you, and simply those who bring opportunities of character development.
Countless hours can be spent in the castle alone and you still wouldn't be able to do everything you want to do. Almost all characters you recruit will open up a mini-game opportunity, where you can win prizes, money, and snippets of character subplots. Though it may seem somewhat silly, you can usually tell who you can recruit by their character design. They usually stand out from the usual town folks and when speaking with them, a profile picture will appear in the textbox. Most characters need certain conditions to be met in order to be recruited, so it'll be wise to keep an eye on the surroundings and on what they say if you want a clue on what needs to be done.
Aesthetic Appeal Nothing Beats Simplicity
At first, there seems to be nothing too appealing about the music and graphics of Suikoden II. The graphics are 2D, but not just any ordinary 2D graphics. In Suikoden II, you'll find some of the most well rendered and creative pixel (sprite) animations. Making out just the physical appearance of characters was satisfying enough, but when you can figure out emotions through their movements and slight facial expressions, it's quite impressive especially when you consider this is all done with just a few dots of color. Though you may think it's hard to take these animations seriously, it seamlessly work together with the story and music to hit home all the time whether it be to make you laugh, cry, or gripe with anger. There are few 3D cinematic sequences, but no one would care for them when we're already dazzled by the pixels.
Price and Accessibility
Suikoden II is a rare game and notoriously so. One copy of the game, whether used or new, averages over $100. Many complain about the price of this game, while others stand up to say that the game itself is well worth the price. Whatever gamers may feel towards the situation, the fact that remains is, during the time of its release, gamers had a fair chance at the game. If you weren't lucky enough to grab it when it was less than $50 on shelf at release, then it's sadly tough luck.
RPG lovers of that time feel the game has eluded them somehow. The truth is Suikoden II had very little recognition at its release date. With no huge sales to be seen, the idea of reprints was scratched all together. Probably a year after, when enough gamers had a say about the game, it was too late for those who started warming up to the idea of picking it up. The game itself became worthy to buy, but it was suddenly gone in the market. And when there is a demand, the price rises. This is just the basics of economics, so it's quite amusing when gamers review the game based on the price they grabbed it for, saying it didn't offer enough hours to be worth $100. Remember, this was a game that was supposed to be bought at $50 tops, the ones who are raising the price of this game are none other than the gamers or retailers, who own the game.
For those who want in on the Suikoden experience, you can get the first Suikoden for just $5.99 on PSN. Sadly, nothing is confirmed about Suikoden II being released on PSN. Not to add more salt to a wound but because Suikoden series make low sales in the US, even if Konami has released a "Suikoden and Suikoden II" Bundle for the PSP in 2006, it will probably never see the light of day in US. Luckily, Suikoden III is not as rare as its predecessor and was a game that carried on the series former glory enough to amaze fans. If you can't wait for Suikoden II after trying out the first, I recommend trying out Suikoden III.
