Suikoden (PS1, 1995)
Graphics-7 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-6.5 Story 6.5
Level Design-7 Frustration-7/8* Fun-7 Originality-6
Overall Score-7
*100%
+
Some interesting mechanics (Auto battle, let go and bribe commands)
Attach elements to weapons
Decent variation
Mostly fast screen transitions and overall pacing
Cure spells/items are still used after the enemy dies in battle
Six man party
Some 'sequence breaking' possibilities (getting characters or abilities sooner than expected)
Some good dungeon design
Some good humour
Some characters carry over to the sequel if you keep a save
Secrets and hidden items
Some nice animation here and there
Decent ending showing what each of the 108 stars end up doing with the rest of their lives
Three different battle systems (party encounter, large-scale battle, duel)
108 recruitable characters
See your home base develop as you recruit more characters
Some good bosses
Combo attacks
Mini-games (fairly easy way to make money)
+/-
You can get surrounded in battle (fail to run) by a single enemy
Cover mechanics not explained (one character covering another)
The 108 star people can actually die during the large scale battles
No way to revive party members during battle until later on (they are only knocked out after battle though, allowing you to use curative items on them)
Arbitrary and automatic division of characters into tactical teams during large scale battle
The Moravia rescue operation could've been more interesting if the army battles could fail or if there was a time limit (it's also weird how you need to re-enter to rescue Vincent and how the guards outside can't be talked to afterwards)
Can't walk diagonally
-
While the duel and large-scale battle are fun diversions they lack substance and get pretty boring in repeated playthroughs
The first inn takes your money without showing how much it costs to stay
No in-game explanation of crystals/runes
Some battle effects look a bit dated/silly
No "equip strongest/best" option
Dialogue in shops isn't sped up like elsewhere (instead you'll skip it by pressing the button)
Plenty of dialogue options that don't matter
Some dead space
Some backtracking (Tiger mt., FOUR TIMES through Neclord's castle to get all 108 stars)
Very limited inventories
Some translation errors ("We're all over")
Can't equip bought items right away or sort items in the shop interface/menus
Formations sometimes get screwed up when new characters join the party during a story sequence leading into a battle
The hero's transition from apprentice to leader of the rebel army isn't very believable (Everyone else is mostly in charge and coming up with strategies to overthrow the corrupted empire)
Trial & error (members jumping in and out of the party frequently (and the game not allowing you to quickly switch their gear, Pahn's duel, making some of the 108 stars join/appear, background objects are generally non-interactive except for a few instances which aren't hinted at)
A bit anticlimactic how there's a "soul eater level 3" pop-up right after the hero's father dies
Older spells don't scale with your character's level (so they become useless later on)
Some monster drops are really tedious to get (rather than difficult)
Fairly easy and repetitive final dungeon (and no duel with Barbarossa)
Somewhat choppy scaling effects
Somewhat uneven difficulty (Neclord)
Can’t run without a holy rune
Plot oddities/conveniences (Sneaking into Moravia without imperial uniforms on, Why does the warrior village try to attack Neclord's castle after you find out that they can't harm him and how does Hix get into the castle uninvited?, everyone forgetting about the fire spears, Milich's kidnapping of Liukan, Tesla and Kimberly getting to HQ before you despite using teleport, Kobold enemies stay around after curing them?, Flik and Pahn take their defeat at Scarleticia way too lightly, the whole scenario with the elven town (why get caught, why didn't Kirkis plan your visit better, etc.), everyone acts like nothing happened after beating up Imperial guardsmen in Rockland, it's never explained how 'normal people' are recruited for the large scale battles, Kanaan talking to himself when you're standing right next to him (similarly the party talking in front of the enemy when the empire breaks into your house to get Ted near the beginning), hearing NPCs talking when you're a few rooms away, Pahn going to buy medicine for Ted when you already have some, Krin telling you to meet in the inn to talk when you're already in it)
Bugs:
-One can keep using stat boost items over and over by saving, using them all, then dying and continuing (they will all be restored in your inventory)
- If you've used up part of an item (Medicine, Antidote, etc.), deposit in the warehouse. When you take it out, the item will be maxed out again
Level Design-7 Frustration-7/8* Fun-7 Originality-6
Overall Score-7
*100%
+
Some interesting mechanics (Auto battle, let go and bribe commands)
Attach elements to weapons
Decent variation
Mostly fast screen transitions and overall pacing
Cure spells/items are still used after the enemy dies in battle
Six man party
Some 'sequence breaking' possibilities (getting characters or abilities sooner than expected)
Some good dungeon design
Some good humour
Some characters carry over to the sequel if you keep a save
Secrets and hidden items
Some nice animation here and there
Decent ending showing what each of the 108 stars end up doing with the rest of their lives
Three different battle systems (party encounter, large-scale battle, duel)
108 recruitable characters
See your home base develop as you recruit more characters
Some good bosses
Combo attacks
Mini-games (fairly easy way to make money)
+/-
You can get surrounded in battle (fail to run) by a single enemy
Cover mechanics not explained (one character covering another)
The 108 star people can actually die during the large scale battles
No way to revive party members during battle until later on (they are only knocked out after battle though, allowing you to use curative items on them)
Arbitrary and automatic division of characters into tactical teams during large scale battle
The Moravia rescue operation could've been more interesting if the army battles could fail or if there was a time limit (it's also weird how you need to re-enter to rescue Vincent and how the guards outside can't be talked to afterwards)
Can't walk diagonally
-
While the duel and large-scale battle are fun diversions they lack substance and get pretty boring in repeated playthroughs
The first inn takes your money without showing how much it costs to stay
No in-game explanation of crystals/runes
Some battle effects look a bit dated/silly
No "equip strongest/best" option
Dialogue in shops isn't sped up like elsewhere (instead you'll skip it by pressing the button)
Plenty of dialogue options that don't matter
Some dead space
Some backtracking (Tiger mt., FOUR TIMES through Neclord's castle to get all 108 stars)
Very limited inventories
Some translation errors ("We're all over")
Can't equip bought items right away or sort items in the shop interface/menus
Formations sometimes get screwed up when new characters join the party during a story sequence leading into a battle
The hero's transition from apprentice to leader of the rebel army isn't very believable (Everyone else is mostly in charge and coming up with strategies to overthrow the corrupted empire)
Trial & error (members jumping in and out of the party frequently (and the game not allowing you to quickly switch their gear, Pahn's duel, making some of the 108 stars join/appear, background objects are generally non-interactive except for a few instances which aren't hinted at)
A bit anticlimactic how there's a "soul eater level 3" pop-up right after the hero's father dies
Older spells don't scale with your character's level (so they become useless later on)
Some monster drops are really tedious to get (rather than difficult)
Fairly easy and repetitive final dungeon (and no duel with Barbarossa)
Somewhat choppy scaling effects
Somewhat uneven difficulty (Neclord)
Can’t run without a holy rune
Plot oddities/conveniences (Sneaking into Moravia without imperial uniforms on, Why does the warrior village try to attack Neclord's castle after you find out that they can't harm him and how does Hix get into the castle uninvited?, everyone forgetting about the fire spears, Milich's kidnapping of Liukan, Tesla and Kimberly getting to HQ before you despite using teleport, Kobold enemies stay around after curing them?, Flik and Pahn take their defeat at Scarleticia way too lightly, the whole scenario with the elven town (why get caught, why didn't Kirkis plan your visit better, etc.), everyone acts like nothing happened after beating up Imperial guardsmen in Rockland, it's never explained how 'normal people' are recruited for the large scale battles, Kanaan talking to himself when you're standing right next to him (similarly the party talking in front of the enemy when the empire breaks into your house to get Ted near the beginning), hearing NPCs talking when you're a few rooms away, Pahn going to buy medicine for Ted when you already have some, Krin telling you to meet in the inn to talk when you're already in it)
Bugs:
-One can keep using stat boost items over and over by saving, using them all, then dying and continuing (they will all be restored in your inventory)
- If you've used up part of an item (Medicine, Antidote, etc.), deposit in the warehouse. When you take it out, the item will be maxed out again