Suikoden I & II HD Remaster

Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars

Now here’s a remaster that I am personally really excited for! From Konami, Suikoden 1 & 2, an amazing pair of JRPG’s, are getting an HD Remaster! Currently, Suikoden 2 is expensive to collect, usually going for around $200 for a complete copy. Both games were originally released for the original PlayStation back in 1996 and 1999 (North American release) respectively.

The first Suikoden story follows the protagonist as he is fighting against the oppressive rule of the Scarlet Moon Empire. He must gather the “108 Stars of Destiny” or additional playable characters to succeed in his endeavors. The twist from the start is that the protagonist’s father happens to be one of the Empire’s five Generals.

The gameplay is that of a traditional JRPG, with combat triggered by random battles and being turn-based. There are, however, two more modes of battle: duel battles and war battles. Both of these types of battles function similarly to a game of rock, paper, scissors. Characters can also use magic spells based upon which Rune they hold and the number of spell slots the character has.

Playing as the hero, you can recruit up to 107 new characters, although not all of them are playable. Some of them join and server various functions like shop keeper for your army.

The second Suikoden game takes place in the same world and only three years after the events in the first game. The new protagonist is the adopted son of a hero that saved the City-States of Jowstan from Highland in previous years. The Kingdom of Highland is now invading again and the protagonist, and his best friend Jowy get caught up in the invasion drama, and the dark fates of those that bear the halves of the Rune of the Beginning. Gameplay is still the familiar style but with some added improvements and features, and you once again have 108 Stars of Destiny to recruit.

The second game was released in the US in September of 1999, but to a somewhat mild reception. One of the issues this game faced was that it used a retro 16-bit style, while the market was heavily favoring 3D graphics. Although the disappointing sales and lukewarm reception of critics, it has grown in popularity and is often sited as one of the greatest RPG’s.

This remaster compilation is set to release sometime this year (2023) on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Recently, the Development Team released a statement that the game will need more time to be polished up, so it is questionable whether or not the game will be released this year.