Konami brings Suikoden back to its roots.
If you're a Suikoden fan and have played most (if not all) of its games, you were probably shocked to find Suikoden IV so different from the herd. It was (and still is) the black sheep of the franchise. Too many changes were made to the mechanic and not only that, but the overall experience just didn't feel right. Fast forward to Suikoden V and any avid fan of the series will tell you this is a true Suikoden game. In fact, this chapter takes the most of its influence from the second opus which was released way back in 1999.
While a lot of JRPGs deal with angsty teenageers, puberty and saving the world form the ultimate evil, Suikoden is everything but that. As with previous installments, it's all about politics, coups, power struggles and wars. You incarn the prince of Falena, Queendom ruled by your mother Queen Arshtat, bearer of the powerful Sun rune. The game starts with the hero and his party investigating a town hit by the Sun rune, courtesy of your mother's wrath. Apparently, the townspeople stole the precious Dawn rune from your mother, and so she decided to punish them. All of the flaura and fauna have been devastated, potable water has dried out, people are struck by sickness and everything is going for the worst. The townspeople scorn you and claim the Queen has gone mad.
Suikoden has always been renowned for its unique gameplay. As with previous installments, the player must recruit 108 stars of destiny, many of them optional. All have a different range of abilities which will help you in your quest. With so many characters available, one could think most of them have bland and generic personalities. However, Konami has managed to create so many characters each with distinct personalities that stand on their own. True to the series, you will eventually be granted a castle which will upgrade as you amass allies.
Battles are randomly encountered. Your team consists of six characters which can be rearranged using multiple formations, all of which have an effect on how the battle is played. Your allies as well as yourself can be fitted with equipment and weapons, the latter of which must be forged instead of bought. All of your characters have a plethora of skills, with only two that can be equipped at any given time. Another signature of the series is how you can benefit your party with magic by equiping runes. Most of them you'll recognize, but you can expect some new ones to keep the experience fresh.
Apart from regular battles, the game is dotted with large-scale battles fought between armies. During these battles, you move your squadrons of soldiers in real-time in an attempt to twart the enemies' goal. Your characters whom are equipped with runes will be able to use them to swing the tide in your favor. On land, there are basically three types of units: infantery, cavalry and archers. These three are your basic rock-paper-scissors subsitute: infantery beats archers, archers beat cavalry and cavalry beats infantery. The same mechanic applies on sea, with infantery ships, ram ships and archery ships.
All of this is presented with nicely-detailed cel-shaded textures. The game is played with an isometric view of the action, which will please old-school gamers and Suikoden fans, letting the player see what is around the main character. Music in the game is appropriate, with an assortment of new and old tracks, which is sure to put some nostalgia in many. Cutscenes are delivered with well-done voice-acting, on par with what you'd expect from an RPG of this scale. It should be noted that there is a lot of loading in-between areas, which detracts a little from the experience.
Suikoden V is definitely a must-buy if you're an avid RPG gamer or a Suikoden fan or both. It is long, exciting, and most importantly, fun. It took me around 75 hours to complete the game with all of the stars of destiny recruited, and I'm still up for more.
