Suikoden

Suikoden is a series of Video game of role initially developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami.

The first opus, Suikoden , left to the Japan in December 1995 and in 1997 in France; it was one of the first roleplay to be left on the console PlayStation. Suikoden II as for him left in France on July 21st 2000. Then left Suikoden III in 2002 (in Japan and the United States only) (which will leave later in manga in 2006 to France), Suikoden IV in February 2005 and Suikoden Tactics in February 2006 and finally Suikoden V , which left to him at the end of spring 2006.

The plays of the series proceed at times and in different places, but in same and single world which the player discovers thus progressively episodes.

Inspiration and history

The series of the Suikoden is inspired by the novel Chinese 14th century At the edge of the Water , which tells the adventures of cent-huit characters (officers, lawyers, peasants, merchants, boatmen, practitioners of martial arts…) horizons and very diverse social extractions but which have as a common point to be found vis-a-vis vexations and with the injustice of the government and of its corrupted agents. These 108 characters, become of the " étoiles" sent on ground to judge the men and symbolizing the destiny, end up gathering around a leader, in an impregnable fortress dissimulated in immense marshes.

Suikoden means " at the edge of the eau" in Japanese (by transcription of the Chinese characters). The series took again the principal features of the legend, introducing a principal hero around of which will meet the 108 warriors, to fight against a capacity even malefic imperialist, and being established in a general headquarter often located at the edge of water and that the player will see building and to increase with the wire of the play.

Characters

It is there that the great force of the series is. It is thus possible to recruit to 108 characters (of which the hero) throughout the play. Each character represents a star. These stars refer to a Chinese legend which speaks about stars of the destiny. They are a hundred and eight people who, at the time of serious attacks, gather to solve them, and carry out the people towards a new destiny. Certain characters are recurring throughout the opus, which makes it possible to learn some more on their life, and adds much interest to the plays.

Here the table of the characters of all the series of the Suikoden (until the 5) according to their stars:

Searches

In all the Suikoden , the searches are an essential component of the play. Put aside the principal search, of innumerable secondary searches mark out the various titles, making it possible to recover new objects, armours, etc They also make it possible to learn some more on certain characters, and sometimes to recruit some.

Battles

Suikoden : The armies are represented two groups laid out on a battle field, face to face. There are the choice between various attacks carried out by various battalions (of 3 characters maximum) composed of stars of the destiny. The groups of attacks are divided into 3 categories: Load , Archer and Magic , with the Load having the advantage over the Archer, the Archer on the Magic, and the Magic on the Load. Other particular groups can also act before an attack, such as the Stratèges which reinforce the power of the Load, or the Ninjas which espionnent the enemy camp and reveal their next strategy. There exists also a single group of attack: the Chevaliers Dragon , which are vulnerable only vis-a-vis the Archer.

Suikoden II: The armies are represented by battalions distributed on the battle field, with the manner of a Tactical RPG. The battle field is similar to the chart of the world, with natural obstacles the such insuperable mountains and the drills which block displacements of the troops. The battalions are for the majority made up of stars of the destiny, with 3 characters maximum, and organized in the following way: a commander and 2 auxiliaries. Only certain characters can be commanders. The commander has characteristics of attack and defense, which can be improved by the auxiliaries. Certain commanders have also special competences such as the possibility of riding horses or to cross the drills without encumbers, of competences of attack like the magic and the use of the arcs, or competences allowing to look after the friendly units. The engagements are held with the turn by turn, a unit is selected, and one decides action to realize: it is moved, an enemy unit is tackled, or then it does not move. During a confrontation between two units, the values of attack and defense are compared, and if the attack of the attacker is higher than the defense of the adversary, this one undergoes a wound (symbolized by a sword which is planted in the damaged unit). The reverse is also valid, two units which clash can thus be wounded mutually. At the end of two wounds, the unit is overcome and disappears from the battle field (nevertheless certain units must undergo 3 wounds to disappear). Certain commanders (in particular Riou and Jowy) can start an attack by chance known as " critique" , being able to inflict two wounds in only one attack. When all the units carried out their actions, the turn of the player is finished and the adversary carries out its actions then. It should be noted that if the battalion of the hero is overcome, the battle is lost and it is necessary to start again.

Suikoden V: The style of battle is rather close to that of Suikoden II except that it exists from now on two styles of engagements: the pedestrian combat and the naval action. The pedestrian combat is divided into three catagéories: the infantry, cavalry, and archers. That is very important since there exists a system of forces: the infantry supplants the archers who beat without problems the cavalry which as for them dominate the infantry. The same system is on water, or the boats are in three categories: boats infantries, boats rams and boats archers. Being given that infantry => Archers => Béliers => Infanterie. Just like in Suikoden II, if the battalion of the hero is overcome, the battle is lost. One can also lose certain characters whom one put as commander: in this case it is announced that a hero perished with the combat and it disappears from the list of 108 stars. To finish, certain commanders have capacities: cure, fates of attacks, and will caetera…

Reception

Extracts drawn from an article from Chronic' Art:

“Between rise and fall, the saga Suikoden will have always cultivated the art of the opposite course. Proud of their mature antique réal' 2D and their scénarii, at the time of the Synthesized images and of the japoniaiseries made in Final Fantasy VII and VIII, the two first opus had marked imaginary in love ones with RPG. Then on PS2 came time from the polygonal mistakes. Two shutters for a sad crossing of the desert. Disconcerting then to note that with this fifth episode, Konami offers one reinvigorating regression… and that the fans jubilent! ”

The series

Principal episodes:

1995 • Suikoden
1998 • Suikoden II
2002 • Suikoden III
2004 • Suikoden IV
2006 • Suikoden V

Additional episodes:

2000 • Suikogaiden Vol.1
2001 • Suikogaiden Vol.2
2001 • Suikoden Card Stories • Card deck
2006 • Suikoden Tactics (Tactical RPG)

Republication:

2006 • Suikoden I & II

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