>> Suikoden IV review

>> 02.17.05

 

 

 

 

 

Suikoden 4 follows closely with the Shui Hu Zhuan (The Chinese novel that this game is loosely based on) formula, where the main character initially faces a downfall, and then gradually builds up his force to fight against a great injustice. Suikoden 3 failed in this regards due to none of the main characters going through much of any personal injustice, nor did they fight against any particular injustice (even Luc didn't have a selfish motive). For this reason, it would be safe to say that Suikoden 4 returns to its tried and tested roots we have accustomed to ourselves in Suikoden 1 and Suikoden 2. However, does it have that "Suikoden Feel"?

 

Not entirely--although Suikoden 4 retains similar plot elements, it does not carry the "suikoden ambiance." This ambiance can only be expressed in the abstract, but it is a feeling of uplifting warmth and hope. This feeling is absent in Suikoden 4. I'm not saying that’s a bad thing, but it is missing. In previous Suikodens, the player was usually able to feel some elation after a particularly difficult battle was won, or after a significant event. However, none of the events seem quite as difficult, nor do they feel significant--even when it should be significant. This is probably a problem with the screenplay of the game itself more than anything.

 

Instead, the permeating ambiance in Suikoden 4 is that of a detached, birds-eye view of cold, hard, and inorganic reality. Some people may like this better, some people may not, but this is what I felt. You don't quite feel like you are "role playing"--living and exploring the world.

 

The events that happen are all short compared to lengthier dialogue we have seen in Suikoden 2 or 3. This seems to be an effort to reduce the amount of voice added into the game. If that is the case, it is unfortunate--it reduces the chance for the players to learn more about the characters.

 

Now that I said many negative things, let me talk about some positive things.

First of all, there are a load of mini-games and sub-features. Some of the mini-games are iffy, some are very addictive (like the mah-jongg game, Ritapon), and some are downright wacky. This is a HUGE improvement over Suikoden 3, even through Suikoden 4 does not have a cook-off or a theatre.

 

 

The new add-ons, such as the confession room and the training room, are very entertaining as well. I am sure a lot of people will enjoy those features. The battle system has been simplified, more so than it was back in Suikoden 1 and 2. The battle is basically done in the same style as Suikoden 1 and 2, but you have only 4 characters in battle, and there are no front/back rows. Also, there are far less runes than there were in previous games, especially character-specific runes. This may be a let-down to some.

 

Generally speaking, the amount of power your weapon has is of greater importance in Suikoden 4 than in previous games--they must have changed the formula somehow. The damage inflation is not as severe as in previous Suikodens as well--you generally seem to do less damage. However, enemies tend to be strong. It is very rare to be able to take down an enemy with one attack. Rune affinities seem to exist, but are not visible. I have seen two characters with similar MAG do vastly different damage using the same spell.

Also, although many Japanese fans seem to have trouble with the encounter rate, this isn't that severe. I probably averaged about 10 enemy encounters every time I made a voyage from one town to another. One thing that I found very strange is the random enemy encounters you have inside villages. It's sort of strange if you think about it--there are shops and people walking around, while you're fighting monsters. Last but not least, battles are very fast. If you are stronger, it may end in merely 3 seconds. This is good.

 

The characters are generally interesting--they have gone back to the roots in terms of making sure you have plenty of shady characters in your army, such as convicts, criminals, pirates, thieves, con artists, assassins, brutes, spies, psychos, and royalty. In fact, Suikoden 4 may have surpassed Suikoden 1 in terms of the amount of morally questionable characters, which is definitely a good thing. Suikoden 3 had too many "good people," and we all know that good people are boring. They also have retained the comment box, and the addition of the confession room compensates for the lack of a private detective, which was a staple since Suikoden 2. Furthermore, the newspaper sheds additional light to some characters.

 

On the negative side, most of the characters that join seem to have weak reasons for joining your army, but this is more related to problems with the plot as I stated above. Purely from a design perspective, the characters are generally like-able--even the ugly ones. Last thing about characters--Snowe would probably be one of the most unique characters throughout not only Suikoden history, but throughout the history of console RPGs. I don't think I have ever seen a character that goes through his kind of development. Players can look forward to this.

 

I'm not a good judge of music, so I won't dwell much on the music, but one thing for sure is that the battle music is a HUGE improvement over Suikoden 3's battle music which sounded more like a silly rendition of Armenian composer Kachaturian's "Sabre Dance." Also, La Mer (opening music) by Coba is very good, I like the accordion.

Otherwise, the music seemed to be very ambient and subdued. Suikoden 3 utilized total silence at certain places, but Suikoden 4 doesn't seem to rely on such lame theatrics. Some music has also been revived from Suikoden 1 and 2 (composed by Miki Higashino) which is certainly a plus.

 

 

For players who are interested in what Suikoden 4 adds to the Suikoden series as a whole, it seems to add a substantial amount of geographical and historical information. There are references to some of the nations we have heard in the past, but not too many. However, there is little relevance between the plot of Suikoden 4 and the other three installations. This may disappoint fans who expected more connections. Most loose ends presented in previous installations will remain unresolved.

 

Overall, Suikoden 4 is not a game for anyone. If you have never played another Suikoden game, it's suggested that you either start with Suikoden 1 or 3 (Suikoden 2 is near impossible to find!). Fans of the series will surely get this game, but be prepared to be disappointed with the plot-line. If you like collecting items and that sort of thing, you will probably enjoy the game to a certain degree. As a fan of the series, I found myself feeling disappointed with this game initially.

 

However, as I went through my third replay of the game, I actually started enjoying some aspects of the game. You do get some bonuses on your second try (much like a "new game+") that adds to the game's overall replay value.

 

This game is a must-buy for fans of the series. I would not know if a non-fan should buy this game though, because certain parts of the game would leave you somewhat in the dark unless you know the other installations.

 

Reviewed by Ted Pastor