Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Review – Withstanding the Test of Time
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The Suikoden I & II HD Remaster has finally arrived, reviving two of the most cherished RPGs from the 90s, offering enhanced graphics, refined gameplay, and an updated soundtrack. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or a first-time player, this remaster delivers an engaging journey through epic battles, rich storytelling, and memorable characters.
But does it do justice to the originals? Let’s take a closer look at our review.
Timeless Classics
There’s a reason why so many revere Suikoden I and II, as the cult classics have garnered a fanbase that has touted the series as perhaps the greatest RPGs to ever grace the gaming landscape. It’s debatable, of course, but as someone who played through the originals when they were released in the 90s, I can honestly say that these two gems are right up there with some of the best gaming offers. That was my general thought at least 30 years ago (god, I’m old), and though the series has unfortunately gone downhill, I still hold the originals in high regard. When Konami announced that they were remasting the first two games a few years ago, I was excited to see the franchise finally come back. Fast forward to the year of its 30th anniversary, and the remasters are finally here.
It’s been decades since I replayed the first two Suikoden games, and though I have fond memories of them, much of my recollection of them has already faded. It’s nice because there are a few games out there that I wish I could play again for the very first time, and with its updated visuals and enhancements, Konami has given me that wish. However, instead of your traditional HD collection, where performance and resolution are typically the only significant enhancements, Konami has taken things up several notches. What we have here feels more akin to a remake regarding the visuals, with some much-needed quality-of-life improvements while maintaining the same story, combat, and music that we all grew up loving.
I know the games are 30 years old, but I won’t spoil the story for either. The series was pretty popular back then, but nowadays, not so much that many people haven’t played them. So, seeing them in a much-needed re-release is a great deal, as it gives those who never played them an opportunity to play them, and for long-time fans, a new way to experience them with their updated visuals and enhancements.
What I will say about both of their stories is that they still very much hold up, even by today’s standards. The first Suikoden did age a bit worse than the sequel, but its tale, one of friendship, betrayal, and the consequences of war, is one you’ll want to experience yourself. If you haven’t played any of them but heard of the franchise, then you have probably heard more about the sequel, which dialed everything up to 11 from the original. While you don’t need to play Suikoden, I to understand Suikoden II, many other fans and I highly recommend doing so. Naturally, being a sequel, there are things in the story that will be referenced, along with a host of improvements made to several mechanics, such as the battle system and expanded rune system. But ultimately, the sequel is its own thing. Sure, It takes place in the same timeline and a few years after the first game, but the protagonist and most of the characters you meet are entirely new so that you could enjoy it as a standalone.
I’d still recommend going through the first game, though, as it provides a better understanding of the overarching story that continues while offering more character development on some of the returning faces you’ll see in the sequel. You’ll come to appreciate how they’ve grown since the last game a lot more, having seen them before, but again, it’s not required. Suikoden I and II can be enjoyed entirely on their own, almost like how the Final Fantasy series has handled it. However, Suikoden titles remain connected, unlike Final Fantasy, where every game is essentially an entirely different universe and not tied into one another. So again, you should definitely play through the first game despite what some have said and how much more highly praised its sequel is.
But I do get the “why” behind so many recommending II over I, as the game is far better in every way. It takes what made the first game so great and even greater, expanding on several gameplay mechanics like the one mentioned before. Its story, though, is what really puts it over for me, as while it starts a bit on the slow side, it ends up being one of the greatest tales in gaming. Even decades after its release, it still holds up, and I can’t help but find myself falling in love with all the characters again after all these years. The writing is superb, and the way it’s able to toy around with your emotions with all the twists and turns is something I never experienced in a game before its original 1999 release. Replaying this masterpiece in 2025 with updated visuals and such, the game still hits hard as hell when it comes to the emotional department, and again, the writing is so good, it’s hard to think something like this came out 26 years ago.
You could say the games were ahead of their time, which is even shown in its classic-turned-based combat that comes with a twist.
In retrospect, and seeing all the games that have come out today, Suikoden I&II, can somewhat be described as classic turn-based games. You get into fights and take turns between enemies and allies, all while strategically planning your next move. But what made these games stand out is the massive cast of characters that you could recruit to join your party. Typically, JRPGs tend to focus on 4-8 party members. Both Suikoden games have over 100 recruitable characters, with plenty joining you during the main quests and others optional to find. They aren’t just cookie-cutter recruitable either, as they all vary from one another and have different sets of skills and attacks. That makes for some interesting play setups you can play around with. There is tons of variety to play around with, and with the rune system, you can play around with different types of equipable magic, too.
However, in addition to the classic turn-based combat, both Suikoden games feature Duals and Army Battles. Duals are one-on-one fights and, in many ways, in a rather cinematic form, as characters exchange dialogue while the camera is spinning around. Fights are like rock, paper, scissors, where you must pick the right attack that hopefully counters whatever the enemy picks.
In both Suikodens, army battles are massive fights that see a battalion of soldiers from each side fighting each other. In Suikoden I, the combat was similar to how Duals work in that they function off a similar rock, paper, scissor form of combat, with three archetypes of soldiers you control. The sequel functions more off the turned-based combat, with a grid you can move around on, with combat being stat-based. It’s much deeper and involves more thinking than the first game.
What makes the combat so interesting is that there’s a real risk to be had with them. Typically, in other games, if characters die during combat, everything will be fine as long as you live, as they’ll still be alive after the battle. The story will go on as it’s intended to go on for those characters. This is not the case with Suikoden, as characters who fall in battle can be dead forever until you start a fresh save. It was a mind-boggling mechanic when it first came out in the ’90s, and even more mind-boggling when you realized it affected the story too, giving the game multiple endings. As I said, the games were ahead of their time, and seeing these mechanics once more again, with modernized visuals and a plethora of small quality-of-life (speed-up battle toggle is fantastic) improvements, you’d swear these were games that were crafted in today’s age.
Now, I do have some minor nitpicks. The first is that if you aren’t too big on the visual changes, there’s no way to play the game in its original format in this release. If you’re new to the franchise, this won’t be a problem, but old-timers like myself might want to be able to go back and play what we originally played. It depends on the person, of course. I welcome the new visuals, but even then, there were some parts where I felt I preferred the original look. The next thing, as far as I can tell, there are no filter options. I think what really would have benefitted this remaster is if there was a more pixelated filter to pick from. Sometimes, things look too clean. Again, it’s not an issue for people new to the series. Finally, I would have loved to see the speed-up toggle added to outside combat because even though I really love playing through the game, sometimes I wish I could speed past certain parts. The latter two can be addressed in a patch or, if you play on PC, likely through mods and cheats, but I do hope Konami adds some options for them in an upcoming patch.
“Enjoy the Moments You Have Together Because Nothing Lasts Forever.”
At the end of the day, the remasters are exactly what you’d hope for out of a graphical update that remains faithful to the original releases. They are the definitive way to play through them, especially if you’ve never played through them before.
Sure, I would have loved to see just a bit more in terms of enhancements and new features when it comes to some of the gameplay elements and options. Still, this is a splendid collection that retains everything I loved about the originals, though now with a shinier coat of paint that makes it feel fresh and exciting to revisit. I can’t think of a better way to reexperience these gems of a masterpiece, and though I don’t feel as fondly for the latter iterations, I do hope this remaster paves the way for more collections in the series.
Score: 9.5/10
Pros
- On the visual side, this feels more like a remake than a traditional HD remaster. The visuals have been overhauled with new models, textures, and coloring, in addition to the HD upscaling and aspect ratio.
- Incredible stories.
- The music—the Reliving Suikoden II soundtrack—reminds me why I consider it one of the greatest OSTs in a JRPG.
- It’s fun and has engaging combat that felt way ahead of its time.
- Hundreds of recruitable party members.
- Faithful, even to being able to import your Suikoden I into Suikoden II and naming your character the same for some bonuses.
Cons
- There are no options to play the titles in their original non-HD version with this re-release.
- No filter options or speed-ups outside of battles.
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster will be released on March 6, 2025, on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A review code was provided by the publisher for review purposes. You can check our review of the game here.
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