One of the most beloved JRPG series from the PS1 and PS2 era isSuikoden. It didn’t reach the mainstream heights of games likeFinal Fantasy,Dragon Quest, andTales ofseries. It does, however, have one of the most dedicated fanbases in the genre. Thanks to the announcement ofSuikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, Konami realizes the series' value by giving it a second chance.
Despite its age,Suikodenremains one of the most ambitious JRPG series on any platform. The series spans many generations and has alternate dimensions. Thankfully, each title works as a standalone without prior knowledge of its predecessors, but to play theSuikodenseries as a whole to appreciate what the JRPG has to offer. Hopefully, Konami will remaster the rest of the series afterSuikoden 1and 2. In the meantime, there are other JRPGs that fans of deep political stories, strong character development, andworld-buildingshould consider.
7Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
On the surface, this side-scrolling action RPG doesn’t look like it has much in common with theSuikodenseries. However,Eiyuden Chronicle: Risingis a backstory to the upcomingEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroesis the spiritual successor toSuikoden,and its gameplay will closely resemble the first two games in scope and scale.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Risingis a fun little title that focuses on town-building mechanics and introduces a world that looks and feels similar to theSuikodenseries.Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes,is headed bySuikodencreator Yoshitaka Murayama and other members of theSuikodenteam.
6Vandal Hearts 1 & 2
As a game developed by the same studio and launched around the same time,Vandal Heartscaptures the same magic asSuikoden. It has many of the same magic and sound effects asSuikoden.The gaming worlds aren’t connected, but the mature themes of war and cruelty are prominent in both titles.
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Vandal Heartsis also a great title in the turn-based tactical RPG genre, and serves well as an introduction to the genre. It’s easy to pick up, offers excellent stories, and has challenging gameplay.Vandal Heartsdoesn’t have the massive scope ofSuikoden,but the stories of war and friendship tick the same boxes.Vandal Hearts 2is arguably the darker of the two games, with branching storylines and a story that follows the protagonist from childhood to adulthood.
5Triangle Strategy
Triangle Strategy,likeVandal Hearts,is an accessible tactical RPG with mature themes and a deep storyline rooted in friendship, loss, and politics.Suikoden 5borrows cues from aGame of Throneswith its tales of feuding nobility and mad royals corrupted by power.
Another aspect thatSuiko 5andTriangle Strategyshare is dialogue choices that impact the story. Players have to navigate a cutthroat world of politics and backstabbing.Turn-based tactical RPGTriangle Strategyis a slow burn, but fans ofSuikoden’splot, sub-stories, and excellent character development will loveTriangle Strategy.
4Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers Edition
If one is less interested in politics and dark narratives and more attracted to recruiting multiple characters, dialogue choices, and various endings, look no further thanChrono Cross. TheRadical Dreamers Editionis the perfect opportunity for new players to jump into its world on newer systems.
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Chrono Crossis a surprisingly deep multidimensional plot that’s a sequel to the iconic SNES JRPGChrono Trigger. TheRadical Dreamerstext adventure ties the two games together, whileChrono Crossfocuses on a new cast of characters. There are 45 party members to recruit, but unlikeSuikoden 1 and 2’s108 Stars of Destiny, they can’t all join the protagonist in one playthrough.
3Exit Fate
Exit Fateis as much a love letter to theSuikodenseries as it is a clone. It follows many of the story beats, such as coming of age and friendships separated by war and conflict. However, the developer makes the story their own.
Exit Fateis free to download, which is surprising considering how well-crafted and put together the game is. The RPG doesn’t appear to try and be a spiritual successor, but instead a tribute to one of the best JRPG series of all time.Exit Fateis worthy of anySuikodenfan’s time, and it’s a 40-50 hour adventure that lives up to its inspirations.
2Final Fantasy Tactics - War Of The Lions
Another game that’s often compared toGame of Thronesand theSuikodenseries, thanks to its politically-charged narrative, isFinal Fantasy Tactics. LikeGame of Thrones, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lionsalludes to the history and bloodshed tied to the historical events during the War of the Roses.
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In addition,Final Fantasy Tacticsfeatures stellar character development with the main cast, and its world-building can rival the best in the genre. Moreover,FFTis highly replayable and challenging even for veterans of the tactical RPG genre.
1The Legend Of Heroes - The Trails Series
If there is one series that can matchSuikodenin scope and world-building lore, it’s theTrailsseries. A part ofThe Legend of Heroesuniverse, theTrailsseries began with theTrails in the Skytrilogy and continued with theTrails of Cold Steel. Positive reactions from fans and critics alike have led to the long-awaited prequelsTrails from ZeroandTrails to Azurebeing localized and released in the west between 2022 and 2023. In addition, the spin-offThe Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trailswill also hit western shores in late 2023.
The developers Falcom have shown an incredible commitment to and passion for the overall saga. It’s the same kind of grand world-building across several titles that fans ofSuikodenwill appreciate and love. There aren’t multiple characters to recruit, but the sheer ambition and magnitude of the world that Falcom has created are unrivaled.
Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remasterwill be available in 2023 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
