Game: Suikoden II System: psx
Score: 10/10
Note: Suikoden is, iirc, based on an ancient Chinese novel, the name of which I cannot remember. As such, the game is developed by Japanese Konami, but the series is one of the only ones of what might be called a Chinese RPG.
Review: Suikoden 2 is my favorite game ever made and is the best rpg ever made, but I can assure you that, knowing the difference between preference and quality, my score still stands. It is the second in Konami's suikoden series, and can be played without having played the first game, though if you have a first game final boss save game, you may upload your save file for a few extras.
The plot of the suikoden series revolves around it's magic system: runes. In order to cast magic, you inscribe a rune onto your body and use the rune to cast various spells. Upon playing this game, you will discover a rich and deep attachment to your runes, both in combat and plotwise, but I shall not spoil the story.
The best thing about this game is it's story. The plot is remarkably large and spans continents, but each game gives you a glimpse into how the story of the runes involves itself in peoples lives. This game is not about choices, good or evil, friend or foe, it is about
destiny and finding the proper way, not to accept one's fate, but to fill one's roll. The game starts in the Kingdom of Highland, where you (Riou) and your best friend Joei have enlisted in the Unicorn Brigade so that you may face the fierce City-State Alliance in a border war. Suddenly, fighting erupts and in the chaos you and your friend dive off of the mountain and into the river, and into a war that will span the two regions as you aim to find the truth
The music is fantastic, with a score written by Miki Hagashino, and an opening song played by the boston philharmonic,
the soundtrack alone is worth getting. If nothing else, I recommend downloading the opening, gothic neclord, and la mia triztera.
Combat, like other rpgs, is turn based, and your battle party can contain up to six characters. Good luck choosing them, by the way, as there are precisely 108 characters to recruit, and you need to get them all in order to get one of the best endings (there are three).
Fortunately, only
3/108 are missable forever(use a walkthrough and just be aware of which ones are) and not all of them are battle members. Most of them manage shops and games and venues at your headquarters (obtained about 1/4th of the way through the game). The headquarters system is worth mentioning, as it is one of the best things about the game: every character can be used in some way and often you'll have new ones coming in and out of the party, but all of them are valuable, at least in major strategic battles, in which you have a bit of strategy thrown in to the game (they are all fun though, don't worry).
Overall, Suikoden II delivers a unique story (in a throng of final fantasy clones) and discusses issues of fate and chance, understanding that finding one's place is not some terrible fate to accept, but that fulfilling your destiny can, not only save your friends and country from disaster, and eventually, as the pieces fall into place, destiny delivers a feeling of what might be called the perfect path.
Edited, Dec 9th 2008 5:26pm by Pensive