Suikoden V PlayStation 2

suikoden is back

By ?  Jun 29, 2006 | 2 out of 2 found this Suikoden V review helpful

Pros: 108 stars of Destiny to recruit,lengthy gameplay (40-60hrs),very good plot,6-members battle system returns

Cons: lackluster graphics,only a few good tracks,the war battle seems to wear you down after a time.FREQUENTLY LOADING TIMES.

Story (10/10) My favorite part of the Suikoden games has always been the narrative and the plot and here S5 does not disappoint. It has all of the political intrigue, surprises and fleshed out characters that have traditionally made the series one of... the most involved in all of RPGdom. The story starts off a bit slow but picks up later and ascends from there. It unfolds at a good pace and the player is there for every bit of it. You can actually feel like you've contributed heavily to the story. IMO,the story is on pair with S2 (&S3 maybe). Gameplay (8/10) Suikoden has always been known for its three different styles of play; duel battles, normal battles and war battles.After S4,S5 mark the return of the 6-members battle (S4 only hav 4) and is better than ever. What I didn't expect in SV is the sensitive and frustrating random encounters and several with long duration of loading screens. The most largest change is the war battles. Suikoden 5 adopted a real time strategy system. This allows for many new strategies and adds the thrill of war,but it's far from perfect,and sometimes you just want to get thru it ASAP to continue with the story. Graphics: (7/10) The graphics are good , the backdrop fits to the story, with exotic outfits! The sprites need more improvement, they became smaller, or rather the camera view moved further. And since it's full 3D, it doesn't necessarily fit for the sprites to be smaller.Cut scenes' graphics are back with polygonal figures, but fighting styles and magic effects are of high quality during battle systems. Animation doesn't suffer much, the motions in battle are rather stiff and unreal. Running frame by frame are smooth, character designs are as unique as it is, rune effects gave high density which proves to be highly powerful. Sound & Music (7/10) The sound system is clear, themed music you can hear as you travel around the country.A few melodies from S1 & S2 are back as well. The voice sets are back--you can now collect voice sets hidden in treasures only for your hero, some are funny to here. The voice acting is remarkably lively during cut scenes, and the music are as lovely as ever, only they sound like amateur midis. Value 10/10 If you dont care about collecting characters and only follow the story,you might complete the game in 40-50 hrs.If you're some kind of perfectionist,it might take you 60+ hrs to finish everything.Chances are, one won't collect all 108 characters on the first try (unless you use the guide). When you finish the game, you will result to a new game+ (plus). Items,(except for highly rare items such as Blinking Mirror,etc)Equipments, runes, etceteraz, stored in your inventory will bring through in the new game+. You will also be able to run by pressing triangle. Last words:Suikoden V is a great game that should not be missed. Suikoden V captures the essence of what it truly wants to be; an in-depth, gripping war tale. This game will have you glued to your seat for days to come. Read more Less