Suikoden II

The continuation of Japanese RPG Suikoden by Konami, released on PlayStation 1. The production tells a new story based on political themes and problems such as war and slavery, sometimes referring to the events of its predecessor. Once again, players have the chance to lead the rebellion and thwart the plans of a cruel tyrant.

Plot

One of the units of the Highland army is attacked by mysterious attackers. Two friends miraculously escape from the massacre: an unnamed hero and his friend Jowy Atreides. The first is captured by mercenaries who force him to work for them; fortunately, he is soon rescued by his companion. They both learn that the city-state of Jowston was accused of attacking their unit. Their ruler, Prince Luc Blight, declares war. Two companions gradually discover the intrigue of the mad leader and join Jowston's forming army to stop his authoritarian intentions.

Mechanics

The sequel to Suikoden does not bring many changes in the gameplay mechanics and still works on the basic principles present in jRPGs. Players explore the world, join new characters to their party, fight enemies and complete missions that push the plot forward. Again, the creators allowed 107 characters to join the player's team, but now they forced them to perform various side missions in order to gain the trust of selected characters. Numerous mini-games, such as a cooking or dancing contest give you a chance to win valuable prizes.

The fights are still turn-based and can be initiated randomly. In fights, we can lead party consisting of up to six characters (placed in two rows), and the camera shows everything in isometric projection. Heroes can use physical attacks, bribe the enemy, use magic runes or one of the items. It is important to place the characters correctly - they differ not only in terms of statistics and weaponry but also in the preferred position on the battlefield. The authors have developed the familiar runic system, introducing additional dependencies. In addition to regular battles, there are also special battles for players, fought on the basis of "rock, paper, scissors" game, as well as a bit more strategic battles of whole armies. In these battles, the units led by the recruited heroes stand in front of each other, and the outcome of the confrontation depends on their statistics - individual heroes often have unique abilities useful during the battle. The difficulty of the fights is that individual commanders may die and disappear forever from your army.

Technical aspects

Suikoden II, released on PS1, offers an improved graphics design compared to its predecessor, but still doesn't abandon the 2D style, with colorful sprites and flat backgrounds. The story of the title was told, among others, by cut-scenes (FMV). Warsaw Symphony Orchestra has played the music in the opening intro.

Last updated on May 8, 2019