The PS1 played host to a shocking number of unforgettable and prominent RPGs, one of which was Konami’s Suikoden. After that strong launching came a handful of followsup that ultimately puttered out throughout the 6th generation of consoles, and Konami has practically deserted the series consideringthat. Not ones to be suppressed, some essential members of the Suikoden team ultimately left Konami and established a brand-new group called Rabbit & Bear, which began a effective crowdfunding project for this spiritual follower called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. After a four-year advancement cycle, Eiyuden Chronicle is lastly in our hands and while it has its share of concerns, this is total a deeply satisfying and classic JRPG that we’re sure is going to get a lot of love.
The story is set in the imaginary land of Allraan and starts by focusing on the increasing stress inbetween the effective royal nation of Galdea and a surrounding province called the League of Nations. Though there are technically three leadcharacters to this narrative, your primary character to start with is Nowa, a chipper young guy from a peaceful border town who signsupwith a little peacekeeping armedforce system for the League of Nations. Nowa and his band go about their service stopping outlaw raids and assisting individuals to the finest of their capability, however quickly discover themselves captured in the middle of much bigger political stress that ultimately offers method to war inbetween the Empire and the League. To recover his homeland and avenge his losses, Nowa therefore sets out to develop a resistance and defeat the Galdeans.
Though it feels like the pacing of the narrative can relocation in fits and begins in a lot of locations, we appreciate the scope of the story here. Any method you cut it, effectively stabilizing over a hundred special characters and detailing all the numerous worldwide disputes impacting them is a difficult ask for any composing group, and whatever depth is lost in the overarching plot is discovered in the private characterization. Though not every member of the titular hundred heroes is similarly fleshed out, there’s nevertheless a ‘core’ cast here that establishes naturally as they experience the war together and grow closer since of it. It’s a strong story all around, then, if one that feels unwieldy every so typically.
Gameplay follows the standard JRPG designtemplate of checkingout towns, cleaning out beasts in dungeons, and gradually checkingout a grand world complete of experience and capacity. It’s absolutelynothing you sanctuary’t seen before, however the gameplay loop is performed well here, buoyed by the continuous character recruitment system. As flagged in the title, there are over a hundred celebration members you can encourage to your trigger, and while not all can be brought into fight, they include a lot of range to the experience.
Some celebration members are the benefit used at the end of their own significant sidequests, such as an early hire who we assisted through a dungeon in a quick subplot so, together, we might defeat the beast at the end, while others will signupwith just by triggering a short cutscene after walking by them. Admittedly, those that fall into this latter group feel a bit like leftovers from cut material, however we however valued the reasonably vigorous speed at which you’re conference and engaging with this vibrant cast. Though some of the characters are a little shallow and specified just by their trick, each one is unforgettable and includes something beneficial to the growing mangy lot. Our preferred hire was a sweet, mild therapist you satisfy fairly early who flies into an unconfined rage at the smallest justification.
As you crawl through the limitless dungeons spread throughout the land, you’ll typically get pulled into random fights which are the most apparent tribute to Suikoden. Here, you command a group of up to 6 characters, 3 in the front and 3 in the back, in turn-based fight. A timeline at the leading of the screen will constantly program you the order in which opponents and allies will act, and while you can’t mess around with this like you might in something like Grandia or Octopath Traveler, it lets you focuson opponents throughout fight.
Something we especially takenpleasurein is the manager battles, which frequently function a “Gimmick” that modifications how you technique them. Not just are these fights a great test of your team-building abilities, however these Gimmicks can include a entirely distinct measurement and an practically puzzle-like component. One manager has a series of rock walls that targeted characters can conceal behind while another sees your opponent operating a device that does huge damage however can be turned versus them if you engage with it at the right time.
At secret employer battles in the story, you likewise engage in remarkable individually battles which run on an nearly rock-paper-scissors-esque system. Here, you have to thoroughly strategy when to press the offensive on your challenger and when to counter an impending strike, all in the hopes of structure up to a huge ‘Break’ attack to shatter their guard and drain their health bar. These battles frequently feel simply as tense as the story paints them to be, and we especially valued how they likewise act as a sort of dialogue-filled cutscene taking location inbetween the dueling characters.
Outside the common JRPG gameplay loop, there are likewise a coupleof other mechanics worth pointingout. At significant story points you’ll insomecases discover yourself pulled into a massive fight in War Mode, which plays out like a mini-Advance Wars-style battle where celebration members each command their own squadrons that you order around on a little grid. Routing enemies this method can be enjoyable, however the batt