Konami’s Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars was a pretty good re-release, all things considered. While some parts of the remaster could have been better, fans are just happy they can enjoy these thrilling JRPGs in modern systems.
It’s only been a few months since this collection’s release, but we’re going to get greedy: when is the next HD collection coming?
Third Time’s the Charm
Having the first two PS1 games in one collection is great, but there are more excellent titles in this JRPG series. Simply put, the next Suikoden HD Collection should include all, if not most, of the PS2 entries that were released. While not often praised in the same way as the first two games, these titles were still solid in their own right.
Fans of the PS2 era have plenty of great memories with Suikoden 3. Although it looks a bit dated today, the game’s art style holds up, and most of the series’ classic mechanics are here. You still have six-man battles and 108 characters to recruit, though this game did something special by letting players choose between three lead characters before deciding who the true lead is.
This Konami PS2 RPG suffered a bit by releasing after Square Enix’s Final Fantasy X, which had beautiful graphics and plenty of voice acting. Still, the third game is a high point in the series, and more people should have the opportunity to play it.
Not-so Fantastic Fourth
On paper, Suikoden 4 should have been a smash hit for the series. It was a fully 3D entry and even had voice acting for the first time in this series. Unfortunately, an awkward dub and some odd gameplay choices made this entry a black sheep in this critically acclaimed series.
We wouldn’t call the fourth game a terrible experience, but it’s definitely kind of awkward to play, especially after Suikoden 3 was still in line with the series’ strength. The visuals don’t look great in 3D, arguably looking worse than the more stylized third game. Awkward character movement was also criticized by many. This entry also limited battles to four party members instead of six, making it feel neutered in comparison.
Even if it’s not the best RPG, we’d like to see it collected in the next HD compilation. It’s not great, but still worth preserving.
Thrived at Five
Suikoden 5 is considered by many to be one of the best entries, and we can see why. It was able to find a more suitable visual style after four botched its 3D visuals. The game also returned to six-man battles, making it feel more classic. Add a pretty solid story, and we can see why fans want this entry to get re-released.
Even if the fifth game didn’t do anything groundbreaking, it was still a fairly enjoyable JRPG that more people should have played. The fact that you see this title in numerous underrated lists proves that.
Having all three of these games in one package would be the dream. We know Konami is busy with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, but having a second Suikoden HD Collection come out next year would be amazing. Then again, it took a while for the first remaster to come out, so it might take even longer for a second collection.
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