Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is the unwieldy name Konami has bestowed upon a remastered collection of two of the best PS1 JRPGs ever made, enhanced and made more accessible for modern gamers on PS5 and PS4.
Both Suikoden and Suikoden II tell a connected tale of war, duty, sacrifice, and revolution, drawing from Chinese literature, and feature massive casts of companion characters to collect and unlock. Known as the “108 Stars of Destiny”, recruiting the many, many characters in each game who can aid you in your efforts is one of the series’ most satisfying aspects.
Both games are well worth playing in their own right; admittedly, the first feels more dated (first released in 1995), and requires a little more patience, but offers some excellent context for the sequel and a surprising number of returning characters. Suikoden II, meanwhile, has a claim to being the best JRPG released on PS1, stunning in scale and scope, and wonderfully realised. The collection is worth picking up for this entry alone; together, the package is an easy recommendation for any fan of classic Japanese role-playing games.
This enhanced re-release offers HD portraits, revamped UI, gorgeously redrawn backgrounds, and refinement to some of the originals’ rougher edges. It also adds essential quality-of-life features like a fast-forward function and diagonal movement. It even has a digital museum contained in the launcher, which fills with art, music, and cinematics from both as they are unlocked; it’s clear Konami is proud of the series’ history and legacy.
Considering the era and context in which it was released, the original Suikoden is an ambitious game. It follows a player-named character, the son of a famous imperial general, as he begins to awaken to the plight of the common people of the Scarlet Moon Empire. The corruption of the ruling class and greedy officials, combined with the heavy taxes imposed upon them, means starvation and banditry are rife. Beginning his own career in the Imperial Army, our hero begins to question everything his family has fought for. Following a series of events that exposes the rotten core of the ruling government, he will eventually find himself leading a revolution, uniting the various rebel factions that have been resisting in secret
In addition to story sequences, players will spend most of their time exploring the game’s vast world, talking to NPCs, recruiting allies, and engaging in satisfying turn-based combat. Six total characters can form your combat party, and part of the strategy is placing characters in the most effective part of a formation. Short-range characters serve as the front line and can attack the opposing front line, while long-range characters fight from the rear and can attack all targets. There’s a medium-range class that is able to attack either rank from any position but is generally less effective than their more specialised comrades. There are even larger scale army battles at specific narrative points, although these are relatively simple and largely scripted.
Combat can be automated, with your party engaging in standard attacks, and this is a fantastic way to blast through more straightforward encounters or when grinding for EXP or “potch” as the series’ currency is known; adding a fast-forward feature is appreciated in this. Further complexity comes from Unite attacks, which require specific character combinations to perform, or the Rune system, which allows for various types of magic. Further, Orbs, which provide additional benefits (and occasional drawbacks) can be attached to a character’s weapon. Each of the 80+ companions that can join you in battle (the rest serve in a support capacity) has a unique weapon that can be upgraded at a blacksmith, improving its capabilities, and eventually taking on a new form.
It’s a great battle system, and impressive, considering Suikoden is contemporary to the seminal Final Fantasy VI; it’s quite a bit more complex than that. The biggest downside is the busy work required to keep even a core group of combat characters adequately equipped with the latest armour available and their weapons upgraded as far as possible. For example, you can’t sell the old stuff from the same screen when buying new equipment, which quickly becomes annoying.
It’s a shame, too, as this is less of an issue in the sequel, and it would have been nice if Konami had gone the extra step to provide parity between the two. As it stands, this aspect quickly had us focusing on the same small group in our playthrough, mainly because we couldn’t be bothered with getting new characters properly and laboriously equipped; entirely antithetical considering the game wants you to use its many, many, characters. Eventually, you’ll gain access to a castle, which will slowly be populated with all the companions you’ve recruited. Not all are fighters, and they will serve as shopkeepers, blacksmiths, and much more, with more personality and better gear than those offered by regular NPCs.
All of the above applies to Suikoden II, but in our opinion, it’s done much better. Combat is more complex, enemy formations are more compelling, there are more Unity attack combinations, Runes are more interesting, and there is a greater number of attachable Orbs with more varied effects. The castle aspect and army battles are more substantial and better implemented, too.
The story is also more sophisticated, and set several years after the original. Many familiar faces will show up, but you don’t need to have played the first to enjoy it. It follows a trio of youngsters, raised in the martial arts dojo of Master Genkaku, who become swept up in the political machinations of the new Highland Empire, and ultimately, in leading an alliance of independent states against it, forging a new country in the process (the titular Dunan Unification Wars). It’s far darker, dealing with atrocities and the aftermath and orphans of war, and it’s pretty riveting.
Conclusion
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars combine two incredible JRPGs from the genre’s golden age on PS1, lovingly remastered and improved for PS5 and PS4. They suffer from the same issues many games did back in the day: unwieldy, occasionally grindy, and sometimes obtuse. Still, the package offers fans the chance to experience these lesser-known gems, and both deserve a place in the collection of any fan, even the least bit interested.
