Suikoden I&II Remastered review: A mixed bag of RPG history

When I first heard of the Suikoden I & II remasters, I was thrilled. This series is one that became a firm favourite of mine during my teenage years, on the original PlayStation. An RPG franchise more celebrated in Japan than on Western shores, the games distilled the genre into a title filled with all the tropes we now see as tent poles.

We’ve got a plucky protagonist, the son of a respected elder, alienated by a tyrannical society and government, who forms a band of heroes in the hope of overthrowing the upper echelon of the country. It’s a simple premise, and while I’d like to recommend that everyone should play this release, it’s difficult to do so.

When I was a lot younger and played the first game in the Suikoden series, I was relatively new to RPGs. The hook of the game - forming an army of over 100 usable characters - was appealing, and the story carried me through with plenty of dramatic moments. However, revisiting the game so many years later shows just how simple it was, and still is. Too simple, in fact. The dialogue, which could be seen as snappy, is overly plain; the pivotal moments feel fleeting in their pacing, with weighty stabs of emotion undercut by the haste they’re delivered. Worst of all is the once fascinating ability to recruit characters, who, over 30 years ago, felt fully-formed and vibrant, are actually two-dimensional and rather dull.

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Casting my mind back, I remember seeking out all 108 characters by visiting certain towns, completing tasks, or simply levelling up to show my strength. Playing now, too many characters are recruited by simply saying hello, and while they slowly fill up your castle base, I’d rarely interact with them beyond the jobs they perform. That’s not to discredit how unique a notion this is. Over the course of the game, you really do feel like you’re raising an army, giving them a stable base, and tackling the wrongs in the world. However, it all feels very muted when compared to what has come since 1995.

This makes it a tough sell to anyone who isn’t coming to the game for a hit of nostalgia. This being a remaster, there’s no denying the effort that has gone into improving the visuals. The backgrounds are clean and crisp, the pixel art is as delightful as it was the first time around, and the new effects within the battles make the game come to life in a way only imagined in the 1990s. On top of this, the music is still a triumph, dancing between bravado and subtlety, and there are more sound effects to round out the feeling of the world, making everything more authentic.

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It’s worth noting, there is a new auto-save option, though this is hit-and-miss. In fact, the whole save system really needed an overhaul. Being able to only save at inns is so archaic, it makes progress painful, especially if you die in battle and have to replay the last 15 minutes all over again, trawling through the slow conversations and menus.

I’m aware that I’m being quite negative, and it honestly pains me. On the one hand, this is a very faithful recreation of the original game, with some spit and polish. On the other, the release shows such an old and creaky game that soon feels as if it should have been left in the past. My issues here are logistical. Sure, the story is a bit basic and the dialogue often corny, but god-damn, it’s heartfelt and there are some shocking moments that will pull you in. Unfortunately, Suikoden shows its age in myriad ways that will either confound or simply frustrate.

Then there’s the sequel, also included in this package.

What comes next, as you embark into the sequel, is a revolution compared to the first game. Not only did the original release of Suikoden II tweak many of the issues that linger in the remaster of the first game, but the story goes above and beyond, while the visuals become a feast for the eyes. Gone are the overly simplistic pixel graphics for much more detail in both backgrounds and characters, the music steps up a notch to become more encompassing and driven by drama and emotion - everything here feels tremendously polished.

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Some hangovers from the first game remain, like the awkward menuing when equipping armour, as each character carries some of your inventory, meaning items must be juggled between party members constantly.

The differences between the two games are radical; the sequel excels in pretty much every department, with the story perhaps leading the charge. Where the first game felt very generic, Suikoden II tells a much more dramatic story, with properly rounded characters. Nothing here feels like cookie-cutter stereotypes, and many moments feel worth the journey, rather than suffering the first game’s random bombshells.

The story follows our protagonist, three years after the events of the first game, though this time we’re controlling a different character. This double pack does include the original save game transfer, meaning you can pull over details from the first game. And while you’ll meet some familiar faces, this story stands on its own, telling a tale of the grim reality of war and how it impacts the populace.

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There’s no denying the beauty held within the pixel graphics here. The first game has its charms in visual design, but the second game improves in every department, bringing more detail and a range of colours that make practically every scene look like a work of art.

There’s also much more joy in building your army of 108 characters here, purely due to the added depth for each member. It’s hard to overstate just how much better this game is, even many years after its release. If you’re an RPG purist, you’ll get a lot from this remaster package, but don’t expect too much. The double bill makes playing these classics much easier, and the general improvements smooth out the experience. However, beyond the feature of collecting 108 characters together, the games no longer feel as revolutionary as they did in the PlayStation era.

Pros: Great army building feature, wonderful story in the second game, stunning visuals for the sequel

Cons: First game feels disappointing, remaster features might not justify the price

For fans of: Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Golden Sun

7/10: Very Good

Suikoden I&II Remastered is available 6 March 2025 for Nintendo switch (version tested), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.