FANTASTIC REVIEW. Oh man, just watching this made me remember the loss and heart ache. And I am THRILLED that you enjoyed your time with it! But now... I gotta say it... if you think Suikoden 1 is good... Suikoden 2 just... everything good about one... they just make it better.
Omg, what he says hahaha. I played these during my teen and i can still feel the moments, the days, spent on these games. Might sound lame but I literally finished Suikoden 1 15 times and Suikoden 2 8 times. The only thing I haven't accomplished in both games is a sidequest in Suikoden 2 where you have to pretty much finish the game in under 20 hours, which is extreeeemely short, believe me. Suikoden 2 is simply a masterpiece, which I consider surpasses any jrpg of the time. Story still inspires me today in my every day life. You HAVVVE to play Suikoden 2. Edit: I forgot to mention the music? I never cared much about music in games, but during my last play through It actually made me cry. From towns music to cut scenes. Very memorable music. Enjoy
@@Cannotbetamed1 Make sure you save your Suikoden 1 data to import into Suikoden 2. If you manage to recruit any returning characters they get weapon sharpness and gear bonuses if you upgraded them in S1.
Yes 2 is great as well, the only problems with 2 are the house glitch and the cost of a hard copy, last time I looked into buying the hard copy it was going for around $200 on Ebay and then it popped up in the ps store for $10 and I immediately got it because...well...how could i not lol, seriously suikoden 1 and 2 are prob my favorite ps1 classics and still right up there among my all time favorite video games
@@Kadaspala couldn't agree more! It's so fantastic and structured in a brilliant way. All I'll say without spoiling is Luca Blight is one of the best villians of all time in all video games and even maybe in all of fiction.
Full Ack on everything in this comment section. I am happy to see that i am not the only one who loved this game. The story btw comes partly from a chinese novel "Brigands of..." forgot the name :) Anyways great game simply one of the best JRPGs.
There is a Map available in Suikoden 1 , it takes that you visit the Elves Homes again after the Storypart with the Elves is over and you went back through Kobold Village. The Review was very good , Suikoden 1 is one of my all time fav games
You gave a really honest game review. This was and still is my all time favorite video game. Such a classic for me. While everyone else was playing FF, I was busy trying to beat this gem. I'm really excited for the updated versions that will becoming out hopefully next year.
If you thought 1 was good, you have to play the 2nd one. My all time favorite rpg. It was the first game to truly make me cry, even when I finished it after many years with the perfect ending.
I also highly recommend you to play SU2 (Also i have high hopes for a review from you :) ). It improves much of SU1 weaknesses, plus the story gets more complex. A minor Spoiler: You'll see some of the loveable Characters from SU1 again ;)
You are consistently one of the best content creators on RUclips, and this review is an excellent example why. (Although I got worried during those opening few seconds...) Keep up the great work, Pam.
Great review Pam! Just wanted to mention that with recruiting, you can also miss out on the special ending if characters die. I collected everyone, but lost one of my characters in one of the rock, paper, scissors field battles. I thought nothing of it at the time, but that one death cost me the special ending... Just a bit of advice: it's best to save before battle and reset if you have a character perish if going for that ending.
Thanks Rich. Yes, I watched the 100% ending on RUclips, but I clearly had missed other scenes which would have happened before the end. I was terrible about saving during this game, but I kinda liked that you could lose people from doing badly.
Better to just find a recruitment list and know when they're available, idk if suikosource is still active but if not I'm sure there are lists elsewhere
@@Cannotbetamed1 yeah permanent character losses in major battles and even duals in some cases are a thing in every suikoden that has major battles, which will prevent a perfect file although oulan in 2 can prevent this for characters in her unit but not other allied units
The fact that this series still holds up now in 2020 is a testament to the magic and expertise that went into making these games. The artwork is still fantastic and the music is still catchy. The comedy is still funny. The cast of characters is still HUGE for a game and many are playable with UNIQUE abilities. What other RPG has a cast this big that are PLAYABLE?! This game was a masterpiece for it's time and is a true gem. It's still a sparkling gem and a game that developers should look to for lessons in developing gaming perfection. I can only assume that everyone loved what they were doing when making this game....because that's what it felt like when I played this series originally. Would LOVE remakes of this series!
Great review! The pacing and transitions were superb. This one has been sitting on the shelf for a long while. I’m glad you liked it as I seem to share similar taste in games.
One of my favorite JRPGs of all time. Sad to hear you didn't recruit all 108 Stars of Destiny. That could have saved one particular character from certain death. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the 2nd, which is one of my favorite games of all time!
I'm actually a bit torn about that one, having first played through blind and missed some of the more obscure recruits (the hunter, the antiques dealer) - subsequent playthroughs (many, MANY subsequent playthroughs ;) ) makes me feel it lessens the impact of the moment (even taking into account the fact that you know what's coming.)
Hey in suikoden 2 first playing it i let the sister die u could avoid the death but the game does not tell u to so i had to re start, i missed so many characters to u need to have them all to get the good ending
I had a busy day and this helped me unwind. I had been looking forward to this video too and it did not disappoint. Now I want to play this game now. :)
💖💖 Great Review on Gensō Suikoden. you really should do more reviews on JRPGs. i love this genre . by the way, looking forward to Suikoden I & II HD Remaster coming sometime 2023
Thank you for talking about a game that is very special to me. This is one amazing game that still to this day I have not fully completed (with all unlocked characters). I try to play it once a year and I've been doing that for over 20 years now and each time I discover something new. I still haven't read a walkthrough for this game because I loved the feeling I get when I discover something new on my own. Your review of this is amazing and beautifully explains everything I love about this game and also it's sequel. These are games that keep on giving and that's beautiful and also symbolic to me.
Automatic like from me, Suikoden 1-2 are 2 of my favorite games of all time, I hope with this video some of your viewers go out and give these games a try. There a bit pricey if you try and get them off ebay but I believe both are on the psn store for pretty cheap.
I was so obsessed with this game...I HAD to get every character i could to get the good ending! And for some reason I loved the laundry washing character Sarah (LOL I just saw you didn't recruit her)...She got all of the best stuff I had heh. I knew she wasn't the most powerful, but that's why i loved that game, you could make almost any character combination work! And building your castle, cooking the wars...there was so much to this game. I really want to try suikoden 3 thru 5 but I'm not sure if they compare since I don't see anyone talk about them?
Love this, these games have been my fav since the days they came out, 1 and 2, I am 39 now. Also your shelf of games behind you, looks identical to mine, such masterpieces those old infinity engine games. You are adorable and so well spoken, great review! Subbed
I'm so happy you had a fun time with Suikoden just as I do. Just to let you know there is a way to save Gremio, you've probably heard that alot already. You'll have a blast with the sequel as this is one of the few PS1 games that could minorly affect its sequel with its save data. Thanks so much for the video!
Oh sure Vicki will teleport you every time...until she messes up and says Oops! Lol. She was always amusing and one of only a few characters that appears in every main entry! I picked up the 2nd game first but didn't play it when I found out that your game save carried over. I'd never heard of something like that at the time and was blown away. Everyone raves about the 2nd but I personally enjoyed McDohl's journey a bit more. I just related to him more vs the deeper story background of the 2nd game's protagonist. Glad you enjoyed this classic. Nice to see you doing a jrpg! The Suikoden series is up there in my top 5. Not many games have come close to that army building aspect that made it so enjoyable.
I loved your review. This was one of my favorite video games of the PS era. I'm glad you had fun with it. The sequels are also definitely worth your time... except for four... we don't speak of Suikoden IV. Anyway, I hope you do more reviews in the series.
Never heard of this channel before, but thank RUclips for recommending it. I'm always happy to see new people playing Suikoden. Definitely a very underrated JRPG series. Can't wait to see a review on 2.
This is a favorite of mine. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Fyi almost every one of those deaths are preventable. 🙂 out of the five and tactics, which I own and have beaten, 2 and 5 are the best followed by 1 then 3, tactics and 4. All have good stories and music. All also reference each other. If I remember correctly the story order is 4, 5, tactics, 1,2, and 3. The "villain " motivation in 3 and the ending are Amazing!!
The death I was most upset about was the dragon, don't think that was avoidable. Also, the other death I was upset about I found out wasn't actually a death when I started playing the sequel.
As a fellow lover of dragons, appreciator?, yeah a little teary at that one. Also if you don't get a chance to play 3 there was a manga done for it and while it shortens the story the author nailed the feeling of the ending. 🤩
Like Wild Arms, this is a criminally underrated RPG for the PS1 and Konami is not known for making RPGs in general. Out of all them, Suikoden III for the PS2 is my favorite.
Pam! Yet another great vid, thanks for all the great work you do. Your channel has become my fave go to gaming channel as of late. Never, ever stop plx!
On a gameinformer interview Warren Spector said Suikoden 1 or 2 is his favorite game of all time. I forget which one exactly. It was on their Replay video about Deus Ex which he was on.
Discovered this video and your page because of Lady Pelvic. I really enjoyed your review of this game and the script used to articulate this view. Great job, and I hope to see your thoughts on "Suikoden 2."
The game that started Gaming's best franchise of all time. Fun fact, this game was also released on the Saturn (Japan only) and PC (East Asia only.). Suikoden 2 also got a PC release, but only in China (Yup, not even Japan got it........I have no idea why, you'd think they'd go ahead and release said version in Japan and the West given the PS2 version did and thus they had the translation already, but nope. You can find some images comparing them, it's all quite fascinating.).
this brings back so many memories. for a while it was the only rpg on the ps1. i too could not really devote that much time to every character, i just picked my favs and stayed with them.
Great video! Nice to see Suikoden still getting the love it deserves all these years on. One thing to add though, when the camera zooms in during battle, that's more than just a cool visual, that's a critical hit! I speed run this game on my channel if you're interested!
I enjoyed this review, and have fond memories of the game having recently beaten it. Despite how good the games are I would always recommend playing with a follower guide, it can be annoying to have to constantly look stuff up but the ending you get is worth it. Plus you can use the save file from 1 in 2 for a bit of fun.
This game was the First one that I played for the PlayStation, on my 13th birthday. The story, the art, the music, all working together that made me fall in love with the gaming genre. Even though I would get a PS1 for that Christmas with Final Fantasy VII, this game remains as my all-time favorite. Yes Suikoden II is better is nearly every way, and other games improve the story, nothing will ever top this game. Thank you for your reviews, and shine on!
Great review as always. I have this game back then but never managed to finish it because i found the tone is serious compared to many other contemporary JRPG (i was only 10 - 11 at that time).
Glad to hear you had so much fun, number two is a must play. Before you start the next one please give number one a rerun and get all 108 stars of Destiny before the cutoff. Opens up best ending and hidden content in two
Always nice to hear that Suikoden can impress people still to this day. I'd recommend continuing with the second game, as it continues the story a few years later in a neighboring country. If you have the patience, do play again Suikoden 1 and recruit all 108 SoD as your save can be transferred to Suikoden II. It is totally worth it to do, especially if you liked Suikoden 1!
I love this game and I'll just echo what others have said. Getting all 108 stars does unlock the best ending along with a nifty bonus. (I also like how the turncoat isn't listed as one of the 108 stars). Also, there is a map. Templeton is a recruit. After the elf village is burned down, just re-enter and he's there. He's a cartographer. Makes sense when you think about the setting of the game. Maps were a luxury back in the old days because of the time and dedication needed to actually get all the information down (plus, what good is a map when most people hardly traveled more than a few miles from their home).
If you ever feel like playing again I highly recommend recruiting the other gambler where you find Tai Ho. You can legit make max money in about 1minute with how easy it is to exploit the games gambling system. Every time I needed to fully upgrade weapons or equip new characters I just bought them whatever and upgraded them completely. It's still kinda tedious though cause you have to walk around to do that but no grinding for money.
I want Suikoden to have a Remake, or a HD Remaster on current consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Suikoden will forever have a special place in my heart. It was so magical, and the story really drew me in. I will forever love the Suikoden series.
This was also the first series I remember to where your save file from suikoden 1 transferred over, with a complete Suikoden 1 playthrough you could have Mchdol in Suikoden 2
Suikoden 3 and 5 are also decent.... Cool thing about the series is that you get to see characters from one game in multiple other sequels such as Jeane and Viki and get references in the sequels to events and characters to other games in the series including a few of the spinoff games since most of the games take ace in the same world as opposed to Final Fantasy which seldom does this at all... I hope you will take the opportunity to scope out these excellent games though part 2 is still the best... It saddens to think there won't be a 6th main stream Suikoden
I've never played any of the games in this series, but I think I could get on board with this one. I like the larger parties, but I probably wouldn't use half of the characters either. But not having the map early on sounds very frustrating. Glad I checked this review out cuz now I'd like to give this one a shot.
Rarely saw any Suikoden review nowadays and you're doin' it, thanks sis, it's a great video, i highly recommendes you to play suikoden 2 too, it's the best suiko series ever with a great storyline, anyway thanks for review 😁😁
This might sound exaggerated, but when I played this game it changed my life, after 20 years this is still one of my favorite games and Suikoden as a series is probably my favorite franchise, you got a new subscriber and hope you check the other games.
What a beautiful review of the game that started this excellent franchise of Suikoden. Suikoden 2 is a masterpiece, I hope you make a review of it too. Good content.
Next you get to fall in love with the greatest JRPG ever made, Suikoden II. Take everything you liked about the first one, magnify them several times over, fix the few things you didn't like, and still add more. Plus, the graphics and music get a huge boost as well. And oh boy, if you think the first one got you in the feels....
Great review! I have the first game in the series and really want to try and get the second one! Suikoden 2 is one of the few ps1 games I don't have, never played and still want! Love FF7, star ocean, xenogears and the lunar games on ps1!
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the game overall, despite some of the things you didn't like about it. For a first foray into the series, it was a pretty good effort, and I am happy to say that the next game is boundlessly better in every way. But, I still have a soft spot for this game.
Great video! It was interesting to hear your opinions of my favourite game of all time! Suikoden II is also a masterpiece so I highly recommend that you play through that as well.
made my childhood/early teens so much better. games like Suikoden had a strong purpose and i think the reason game like these surpass newer games is because they leave lasting memories.
One of things I always didn't like about turn based games/RPGs is. If you don't have that weapons, or that armor or that ability. It's already game over. But this is interesting... Also can you review not so retro series like desperados series and commandos. It's basically where you control multiple characters (IT'S NOT OVERWATCH) They have unique abilities that suit each situation.
Given indies often are spiritual successors to games that may be long-neglected or just one the creator(s) loved, I wish someone would try to make an RPG in the vein of this series nowadays
Hey! Don't forget to support the spiritual successor to Suikoden! www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/description
Woot. (Long time lurker) one of my favorite RPG series' (Although I favor 2, 5, and to a lesser extent 4, over 1) one has a nice set piece, and still holds up rather well, if not a bit jank in some respects. Either way, awesome.
Always enjoy your reviews as you give your complete and honest opinion. Also i watched those vids where you read the nasty comments and "face like an apple" will be my new go to bizarre insult! :-) I mean what does it even mean!?
Gore Suikoden fan here. I think it is so cool that people discover those games and love them so much. I always wonder if I like them because I have the nostalgia from my childhood with them, but as far as I can see, they are really - really good.^^
I really like how you pronounce SUIKODEN, great review i never got to play it even though i had it i started whit the 2 one that was a master pice its nice to see the review before putting in days of game play in to the game
Huge fan of this game. I didn't respect it the first attempt i made at playing it in high school, but once i learned about the chinese story Water Margin, or shui hu zhuan in college, I got involved again and was fully immersed
2 is my fav but 3 and 5 have a special place in my heart for being some of the first rpgs I played! I'm still hoping they'll make a remake or add a new main title to the series ;w; Also "Everyone I love is dead" jddjksk me after every suikoden game 💀
Another great review Pam. I love this game, as well as the 2nd one. Trying to get into the 3rd. Btw, do you enjoy Tactical RPGs? If so', you should check out Vandal Hearts. Another underrated PS1 title by Konami.
This is my favorite playstation 1 JRPG, but only because i could never get my hands on Suikoden II, had to emulate it years later. Suikoden II had only a few prints, so this game is worth a lot of money nowadays. What i liked about it, is the atmosphere and music and blended in game modes - the game will never be boring that way its a game system like the old defender of the crown and actraiser games, mix game modes and maybe there is a profit.(if it works) Apart from this, i like the asian architecture of the buildings, cities and villages, houses, dunno if that was the case allready in Suikoden I, but you see this more in Suikoden II - it definately feels and breaths asian style -------> pretty fitting for an old school JRPG. The game world and story reminds me a bit of movies like a Chinese Ghost Story(1987) minus the civil war of course - but its medieval asian themes mixed well together with high fantasy action and drama.
This is an interesting review which really brings home how much people's expectations have changed for jrpg's since the PS1 days. Most of the issues mentioned--whether the initial lack of a world map or the requirement of a few fetch quests or the potential for missing the blinking mirror--are not really that burdensome and these things seemed quite normal back in the 90's. The fact that there is a better or at least different ending if you recruit all 108 characters gave that extra satisfaction for only a little bit more effort. Still, an enjoyable review.
@@Cannotbetamed1 Perhaps that is fair, but I think given Suikoden's gimmick, it made sense for the map to be discovered along with the other game features. It fit the game. I just remember many of the games of the 90's (maybe from the 16 bit era rather than PS1) where you had to map things yourself and this became less so afterwards.
FANTASTIC REVIEW. Oh man, just watching this made me remember the loss and heart ache. And I am THRILLED that you enjoyed your time with it! But now... I gotta say it... if you think Suikoden 1 is good... Suikoden 2 just... everything good about one... they just make it better.
Thank you! I will probably play the sequel later this year. Just going to take a little jrpg break.
Omg, what he says hahaha. I played these during my teen and i can still feel the moments, the days, spent on these games. Might sound lame but I literally finished Suikoden 1 15 times and Suikoden 2 8 times. The only thing I haven't accomplished in both games is a sidequest in Suikoden 2 where you have to pretty much finish the game in under 20 hours, which is extreeeemely short, believe me. Suikoden 2 is simply a masterpiece, which I consider surpasses any jrpg of the time. Story still inspires me today in my every day life. You HAVVVE to play Suikoden 2.
Edit: I forgot to mention the music? I never cared much about music in games, but during my last play through It actually made me cry. From towns music to cut scenes. Very memorable music. Enjoy
@@Cannotbetamed1 Make sure you save your Suikoden 1 data to import into Suikoden 2. If you manage to recruit any returning characters they get weapon sharpness and gear bonuses if you upgraded them in S1.
Yes 2 is great as well, the only problems with 2 are the house glitch and the cost of a hard copy, last time I looked into buying the hard copy it was going for around $200 on Ebay and then it popped up in the ps store for $10 and I immediately got it because...well...how could i not lol, seriously suikoden 1 and 2 are prob my favorite ps1 classics and still right up there among my all time favorite video games
Make sure you go into Suikoden 2 with a neutral stance on pork and pigs @_@...
Just come across your channel. By far my most favourite game to this day 👍 🍀.The music was fantastic
The second game is a must play. It takes everything right about the first and amplifies plus you'll see many old familiar characters!
I’m looking forward to seeing who appears when I play 2
Suikoden 1 is decent, but also incredibly outdated and a little wonky/underdeveloped.
Suikoden 2 is legit one of the best RPGs ever created.
@@Kadaspala couldn't agree more! It's so fantastic and structured in a brilliant way. All I'll say without spoiling is Luca Blight is one of the best villians of all time in all video games and even maybe in all of fiction.
Full Ack on everything in this comment section. I am happy to see that i am not the only one who loved this game. The story btw comes partly from a chinese novel "Brigands of..." forgot the name :) Anyways great game simply one of the best JRPGs.
@@Cannotbetamed1 you can use your save file from Suikoden 1 as well
There is a Map available in Suikoden 1 , it takes that you visit the Elves Homes again after the Storypart with the Elves is over and you went back through Kobold Village. The Review was very good , Suikoden 1 is one of my all time fav games
Templton is such cute little guy too
It's covered up in the video
You gave a really honest game review. This was and still is my all time favorite video game. Such a classic for me. While everyone else was playing FF, I was busy trying to beat this gem. I'm really excited for the updated versions that will becoming out hopefully next year.
If you thought 1 was good, you have to play the 2nd one. My all time favorite rpg. It was the first game to truly make me cry, even when I finished it after many years with the perfect ending.
I will play it!
I also highly recommend you to play SU2 (Also i have high hopes for a review from you :) ). It improves much of SU1 weaknesses, plus the story gets more complex. A minor Spoiler: You'll see some of the loveable Characters from SU1 again ;)
I enjoyed suikoden V as well...probably cause it has voice acting
Even the off shoot games i enjoyed, but V took the emotional crown of all.
@@aaronmhcd I've cried while playing tons of games including earthbound
You are consistently one of the best content creators on RUclips, and this review is an excellent example why. (Although I got worried during those opening few seconds...)
Keep up the great work, Pam.
Thank you so much
played 1 to 3 in the early 2000's, almost two decades later still my favourites, ive gone back and replayed them all multiple times
Great review Pam! Just wanted to mention that with recruiting, you can also miss out on the special ending if characters die. I collected everyone, but lost one of my characters in one of the rock, paper, scissors field battles. I thought nothing of it at the time, but that one death cost me the special ending... Just a bit of advice: it's best to save before battle and reset if you have a character perish if going for that ending.
Thanks Rich. Yes, I watched the 100% ending on RUclips, but I clearly had missed other scenes which would have happened before the end. I was terrible about saving during this game, but I kinda liked that you could lose people from doing badly.
Better to just find a recruitment list and know when they're available, idk if suikosource is still active but if not I'm sure there are lists elsewhere
@@Cannotbetamed1 yeah permanent character losses in major battles and even duals in some cases are a thing in every suikoden that has major battles, which will prevent a perfect file although oulan in 2 can prevent this for characters in her unit but not other allied units
@@citizenx9149 they sorta are i had some questions answered a few days ago.
The fact that this series still holds up now in 2020 is a testament to the magic and expertise that went into making these games. The artwork is still fantastic and the music is still catchy. The comedy is still funny. The cast of characters is still HUGE for a game and many are playable with UNIQUE abilities. What other RPG has a cast this big that are PLAYABLE?!
This game was a masterpiece for it's time and is a true gem. It's still a sparkling gem and a game that developers should look to for lessons in developing gaming perfection. I can only assume that everyone loved what they were doing when making this game....because that's what it felt like when I played this series originally. Would LOVE remakes of this series!
I don't even really think this game at least (haven't played the rest of the series yet) really needs a remake. It still looks and plays great.
Great review! The pacing and transitions were superb. This one has been sitting on the shelf for a long while. I’m glad you liked it as I seem to share similar taste in games.
Thank you!
One of my favorite JRPGs of all time. Sad to hear you didn't recruit all 108 Stars of Destiny. That could have saved one particular character from certain death.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the 2nd, which is one of my favorite games of all time!
I'm actually a bit torn about that one, having first played through blind and missed some of the more obscure recruits (the hunter, the antiques dealer) - subsequent playthroughs (many, MANY subsequent playthroughs ;) ) makes me feel it lessens the impact of the moment (even taking into account the fact that you know what's coming.)
Yeah, it would have been cool to get them all but I just don’t have the completion it’s mindset anymore.
@@Cannotbetamed1 to be fair Sarah is easily the most tedious to get. I always get the 108 in every suikoden that has them. It's always worth it.
Hey in suikoden 2 first playing it i let the sister die u could avoid the death but the game does not tell u to so i had to re start, i missed so many characters to u need to have them all to get the good ending
Thank you for this review! I loved that game back in the day. The ending was on of the more memorable ones I've played.
Yes! Been waiting for this video since she mentioned she was gonna do it!
I hope you like it
I just finished watching it. Excellent job! So much nostalgia in that game for me. I hope you can do the second game too.
Which vid that she mentioned it?
I HAVE THAT GAME AND PART 2 OF THAT ON MY HACK STICK FOR MY CLASSIC PLAYSTATION AND I LOVE BOTH OF THEM. THX PAM FOR REVIEWING THIS CLASSIC GAME.
Suikoden I and II are the most charming games I've ever played.
same here
Sameee
I had a busy day and this helped me unwind. I had been looking forward to this video too and it did not disappoint. Now I want to play this game now. :)
Glad you enjoyed it
Your in-depth reviews are REALLY enthralling. Good work Pam
Thank you
Cannot be Tamed welcome ! Looking forward to more. 😊
💖💖 Great Review on Gensō Suikoden. you really should do more reviews on JRPGs. i love this genre .
by the way, looking forward to Suikoden I & II HD Remaster coming sometime 2023
Thank you for talking about a game that is very special to me. This is one amazing game that still to this day I have not fully completed (with all unlocked characters). I try to play it once a year and I've been doing that for over 20 years now and each time I discover something new. I still haven't read a walkthrough for this game because I loved the feeling I get when I discover something new on my own. Your review of this is amazing and beautifully explains everything I love about this game and also it's sequel. These are games that keep on giving and that's beautiful and also symbolic to me.
Automatic like from me, Suikoden 1-2 are 2 of my favorite games of all time, I hope with this video some of your viewers go out and give these games a try. There a bit pricey if you try and get them off ebay but I believe both are on the psn store for pretty cheap.
I know they were just on sale on the PS store. I'm looking forward to playing 2.
@bejais Nah, all my Suikoden playing is direct from the PS1 discs :P
Suikoden is my all-time favorite series. Thank you for reviewing this one, Pam! The inventory system does get improvements in 2 through 5.
That’s good to hear
I was so obsessed with this game...I HAD to get every character i could to get the good ending! And for some reason I loved the laundry washing character Sarah (LOL I just saw you didn't recruit her)...She got all of the best stuff I had heh. I knew she wasn't the most powerful, but that's why i loved that game, you could make almost any character combination work! And building your castle, cooking the wars...there was so much to this game. I really want to try suikoden 3 thru 5 but I'm not sure if they compare since I don't see anyone talk about them?
Some games never pop up on your radar until 20+ years after the fact. This is one of those for me
It's a great series. IV is a bit of a stinker, but the rest are all quality.
That picture is ammmmazzzzing..
The one over your left shoulder.
But anyways, great video !!
Thanks!
Love this, these games have been my fav since the days they came out, 1 and 2, I am 39 now. Also your shelf of games behind you, looks identical to mine, such masterpieces those old infinity engine games. You are adorable and so well spoken, great review! Subbed
Welcome to the channel!
I'm so happy you had a fun time with Suikoden just as I do. Just to let you know there is a way to save Gremio, you've probably heard that alot already. You'll have a blast with the sequel as this is one of the few PS1 games that could minorly affect its sequel with its save data. Thanks so much for the video!
Yes, I know you can save him, but I had already lost the battle with Pahn, so I ruined my shot at collecting everyone.
Oh sure Vicki will teleport you every time...until she messes up and says Oops! Lol. She was always amusing and one of only a few characters that appears in every main entry! I picked up the 2nd game first but didn't play it when I found out that your game save carried over. I'd never heard of something like that at the time and was blown away. Everyone raves about the 2nd but I personally enjoyed McDohl's journey a bit more. I just related to him more vs the deeper story background of the 2nd game's protagonist. Glad you enjoyed this classic. Nice to see you doing a jrpg! The Suikoden series is up there in my top 5. Not many games have come close to that army building aspect that made it so enjoyable.
I loved your review. This was one of my favorite video games of the PS era. I'm glad you had fun with it. The sequels are also definitely worth your time... except for four... we don't speak of Suikoden IV. Anyway, I hope you do more reviews in the series.
I'm playing through 2 right now
THE NECLORD! Also, nice review, cheers, still find myself humming that damn home base theme occasionally.
Thanks!
Never heard of this channel before, but thank RUclips for recommending it. I'm always happy to see new people playing Suikoden. Definitely a very underrated JRPG series.
Can't wait to see a review on 2.
Glad you found the channel, and that RUclips is sharing it.
This is a favorite of mine. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Fyi almost every one of those deaths are preventable. 🙂 out of the five and tactics, which I own and have beaten, 2 and 5 are the best followed by 1 then 3, tactics and 4. All have good stories and music. All also reference each other. If I remember correctly the story order is 4, 5, tactics, 1,2, and 3. The "villain " motivation in 3 and the ending are Amazing!!
The death I was most upset about was the dragon, don't think that was avoidable. Also, the other death I was upset about I found out wasn't actually a death when I started playing the sequel.
As a fellow lover of dragons, appreciator?, yeah a little teary at that one. Also if you don't get a chance to play 3 there was a manga done for it and while it shortens the story the author nailed the feeling of the ending. 🤩
Cannot be Tamed you should play Wayne’s world on nes worst nes game ever made I hated it when I was 9 in 1993 suspired Avgn reviewed it😎
I highly recommend Suikoden 1 is replayed to get the best ending before is being loaded into Suikoden 2. And yes, it's a must play!
Like Wild Arms, this is a criminally underrated RPG for the PS1 and Konami is not known for making RPGs in general. Out of all them, Suikoden III for the PS2 is my favorite.
Everyone is all about Suikoden 2, but I really loved 1.
I always loved the music when you start to outnumber the enemy in the mass fights ^^
Pam! Yet another great vid, thanks for all the great work you do. Your channel has become my fave go to gaming channel as of late. Never, ever stop plx!
Thank you :)
On a gameinformer interview Warren Spector said Suikoden 1 or 2 is his favorite game of all time. I forget which one exactly. It was on their Replay video about Deus Ex which he was on.
Its 1, i just saw it
Nice to see someone reviewing these old games. Planning to install an emulator on my phone and play this again.
I'm starting to get into to it now which is a learning experience for me. Playing Suikoden really is a start
Lovely review! Seeing how you spoke about Suikoden 1 makes me think Suikoden 2 will leave you speechless! :D I hope you'll review it too!
Thank you! I plan to play and review 2.
The deaths can be avoided by the choices you make. Also to be able to acquire all the characters is where the challenge lies.
Discovered this video and your page because of Lady Pelvic. I really enjoyed your review of this game and the script used to articulate this view. Great job, and I hope to see your thoughts on "Suikoden 2."
Welcome to the channel! Lady Pelvic is great.
I get asked a lot what my profile pic is. Too many have missed out on this masterpiece.
The game that started Gaming's best franchise of all time.
Fun fact, this game was also released on the Saturn (Japan only) and PC (East Asia only.).
Suikoden 2 also got a PC release, but only in China (Yup, not even Japan got it........I have no idea why, you'd think they'd go ahead and release said version in Japan and the West given the PS2 version did and thus they had the translation already, but nope. You can find some images comparing them, it's all quite fascinating.).
Suikoden was the first game I played where you can combine the characters from I and II. Georg and L. C. Chan were my favs.
this brings back so many memories. for a while it was the only rpg on the ps1. i too could not really devote that much time to every character, i just picked my favs and stayed with them.
Great video! Nice to see Suikoden still getting the love it deserves all these years on.
One thing to add though, when the camera zooms in during battle, that's more than just a cool visual, that's a critical hit!
I speed run this game on my channel if you're interested!
Thanks!
Wow looks cool! :D Good camera movement for a game from 95'!
Thanks for the review! :D
No problem!
Oh hell yeah someone else doing suikoden! Always a joy when someone uploads a video related to this.
I enjoyed this review, and have fond memories of the game having recently beaten it. Despite how good the games are I would always recommend playing with a follower guide, it can be annoying to have to constantly look stuff up but the ending you get is worth it. Plus you can use the save file from 1 in 2 for a bit of fun.
This game was the First one that I played for the PlayStation, on my 13th birthday. The story, the art, the music, all working together that made me fall in love with the gaming genre. Even though I would get a PS1 for that Christmas with Final Fantasy VII, this game remains as my all-time favorite. Yes Suikoden II is better is nearly every way, and other games improve the story, nothing will ever top this game. Thank you for your reviews, and shine on!
😊
Great review as always. I have this game back then but never managed to finish it because i found the tone is serious compared to many other contemporary JRPG (i was only 10 - 11 at that time).
25 years later im still waiting for The next suikoden...i need closure
Look at Eiyuden Chronicle
BrewUnited i already donated to the kickstarter haha
@@gelosalabar9523 Wonderful! I am so excited for that game!
Me too
That does suck. 😔
I love this game. The second one is slightly better though. I always found it fun to try and recruit every character and watch the home base grow
I will probably play the sequel later this year
Glad to hear you had so much fun, number two is a must play. Before you start the next one please give number one a rerun and get all 108 stars of Destiny before the cutoff. Opens up best ending and hidden content in two
Not going to be replaying this anytime soon.
Always nice to hear that Suikoden can impress people still to this day. I'd recommend continuing with the second game, as it continues the story a few years later in a neighboring country. If you have the patience, do play again Suikoden 1 and recruit all 108 SoD as your save can be transferred to Suikoden II. It is totally worth it to do, especially if you liked Suikoden 1!
I'm playing through the second game now (though not with 108 from the first game).
DarthZack 🙂
I love this game and I'll just echo what others have said. Getting all 108 stars does unlock the best ending along with a nifty bonus. (I also like how the turncoat isn't listed as one of the 108 stars). Also, there is a map. Templeton is a recruit. After the elf village is burned down, just re-enter and he's there. He's a cartographer. Makes sense when you think about the setting of the game. Maps were a luxury back in the old days because of the time and dedication needed to actually get all the information down (plus, what good is a map when most people hardly traveled more than a few miles from their home).
I know there’s a map in the game, I talk about it in the video.
If you ever feel like playing again I highly recommend recruiting the other gambler where you find Tai Ho. You can legit make max money in about 1minute with how easy it is to exploit the games gambling system. Every time I needed to fully upgrade weapons or equip new characters I just bought them whatever and upgraded them completely. It's still kinda tedious though cause you have to walk around to do that but no grinding for money.
Every Suikoden fan NEEDS TO look at Eiyuden Chronicle on Kickstarter
I want Suikoden to have a Remake, or a HD Remaster on current consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Suikoden will forever have a special place in my heart. It was so magical, and the story really drew me in. I will forever love the Suikoden series.
This was also the first series I remember to where your save file from suikoden 1 transferred over, with a complete Suikoden 1 playthrough you could have Mchdol in Suikoden 2
It’s the first on console I can think of transferring saves. On PC it was done on the Quest for Glory series which I always thought was cool.
Suikoden is one of my favorite games of that era. I played it on PC back in the day. Great review Pam.
Thanks
Where have you been my whole life? Nice overall review. I always enjoyed the first 2 Suikoden games.
Thanks!
Watching you and Pelvic Gaming covering the same topic and it’s fun hearing how different your opinions are, lol!
I know we had big differences of opinion on 2.
Wow... been ages since this game crossed my mind. Do love the music though.
Suikoden 3 and 5 are also decent.... Cool thing about the series is that you get to see characters from one game in multiple other sequels such as Jeane and Viki and get references in the sequels to events and characters to other games in the series including a few of the spinoff games since most of the games take ace in the same world as opposed to Final Fantasy which seldom does this at all... I hope you will take the opportunity to scope out these excellent games though part 2 is still the best... It saddens to think there won't be a 6th main stream Suikoden
I've never played any of the games in this series, but I think I could get on board with this one. I like the larger parties, but I probably wouldn't use half of the characters either. But not having the map early on sounds very frustrating. Glad I checked this review out cuz now I'd like to give this one a shot.
I hope you like it if you give it a try.
Conglaturation, dear Pam!
You just received 100 sympathy-points!
Shoutout to Gaspar's gambling addiction for funding the Liberation Army.
Yeah and marco's and everyone else's. Gotta love prosperity and finding antiques to sell
Just saw your Metroid Dread review, AND you love Suikoden 1!!! Subbed.
Welcome!
Best soundtrack in a game ever. Surprised you thought it was only good.
Rarely saw any Suikoden review nowadays and you're doin' it, thanks sis, it's a great video, i highly recommendes you to play suikoden 2 too, it's the best suiko series ever with a great storyline, anyway thanks for review 😁😁
:)
This might sound exaggerated, but when I played this game it changed my life, after 20 years this is still one of my favorite games and Suikoden as a series is probably my favorite franchise, you got a new subscriber and hope you check the other games.
Thanks for subscribing, welcome to the channel
What a beautiful review of the game that started this excellent franchise of Suikoden.
Suikoden 2 is a masterpiece, I hope you make a review of it too. Good content.
Thank you
I love this game, I don't remember if I ever got all 108 characters, but I did play through it a hand full of times.
Next you get to fall in love with the greatest JRPG ever made, Suikoden II. Take everything you liked about the first one, magnify them several times over, fix the few things you didn't like, and still add more. Plus, the graphics and music get a huge boost as well. And oh boy, if you think the first one got you in the feels....
Looking forward to it
Great review! I have the first game in the series and really want to try and get the second one! Suikoden 2 is one of the few ps1 games I don't have, never played and still want! Love FF7, star ocean, xenogears and the lunar games on ps1!
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the game overall, despite some of the things you didn't like about it. For a first foray into the series, it was a pretty good effort, and I am happy to say that the next game is boundlessly better in every way. But, I still have a soft spot for this game.
I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the help with the map.
@@Cannotbetamed1 No problem!
How did you help her?
Great video! It was interesting to hear your opinions of my favourite game of all time! Suikoden II is also a masterpiece so I highly recommend that you play through that as well.
Thanks! I will play the sequel
made my childhood/early teens so much better. games like Suikoden had a strong purpose and i think the reason game like these surpass newer games is because they leave lasting memories.
One of things I always didn't like about turn based games/RPGs is. If you don't have that weapons, or that armor or that ability. It's already game over.
But this is interesting...
Also can you review not so retro series like desperados series and commandos.
It's basically where you control multiple characters (IT'S NOT OVERWATCH) They have unique abilities that suit each situation.
Given indies often are spiritual successors to games that may be long-neglected or just one the creator(s) loved, I wish someone would try to make an RPG in the vein of this series nowadays
Hey! Don't forget to support the spiritual successor to Suikoden! www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/description
Woot. (Long time lurker) one of my favorite RPG series' (Although I favor 2, 5, and to a lesser extent 4, over 1) one has a nice set piece, and still holds up rather well, if not a bit jank in some respects. Either way, awesome.
I’m looking forward to playing 2 as well
U are on my recommendations, and i never saw this channel before
Always enjoy your reviews as you give your complete and honest opinion. Also i watched those vids where you read the nasty comments and "face like an apple" will be my new go to bizarre insult! :-) I mean what does it even mean!?
lol, that was a good one.
This and Resident Evil were my first PS1 games. And they were so good.
Gore Suikoden fan here. I think it is so cool that people discover those games and love them so much. I always wonder if I like them because I have the nostalgia from my childhood with them, but as far as I can see, they are really - really good.^^
Yep, no nostalgia needed for me to enjoy it.
25 years later and i never forgot my friends ! Thx viktor thx flik the gremio 😉
A true masterpiece about all role playing games
Thanks
@@Cannotbetamed1 Maybe one day you can try make a review about Chrono Cross and saying your opinion =D
She said "non-nostalgic", so i guess she has played chrono cross already considering its an overrated game.
Along with ff series
I really like how you pronounce SUIKODEN, great review i never got to play it even though i had it i started whit the 2 one that was a master pice its nice to see the review before putting in days of game play in to the game
This is my childhood right there!
Huge fan of this game. I didn't respect it the first attempt i made at playing it in high school, but once i learned about the chinese story Water Margin, or shui hu zhuan in college, I got involved again and was fully immersed
2 is my fav but 3 and 5 have a special place in my heart for being some of the first rpgs I played! I'm still hoping they'll make a remake or add a new main title to the series ;w;
Also "Everyone I love is dead" jddjksk me after every suikoden game 💀
Another great review Pam. I love this game, as well as the 2nd one. Trying to get into the 3rd. Btw, do you enjoy Tactical RPGs? If so', you should check out Vandal Hearts. Another underrated PS1 title by Konami.
I haven’t played many tactical rpgs other than the new Fire Emblem. I liked that. And I think I have Vandal Hearts
Vandal Hearts 2 is up there for me with Legend of Dragoon and Chrono Cross
@zach w Now THAT'S one hell of an accomplishment
Actually sad how Vandal Hearts isn't covered by any of the RPG tubers out here. Been searching for anything about them especially the second game.
This is my favorite playstation 1 JRPG, but only because i could never get my hands on Suikoden II, had to emulate it years later. Suikoden II had only a few prints, so this game is worth a lot of money nowadays.
What i liked about it, is the atmosphere and music and blended in game modes - the game will never be boring that way its a game system like the old defender of the crown and actraiser games, mix game modes and maybe there is a profit.(if it works)
Apart from this, i like the asian architecture of the buildings, cities and villages, houses, dunno if that was the case allready in Suikoden I, but you see this more in Suikoden II - it definately feels and breaths asian style -------> pretty fitting for an old school JRPG.
The game world and story reminds me a bit of movies like a Chinese Ghost Story(1987) minus the civil war of course - but its medieval asian themes mixed well together with high fantasy action and drama.
This is an interesting review which really brings home how much people's expectations have changed for jrpg's since the PS1 days. Most of the issues mentioned--whether the initial lack of a world map or the requirement of a few fetch quests or the potential for missing the blinking mirror--are not really that burdensome and these things seemed quite normal back in the 90's. The fact that there is a better or at least different ending if you recruit all 108 characters gave that extra satisfaction for only a little bit more effort. Still, an enjoyable review.
I don’t think I’ve played a single other PS1 jrpg that didn’t have a map. My expectations aren’t any different than they would have been 25 years ago.
@@Cannotbetamed1 Perhaps that is fair, but I think given Suikoden's gimmick, it made sense for the map to be discovered along with the other game features. It fit the game. I just remember many of the games of the 90's (maybe from the 16 bit era rather than PS1) where you had to map things yourself and this became less so afterwards.
The overwatch reading tho lol you got me hahahaha
:)
Hey Pam, I remember being 10 years old playing this and not knowing how the hell to play this game lol but great game and great story!!!
I love the Suikoden series. Suikoden 3 and 4 are a toss up for best in the series for me, and I also enjoy the Suikoden Tactics spinoff. Great series.
Nice review! This is one of my favorite games for the PS1, and it also reminds me that I still need to play Suikoden II at some point...
Thanks
If you like this game,
Suikoden 2 is much better..
Just dont forget to decline the offer to be president of dunan republic, and go to tenzan pass :)