![]() Despite their scope and plot significance, these battles are some of the the lowest points of Suikoden II, taking second place only to the forced gambling mini games. Large scale army battle mechanics have been altered from the Rock Paper Scissors system to a one more akin to a turn based strategy game. Characters now have fewer slots to hold items, but can manage items in a separate, combined pool that cuts down a lot of time when swapping equipment. Inventory management is a culmination of a party based inventory found in most JRPGs and the personal inventory system used prior. Prerendered cutscenes are used occasionally, and while most are quite short, they add a good amount of emphasis to some late game attacks and exciting plot scenes. ![]() Idle battle animations are used to good measure, birds will individually fly off when approached in towns, NPCs train and spar, and some characters exhibit unique animations to add visual flavor to the moment. The animations are much improved with a lot of added charm, giving the characters and the world around them a lot more personality. The Headquarters also feels much more lively, partly as a result of having a more recognizable cast, and some characters can be found in more than just one spot. Plot pacing is improved mostly due to how the game handles introducing and recruiting each of the Stars of Destiny: lots of characters return to play significantly stronger roles in the story, and the new arrivals are fleshed out enough to keep from feeling like the multitudes of shallow filler characters that were present before. Best of all are the story, characterization, and pacing, which are all exponentially better than the first game. Suikoden II in particular almost completely jettisoned the fantasy stereotypes of their ancestors, and stretched the 'medieval' aspect of JRPGs to its horrific terminal point.ģ0h 53m PlayedSuikoden II improves on the formula of the previous title in almost every way. War and politics were ultimately the common themes that directed Suikoden's initial two releases, themes that disposed of the previous era's epic sense of adventure but nonetheless fashioned some of the most tragic, touching, poignant, and brutal concepts of its genre. Suikoden II is a grand achievement, one that - in its cascades of tragedy, effectively represents a hyper-realist take on human conflict. the gameplay of Suikoden II remains cast in the shadow of its plot, lost in the story's gripping emotional wasteland. While being a strong visual and mechanical upgrade over their predecessor. While the combat system remains lacking, the base building of the original is expanded to include several more minigames and more inventive means of recruiting allies. However - unlike the naive enthusiasm of their peers, this was idealism tempered and fueled by sheer grief, remaining hopeful despite all the trauma. Whereas Yasumi Matsuno's brand always held a chilling, detached (yet paradoxically in-your-face) philosophy, Yoshitaka Murayama presented a humane, warmer, ideal outlook. All-in-all, it was a crucial point in the evolution of political JRPG story. The game also succeeds in the narrative details, with 'microstories' revolving around the various towns and cities in the world effectively turning each one into meaningful locations of their own, not just spaces to buy equipment and restore HP. ![]() The maturity found within its morbid vision of war allows the game to confidently implement some more disturbing themes in its narrative, without fully engorging in its own bloodlust, that once again revolutionizes JRPG story. The moments between the player character, Jowy, and Nanami constitute some of the most emotionally excruciating scenes in video game history. The two major characters experience lives full of incredible hardship, one that brutally and unfairly tests their resolve, courage, and ultimately their friendship as their ideals slowly drift apart. Besides presenting the horrors of a genocidal madman in all its twisted glory, Suikoden II is in many ways the emotional journey of two soldiers. Here, the tragedy of war is pronounced to terrible extremes, with cutscenes that are almost uncomfortable to sit through, due to in large part the actions of Luca Blight, one of the most effective RPG villains of all time. 30h 37m PlayedTaking the hint from the previous game, Suikoden II portrays an darker side to the original's theme of wartime cruelty. ![]()
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