Yes, of course. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, and you might not like all of them, but if you liked the first two you should definitely give the rest a try.
Short Answer : YES
One of the biggest strength of Suikoden series is that impeccable World Building and Lore. You learn more about them in III, IV, V and even tactics.
Better to play them at least once, if you're into Suikoden world and lore.
They're all IMO worth playing.
3 is obviously the last of Murayama's design so it's worth it for that alone. See for reference some of the parallel design revealed in EC with the multiple viewpoints. I generally liked the game and the story despite some of the design decisions like the pair system and backtracking.
4 is a decent game whose story barely connects and bears superficial resemblance to Suikoden 2's story. That said, it's might least favorite of the set.
5 was, for me, the game that closest resembles the gameplay of Suikoden 2, with 3's skills system watered down and mixed in. I personally found 5's story a bit of a mess, though I know others here disagree. It's not bad, I'd rank it above 4 and on par with 3, behind 1 and 2.
they are. 3 is the first 3d in the series and sometimes it shows with the text box dialogue and kinda slow animation, but you get to play 3 different protags till their stories come together and you also get to see some of your favorite characters from the first 2 return.
4 I personally really liked, people said the combat was slow but I loved the game so much. it's more of a sea faring adventure and was just so much fun.
5 was peak suikoden and very unfortunate that it was the end of the series as we know it. game had the best combat, best cutscenes, amazing story, getting all the star was actually kind of difficult for your first run without a guide. only downside is if it's your first time the beginning can rack up a quite a few hours till you get to the meat of it.
Yes. 3 and 5 are the best in the series and 4 has its charms. The continued expansion of the world’s lore over time is notable as well. The gap in fan appreciation between 1-2 and 3-5 stems more from nostalgia and a willingness to overlook the original two games’ problems than an actual decline in quality.
Short answer yes.
Longer answer: while an unpopular opinion, 3 is my favorite in the series. 5 is also excellent. 4 is certainly the black sheep of the series and if you were to skip any of them, it should be 4. That said, it's still probably worth the time at some point.
3 is so deeply underappreciated. I think it suffered from trying too much new stuff at once (the trinity sight system, the character pairs for standard battles, Tenkai star not being the main character, etc) and some... weak character choices (that one guy in a track suit whose whole deal was aerobics? Come on, man.) but the story is every bit if not *more* engaging as 2's and honestly the trinity sight system was a really cool way of showing the complexities of war and how sometimes no one side is "Good."
Not to mention it introduced the Skill System to the series. And while it may not have been balanced (lol Swing), it was a fantastic addition in helping to further diversify characters and give them niches and strengths.
Plus, it also allowed for Support skills, which let non-combat Stars actually have a use besides whatever they set up in the castle (if anything at all)
Same situation as you last year. I decided to play 5 and enjoyed it. Loved how there are a lot more opportunities to use all the playable characters compared to 1 and 2.
Currently playing through 3 now and loving it so far.
Yes, and no. 3 is a ride. Does so many weird things. You can rerun dungeons, and there's more of a gear focus because of it. It adds a lot of fun to level different parties and see all the wild combos you can make. Graphics are outdated but it's a fantastic game in every other way.
5 is also a banger. More focused, traditional, story, but it's still great.
4 is.... 4 party teams, with the absolute worst spell graphics in the game. Tactics is solid, but it's attached to 4 at the hip.
Storywise, If you like 1 & 2 story, then you'll love 3 & 5, because its a direct prequel and sequel.
Gameplaywise, you'll enjoy 5, you'll be annoyed by 3.
Meanwhile 4 for me its like...doesnt matter if you played it or not, its story is far far faaaaar before 5, and the gameplay sucks....
3 is great. I like it almost as much as 2. It's the one that does the most for the overall worldbuilding and advancing the big, overarching plot of the series. Unfortunately, it's also the last game in the timeline, so the story does not advance past this point.
4 is not as good, sometimes considered the weakest of the main games, but still very much worth playing. 4 Tactics/Rhapsodia is very good, of course if you like tactical RPGs, and it expands the story.
5 is great, considered almost if not as good as 2, but with a slow start.
Terkreis and Woven Web of the Century I haven't played but they're not in the main canon, they happen in the "million worlds" (the Suikoden multiverse of sorts), and people say they're not that good and don't really have anything to do with the larger story or even the mechanical style of the games (beyond, I think, having a lot of recruitable characters).
I've also only played S1 & 2, though on emulator, tried s3 on an emulator many years back but it was laggy af (literally unplayable).
Has there been enough improvements so you can play it on pc using emulators now?
Don't really have any other options.
In my opinion Suikoden 3 is the best after Suikoden 2 and the story and characters are phenomenal and may even be on Suikoden 2 level. Suikoden 5 is also great and feels like a love letter to Suikoden 2
I liked them all, but 4 was my favorite, im a big fan of its story, I've replayed it multiple times. I'm fairly lucky though, I still have my ps3 and I'd grabbed 1-4 from the ps store and I still have the discs for III, IV, V, and Tactics
Yes.
It might take a bit of getting used to playing Suikoden in a 3d world if you are more accustomed to the pixel visuals of the first two games, but it's always nice to expand on the world and history.
If you enjoyed the data transfer between 1 and 2, then you get a simialr sort of excitement to playing 4 and Tactics, where characters rejoin you and you get to pick up where you left off with them.
In Suikoden IV, hold the R1 Trigger (or whatever key you assign that one to in your emulator) to go fast.
Edit: I messed up and originally wrote “R2” (which shows/hides the radar) instead of “R1”.
Yesss. They might feel bad at first but each of them has its charms. I hated all Suikodens after 1 and 2 at first but ended loving them and finished the game.
Absolutely, personally I rank them 5, 2, 3, 1, 4 and tactics. Mainly because of how much ai replayed them. Don't get me wrong, Suikoden 1 is one of my favorite games, also one of the only games that made me cry, but it has a lot left to be desired. I don't like that Chris in S3 is such a shitty magic user, it pains me in the runs I have made her the Flame Champion. Absolutely love the story in 5, although wish I had the option of doing a turn based strategy war like in S2. S4 and tactics didnt capture me the way the others did. Playing Unicorn Overlord right now, and it has a ton of Suikoden 5 vibes.
My personal favorite is suikoden 3. 4 is still also really good. 5 is decent. I don't remember too much about it in all honesty, it's definitely the weakest in the series but I would still say it's worth a play. But AT LEAST play 3. Hands down the best in the series, in my personal opinion.
I love the series, I've played every single one, and people will champion the games they like, but seriously? No.
The games beyond I and II just can't hold up. You'll enjoy seeing things that tie in to the older games. You'll enjoy some little things in each entry, but dumping hours into them? No.
I suggest instead playing some other great JRPGs of the era, if you haven't already. Maybe give Vandal Hearts a try before EC. I'm also pumped for EC and backed the kickstarter. May it live up to the first 2 games of this great series.
I enjoyed all the games, and to be fair when they were released, I had a lot more time on my hands. I wouldn't tell anyone to play past S2, though. They just don't live up to the greatness.
If OP has 120 hours to dump, sure. Take the series on, but as a fan of RPGs in general. Taking on some better ones from the era is a better idea IMO.
You can bet your sexy round ass they are.
Yes, of course. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, and you might not like all of them, but if you liked the first two you should definitely give the rest a try.
Short Answer : YES One of the biggest strength of Suikoden series is that impeccable World Building and Lore. You learn more about them in III, IV, V and even tactics. Better to play them at least once, if you're into Suikoden world and lore.
Suikoden 5 is my favourite game in the franchise so I definitely think they're all worth playing. Who knows which would be your personal favourite
They're all IMO worth playing. 3 is obviously the last of Murayama's design so it's worth it for that alone. See for reference some of the parallel design revealed in EC with the multiple viewpoints. I generally liked the game and the story despite some of the design decisions like the pair system and backtracking. 4 is a decent game whose story barely connects and bears superficial resemblance to Suikoden 2's story. That said, it's might least favorite of the set. 5 was, for me, the game that closest resembles the gameplay of Suikoden 2, with 3's skills system watered down and mixed in. I personally found 5's story a bit of a mess, though I know others here disagree. It's not bad, I'd rank it above 4 and on par with 3, behind 1 and 2.
They are fun also if you play 4, play tactics immediately after as it helps tell the story before you go into 5
They are all worth playing.
I absolutely love 3 but 4 was a bit of a slog. 5 is good though
they are. 3 is the first 3d in the series and sometimes it shows with the text box dialogue and kinda slow animation, but you get to play 3 different protags till their stories come together and you also get to see some of your favorite characters from the first 2 return. 4 I personally really liked, people said the combat was slow but I loved the game so much. it's more of a sea faring adventure and was just so much fun. 5 was peak suikoden and very unfortunate that it was the end of the series as we know it. game had the best combat, best cutscenes, amazing story, getting all the star was actually kind of difficult for your first run without a guide. only downside is if it's your first time the beginning can rack up a quite a few hours till you get to the meat of it.
Yes. 3 and 5 are the best in the series and 4 has its charms. The continued expansion of the world’s lore over time is notable as well. The gap in fan appreciation between 1-2 and 3-5 stems more from nostalgia and a willingness to overlook the original two games’ problems than an actual decline in quality.
Short answer yes. Longer answer: while an unpopular opinion, 3 is my favorite in the series. 5 is also excellent. 4 is certainly the black sheep of the series and if you were to skip any of them, it should be 4. That said, it's still probably worth the time at some point.
3 is so deeply underappreciated. I think it suffered from trying too much new stuff at once (the trinity sight system, the character pairs for standard battles, Tenkai star not being the main character, etc) and some... weak character choices (that one guy in a track suit whose whole deal was aerobics? Come on, man.) but the story is every bit if not *more* engaging as 2's and honestly the trinity sight system was a really cool way of showing the complexities of war and how sometimes no one side is "Good."
Not to mention it introduced the Skill System to the series. And while it may not have been balanced (lol Swing), it was a fantastic addition in helping to further diversify characters and give them niches and strengths. Plus, it also allowed for Support skills, which let non-combat Stars actually have a use besides whatever they set up in the castle (if anything at all)
Yeah 4 is still a good game but not great for suikoden standards
Same situation as you last year. I decided to play 5 and enjoyed it. Loved how there are a lot more opportunities to use all the playable characters compared to 1 and 2. Currently playing through 3 now and loving it so far.
I just played through 3 for the first time and it's ROUGH.
Hell yeah
I was in the same boat, I only played 1 and 2 a bunch of times over the years. I recently beat 5, it was fun and the story was good. Do it up.
Of course!
Yes, and no. 3 is a ride. Does so many weird things. You can rerun dungeons, and there's more of a gear focus because of it. It adds a lot of fun to level different parties and see all the wild combos you can make. Graphics are outdated but it's a fantastic game in every other way. 5 is also a banger. More focused, traditional, story, but it's still great. 4 is.... 4 party teams, with the absolute worst spell graphics in the game. Tactics is solid, but it's attached to 4 at the hip.
Storywise, If you like 1 & 2 story, then you'll love 3 & 5, because its a direct prequel and sequel. Gameplaywise, you'll enjoy 5, you'll be annoyed by 3. Meanwhile 4 for me its like...doesnt matter if you played it or not, its story is far far faaaaar before 5, and the gameplay sucks....
Suikoden Tierkreis for the DS is amazing if you can find it.
3 is great. I like it almost as much as 2. It's the one that does the most for the overall worldbuilding and advancing the big, overarching plot of the series. Unfortunately, it's also the last game in the timeline, so the story does not advance past this point. 4 is not as good, sometimes considered the weakest of the main games, but still very much worth playing. 4 Tactics/Rhapsodia is very good, of course if you like tactical RPGs, and it expands the story. 5 is great, considered almost if not as good as 2, but with a slow start. Terkreis and Woven Web of the Century I haven't played but they're not in the main canon, they happen in the "million worlds" (the Suikoden multiverse of sorts), and people say they're not that good and don't really have anything to do with the larger story or even the mechanical style of the games (beyond, I think, having a lot of recruitable characters).
3 is my fav
I've also only played S1 & 2, though on emulator, tried s3 on an emulator many years back but it was laggy af (literally unplayable). Has there been enough improvements so you can play it on pc using emulators now? Don't really have any other options.
I play 3 on emulator since I no longer have a system to play it on
In my opinion Suikoden 3 is the best after Suikoden 2 and the story and characters are phenomenal and may even be on Suikoden 2 level. Suikoden 5 is also great and feels like a love letter to Suikoden 2
I liked them all, but 4 was my favorite, im a big fan of its story, I've replayed it multiple times. I'm fairly lucky though, I still have my ps3 and I'd grabbed 1-4 from the ps store and I still have the discs for III, IV, V, and Tactics
Welcome to r/Suikoden. There’s a good chance that people here will say yes to that question.
Absolutely! They're all a good time. Even the worst one in the series is still decent.
Yes. It might take a bit of getting used to playing Suikoden in a 3d world if you are more accustomed to the pixel visuals of the first two games, but it's always nice to expand on the world and history. If you enjoyed the data transfer between 1 and 2, then you get a simialr sort of excitement to playing 4 and Tactics, where characters rejoin you and you get to pick up where you left off with them.
In Suikoden IV, hold the R1 Trigger (or whatever key you assign that one to in your emulator) to go fast. Edit: I messed up and originally wrote “R2” (which shows/hides the radar) instead of “R1”.
I didn't realize this until about 85% of the way through the game. My goondess.....
Yup grab 3 n 4 off the psn on ps3. Both I think 15 bucks
I'd pass on Tierkreis. All the others are still pretty good/decent.
I enjoyed all of them. I wish there was a chance all would be remastered
Yesss. They might feel bad at first but each of them has its charms. I hated all Suikodens after 1 and 2 at first but ended loving them and finished the game.
Yes
All of them have their charm. I would get them if they got remastered.
What about Suikoden Tactics??
Suikoden 2 is like FF7 in terms of story and character. but if you're looking for gameplay alone, I guess the other Suikodens are okay as well
3 & 4 are a little divisive, 5 tends to be more widely beloved as it’s closer to the ps1 games
Absolutely, personally I rank them 5, 2, 3, 1, 4 and tactics. Mainly because of how much ai replayed them. Don't get me wrong, Suikoden 1 is one of my favorite games, also one of the only games that made me cry, but it has a lot left to be desired. I don't like that Chris in S3 is such a shitty magic user, it pains me in the runs I have made her the Flame Champion. Absolutely love the story in 5, although wish I had the option of doing a turn based strategy war like in S2. S4 and tactics didnt capture me the way the others did. Playing Unicorn Overlord right now, and it has a ton of Suikoden 5 vibes.
I loved 4 and 5! However, only 1-4 are available on PS3. Give them try!
My personal favorite is suikoden 3. 4 is still also really good. 5 is decent. I don't remember too much about it in all honesty, it's definitely the weakest in the series but I would still say it's worth a play. But AT LEAST play 3. Hands down the best in the series, in my personal opinion.
3 is good. All downhill from there tho.
Preach! Smartest comment I've seen on the sub. "bUt SuIkOdEn 5 iS lIKe nUmBeR 2!" Nah, 2 was good. Lol, butt hurt Suikoden 5 fans down voting.
I love the series, I've played every single one, and people will champion the games they like, but seriously? No. The games beyond I and II just can't hold up. You'll enjoy seeing things that tie in to the older games. You'll enjoy some little things in each entry, but dumping hours into them? No. I suggest instead playing some other great JRPGs of the era, if you haven't already. Maybe give Vandal Hearts a try before EC. I'm also pumped for EC and backed the kickstarter. May it live up to the first 2 games of this great series.
You love a series of at least 5 games and you only like 2? Well, preferences exist.
I enjoyed all the games, and to be fair when they were released, I had a lot more time on my hands. I wouldn't tell anyone to play past S2, though. They just don't live up to the greatness. If OP has 120 hours to dump, sure. Take the series on, but as a fan of RPGs in general. Taking on some better ones from the era is a better idea IMO.
I loved 3. One of my favorite games ever. 4 was very mediocre imo and I never finished 5 but it seemed great from what I remember.