Suikoden V

Has Tobias had his 'soul eaten'...?

Suikoden V is an excellent return to form for the series, providing long time fans with a nostalgic experience through a rollercoaster narrative and the return of innovative gameplay mechanics from the original Suikoden titles I and II. What at first seems to be a game riddled with cliches in terms of both plot and structure, Suikoden V soon flourishes into what could be described as the best title in the series.

Even in my own personal opinion, Suikoden V gives Suikoden II, which captured my "soul", a run for its money. Over the past four instalments, the series has given birth to a living and breathing world, one of legendary heroes, memorable locations and rich history and Suikoden V prospers because of it. To appreciate the accomplishment and beauty of Suikoden V you will need to be very patient, however. Konami have developed a plot so thick, one with unexpected twists that will completely throw you off-guard, one with characters so complex you will need to pay attention to their every word and one to rival all the previous games in the series gone before that it takes near ten hours to lay down the narrative foundation alone.

Action between each lengthy cut-scene is very sparse, even though the game gives you the opportunity to buy items, weapons, armour, attach runes and sharpen your party's weapons very early on. Although long time players who are familiar with the series know this is what to expect, it might discourage newcomers.

However, patience is a virtue.

Suikoden V is set within the Queendom of Falena, a large continent that lies south of the Island Nations first witnessed in Suikoden IV. The events in Suikoden V also take place six years prior to the Dunan Unification War fought in Suikoden I. The Queendom enters a period of political strife as two factions of nobles wrestle for favour in the realm. The two leading noble families are the Godwins and the Barows, the former believing that the best future for Falena is to use the power of the Sun Rune to expand its territory, while the latter believes that diplomacy is the way to go, although in reality they have selfish ulterior motives of their own.

Players are given the role of the prince of the realm, who becomes caught between the two houses along with the rest of his family. The Queendom only allows females to ascend the throne and it so happens that the younger sister of the hero, the princess Lymsleia, is ready to be married. In keeping with tradition, a tournament called the Sacred Games is arranged, and many suitors enter into gladiatorial combat to compete for the right to marry her. The current queen, Arshtat, has been a balanced and steady force in the Queendom, alongside her husband Ferid, who is commander of the Queen's Knights. This has marked a change from the political intrigues of previous rulers, and many worry that should a Godwin or Barows marry into the royal family, things will revert to the older days.

The prince, of course, becomes caught right in the middle between the two and is dragged along through all of the problems that follow. As per usual, during his adventures, the player will acquire 108 warriors of destiny, of which 68 are playable characters, and build and improve an army headquarters. But it is not only the warring noble families that cause problems for the prince and the rest of the Queendom. Queen Arshtat has on herself emblazoned the Sun Rune, which with the Dawn and Twilight runes, makes up the trinity power in Falena. However, it is revealed early on that the Dawn Rune has been missing for two years and as such things have become less and less stable in the Queendom. Although it is not revealed early on as to why the queen decided to bear the Sun Rune on her body, it quickly becomes clear that having such a powerful artefact on her person is slowly driving her insane.

However, do not be fooled into thinking that you have heard this all before. By the end of the game you will quite possibly be speechless and enthralled, to the extent that you may well want to play it all over again. Long time fans will simply adore Suikoden V. It has so many similar traits to the two founding titles of the series. Whether Konami consciously designed it in this way or not is unknown. However, the similarities are easy to point out.

When the series progressed onto the PlayStation 2 and changed from 2D to 3D graphics the feel of the game changed. In Suikoden V the camera angle is constantly fixed in an isometric view. Players can zoom in three different ranges but the camera angle stays the same. Why was this done? Suikoden III and IV were very successful games and their fully rotational views allowed players to see and explore every nook and cranny of the world around them. This is perhaps why Konami decided to used a fixed view in Suikoden V. The charm of both Suikoden I and II was that because of their fixed birds-eye-view certain areas of towns and dungeons were out of view and allowed for many secret areas. Curiosity created a sense of mystery and players would disappear behind walls and trees in the hope of bumping into a hidden treasure chest or new character.

This has exactly the same effect in Suikoden V and I spent hours simply searching through whole cities and mountain passes to see what I would find. In a sense it actually makes you explore each area more thoroughly.