Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Review – Timeless JRPG with a Modern Polish

We’re back again with another review, this time with Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. We’ll explore how the remaster balances nostalgia with modern sensibilities, examining everything from its visual overhaul to gameplay enhancements that make these classics accessible to both veterans and newcomers alike.

Epic Tales of Revolution and Friendship

The storytelling in Suikoden I and II stands remarkably resilient against the test of time. Released in 1997 and 2000 respectively, both games present narratives with exceptional pacing that feels refreshingly brisk for the JRPG genre.

In Suikoden I, you play as the son of Teo McDohl, a renowned general in the Scarlet Moon Empire. Initially living a privileged life and following your father’s path, you gradually uncover the Empire’s dark underbelly of corruption, oppression, and betrayal. Suikoden II shifts perspective to a young soldier in the Highland Army serving alongside your best friend, Jowy. When your unit is betrayed by your own nation during a peace treaty to ignite war, you barely escape with your life.

The character dialogue, while occasionally tropey, remains enjoyable with humorous moments that don’t undermine the narrative’s gravity. Playing the games in chronological order feels rewarding thanks to recurring characters that connect both stories. As the protagonist, you’re given dialogue choices at key moments that, while not altering the overall plot trajectory, can reveal interesting and varied responses that add depth to the experience..

The 108 Stars of Destiny

The 108 Stars of Destiny system remains one of Suikoden’s most defining and beloved features. These characters, whose destinies are intertwined with yours, form the backbone of both games’ recruitment system and are essential for achieving the true endings.

While some characters naturally join your army through story progression, others require fulfilling specific conditions, completing their personal quests, or resolving their storylines. As you recruit more characters, your headquarters visibly grows and becomes more vibrant with recruited allies engaging in various activities around the castle. Some even add practical features like shops, elevators, and blacksmithing facilities.

What makes this system particularly impressive is that despite the large cast, each character feels unique with their own backgrounds and motivations. Most importantly, nearly all of them are playable and can join your battle party, ensuring that character collection never feels like busywork but rather an integral part of building your forces.

Visual Rejuvenation and Remaster Quality

The HD remaster brings significant visual improvements while maintaining the core identity of the originals. Suikoden I receives the most dramatic transformation with enhanced environmental textures, a new 3D overworld map, beautifully redrawn character portraits, and HD versions of most CG scenes. Improved reflections on surfaces along with better lighting and shadow systems make the game significantly more immersive, establishing this remaster as unquestionably the best way to experience Suikoden I today.

Suikoden II arguably receives an even more impressive graphical upgrade. The lighting and shadow system is notably superior to Suikoden I’s implementation, making dramatic scenes more intense and emotional moments more poignant. This additional level of immersion through purely graphical improvements is remarkable. However, unlike Suikoden I, the character portraits in Suikoden II didn’t receive the same redraw treatment—they’re merely machine upscaled, which results in noticeable artifacts. This inconsistency is particularly disappointing given the quality of Suikoden I’s redrawn portraits.

Another minor criticism concerns the dialog/text boxes in both games, which look somewhat generic compared to their original designs. While the remaster generally succeeds in enhancing the visuals, these small details leave something to be desired.

Quality of Life Improvements

The remaster introduces numerous quality-of-life improvements that significantly enhance the gameplay experience. One of the most welcome additions is diagonal movement, which resolves a major frustration from the originals where navigating diagonal paths was cumbersome. This improvement applies to both regular exploration and the overworld map, making traversal notably faster and less tedious.

The in-game manual, accessible through the settings menu, provides convenient access to game information without requiring external references. While the games still lack a traditional quest log, the new chat log system allows players to review past dialogues and pin important conversations.

Combat receives moderate enhancements without fundamentally changing the original systems. The full auto-battle mode with double speed (and unlockable triple speed) makes random encounters less intrusive. Visual effects for Rune magic have been beautifully updated while retaining their classic RPG charm, with iconic spells like Soul Eater and Bright Shield Rune looking particularly impressive in HD.

The only significant technical drawback is the lack of mouse support. While keyboard controls are available, they feel clunky and cannot be rebound, necessitating reference to the in-game manual to learn button mappings. Many players will likely prefer using a controller for a more intuitive experience.

Verdict

After years of anticipation, the Suikoden I & II HD Remaster delivers a solid way to experience these JRPG classics. The collection successfully preserves what made the originals special while introducing substantial visual and quality-of-life improvements.

For longtime Suikoden fans, this remaster is an easy recommendation. For newcomers, it represents the most accessible and visually appealing way to experience two of the greatest JRPGs ever created. While not a flawless remaster, it undoubtedly offers the definitive way to play these timeless classics and recapture the magic that made them legendary.