15) Suikoden II (1999)

After the commercial success of the original Suikoden, production began on a sequel which would be released three years later. While Suikoden II was a commercial success in Japan, it was met with a lackluster initial response in the west with a tepid critical reception. The most common criticism was directed toward its use of simpler 16-bit visuals at a time when the industry was shifting focus to 3D games. Because of this, it saw a limited production run in the west, and did not get a reprinting. Despite this, Suikoden II became a cult classic, and in the years since release, has garnered praise for its storytelling and mechanics, often being brought up in discussions of the greatest video games of all time. It, along with its predecessor, were re-released earlier this year, bringing this hidden gem to modern audiences.

The story takes place three years after the events of the original Suikoden and, as such, there are a number of returning characters you encounter along the way. The focus of our story is on the player controlled silent protagonist, whom I named Spuncan, his adopted sister Nanami, and their best friend Jowy. We begin with Spuncan and Jowy as members of the youth brigade of the Highland army, which has an uneasy peace with the neighboring City-States of Jowston. The maniacal Prince Luca Blight, who's name is pretty on the nose, orchestrates a false flag attack, murdering most of the youth brigade and blaming the City-States of Jowston in order to justify an invasion. Spuncan and Jowy narrowly escape, jumping from a cliff to the river below.

Spuncan is rescued by a group of mercenaries from Jowston which is led by Flik and Viktor, returning from the first game with slightly updated designs. After a series of events, Spuncan and Jowy, along with Nanami, are reunited and accused of espionage and sentenced to death. They're rescued by Flik and Viktor, and return to see the devastation caused by Luca Blight and his army. Spuncan and Jowy are then drawn into a mysterious shrine where the two of them each receive half of the Rune of the Beginning, one of the True Runes we learned of in the first game. Spuncan receives the Bright Shield Rune, while Jowy receives the Black Sword Rune. Shortly after, Jowy is captured by the Highland army.

What follows is a surprisingly compelling story which sees two childhood friends on opposite sides of war. Both Spuncan and Jowy are determined to bring an end to war, and the Runes they share, as well as their past experiences, bind them together. Spuncan becomes the leader of armies of the Jowston City-States, while Jowy goes on to work for the Highland army. Our protagonist fights to end war through peace, while Jowy seeks a long term solution wherein he takes on the burden of doing what he feels must be done. The story is refreshingly mature, showcasing the horrors of war in a way that many games avoid. At times, you find yourself sympathizing with Jowy's motivations, even if you don't agree with his methods.

As in the first game, the player comes into possession of an upgradable keep and has the option to recruit over 100 characters to their cause. As before, not all of these characters can be taken into battle, but instead provide various services at your home base. These services have been expanded from the original, with some characters providing some much welcome quality of life improvements, including an old lady who loves gossip that can remind you where you need to go, along with a trench coat wearing detective who, for a fee, can give you hints on the location and requirements for other recruitable characters. We also get a few characters who open up small minigames, including a version of whack-a-mole and a surprisingly in-depth cooking competition.

The recruitable characters are a bit more fleshed out this go around. In the original, most characters would require you to speak with them and then join your cause. Here, a lot of the characters require you to complete a small side-quest, which automatically gives them a bit more lore. In addition, the characters in your party will actually comment on some of the larger, more important moments, which varies depending on who you have with you. This was a much welcome change, as it was a complaint I had for the first game. We also get a few more characters that are, shall we say, more "out there". We have cape wearing squirrels, a unicorn that takes up two character slots in the party, and a robot to name a few.

Gameplay remains largely the same with minor changes here and there. There are a larger number of Unite attacks, which, while they may vary in effectiveness, seem a lot more fun this time around. We also see the addition of a new support role in the party, which is a special slot for story required characters that don't participate in battle. This is much appreciated, as it allows you more freedom in who you have in your party during the more story focused sections. We also see a revamp of how larger scaled army battles take place, changing from the simple rock, paper, scissors style minigame to a more tactical Fire Emblem/ Shining Force format. I would also be remiss to not mention a specific section of the game that, I feel, truly takes advantage of the expansive roster. There's a moment where you're tasked with forming three distinct parties for a series of battles that are back to back. That's a total of 18 characters all working together. Sadly, it's only done once, but it's still an incredible moment.

In addition to all of this, we have a few recruitable characters who aren't part of the 108 stars of destiny, giving you even more options. Among them is a certain silent protagonist from the previous game who, if you have a save file for it, keeps the same name in order to preserve continuity. Man, there really was something special going on with 90's Konami using memory cards in fun ways that we still don't see enough of to this day.

Where I called the original Suikoden a slightly above average RPG bolstered by unique mechanics, I can safely say that Suikoden II is a truly great game. It takes everything that its predecessor did right and expands on it in ways that are enriching, satisfying, and make the experience much more personal. While the story is about war, it's ultimately a story focusing on friendship, the ties that bind, and explores the deeper reasons of why the characters fight. It also does an amazing job of showcasing the burdens and stress placed upon our protagonist, and explores the way in which history remembers those who stay true to their morals. While the conflict is shown to be large in scale, involving nations and armies, it's also a deeply personal tale of two friends using different means in an effort to achieve the same end. While not perfect, Suikoden II is a game that sticks with you well after the credits roll.