I’m a little less than halfway through Suikoden III at this point, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun with a game. Actually, I can – it was when I played Suikoden II.
The game is an RPG in which you play three (or more) characters moving Rashomon-style through the same story. Along the way, you have to find the “108 Stars of Destiny,” characters you meet in the game world who have some role to play in the adventure. Each of the characters has his own little back story, and can be put into your travelling party, either as a fighter or in a support role. Many of them have special attacks and combo attacks, and some of these are hilarious.
I liked Final Fantasy X a lot, but I have to say it’s nice to see a game that doesn’t take itself so damn seriously. Suikoden III has a fairly epic story, but they keep it fun throughout, with minigames and wacky characters and subplots and murder mysteries and pirate ships – it’s a platformer game mentality applied to an RPG. (Unfortunately, I’ve heard that the Iron Chef minigame from Suikoden II doesn’t make a comeback).
So in short, I’m loving this game, and anybody who likes RPG’s should check it out. (And I think that I still like Suikoden II a little bit better, so if you manage to find a copy of that, by all menas get it!) So far it looks like it’s going to be overwhelmed by all the hype around Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which would be a shame.
