Suikoden IV review (PS2)

Battles have also undergone a major change. While each of the previous Suikoden titles let you have up to six characters in your party, in Suikoden IV, you can have a maximum of four. While this makes battle somewhat simpler to organize, part of the fun of having such large character parties was the versatility the party brought to the table. In previous titles, you could have several different groups of characters join in for a combination attack at one time. The combination attacks are still here, though there's necessarily less variety in their use. The basic mechanics remain unchanged, so characters can perform melee attacks or use any equipped runes to cast magic spells, in addition to joining with any compatible characters for attack combos. Battles are turn-based but still progress quickly, which is a blessing, considering their frequency. Underleveled characters still get up to speed quite rapidly, so it's pretty much always feasible for you to switch your main group out to get some new recruits into the mix.

It will take a good 30-plus hours to complete Suikoden IV, and it will take a few more if you're one of those fanatics who absolutely must round up every last Star of Destiny until your contingent has reached its fated size. Since the chart of the ocean realms is obscured (you reveal the detailed map underneath as you move your boat across it), tracking down all the islands and all your friends can be a bit tricky. Given how long it takes to sail from one end of the map to the other, revealing all the chart is an epic undertaking in and of itself.

Visually, Suikoden IV is a bit uneven. While the character-art portraits of the main cast are well detailed, the character models feature a pretty basic level of detail, with only a handful of different facial expressions and animations that aren't always very fluid. Environments like jungles, beaches, ruins, villages, and other structures do the job, but the color palettes used aren't very vibrant, so while they may have, say, good foliage detail or unique architecture, it can get lost in all the dull colors.

The game's music is the same way. It's understated, inoffensive, and so likely to just blend in as background noise without really making an impression. The game features a good amount of voice dialogue, and the results are actually good, on the whole. Aside from a couple of painfully squeaky voice actors, most of the cast delivers a solid performance.

Suikoden IV retains both interesting storytelling and a compelling cast, but it mixes in a number of flawed and frustrating elements. There's enough of the traditional Suikoden formula here to give this title a draw, despite some broken seafaring and a tedious encounter rate, but the game can only be recommended with caution. Those who are well used to abusive levels of random battles will find the game less ornery than most, but even those hardy souls may need an extra touch of patience for Suikoden IV.