What do you think Suikoden IV did RIGHT?

[John Layfield]

Schotenhiem Reinbach III never met Viktor, they'd be around 100 years away from each other in terms of life-span at the earliest. Thus, logically neither did Charlemagne or Micky.
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One day, I shall come back. Yes, we shall all come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

[Justice Johnny]

There are probably only a few things they did right.

1. Ted - I liked how they revealed something about him with the Fog Ship Guide, and I loved how he kicks ass in battle.
2. Jeane - Now I can see her kick ass. This is pretty minor, but I thought it's pretty neat to be able to use her.
3. Rune slots based on magic - Yeah, I like how you're able to stick 3 runes in just about anyone as long as their magic power is above 120, and it's manageable because you can get Stones of Magic from monsters in the game.
4. Bringing back rune combos - I'm so glad this is back in the game.
5. Weapon change - It finally showed that blacksmiths do more than just sharpen.
6. Ritapon - I think we can all agree on this.
7. Inventory - I find it helpful that there is unlimited space.
8. Character pics - I like how you can see their full body shot in the menu (mmm... Jeane...)
9. Training hall - Level 99. Yay!
10. Tailor/Mermaids/Blacksmith - I love how you can make armor in this game like in Legaia 2: Duel Saga.
11. Ogre Set - +48 atk and Fury status. Nuff said.
12. Unlimited Double-strike Runes, Warrior Runes, Power Rings and Speed Rings - Obvious reasons.


There are more than I thought. Listing down the positive actually made me appreciate it more. I actually want to play it right now, but I lent my disc to my friend.
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"Oranges can't fit into circles because rectangles are made of cheese."

[Cedric]

For the record, I consider Suikoden 4 to be a good game.


True Rune Memories:


Ever since publications revealed that True Runes hold the memories of past bearers, I have always wanted to see this in action. Thanks to the Rune of Punishment, we were able to see what it was like to recall those very memories. This made me appreciate the hardships of Ted, Sierra, Tir, Luc, The Flame Champion, Geddoe, and every single one of the True Rune bearers. This was extremely important for me. Kudos to Konami for doing that.


World Map:


It should be a crime to not have an explorable World Map. Thankfully Suikoden 4 had a world map; otherwise it would have been criticized more heavily than it has been.


Characters:


I found these characters much more appealing and believable then Suikoden 3's cast. I think Kenji just totally ruined my experience. I do sense that the characters are heading back to the roots of the characters from the first two games. The island theme also added a lively sense of character.
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[Wataru]

The Slash Rune is the single greatest idea EVER!!!!! Since the encounter rate in this game is absolutely insane, this rune made me forgo using Viki and actually sail places. And it's fun at lvl 99 slashing Leviathans!

Treasure Hunting is an OCD's dream. Especially since the locations will vary from game to game! It just took me forver to find where Rene hides in yuor castle (empty room my eye!)

Otherwise, I have to agree with everyone else's ideas, especially Setsu's "distraction" technique in Obel. I laughed my butt off.

I did, however like most of the voice acting. Kika's voice was hot, Cray's was awesome (but wasn't he the voice of Wynn in HBO's Spawn animated series a few years back?), Lino's was cool, Ted and Dario's kinda bothered me, but all in all the voices were wonderful. Especially Elenor! Her raspy, jaded voice made her sound like a lady blues singer. Having a female strategist rocked enough, but having her be a dirty old lady was even better. A+ casting there.

But the best thing about the game, in three words ... Chie - frickin - poo!!! He has to be my favorite character of all time. When all around him is pain and misery, when evil is afoot and death seems imminent, he is always optimistic, always caring and always loveable. He truly cares about the hero and seems genuinely concerned about his welfare. Not because "Hey, he's our leader and he's important to the cause," but out of a true feeling of friendship. Notice that when using the RoP is discussed, Chiepoo comes to the hero'ss aid more than the four knights of Gaien do? He makes me feel all warm inside whenever he speaks. I just wanted to reach into the screen and give him a great big hug.

[Justice Johnny]

Yeah, Chiepoo too. What an awesome character. It doesn't hurt that he's one of the best characters in battle too.

Here's another thing:

New Game+ - Some people may not like the idea of it, but I thought it was a good idea, and it doesn't take away from the challenge unlike the Chrono series because it only retained the items, not the levels, so you might still find some factors challenging (I'm lookin' at you, Angel Hairball) even if you have items that make you ridiculously stronger.

The only thing I didn't really like about Suikoden IV was the lack of character development. The difference was drastic compared to Suikoden III, where practically every character was distinct. A few other things were the four-man party and the ridiculously random encounter rate.
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"Oranges can't fit into circles because rectangles are made of cheese."

[Krawnik]

I don't personally consider Suikoden IV bad, perse, it's just sad to see that so much of it is short of it's potential. Observe!

Music- The music was a step up from S3 in some ways, but definetly a step down from S2. In S3, the music was mostly ignorable, but there were a few tunes that I positively adored (opening theme, the wind and the earth, hurry to Karaya, mysterious people, pounding hooves, bright farming village) but the rest of them were pretty uninteresting. In S2, every song was absolutely flawless. In S4, a lot of the songs were good (Mostly better than S3), but not great (S2 calibre). La Mer is, in my opinion, the best opening theme we've seen from a Suikoden to date (tied maybe with the Suikogaiden themes, but they don't count :P). Music like Razril's theme, the naval battle music, important boss battles and duels were all top-notch, but a lot of the BGMs were pretty slapdash.

Stars- A lot of people were impressed with the more difficult to recruit stars, but they don't mention that most stars will simply join you if you ask. Guys like Champo and Nalkul (who forced me to delete my save file because I missed them and passed the point of no return, the little bastards), Ted, Travis, Warlock, Snowe, and to some extent, the Mermaids give people the impression that the stars are tough to recruit. But so many will simply pick up their entire lives and join you if you ask nicely/with the right person in your party/the right item in your bag/enough people on your ship. I know it's almost always been like this, but can we please see some more character with a bit more of an introduction, or who require you to go a little further out of your way? Coming to mind are S2's Futch and Humphrey, Oulan, Adlai (we at least get to see his personality, kind of), Georg Prime (if you run away at Tinto), Long Chan Chan, Hoi, Mondo and Sasuke, Gordon, Kinnison and Shiro, Ayda and Feather, Sid, Tony, and Meg and Gadget. All of these characters have a side-quest or introduction that sets up their personality and purpose, and explains to you why this character is willing to drop their lives and join an army that has nothing to with them, even though it could get them killed. In S4, it's usually just a matter of seeing a unique looking person, asking them to join you, and getting a "yes" in various levels of enthusiasm as a responce.

Headquarters- Okay, I'll admit it, I think the boat is an awesome idea. Being able to go anywhere in your HQ is great, and having access to your bed and a savepoint whenever you need it made travelling around a lot less dangerous. My only complaint comes from the monotony of the appearance. In S3, your castle was a mishmash of cultures, styles, and aesthetics. There was a kind of beach, a ranch, some nice buildings, a mansion, a boat, and an ocean, all stone-throws from eachother. Plus, the sun was usually shhining right down on you, and the whole thing looked gorgeous. I really, legitimately wanted to be at Budehuc castle. On the Ship of Obel, though, everything was brown and woody, and most of the people were dressed similarly (because most of them came from the same region, while S3's castle dwellers were from three distinct regions). Also, most of the HQ were claustrophobic hallways and low ceilings, as opposed to Budehuc's outdoor plaza and restaurant. I always felt kind of trapped in the Ship of Obel, despite how useful it was. And despite how much I want to have a Pirate Ship of my own :P. What S4 did do right about the HQ was the ability to customize it, even if it was only slightly. Hat's off, Konami.

Location- Suikoden IV did the location absolutely perfectly. Long live the Island Nations!
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416- friggin' racists, messing up my generalizations, also stealing my jobs, women.
RIP Ninjalicious