This time “Suikoden I&II HD Remaster” finally providesOfficial Chinese version, this is an excellent opportunity for players who have been unable to experience the text in depth due to language barriers in the past. of this workThe lines are very charming and the characters are deeply created., now I can finally savor it in Chinese without having to rely on the Japanese or English versions to understand the plot.
In addition, since the seriesSecond-hand prices remain high, the original physical version has long become a hot commodity in the collection market, and this remastered version is undoubtedlyThe best time to buy “Water Margin”. If you’ve ever had an interest in this classic RPG, now is the perfect time to experience it.
Start the article below:
I’ve never had the chance to play this work. After all, I was born in 1998, and this game is older than me. For players like me, it is always difficult to find the right time to complete these classics.
Therefore, when the editorial department (Famitsu) asked me: “Would you like to take over the work on “Suikoden I&II HD Remaster (Heraldry War/Dunan Unification War)”?” I agreed without hesitation. This was a godsend opportunity for me.
As a result, before I knew it, I put in 83 hours in just four days. Of course, some of this time is just to let the game hang up and rest, so strictly speaking, it is not really played for that long, but if you look at the time recorded in the game alone, “Water Margin I” and “Water Margin II” add up to about 50 hours, which means that I play more than 12 hours a day on average.
However, the charm of this work is worth the investment.
Needless to say, the game experience of “traveling around the world and gathering 108 partners”, what really amazed me was every word spoken by the characters.
Not only the dialogues of the main characters, but also the casual remarks of the NPCs can show their concepts, prejudices and personalities of the land they live in. It made me really feel that these characters are living in this world.
Luca Bright from “Water Margin II”, “The moment when the strong plunders the weak!!!!!” makes people unable to extricate themselves. Those straightforward words permeate with complete malice. Luca’s words have no modifications, no hypocritical excuses, no high-sounding theories, only the most primitive predatory instinct and violent philosophy. His cruelty is not driven by impulse, but by the belief that he follows through to the end. This straightforward expression makes his evil more impactful and makes him one of the most unforgettable villains in the history of games.
In “Suikoden II”, there are not only bloody battles and plot entanglements, but also filled with various unexpected mini-games. The most impressive thing among them was the cooking showdown that seemed like another dimension. This battle does not rely on force, but on whose cuisine can conquer the taste buds better. Paired with the hilarious judges’ comments, people can enjoy a little relaxation besides the serious plot.
If you wrote “This is an RPG!!” during the game, would it be too in line with the official slogan? But to be honest, the charm of this game really makes me feel attracted to it.“This is the true meaning of role-playing games!”The feeling of being hit hard in the face.
Even now while writing this article, I still unconsciously mutter to myself: “This is such a good game…”
This article is a heartfelt reflection from a player whose brain was burned out by “Suikoden” during the Reiwa era.
Careful exploration brings more partners, and finally a “miraculous” RPG
Whether it is “Water Margin” I or II, the overall framework is the same: the protagonist runs around, gathers 108 partners, fights against powerful enemies, and changes the fate of the world.
That’s right, 108 people – that’s not a number you can just throw together.
Although dozens of them will automatically join as the plot progresses, at least half of the characters require players to explore the world in person, actively recruit, and even complete various conditions or side tasks before agreeing to join. In fact, those characters who are willing to join you if they want to talk to you are already friendly enough. More partners are not so easy to invite.
However, it is this process that makes the charm of “Water Margin” reach its peak.
Explore, find, complete conditions, gradually grow your own power, and finally look back at these 108 partners from all over the world with their own stories standing beside you. That sense of accomplishment is the most unique fun of this RPG.
Whether it is “Suikoden I” or “Suikoden II”, the combat system of this game adopts traditional command-based turn-based combat. The partners recruited by the player (except for some characters and specific situations) can form a team of up to 6 people and arrange the team freely. This greatly improves the strategy – the characteristics of different characters, attack range, formation configuration, and even the relationship between characters“Unite Attack”, can affect the battle situation.
The strategic layout of avant-garde and rear-guard, each character has unique weapons and ranges. The combat system of this game is not only a simple turn-based command battle, but also adds the formation concept of avant-garde and rear-guard, which further enhances the depth of tactics.
Find “NPCs worth paying attention to” and have fun exploring and reasoning
In “Water Margin”, just finding those NPCs that look “especially conspicuous” is already a great pleasure.
Whenever I have a conversation with someone in town, my mind starts to reason: “Could this guy be a potential partner?”
Then, piece together the clues through the dialogue content, and think: “If you go to that place, will you encounter conditions that can convince him to join the team?” “Do you need to bring a specific character to get him to agree to join?” This kind of exploration and puzzle-solving experience intertwined makes people want to stop.
Of course, this kind of fun requires you to love exploring. If you are not interested in wandering around and talking to NPCs, then this system may feel cumbersome. But on the other hand, for players who love exploration, this may be one of the most charming RPG systems.
In this world, every conversation and every corner of the town may hide the next key partner, making every exploration full of surprises and a sense of accomplishment.
In the world of “Suikoden”, one of the simplest but effective rules for finding new partners is – “Huh? This NPC actually has an exclusive portrait and name!” When I see this kind of character, an alarm immediately sounds in my mind: “This guy is definitely not an ordinary NPC, he might be able to join the team!” So he will mark it silently and start looking for conditions for him to join the team.
In the recruitment process of “Water Margin”, in addition to the common dialogues to persuade and complete tasks, there are also some special conditions that make people laugh or cry. Among them, one of the most ridiculous cases is – there is a character who actually requires players to taste all the stews in the entire city before they are willing to join the team!
What further accelerates this fun is the existence of the “home base”.
In the prologue of the game, the protagonist and his party obtained a castle as a base. As more and more partners are recruited, they will gradually gather in this city. If the recruited partners are prop shop owners, weapon shops, dormitory houses, etc., they will open shops directly in the stronghold, and the stronghold itself will gradually expand as the number of companions increases.
In other words, the more thoroughly you explore, the more partners you will have in the stronghold and the richer the facilities will be! The results of exploration can be reflected intuitively, which makes people more motivated to find new partners.
I really like the appearance of the stronghold in Suikoden I.
The internal structure of the base in “Water Margin I” is quite neat. Although the configuration of some areas is a bit strange, it is still very complete overall. In addition, if you successfully recruit an inventor as a partner, an elevator can even be installed in the stronghold to make movement more convenient. This detailed change not only makes the stronghold more practical, but also makes people more motivated to find and recruit different types of characters and experience the fun of the gradual development of the stronghold.
There is even a bathroom in the base, which can bring some interesting interactions, make the base more vivid, and enrich the relationship between partners. It is a small highlight in the base system of “Water Margin”.
“Water Margin II” is set in a world three years after the previous work, which means that the growth and changes of the characters in the previous work will be presented in this work.
When it is discovered that a certain character who appeared in “Water Margin I” has undergone drastic changes in the past three years, this kind of“The series grows across works”’s performance is simply a time-limited bomb that hits accurately for fans. Because of this, the sense of expectation of “maybe meeting characters from the past again” will further promote players’ desire to explore, making people eager to delve into every corner of this world.
I didn’t originally plan to gather 108 people, but I fell completely because of a certain scene.
To be honest, the author did not initially plan to collect 108 companions in “Water Margin II”. After all, the deadline was approaching and there was simply not enough time.
But this plan isThe moment “Gregminster” comes on the sceneCompletely broken.
This one is inCities that played a key role in Suikoden I, unexpectedly reappeared in the middle stage of this game – and when the familiar BGM sounded in a slightly adapted form, the memory instantly came to mind, and all the memories in “I” came back.
When I came back to my senses, the author had already started running around the entire continent, talking to everyone he met, and vowed to find all the characters that could be included.
The moment I stepped into this mansion, I felt so nostalgic that I almost cried to the ground – this is the former residence of the protagonist in “Suikoden I”.
The stew was simmering. Just this picture is enough to make people cry.
In fact, from the very early days of the game, many familiar faces from “Water Margin I” can already be seen. However, when the game doesn’t just show the characters, but puts the entire town in front of the player – that kind of impact is a completely different level of shock.
Most RPGs have a “reward for careful exploration”
These rewards may be props, money, or titles and medals of little significance, etc. There are various types.
This type of design aims to encourage players to have an exploratory mentality of “it might be interesting to go there” or “try talking to various people”. In “Water Margin”, such a reward is clearly defined as “making someone a partner.”
This is undoubtedly the core element that supports the fun of this game.
In Suikoden II, recruiting Cobot leads to a very cute dance performance. Simply the highest enjoyment.
Collecting 108 people not only has clear benefits, but is also an important key to advancing the plot.
In “Water Margin”, the story can still advance even if 108 people are not gathered together, but when all the partners are assembled, the plot will develop in a more touching direction and finally reach a miraculous ending.
Exploration not only brings new partners and the expansion of strongholds, but also becomes an important factor in changing your destiny. This layer-by-layer design makes the experience of “Water Margin” extremely outstanding. Once you experience it once, you will be immersed in it. In fact, the author was already crying completely during “Water Margin I”, and by “Water Margin II”, I was so moved that my whole face was soaked with tears and snot.
“If this can bring them a happy ending” – this kind of thinking is already the best reward for those players who are easy to resonate strongly with the characters. Therefore, the author still worked tirelessly to collect 108 companions in “Water Margin II”, and… of course, I did not regret it at all.
The overall plot of “Suikoden II” is heavy and heart-wrenching, and because of this, I want to gather all my friends even more.
Straightforward but shocking, extremely subtle lines
I just mentioned “players who have strong emotional resonance with the characters”. Some people may wonder, will this game really make people invest to this extent?
But in fact, you can’t help but fall into it.
Because the power of the lines is so strong – every sentence hits the heart directly, is straightforward without losing depth, is simple but can penetrate deeply into the player’s heart. These exquisite dialogues make the characters more alive, making it impossible not to feel joyful and sorrowful with them.
As mentioned at the beginning, the lines in “Water Margin” are really great.
Since there are so many characters, many of them don’t actually have many lines, but even so, the weight of every sentence is extremely heavy, making the player’s emotions unknowingly pulled into it, trapped deep in it, and unable to extricate themselves.
The character’s way of survival, emotions, and action concepts – these contents are all condensed into just a few lines of text, but they can directly penetrate the player’s heart and be deeply imprinted in the memory.
The author is now writing this long article, trying to convey his feelings. However, compared with these carefully crafted lines, my words cannot compare at all. When I read these lines, there was only one sentence left in my mind:
“…This is too awesome.”
“If I can make him drink a bowl of hot soup, at least that’s what I can do.” – This is a really great way to express it.
Not only is the content of the lines powerful, but the rhythm of the dialogue is also extremely smooth, making it read without any sense of contradiction, and even feels very smooth and pleasant to the ear. This clever manipulation of the sense of language makes each line have a natural rhythm, which not only fits the personality of the character, but also makes the dialogue more infectious.
Hauser’s lines may not have gorgeous rhetoric, nor are they philosophical quotes, but they can fully demonstrate his rigorous, calm, and military-like attitude through simple sentences.
The most impressive thing is the lines of “Qiba” in “Water Margin II”
Kiba’s lines in Suikoden II are particularly haunting.
He is a character in an extremely complicated situation – as a general, he chose to betray the enemy with his son for some reasons and turned to the protagonist’s camp. Such a choice puts him in an extremely delicate position, where he must bear the consequences of betrayal and bear heavy responsibilities.
His lines contain a deep understanding of his situation, awareness of the war, and most importantly – his hope to create a path for his son to survive. These emotions are not spoken directly, but they can be revealed in the words. When reading, one can’t help but feel a tightness in the chest and be moved by the general’s choice and persistence.
In fact, he can be beheaded at any time, depending on the player’s choices. From a certain perspective, Kiba is not supposed to be easily trusted. In the plot, his position is extremely dangerous, and as long as he makes a different choice, he may be immediately executed as a traitor. This not only deepens the tragedy of the character, but also makes his decision seem more weighty.
There are also many characters with impressive lines in “Suikoden II”
Nanami expresses the appearance of a naughty girl with a lively tone, and her words reveal an innocence that is appropriate for her age. Luca Bright is known as the “Mad Prince” and he rules tyrannically. His words are full of cruelty and madness. As the female mayor in charge of the metropolis, Annabelle has a firm will and calm words.
In addition, Victor and Flick, who have appeared since “Suikoden I”, have always left many wonderful lines. Their words are laced with humor as well as strong emotion.
If one were to list such roles, there would be countless.
“もぉぉ” is so cute. In the plot-heavy “Suikoden II”, I don’t know how many times I was saved by Nanami’s cheerfulness.
In “Water Margin”, not only the main characters, but also the inconspicuous NPCs have distinctive dialogues.
Although these NPCs are mainly responsible for supplementing the world view and will not directly affect the main plot, through their dialogues, one can clearly feel the culture of this world, the values of different regions, and how the locals understand the situation at hand.
The way “Water Margin” expresses this aspect is very clever, and it can even be said that there are no omissions.
Since this game often depicts the confrontation between different cities and countries, in NPC conversations, players can directly observe different countries’ completely different interpretations of the same events, such as in “Water Margin II”:
- Because of government propaganda (national disinformation), a country was convinced that an enemy country in the truce would launch a sudden attack, so the public was furious and furious.
- The other party to the truce treaty knew nothing about it, did not even think that war would happen, and still held the idea of peace.
This obvious contrast not only allows players to have a deeper understanding of the situation in the world, but also makes the politics, wars, and people’s lives in the game more real. This kind of dialogue design makes the world view of “Water Margin” appear particularly three-dimensional, and every corner is full of details and persuasiveness.
This way of presenting scenes allows people to intuitively feel that people in different countries have completely opposite emotional reactions because of the different information they receive. The people on the left are angry and agitated because they have been fed false news, and feel that they must retaliate. People on the right side, because they have never been exposed to these false propaganda, still believe in peace and have no worries about the possibility of war.
“The leader of the People’s Liberation Army is actually just an ordinary beauty, but the people have never really seen her.” The profound meaning of this sentence made me stunned for a while.
In “Water Margin I”, the people of Rockland were oppressed by the empire (pictured on the left). In “Water Margin II”, families are already able to send their children to school in distant places (pictured on the right). This depiction of the changing times is fascinating. At the time of “Water Margin I”, Rockland was still deeply oppressed by the empire. The people lived in poverty and had almost no freedom of choice. However, in “Water Margin II”, although the world is still in turmoil, some positive changes can be seen, such as families being able to provide their children with a better education and sending them to study in distant places.
When listening to the conversations of NPCs, people will have the feeling that “they are understanding the common sense and way of thinking of this world”, and thus become more deeply immersed in this world view.
In addition, after certain incidents occurred, when the author talked with the villagers again, I found that“Oh, the lines have changed!”There is always a joy of discovering new things. This kind of instant change makes people feel that NPCs are not static backgrounds, but people who really live in this world.
And “Water Margin” is not sloppy in this regard – whenever a major event occurs in a town, the author can’t wait to run throughout the city, looking for dialogue content that changes due to changes in the situation, and enjoy the details of the world changing as the plot progresses.
Whether it isnamed characterstillCommon NPC, these in “Water Margin”excellent text, together build the charm of this game. The characters’ dialogues are not only full of personality, but also change as the plot progresses, making the process of exploring the world more lively and interesting.
Also, one more thing to say about NPCs.
Please take a look at this picture first——
I’m really sorry that the topic suddenly took a turn for the worse, but thisHave to mention。
The characters in this game,So cute。
The same goes for the maid character mentioned earlier;The bitmap (pixel art) of this game is of extremely high quality, especially the character design, is simply amazing. Not only that, the atmosphere of the standing painting is also very charming.Coupled with the great lines that have been said before, it makes me feel fond of these characters again and again。
Especially the female characters, they are really amazing.
There are so many characters in the game that hit the sweet spot that it’s completely overwhelming. Among them, the one that moved me the most was the character who appeared in “Water Margin II”“Karen”。
She usually wears national costumes and is a quiet girl…but when she puts on dancer’s clothes, she shows a completely different beauty and energy.
This kind ofsense of contrast, totally hit my heart.
On weekdays, she is gentle and dignified, giving people a quiet and reserved impression. However, when she appeared as a dancer, that lookA strong and confident look, as if he had changed into a different person.
This strong sense of contrast makes people fascinated. When I saw her dancing for the first time, I was really shocked and couldn’t help but admire:
“This is so charming…!”
This transformation even extends to the battle – when the battle begins, she is still wearing national costumes, but when the battle begins, she will throw off her clothes and enter dancer mode, using gorgeous dance fighting skills to sweep across the enemy.
This kind ofMode switching performance during battle, people can’t help but be fascinated by it.
According to the author’s observation,(At least within the scope of confirmation) It seems that only Kallen has such a fighting performance, which makes her look particularly unique and adds to her charm.
At the beginning of each battle, watching her enter the arena with a dignified posture, and then quickly transform into a dancer mode full of power and beauty, the impact and charm are really irresistible.
By the way, you can also learn to dance with Kallen in the base and experience her dance through mini-games.
How to play this mini-game isAccording to Karen’s instructions, press the corresponding button to imitate her dance steps。
However,The problem is that there are an unusually large number of buttons and the difficulty can be described as “ghostly”.. However, fortunately, the game provides a mechanism-as long as you press a specific button, you can turn on the boot mode, which barely allows people to keep up with the rhythm.
Although it took a lot of time toComplete this difficult dance challenge, but in the end it turned into a pretty good memory.
Having said that, whether it’s a battle performance or this exclusive mini-game, Kallen’s treatment is too good, right?
……But that’s okay, because she’s cute.
It’s really nice to receive a statue or painting that can be used as a decoration in the bathroom.
In the game, you getstatue or paintingNot only is it a collectible, but it can also be placed in the bathroom of the base as a decoration.
Although this kind of detail may seem trivial, when you see the bathroom filled with artworks you have collected, you can’t help but smile with satisfaction. Such small ingenuity makes the stronghold not only functional, but also full of personal style and fun.
The author is most obsessed with Kallen, but this game has far more charming characters than that.
after all,There are over 108 main recruitable characters alone, if you add all the characters from “Suikoden I” and “II”, the number is even more staggering.
even,There is also a character like “a beautiful vampire who has lived for 400 years and calls herself ‘Concubine'” – this is simply a carnival party with great attributes., one can’t help but wonder whether this game is deliberately catering to the special preferences of various players.
Due to the author’s personality, almost all the characters introduced are female… But in short, please remember that “Suikoden” is full of “super cute characters”.
…Although saying this is a bit remedial, of course,Male characters are equally attractive。
Again,The author has always liked Viktor since “Suikoden I”. In addition, there areThe mysterious swordsman wearing black armor, the old wizard who lives in seclusion, and the handsome gunman wearing a black hoodWait, there are all kinds of “handsome”.
No matter what style of character you are, you can find it in this game, which may be one of the reasons why you can’t stop playing it.
In “Water Margin II”, Clive, as a mysterious gunman, has an exclusive plot line that has nothing to do with the main plot, but is very attractive. However, the special thing about this plot is that its progress is limited by in-game time. If the corresponding condition is not completed within a specific time, the event cannot be triggered.
There are many characters and the lines are extremely exciting… so it is natural to become addicted to the characters.
While playing “Suikoden”,It’s almost inevitable that you’ll encounter a character that makes you shout, “That’s him!”。
This game has a huge number of characters, each with a unique personality and excellent dialogue. Whether they are main characters or side characters, they can leave a deep impression. therefore,No matter what kind of player you are, you will definitely be able to find a character in this world that you deeply love.
Whether it’s an orc character or some specific creatures, this plush and cute feeling adds more diverse charm to this game. This is not only a visual enjoyment, the personalities and dialogues of these characters are also attractive, making people can’t help but fall in love with this world even more.
However,For players who have never played the original game, how much fun can this game bring? This is still difficult to say.
For the author,Love exploring and text reading, the content of this game completely hits the point of interest. However, if players are not interested in these elements, they may feel that the complexity of the system far outweighs the fun of the game, and may even be a bit troublesome.
This also means that the charm of “Water Margin” may not beUniversal for all players, but is more suitable for players who like to delve into the world view, explore character interactions, and are highly interested in plots and texts.
In the early stages of the game, movement on the map basically requires the player to travel all over the place. It is not until the middle game that a function similar to “Fast Travel” in modern RPGs is unlocked.
The difficulty of this game is “Normal”, so the strategic nature of the battle is not too high.
Perhaps because **”Difficulty: Normal”** was selected, the overall battle did not feel too strategic, especially in “Water Margin I”.There are relatively few parts that can be customized with equipment, which makes people feel a little unfulfilled.。
Of course, such a design also meansYou can choose your favorite characters more freely, and you don’t need to worry too much about lineup matching.。
But if it isPlayers who like difficult strategic challenges, you may be able to choose a higher difficulty level (such as “Hard Mode”) to enjoy a more exciting combat experience.
Perhaps because of the system design, once the difficulty is adjusted to “Hard”, it cannot be changed back. This means that players cannot try it with the mentality of “try the hard mode”, because once they make a choice, they can only stick to it.
The “reading black screen” that frequently appears when moving the map can make people feel a little irritated.
During the game,Whenever I switch between maps, a brief black screen appears., this phenomenon is likely to simulate the reading effect of the year, or is caused by the system design of the game itself.
Author’s PC configurationEnough to run the latest AAA titles smoothly(Editor: The author is playing with a computer board), but these black screensStill appears stably in the transition of specific scenes, so it is speculated that this mayIt’s not a hardware performance issue, it’s a performance that the game deliberately retains.。
For players who have played the original game and have nostalgic feelings, this may bring back memories of those years, but forFor the author who does not have this emotional connection, this design is simply a disturbing factor that hinders the experience.。
In the small staircase area within the stronghold, you will experience two black screens in just a few steps, and the frequent dark transitions are irritating. In the stronghold, small rewinding stairs are designed in certain places. When the player moves from room → stairs → room, he will experience two black screen transitions in just a few steps. Although such details do not have much impact on the game mechanics, since the stronghold is a place where players frequently enter and exit, such small but frequent dark turns gradually accumulate and make people feel stressed.
However, none of these shortcomings can shake the fact that this is “the best gaming experience.”
The author can even say,This may be my favorite RPG that I have ever played in my life.。
As the plot gradually reaches its climax, the thought of “Don’t want it to end…is this journey coming to an end?“I haven’t felt this way for a long time.
This game makes people immerse themselves in it, make their blood boil, and make them cry.The story, characters, and overall gaming experience are all unforgettable.
This is one,Really beautiful game.
Although there are some problems mentioned before, it is really worth being grateful to be able to reconnect with this “classic masterpiece” through this remastered version.
The remastered version is not just a simple improvement in image quality, it also provides an opportunity for players toRe-experience this treasured work。
Being able to play this game and experience the world of “Suikoden” first-hand is not just for writing articles, but a joy from the bottom of my heart.
It’s really great to see this work again.
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster will be released on March 6, 2025. If you’ve ever been interested in Suikoden, or if someone has recommended this game to you, be sure to give it a try. This will be an irreplaceable gaming experience.
The author’s play time is:
- Suikoden I: 18 hours
- Suikoden II: 29 hours
This is inAfter successfully gathering 108 peopleThe play time of , if you just complete the level, the time may be much shorter.
……But if you can, do try to get 108 people。
When 108 Pleiades converge under one person, the resulting miracle is definitely worth seeing.
This is after the author spent nearly 50 hours traveling around this world in just four days.As a Tian Kuixing, my only wish is.
source:Famiton