Suikoden II

Suikoden II
Developer(s)Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Yoshitaka Murayama
Producer(s)Yoshitaka Murayama
Designer(s)Fumi Ishikawa
Junko Kawano
Artist(s)Fumi Ishikawa
Writer(s)Yoshitaka Murayama
Junko Kawano
Composer(s)Miki Higashino
Keiko Fukami
SeriesSuikoden
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation
  • JP: December 17, 1998
  • NA: September 29, 1999[1]
  • EU: July 28, 2000
Windows
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Suikoden II (Japanese: 幻想水滸伝II, Hepburn: Gensō Suikoden Tsū, (listen)ⓘ) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation video game console and the second installment of the Suikoden video game series. It was released in late 1998 in Japan, 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Europe. The game features a vast array of characters, with over 100 recruitable characters, of which over 40 are usable in combat.

Suikoden II takes place 3 years after the events of the original Suikoden and centers on an invasion of the City-States of Jowston by the Kingdom of Highland. The player controls a silent protagonist who is the adopted son of Genkaku, a hero who saved the City-States of Jowston in a war against Highland years ago. The protagonist and his best friend, Jowy Atreides, each gain one half of the Rune of the Beginning, one of the 27 True Runes of the Suikoden setting, and become caught up in the intrigues of the invasion and the dark fate of those who bear the halves of that Rune. As with other Suikoden titles, the game also centers on the recruitment of the 108 Stars of Destiny, who together have the power to alter fate.

The game was initially released to lackluster sales and somewhat tepid critical reception, with some criticism (and lack of widespread appeal) being directed at the game's simpler and more retro 16-bit sprite visuals at a time when 3D graphics were heavily emphasized across the industry. Since, the game has become a cult classic, in retrospect being cited as a classic of the role-playing genre and one of the greatest video games of all time.[2][3][4][5]

A compilation of the first two Suikoden games, Suikoden I & II, was released for PlayStation Portable in Japan on February 23, 2006. A high-definition English localization version of the compilation under the title Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is scheduled for a worldwide release in March 6, 2025 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.[6][7][8][9]

  1. ^ "Konami Ships Suikoden II". PSX Nation. September 29, 1999. Archived from the original on January 26, 2001. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Staff, Polygon (2017-12-01). "The 500 best games of all time: 100-1". Polygon. Retrieved 2020-07-04.
  3. ^ Top 100 Video Games of All Time - IGN.com, retrieved 2020-07-04
  4. ^ "HG101 Presents: The 200 Best Video Games of All Time – Hardcore Gaming 101". Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  5. ^ Hilliard, Kyle. "Reader's Choice Top 300 Games Of All Time". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  6. ^ @Suikoden (August 27, 2024). "A beloved RPG adventure returns March 6, 2025 ✨ Pre-order #Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars NOW on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X" (Tweet). Retrieved August 27, 2024 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. 2022-09-16.
  8. ^ "Konami Is Bringing Suikoden I & II Back With HD Remasters On Switch Next Year". Nintendo Life. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  9. ^ Skrebels, Joe (2022-09-16). "Suikoden 1 and 2: Konami's Cult Classic RPGs are Being Remastered". IGN. Retrieved 2022-09-16.