Officially announced at the Tokyo Game Show, Suikoden I and Suikoden II are finally returning. And not just with a simple port of both games, as they’re both getting the HD remaster treatment. Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification, a double-pack of the first two games in the series, will be coming to Switch in 2023. And they’re confirmed for an English release.
Released on the PlayStation in 1995 and 1998 respectively, Suikoden I and II are often considered two of the best JRPGs on the system. This is the first game to bear the Suikoden name since the Japanese exclusive PSP game in 2012, Gensō Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki. the HD remasters will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam too. The series’ most-famous aspect is that you can recruit 108 Stars of Destiny, who will either become party members to use in battles or allies to assist you at your base, which you can build up over the course of the game.
These remasters bring updated backgrounds and illustrations, with series artist Junko Kawano returning to assist with the redone portraits. New quality-of-life additions included updated sound effects, autosave, a fast-forward feature, and a conversation log. Suikoden I and II are often seen as a pair — you can transfer your save file from I to II to get extra bonuses in the PS1 game, and many characters from I make an appearance in the sequel.
Konami shared a few comparison shots, which pop scenes from the PS1 game next to the upcoming remaster, and you can certainly see the difference:
Here’s what Konami had to share about these surprise remasters from the game’s Steam page:
A hero’s destiny is written in the Stars
The legendary Konami JRPGs Suikoden I and Suikoden II have now been remastered in HD!The Story of Suikoden I
A once-renowned hero turns into a violent tyrant, and an empire falls into decline.
A Liberation Army is rising up in an act of rebellion against an oppressive rule.
One by one the 108 stars of Destiny gather to shape the course of history.The Story of Suikoden II
Our story’s hero and his friend Jowy are members of the Unicorn Youth Brigade, which participated in a drawn-out border dispute between the Highland Kingdom and the City-States of Jowstown .A few months earlier, a truth agreement was signed between the two forces, both of which were happy to see an end to the fighting.
However, hidden under the momentary peace the fires of a new war continued to smolder…Features of Suikoden I & Suikoden II HD
・All background illustrations have been upgraded to HD
・Updated effects breathe new life into the pixel art animation
・New environmental sounds effects to immerse yourself in this fantasy world
・Battle SFX are also now HD and add a new level of realism
・Newly added auto-save
・Battle Fast Forward
・Conversation Log
This means that Suikoden I & II, and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes — Suikoden’s spiritual successor, made by series creator Yoshitaka Murayama — will be launching in the same year. Suikoden fans are eating in 2023.
You can also check out a few screens from the game to see what the new backgrounds will look like. Some of them are striking if we say so ourselves. We’re getting a little emotional just looking at them!
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification will be coming out on the Switch next year, and we’ll bring you more info as soon as we have it.
Are you a Suikoden fan? Excited to see the return of a classic duo? Let us know in the comments.
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