Konami has announced a Suikoden and Suikoden 2 remaster for next year. The collection, which has the rather unwieldy official title of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, is coming to PC and consoles sometime in 2023.
Finally, a Suikoden and Suikoden 2 remaster!
Indeed. The Suikoden community is pretty dedicated, working tirelessly on fan translations and campaigning to bring the best of the franchise to modern platforms, and it looks like their efforts have finally paid off. The Suikoden and Suikoden 2 remaster collection is coming to Steam, PS4, and Xbox One next year, and it’ll boast a host of enhancements too.
According to Konami, all of the games’ backgrounds have been upgraded to HD graphics, and combat effects have also had a makeover. The games will also feature new environmental sound effects to immerse you further in their worlds. As you might imagine, the remaster will have quality-of-life upgrades like autosave functionality and a combat fast forward feature, so battles should be a bit less tedious. You can check out the announcement trailer for the remasters and see them in action right here.
Why are Suikoden and Suikoden 2 such a big deal?
Both Suikoden and Suikoden 2 are cult classic JRPGs that largely went unnoticed by the gaming public at large, but that have developed a hardcore fan following. Although they do have monsters, magic, and other mystical elements, they’re also grounded political dramas that focus on national conflict rather than the world-saving, god-slaying antics of most JRPGs.
The big draw for Suikoden games is the ability to recruit 108 heroes (including the protagonist) to your side. These heroes will gradually populate a castle you claim as your own, either joining you in battle or offering services like running shops or serving as your strategist. The games are well-known for their excellent soundtracks and beautiful PS1-era pixel art, but they’re obviously getting on a bit now, so a remaster should give them a much-needed boost.
You’ll be able to grab the Suikoden 1&2 HD remaster collection when it debuts next year on Steam, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Next year is also when the Suikoden spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is set to debut, so we’ll have to see which of the two captures the Suikoden community’s imagination more. Stay tuned for more on this as we get it.
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