Suikoden Tierkreis In-depth Preview

Suikoden Tierkreis In-depth Preview

Back when I was still, uh, gainfully employed, I made it a mission to track down Suikoden Tierkreis producer Masayuki Saruta to uncover just why Konami felt it necessary to discard so many familiar series elements -- the beloved game world, the True Runes, and one weapon per character -- in the franchise's first-ever DS entry. His take? Suikoden has its hardcore fans, but it's always been a niche series -- and with the massive DS install base on both sides of the Pacific, Saruta feels it's the perfect time for a user-friendly series reboot.

Of course, with Japanese sales of just over 100,000 in its first few weeks of release -- about on par with Suikoden V in Japan -- one might come to the conclusion that in the process, Konami's alienated its loyal fan base. After all, many Japanese message board posters have made it clear they're boycotting this particular entry, and Tierkreis faces the same uphill battle in North America when it hits this March. I can't speak for the untapped audience Konami hopes to attract, but after playing through most of the game, I can give some insight from a fan's perspective.

Despite the unfamiliar backdrop, Tierkreis will definitely feel somewhat old hat to series vets, as exploration unfolds via a destination-based map similar to Suikoden III's. But unlike in that game, once you've made it through a given area, you can bypass it on the map. Town navigation's also streamlined -- simply select an area from the menu, and you're instantly transported there. These are actually aspects I wouldn't mind seeing implemented in the main series (assuming we haven't seen the last of it!), since so much of Suikoden revolves around scouring the world in search of the 108 Stars of Destiny that make up your army and fill your headquarters. Tierkreis' mission-based gameplay is also a welcome change, since you're never wandering around, wondering how to advance the plot. The new weapon system doesn't fare so well, though -- while combat's as fast-paced as any Suikoden since the PS1 entries, it's very arbitrary as to who can equip which weapon, which makes this one of several questionable Tierkreis design decisions: If the goal's to draw in new players, why abandon the simplicity of earlier games for something more complex?