Well, here my final review of the game after complete it. I tried to be objective and judgue it like an any RPG and not as a Suikoden game.
Grafics:
I dont play to much to Ds, so may be i cant judge this well, but...I think characters in 3d looks good. Stages are quite beatiful but in the end are just pics, so it doesn't have too much merit. The animations on battle are acceptable and the most part of the combinations attacks are the same.
7
History:
I must admit, the game begins quite poor, but soon becomes more interesting and you want to know more and more, and see what happens. However the developement of the facts is totally absurd in too many points. the characters...those from the history are quite interesting, charismatic and well concibed (Crode, Asad, Cougar, Diulf, Vaslof...) but all the others sucks. The villians dont have charisma at all. Is a luck the plot compensates a little.
7
Gameplay:
A total disaster. So many combats are annoying (at least you can get the ring to run further, if not the volcan would be a pain). The dificult isnt low is...nul, cero. Yo can beat the most part of combats with auto combat and healing time to time. The enemies dont have strong points or weak, so you only need to attack not matter what. The magics are useless, there is no meaning on make magics with a mage to take 900 when an attack with a mage take 800. you only use phisical marcs of stars, and you do it only to save some time, you dont need them. Final bosses, even the last one dont arrive to the category of "joke". There arent aditional quest, minigames or special items to get to make it more enjoyable.
3
Sound:
The best of the game, all melodies are focking awesome. Is a pity that voices which you cant off.
8
Factor Suikoden:
I add this criterium, because at the end is a Suikoden. However, i dont count it to the final note.
I thought the lost of the original world was bad, but is even worse. This title dont have NOTHING related to suikoden series.
This series never were specially brillant in an rpg sense. they all were quite...poor...in comparation with others. But it have some things that make this series different to the others. That was the solid background, there is countries with their territory, their cities, their culture. And some of this countries have conflicts, internal or betwen them. The magic is a present and important element, but the plot turns around the conflict itself, the reasons are "political", and is the strategy and militar powers the thing that determines all.
Here we have the clasic "big bad empire" who tries to subyugate other nations (of one city) by force, and betwen them there is the heroes village (who isnt in any country is a village-countrie), at the same time they search for a mistic power to dominate-destroying the world.
The castle...you dont recive it, it just is there from the beggining and the stars...there is no care on any of them (excluding the history ones) there must be 108 chars to mantain the name Suikoden on the cover.
In a few words, is a random rpg like hundred others. that doesnt mean the game is bad, but he hasnt nothing special. There are the bad guys and the heroes fight them from the front the numbers or estrategy doesnt matter with their superpowers is enought and of course they are the only ones who can avoid the world destruction.
In general is an erosion to generical features and rpg cliches, weapons are best in each new country, inns are more expensive in each country, is like return to snes times.
Truely, i dont understand those who say "opens a new path" or "this sends suikoden to a new era"...if you take a game wich his only feature is be diferent and you take out all this diferences, is take a step back, you have a generic rpg which isnt bad, but isnt too good either.
I dont understand those who still "feel this game like a suikoden" either
I like that someone tell me where exactly they feel it like a suikoden because i cant found a single bit.
The only thing that this game provides is the feature of change the party on towns inns.
2
FINAL NOTE:
I think the final note must be more than the simple matematical calculation.(And as i said, i didnt consider the "suikden factor")
The game, has liked me, is the true. But is one of this games who doesnt apport nothing and you forget early.
Is an entertaiment and simple rpg, and this is enougth for me to enjoy.
BUT the gameplay is...horrible, i dont want suffer but at least a minimal of difficult is required, playing this game was like reading an interactive book more than play a game.
The history at least is entertaining, but isnt too much original too.
6,5