Suikoden Tactics

Gameplay works when it's not broken, but awful story scenes and graphics make for boring stretches. [Dec 2005, p.118]

While the game remains highly conventional, the developers clearly understand what makes games like this interesting and have executed on that knowledge surprisingly well.

It's highly accessible, not too challenging, and a surprisingly pretty little adventure. Unfortunately, many of its strengths also its weaknesses... as its length isn't anywhere near that of other games in the genre and its blatant user-friendliness makes it an easy game blow through in a short amount of time.

It doesn't really matter if you've played other games like it before, because Suikoden Tactics is easy to get into and challenging enough to be enjoyable to veterans and newcomers alike.

I cannot recommend this game to anyone.

I'd rather have a simple and well-balanced game than a complicated and lopsided one, and Suikoden Tactics definitely has too many short legs. [Dec 2005, p.175]

That makes the battle tricks on hand in Suikoden Tactics nice twists on the staid tactical RPG. But there's not enough battle, and too much chaff to sort through in order to find it.

Its simple learning curve and stimulating gameplay make it a high recommendation for not only Suikoden fans but also to those who are new to RPG/Strategy gaming.

It is a breath of fresh air for the Suikoden series, and definitely should pique the interest of tactics-lovers.

Personally, I would have liked a slightly more complex gameplay but what’s here works well enough.

Works very well for newcomers to the genre. Experienced gamers may be disappointed to find some concessions made to appease to a larger audience. Despite that, the accessibility, length, and challenge are good enough to recommend to gamers in both sides of the fence.

Interested players new to the genre would likely enjoy Suikoden Tactics, except it comes off as a straight sequel to a mediocre RPG which was itself a sequel to three underappreciated RPGs – and this game is much more enjoyable if you know the mythos.

You’ll easily drag yourself to play this twice to make sure you beat the entire game and completed everything. Whether you enjoy it both times is a whole different question.

It looks decent enough, and, excluding actual voiced speech, sounds decent enough too, but the overall package is a meager offering in a very competitive genre.

The game is fun, the battles are executed well, the characters are interesting, and the overall package is interesting enough to warrant a purchase for fans of the series or genre.

I wish the game had been a bit longer, but there is a new game+ option, and I didn't manage to get everything the first time around, so there should be some good replay value in it for me.

The new fighting system of Suikoden Tactics is a success. By going back to basics and adding a new dimension to it through the use of affinities, the gameplay has emerged as a point of strength within the game.

Aside from being full of useless exposition about Rune Cannons and the various empires in these Island Nations, the story doesn't even make much sense.

The mechanics are unique yet not so obscure that they alienate those players who are unfamiliar with the genre.

The beloved Suikoden franchise gets a 'tactics' makeover, and provides decent entertainment with its elemental battles and co-op feature.

The simple fact is that even with the elemental tweaks and team attacks, this game is sorely average in terms of the challenges and ideas presented to players.

A game based on a boring game, eh? Well, it's no surprise that this one will end up boring as well.

Fans will buy it, and probably no one else, but even if it was a perfect game, would things really be any different? Would it really start a Suikoden craze that would sweep the nation and allow the game to sit atop a throne near Final Fantasy and the other glam-rock RPGs? Probably not, but that doesn't matter, because the fans know, and as far as I'm concerned, that's all Konami cares about.

I recommend this game mainly to collectors, whom try and buy an entire series of games, like the Suikoden franchise, but other than that there are more enticing games out there.

Its ties to its namesake feel tenuous at best, and despite some interesting play mechanics, it's not nearly as deep as some of the other games on the market right now.

'Lightweight' probably best describes Suikoden Tactics - it's not without a fair bit of excitement and some clever moments, but it's not particularly memorable either, and it certainly won't make strategy lovers break into a sweat. [PSW]

Battles are fun and fairly compulsive but this is a game we've played many times over, usually presented better, executed more beautifully and intertwined with a far superior story.

A decent little strategic RPG. The combat system is good, but the battles tend to be too easy and repetitive. [Mar 2006]

I must admit, this game caught me completely off-guard. I still had the bitter taste of Suikoden IV in my mouth and it wouldn't come out. But this one won me over with it's good characters, solid gameplay, and the redemption of a series I love.