The mid-90s were an incredible period for the best JRPGs. Final Fantasy was on an incredible streak with FF6, FF7, and FF8, and the likes of Chrono Trigger and EarthBound remain all-time classics to this day. Alongside them, if you were really in the know, and could manage to pronounce it, were Suikoden 1 and 2. While they didn’t catch on quite as hard as some of their peers at the time, the pair gradually grew an audience, earning a well-deserved reputation as beloved cult classics that remain genre icons to this day. Now, Konami is finally showing them some love, with new HD remasters available right now on PC.
Suikoden 1 and 2 waste no time in getting to business. The first game starts you in the midst of a war-torn land where the people are suffering under tyrannical rule. As the son of a famed general, you’re thrown headfirst into the political turmoil, tasked with seeking out 108 legendary warriors known as the Stars of Destiny who, when brought together, can change fate itself. Its sequel takes place three years later, when a border dispute between neighboring lands stokes the fires of war, leading the Stars of Destiny to once again step into action.
In case you’re wondering, yes, you can recruit all of those Stars of Destiny – in many cases requiring a short side quest to do so. They won’t all become playable, but many will, giving you a colossal amount of choice in who to bring into battle. These JRPGs employ six-person turn-based combat, and you can choose whether to manually control all of your party members or have them automatically fight.
Standard encounters feature positional interactions, with the arrangement of your characters affecting their abilities. You’ll need to consider the weapons and spells available to your party, along with other factors such as their health and defense stats, to determine the right layout to succeed. You’ll also have to tackle large-scale ‘war battles’ and one-on-one duels, each with their own mechanics.
Along with the beautiful visual overhaul, which keeps the classic pixel-art look intact while introducing new HD background illustrations and new effects, new environmental audio helps bring the world of Suikoden to life. There are also a wealth of welcome quality-of-life features to help you enjoy your time, including full auto-battle, a double-speed option for combat, auto-save, a mini map, a conversation log, and the ability to more easily swap equipment between characters.
Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is available now on Steam, the Epic Games store, and the Windows store. Expect to pay $49.99 / £44.99 for your copy. Find it here and discover these timeless classics for yourself.
Alternatively, here are some more of the best old games you can and should still play today, along with our pick of the best turn-based RPGs to try in 2025.
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