Suikoden 3 takes place maybe 10-15 years after the events of Suikoden 2 (which, probably, most people don't know about). This game is quite a bit removed from its predecessors, and knowledge of past storylines is not essential (and in fact, is quite useless) to the plot of this tale. Here, we are treated to a multi-person storyline, as the player follows the exploits of Hugo, a war chieftain in the grasslands (the son of Lucia from Suikoden 2), Chris, a knight in the service of Zexen, and Geddoe, a mercenary of the holy kingdom of Harmonia. The peace of half a century is about to be broken by an old friend (who shall remain nameless; the surprise is half the fun) and these three countries are about to wage war on one another. Only the Flame Champion, a nearly mythical hero of fifty years past, can stop this carnage.
The problem with Suikoden 3 is twofold. The graphics are terrible. Konami has decided to bring Suikoden in the world of 3D, with disastrous results. Every country, every person looks washed out, and the stars of destiny (which, by the way, are taken from an excellent Chinese novel, "Outlaws of the Marsh") look pretty much like commoners. Also, the tripartite storyline fails to impress, as we never get a feel for ANY of the characters, except (surprisingly) the villain, which is playable if the "good" ending is found. I enjoyed the game somewhat, but always found myself asking, "OK, so when will this take off?" Unfortunately, the game never does. Here's to hoping that Suikoden 4 gets it right (it's been announced in Japan!).
Suikoden 3 takes place maybe 10-15 years after the events of Suikoden 2 (which, probably, most people don't know about). This game is quite a bit removed from its predecessors, and knowledge of past storylines is not essential (and in fact, is quite useless) to the plot of this tale. Here, we are treated to a multi-person storyline, as the player follows the exploits of Hugo, a war chieftain in the grasslands (the son of Lucia from Suikoden 2), Chris, a knight in the service of Zexen, and Geddoe, a mercenary of the holy kingdom of Harmonia. The peace of half a century is about to be broken by an old friend (who shall remain nameless; the surprise is half the fun) and these three countries are about to wage war on one another. Only the Flame Champion, a nearly mythical hero of fifty years past, can stop this carnage. The problem with Suikoden 3 is twofold. The graphics are terrible. Konami has decided to bring Suikoden in the world of 3D, with disastrous results. Every country, every person looks washed out, and the stars of destiny (which, by the way, are taken from an excellent Chinese novel, "Outlaws of the Marsh") look pretty much like commoners. Also, the tripartite storyline fails to impress, as we never get a feel for ANY of the characters, except (surprisingly) the villain, which is playable if the "good" ending is found. I enjoyed the game somewhat, but always found myself asking, "OK, so when will this take off? " Unfortunately, the game never does. Here's to hoping that Suikoden 4 gets it right (it's been announced in Japan! ).