It's not going to win because this is an increadibly stacked year with games like MGS, Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 2, Xenogears and Banjo.
But Suikoden 2 remains my favorite game of all time.
(Listen to this music please.)
It is no overstatement to say that the game changed my life. It is the game that got me to sign up for a forum similar to this one, many years ago. And due to the people I met there, many of whom are still in my life today, it notably changed the trajectory of my life.
School, career path, personal relationships, etc would all have been very different if not for that time in my life, and as I mentioned in Frogger's thread VGChartz taught me how to think, I learned and grew a lot a lot as a person thanks to that.
I probably wouldn't have signed up for VGChartz if not because of my passion for Suikoden 2 motivating me to sign up for a forum like this back in the day, so that I could talk to other people about the game. Share artwork, wallpapers, music, etc.
And I almost didn't play the game, after putting it down after a few hours of gameplay.
A mistake I almost repeated again with Nier: Automata after completing the tutorial section and thinking it wasn't the type of game I was looking for at the moment.
I only gave Suikoden 2 a second chance after going to dinner with a friend, where one of his friend's joined us, who was also a big fan of Jrpgs and games in general.
We chatted for hours about games while at a chinese buffet. And I noticed that me and this new person had essentially identical taste in games. Our Top 10 list had the exact same games. Chrono Trigger, Metal Gear Solid, Ocarina of Time, FF7, etc.
With one single, but glaring exception.
He had Suikoden 2 on his list. As #1, no less.
While it wasn't even on my Top 100, because I stopped playing it after a few hours. So I decided to give it another shot, and I'm very happy that I did.
What I found was the most interestingly written story I had experienced at the time. With a cast of 108+ recruitable characters who all brought something interesting to the table. Whether it was due to their story, how they functioned in the various different combat systems and modes;
Regular combat
Duels
Army wars
Or what those characters added to the every expanding headquarters mechanic.
When you first get your headquarters, it may only have a ground floor and a basement. But once you recruit a farmer, they'll add fields of grown vegetables outside. When you recruit a cheff, a kitchen is added, where you can create dishes to bring with you in battle, or engage in cook-off mini games. A gambling hall. A bar. A Theatre stage. A Dojo. Etc.
New floors are added and the castle gets bigger and bigger, and feels more and more personal and alive as you bring in more people fighting for the same cause.
Characters (aside from some story VIP's) can actually die permanently in the Duels and War modes, if you're not careful.
Which affects your chances of getting the true ending.
Another interesting mechanic was the ability to transfer your save data from old games to new ones. Which would allow you to do things like recruit the main characters from old Suikoden games, in the new ones. The nations you've formed in a previous game will keep whatever name you gave it in future games as well.
Suikoden 2 also sports one of my favorite gaming soundtracks ever (an example in the video abobe).
The composer (Miki Higashino) chose a wide array of various ethnic themes, that gave the world a lot of character, and are all very memorable for me.
Unfortunately she did not work in the industry for long, as the very demanding work culture in Japan at the time forced her to chose between being able to start a family, or continue her career. She chose the former, and left Konami shortly after Suikoden 2 released.
Here is an interview with her for those who are interested: Miki Higashino Interview: Retired Fan Favourite Speaks
I very much hoped that she would return for Eiyuuden Chronicles (due to release in 2024), which is the spiritual successor of Suikoden (like Bloodstained is to Castlevania) and has gathered most of the key members from the original games. But unfortunately Miki declined the offer to work on it, for unknown reasons.
Suikoden 2's story is one of political intrigue, with a strong cast of main characters, and a very surprising and interesting twist that I had not seen in any other game until Nier: Automata did something similar, but not quite.
The main antagonist, Luca Blight, is one of my favorite gaming villains. Here's a famous scene that takes place within the first few hours. (You can start at 00:45) It's not much of a spoiler, but if you want to go into the game fully blind, then don't click the video.
Despite the main protagonist being a 'silent' one, other cast members do an excellent job of fleshing out his character through exposition.
The world building in Suikoden is nothing short of masterful.
A nation you hear a lot about about in Suikoden 1 isn't shown to the player until Suikoden 3.
In Suikoden 1 and 2 an event is often referenced that took place in the past, and caused animosity between several recruitable characters, who don't get along. But we don't properly understand what happened until Suikoden 5. Because that game takes place before Suikoden 1. And some of those optional characters in Suikoden 1 & 2 are now main characters here.
I have heard that the Trails in the Sky/Cold Steel series has similar world building, so that has me very intrigued to play the series.
There is a Suikoden 1 & 2 Remaster on the way, with very improved visuals.
So for anyone who is curious, but has not checked out the game yet, that's going to be the best chance.
