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Official Suikoden Tierkreis Thread: "The Deepest Handheld RPG of All Time"
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Erdrick
Member
I picked this up on Friday after work and I've put in about 3 hours into it thus far. I'm liking it quite a bit. It's simple to pick up and play and it looks and sounds fantastic for a DS game. It reminds me, character model-wise of Threads Of Fate on the PS. The soundtrack has some familiar tunes and the sound effects like the birds chirping in the forest are really nice touches. buying items and equipment is pretty hassle free, and I like how the weapons can change the character appearance, but I do miss the old one weapon system from the older games. It was much more streamlined and easier to deal with. The mission structure is well done so far and the actual text translation is nice so far as well.
The voice acting is pretty... emotionless at times or sometimes the opposite. I wish the main character would downshift his talking speed to something normal people talk like. Most of the other characters seem to talk at a normal pace so I am wondering why the main one is so quick.
I am giving this game a chance even though I am quite disgusted by Konami's trashing of the Suikoden storyline and characters. I hope that this sells enough to give Konami some more faith in the series again so that we can see a true Suikoden VI set in the world that I have been familiar with since 1996. I don't care what system it's on, (Well, not the 360 since I don't own one.) But console or handheld, I want a true sequel.
So, Suikoden Tierkreis is an interesting RPG so far for me. I've enjoyed what I have played. It would be wrong to dismiss the game simply because it has nothing to do with the past games. It's still a good solid RPG, and in the upper echelon of DS games.
The voice acting is pretty... emotionless at times or sometimes the opposite. I wish the main character would downshift his talking speed to something normal people talk like. Most of the other characters seem to talk at a normal pace so I am wondering why the main one is so quick.
I am giving this game a chance even though I am quite disgusted by Konami's trashing of the Suikoden storyline and characters. I hope that this sells enough to give Konami some more faith in the series again so that we can see a true Suikoden VI set in the world that I have been familiar with since 1996. I don't care what system it's on, (Well, not the 360 since I don't own one.) But console or handheld, I want a true sequel.
So, Suikoden Tierkreis is an interesting RPG so far for me. I've enjoyed what I have played. It would be wrong to dismiss the game simply because it has nothing to do with the past games. It's still a good solid RPG, and in the upper echelon of DS games.
Callibretto
Member
mjc said:
the battles do get harder later in the game, you can still use auto attacks, it's just the difference between finishing the fight in 1 or 2 turn instead of auto attack's 3-4 turn.
the auto attack option is not very smart in distributing which character hit which character imo.
Robobandit
Member
auto attack can get you killed if you're not careful... I got a game over in the first 4 hours due to an ill-advised auto attack.. Now I don't auto-attack unless I've fought that enemy type before and know what they are capable of. I'll often use auto to finish off the remaining enemies after round 1 and that seems to work well.
Hours Left
Member
From the Due Fiumi Forums. (A really great Suikoden site, the Gensopedia there is amazing.)
Considering the meaning of Viele Wege (Many Ways), it really makes the most sense thematically if you think about the antagonist in the game.Antimatzist said:
I picked this up yesterday and was quite disappointed by the manual. It feels chunky in the box, but that's mostly from the Wi-Fi and safety books. The English part of the manual is only 9 B&W pages long. :lol
Regardless, I'm really looking forward to diving in. Are there any permanently missable characters in this or can I just relax while playing and not sweat missing something important?
Regardless, I'm really looking forward to diving in. Are there any permanently missable characters in this or can I just relax while playing and not sweat missing something important?
evilpigking
Member
Put in about 13 hours this weekend (16 played cause I left it on while doing other stuff) really enjoying it so far, only issues with it are the
frequency of random battles given how fast you cap out leveling with the exp system (also when backtracking without spark =/)
how when doing missions it will warp you to the middle of a dungeon then make you walk back out after 30 seconds of dialogue...without spark (since I only use Erin <3)
Oh...and the whole "m" font issue that was brought up earlier.
frequency of random battles given how fast you cap out leveling with the exp system (also when backtracking without spark =/)
how when doing missions it will warp you to the middle of a dungeon then make you walk back out after 30 seconds of dialogue...without spark (since I only use Erin <3)
Oh...and the whole "m" font issue that was brought up earlier.
shykyoichi
Member
leroidys said:
Yup.
D-Pad said:
Have you met Morrin?
Mejilan said:
I like the name of the castle. Don't like Sieg for the MC though. He's too hyper for such a noble name.
shykyoichi
Member
Mejilan said:
Around 5+ SoDs.
SilverLunar
Member
Just finished the game, it was great!
The battle system didn't really picked up with me until the last 5 hours of the game, most of my game was just pressing the auto button (even if you didn't use it the battles are fast and smooth), but when the game gets really challenging at the final parts this is where the battle system shines to me.
I really liked the story A LOT, it was interesting during the whole game, with some nice twists here and there, there wasn't a moment for me where i thought the story was dragging on, unless you are doing the side quests (which most are actually tied to the story).
Not that impressed with the characters, but they are likeable.
The music was fantastic, some of my favorites tracks on the DS library is in this game.
Highly recommended! I will buy future installments of this series for sure.
So I have one last question that has been stuck in my mind from the beginning...what does "Suikoden Tierkreis" mean???
My favorite track
The battle system didn't really picked up with me until the last 5 hours of the game, most of my game was just pressing the auto button (even if you didn't use it the battles are fast and smooth), but when the game gets really challenging at the final parts this is where the battle system shines to me.
I really liked the story A LOT, it was interesting during the whole game, with some nice twists here and there, there wasn't a moment for me where i thought the story was dragging on, unless you are doing the side quests (which most are actually tied to the story).
Not that impressed with the characters, but they are likeable.
The music was fantastic, some of my favorites tracks on the DS library is in this game.
Highly recommended! I will buy future installments of this series for sure.
So I have one last question that has been stuck in my mind from the beginning...what does "Suikoden Tierkreis" mean???
You won't know unless you try??tenritsu said:
My favorite track
shykyoichi
Member
SilverLunar said:
Suikoden means Water Margin. It's one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Tierkreis is German meaning "zodiac". It's a reference to
the 12 worlds required to summon the One King and to the 12 chronicles needed to defeat him.
I'll have to remember this on my second play through.Mejilan said:
I've put in some healthy numbers for this game lately and I can without doubt state that Suikoden Tierkreis is one of the better RPGs on DS, if not one of the best. If you're a pent-up Suikoden fanatic or you dislike the notion of random encounters (that can also be completed in less than 30 seconds) then I suggest you try to swallow your pride, get over it, and enjoy this game for what it is.
The story isn't anything to write home about but it's much better than the random junk we had to swallow during the "golden era" of RPGs that were SNES/PS1. The dialogue is well written, I haven't come across a single support character I disliked and every one of them seems to be given their chance to shine or become associated with something.
lucablight
Member
Just out of curiosity how is this game selling?
P.S Oh Blinking mirror and escape talisman how I miss you so.
P.S Oh Blinking mirror and escape talisman how I miss you so.
shykyoichi
Member
Its weird with the voices. Sometimes I swear that the lead character is speaking at a normal rate, and then the next sentence he'll be talking like someone on speed again. I also notice other characters delivering lines at awkward rates sometimes. Its a bit annoying but I got used to it.
Whilst I adored my playthrough of both I & II together, I'd go with Tierkreis. Once things ramp up after the 2nd-3rd hour mark you can't put the damn thing down, plus you get to experience a "new" game rather than subconsciously comparing it to the classics of Suikoden which might leave a bittersweet taste in your mind.Mejilan said:
Things are becoming much more complicated in terms of the story. Finding out about the origins of Liu was excellently done; it's truly a testament to the developers to have me resent and dislike a character such as him, to slowly but surely begin to use him more during my battles to the point where I feel lost if he is not in my party and to enjoy the moments when he is in conversation. Hats off to Konami.
Love the concept behind the Mark of the Stars whereby you can switch and rotate them around amongst your members, and anyone who said this game didn't revolve around war is kidding themselves - it's all I've bloody seen and heard in-game lately.
Usually the lead character is halfway through the sentence before I even realize he's started talking. It almost makes me want to turn off the voice, which is a shame because the other characters all deliver their lines fine. Plus I don't even know if you can turn it off. The game is cool, except the character models are a bit dumpy looking and movement is a bit too slow for my liking. Pretty impressive so far for DS. Shame about the main characters voice. I figured it was sped up to save space on the card, but the regular and sometimes downright slow pace of the other characters speech makes me wonder.
just came in here to say that this game is awesome. I'm only about 3 hours in so far, but i'll be damned if it isn't one of the beefiest productions on the DS. everything is there, it really brings back memories of the highest quality PS1 generation RPG's.
can't wait to see where it goes. the artwork is absolutely stunning
can't wait to see where it goes. the artwork is absolutely stunning
shykyoichi
Member
speedpop said:
I bet you haven't played II or V. That's politics.
I've played both fortunately. Outside of massing a war effort towards an opposition/maniacal madman or witnessing characters die all over the place, Tierkreis isn't much different to them. You still go through the usual alliance courting, alliance breaking, friendships among races and cultures, etc that Suikoden is known for. There's even a few backstabbing moments to boot.. just without the deaths and tense moments.shykyoichi said:
However.
There seems to be a point around level 35 where you can really break this game though. Amassing an ample amount of money through the quest rewards and then abusing the shit out of the trade system will unlock some heavy-duty weapons and armour. And because you're making a lot of money through trading, upwards of 300,000-500,000 at a single round in some instances, you can afford these massive upgrades and literally become walking gods.
Chrodechild is now a dual-wielding monster. The One True Way is but a small ant in comparison. That is all.
Urban Scholar
Member
Ok so I completed this the other day clocked at 45 hours. You might want to grab a drink or something this is going to be lengthy final thoughts on Tierkreis. Spoiler tagging for those still playing of course.
Short version:
One word to describe the overall game in my opinion, safe
As a Suikoden game....decaf, light decaf
Pros:
-Battles are quick which is true to the series
-A large/varied pool of runes...err mark of the stars magic
-A cohesive plot (never too full of itself)
-Wide variety of party members to choose from
-Never really hard or difficult in the least
-Plenty of chances to go off the beaten path and muck around for hours
-Leveling is easy & No grinding(really)
-89% of the music is good and true
Cons:
The overall package carries a huge playing it safe vibe to it
Only died once and that was my own fault during the last boss. With that said there is never ever a sense of urgency, death, imminent failure or any kid of difficulty what so ever.
With that said the gameplay felt dumb down as I resorted to using auto battles and spamming my most powerful(this word doesn't even describe the hurt you can deal) moves
More times than not the game didn't feel serious because of majority of how certain scenarios played out.
YMMV on this, but the monster designs were far more impressive than the characters.
No memorable fights to recall except 2 maybe?
In conclusion-
Ultimately my experience with the game left me wanting more from a reboot. Its clear to me that the game was clearly tailored to a younger/casual(?) audience given its design choices. Those choices made sense in that regard but how many other games out there have done the same and not feel diluted? It calls into question what a reboot should lose and gain in hopes of capturing a new audience. However, I feel that this game won't get the job done for what I already discussed.
I hate to make this game my whipping boy for the DS but this is kind of route Konami took with this is what I don't want to see more of. Is it enjoyable? Yeah it is but I found it to be more on the entertaining side side of keeping yourself busy with something that's not going to test your patience. To be honest we all need more games like that at times. In this sense it does well. At the end of the day I don't regret playing it but I'll definitely stand in attention(and read alot more info) for the next game....whenever that will be.
Short version:
One word to describe the overall game in my opinion, safe
As a Suikoden game....decaf, light decaf
Pros:
-Battles are quick which is true to the series
-A large/varied pool of runes...err mark of the stars magic
-A cohesive plot (never too full of itself)
-Wide variety of party members to choose from
-Never really hard or difficult in the least
-Plenty of chances to go off the beaten path and muck around for hours
-Leveling is easy & No grinding(really)
-89% of the music is good and true
Cons:
The overall package carries a huge playing it safe vibe to it
Only died once and that was my own fault during the last boss. With that said there is never ever a sense of urgency, death, imminent failure or any kid of difficulty what so ever.
With that said the gameplay felt dumb down as I resorted to using auto battles and spamming my most powerful(this word doesn't even describe the hurt you can deal) moves
I don't think the games ever really harped on the youth of the game's tenkai(leader) so that being a plot device to drive the narrative at points is a minus.
More times than not the game didn't feel serious because of majority of how certain scenarios played out.
YMMV on this, but the monster designs were far more impressive than the characters.
No memorable fights to recall except 2 maybe?
Correct me if I'm wrong here but these games aren't about saving the world or the entire universe for that matter...so why here?
The biggest con though was that while playing I kept feeling that it would pick itself up on its weaker half but didn't.
In conclusion-
I personally don't not like the heavy RPG staples shining through from the beginning to its end. Religious zealots, young superman, and etc. etc. I don't know if its just me but I could swear they took a shot with the Journey to West novel, One true way, the hero's armor, his staff, being from another world, and fighting the deity stuff. Yeah...
Ultimately my experience with the game left me wanting more from a reboot. Its clear to me that the game was clearly tailored to a younger/casual(?) audience given its design choices. Those choices made sense in that regard but how many other games out there have done the same and not feel diluted? It calls into question what a reboot should lose and gain in hopes of capturing a new audience. However, I feel that this game won't get the job done for what I already discussed.
I hate to make this game my whipping boy for the DS but this is kind of route Konami took with this is what I don't want to see more of. Is it enjoyable? Yeah it is but I found it to be more on the entertaining side side of keeping yourself busy with something that's not going to test your patience. To be honest we all need more games like that at times. In this sense it does well. At the end of the day I don't regret playing it but I'll definitely stand in attention(and read alot more info) for the next game....whenever that will be.
There's some possibility with Artie I think
shykyoichi
Member
speedpop said:
You get alliances because you got the 108 SoD. Remove them and there's no need for alliances. And that's not what Suikoden is known for. That's just part of it.
Robobandit
Member
Duck Amuck said:
Actually, it is sluggish.. having to go through so many menu choices to choose attacks for all of your characters is annoying.. but it is still annoying in Tierkreis. Perhaps he was referring to being able to pretty much rely on auto battle.. then again, you could get away with that on most fights in Suikoden V.. (one of my favorite ps2 games).
Are you enjoying the game at all, Duck? Jeremy's post feels overly negative, considering my current opinion of the game.
shykyoichi
Member
Last time I check, I am still a human being.Kenka said:
Duck Amuck said:
For me, conflict and mythos are the core essences of Suikoden. Wars are just the manifestation of the conflict between adharma and dharma (Yuber/Pesmerga). The sword and shield creation myth, True runes, SoD, concept of time (which follows Viki's PoV rather than the games' timeline) and interconnection of SoDs from the different games makes much of the universe I've followed for several years.
*Evil laugh*Duck Amuck said:
*More evil laugh*Duck Amuck said:
Tenkai Star
Member
According to WikipediaKenka said:
"with "Tierkreis" being German for "Zodiac" "
I'm about 7.5 hours into the game and I'm liking it a lot more then I expected too. I don't really like the 3D or the overly high encounter rate. However the music is fantastic and the story is really starting to feel more Suikoden-y. I expected to hate the mission-based gameplay, but now I think it's one of the games cooler features.
Got this game from GameFly today, so I'm joining the party.
Early (~1 hr in) impressions are positive. I like that you earn "trash items" which then have to be sold, rather than earning gold. For one, it makes more logical sense - beasts would have pelts, not Gold. For another, it seems like the trading system will add some good depth.
Combat seems pretty plain jane, but Suikoden 1 was that way too, and I liked it.
Too early to judge the plot. WTF is up with the voice acting, though?
Early (~1 hr in) impressions are positive. I like that you earn "trash items" which then have to be sold, rather than earning gold. For one, it makes more logical sense - beasts would have pelts, not Gold. For another, it seems like the trading system will add some good depth.
Combat seems pretty plain jane, but Suikoden 1 was that way too, and I liked it.
Too early to judge the plot. WTF is up with the voice acting, though?
shykyoichi said:
Can someone tell me who's missable? Or give a little mini-guide letting me know when I need to collect the missable Stars, so as to not miss them?
Don't worry about spoilers. I'm not hardcore enough about the game to really mind. As long as you aren't spoiling end-game.
There's two points in the game where you can miss Stars and both points are rather far into the game. I suggest checking the Suikosource forum for a guide on recruitable Stars, just to save others from getting spoiled.
As for the trading guide, there is a brilliant spreadsheet up at the GameFAQs forum section of the game.
As for the trading guide, there is a brilliant spreadsheet up at the GameFAQs forum section of the game.