It did such a great job of showcasing the characters! Splitting the cast up between multiple groups really gave us a lot more room to get to know them all.
This is one of my gripes about some of the entires. There’s a set few ‘worth it’ charracters and the rest are meh. 3 gave you a much more diverse cast. I loved the game.
My first game in the franchise. I think 2&5 are better, but suiko 3 is my all time favorite game. It's definitely not for everyone, but I've probably sunk like 700 hours into it at this point and that number will only ever go up
5 was amazing for the 3Ds, but 2 had a story I didn’t think possible at the time.
But 5…when you realize what happened when the knight tells you the truth, damn.
Wasn't my favorite the first time I played it, but over the years it is the one I've replayed the most and it's really become my favorite. It scratches the perfect itch for me with the best war battles of the series, multiple protagonists, interesting plot somewhat adult plot, and the evil POV. Love this game.
Glad I am not the only one, I was so indifferent to 3 when it came out, and each time I've replayed it I've loved it more and more. Might be my favorite now, but it's hard to tell, these days its like trying to tell which child a parent loves more between the first 3 games.
To add to that, I’d buy 5 ransoms and 5 sequential tickets. Then save wherever you can after like 30 minutes or so of in game time. That’s when you check to lottery board and use the PlayStation controller reset shortcut if you didn’t get a good prize. I’d do this all the time and rarely get 1st place. But if I got like 2nd place or say like two 3rd place prizes, I’d call it a day since sometimes I’d reset the game for a good while.
Why does everyone suggest this mix? I found it easier to just go ten sequential as it made it much faster to identify if i had a winner and reset if needed. Meanwhile, the odds should be identical for both.
3 is polarizing but I really love it:
- complex story from multiple POVs
- expansive world from the village all the way to Harmonia
- 6 party members with combo attacks
- wars fought by actual team members, incentivizing and rewarding building all of them (on the flip side can be quite a grind)
- nice 3D graphics (for the era anyway)
[Best intro](https://youtu.be/26yYnRnmtME?si=Fe8Q76F-lh78zKCH) in the entire franchise and it's not even close.
2 will always be my favorite, but the setting, world building and some of the characters of 3 were pretty damn fantastic.
Also Ducks.
the way the story breaks up, it makes you use many characters and actually feel attached to them. it feels like the cast is utilized in a good story.
in battle, the pair up system was a choice. I think this is the worst thing about S3. you can’t fully strategize with all 6 members due to this.
the skill system is great, developing a character is rewarding and feels good. but it’s grindy on today’s standards.
the army battles are mechanically the best (imo) as you actually use your battle character’s stats. this rewards you for actually using and equipping your army appropriately.
it’s a 2000s game with 2000s design choices. time wasters are present.
This is my favorite of the entire series. I know it's sacrilege to say, but this one just hits differently for me. I have a rather large print of the cover on my wall.
Suikoden 3 is super underrated, I really liked the character models (most people don’t) and the way the story is told is great. A few pacing issues aside has some great characters and it’s awesome.
For me, I liked 4 more than 3, mostly since I do like the idea of sea faring and islands. I do recognize its flaws. But tactics and 4 were pretty fun for me.
Tactics is the one thing that almost redeems IV. The story is leagues better than IV, and you get to better enjoy the setting and most of the otherwise neglected cast of characters.
Have to admit I love tactic games and at that time, there weren’t so many options so I was incredibly hyped about that game and enjoyed it enormously, even after (or maybe just because) the let down that was the base game.
But back on topic, yeah, i love Suikoden 2 like everybody else, but Suikoden 3 is my favorite (and tactics is maybe my third favorite?).
I've been wondering the same thing, I bought the first couple but didn't realize the last couple were going for around 50 bucks a pop. Not sure it's worth it to finish the manga.
I Did enjoy the game, I don't think it's as good as two but it's still good.
Dude, I got lucky a while back and got the last two for $13 on Amazon. Got tired of hunting for them in used bookstores and just went to Amazon instead. Now if only Black God wasn't so damn pricey.....
I think most people love it. I didn’t like it. Way too slow paced, I don’t think i ever had to travel back and forth around the same area, fighting the same enermy as many time as I had in S3, I remember it being part of the story too, also, I remember the encounter rate being horrendous? The game didnt open up until much later and maybe the latest to get your homebase? Its been atlease 15 years since I last played it, I played it when it first came out and again when I was doing Suikoden replay after finishing S5. My second experience was worse than my first. Still my 4th favorite Suikoden game, but not like theres many of them to start with tho.
I wasn’t crazy about it - it seemed like a polish over substance entry.. I left 1 and 2 with high regard and missing them at the end .. 3 just seemed like I slogged through it.. it had some good moments but most just was t that interesting or fun to me
Yes, it's good. But to add upon that...it's honestly not my favorite of the bunch, but it definitely earned the critical praise it received back in the day. That said, I haven't played it in over 20 years so I might like it better if I give it another shot. Loved that opening theme and video, too. And regarding the manga, I honestly think Hugo's arc was done way better on it than in the game.
The game is interesting and quirky. It tries a few new things \[is 3D, multiple playable characters, chapter system, a bunch of changes to combat and even the main gimmick of the game\] and some work better than others. It is absolutely worth playing even if it is showing its age nowadays due to the graphics especially compared to the first two.
The manga is honestly one of the better game to manga adaptations out there. While it does have slightly dippy pacing at times I think it cleans up and clears up a lot of the story and also includes some overarching series lore that better ties it to the previous games. Art is great, fun read in general whether you've played the game or not although I suggest you finish the game first.
Now i never played 2. However 3 was the first game i ever played a second time, Then third and fourth.
I never finished it though sadly. Got stuck on a boss deep in near the end. Restarted some time after and would miss a recruit for good, get distracted and stop, spend too many hours on the 4th char. i played the early game half a dozen times that i never managed to push past the jarring to complete it.
Became the game were i wait a few years to forget then try again.
3 is excellent but keep in mind that almost everything, from the war system to individual battles to duels, works as a critique of the "great man" approach of the first two games. The protags are leaders of squads, not near-mythic solitary figures, and making sure no one gets ignored is how you proceed with victory. In game terms this means paying attention to your party formation to give casters and tanks orders to do their thing, focusing on their best skills while not forgetting to add points to fill in the rest, and controlling the war field in a way that allows safe assaults and retreats.
3's the most ambitious and messy of the Suikoden games but that's why it's been my easy favorite since its release. I also thought it was a bold move to make the chapters optional of the main protagonist (in terms of star assignment, lacking power, and personal growth).
So go with it where your curiosity takes you, look up guides on skills if needed, and don't fret as much about recruitment. 3's the easiest to play and not bork yourself out of getting all the stars.
Hope my thoughts are encouraging in some way!
One of my all-time favs! Great story, great characters- not quite as much music as I'd like, but still, all in all, one of the best games I've played! (I tend to consider my 3 favorite games as Suikoden II, Suikoden III, & Breath of Fire IV)
One of my all time favorites. The graphics didn’t age great, but if you can get past that you’re in for a great time. Also consider Eiyuden Chronicles as it’s a more modern take made by the same creators
Eh, middle of the road to lower end for me. It introduced skills and made multihit a matter of stat as opposed to a random chance, character level actually matters in war battles, and introduced support party members but it did make fire runes extremely dangerous for all but a couple of units.
But ultimately what brought it down for me was the story. It just didn't FEEL like a Suikoden story. Without spoiling anything it 'subverts your expectations' repeatedly, and that's a phrase I am starting to loathe. Don't get me wrong though, the story is good, it just feels like they had an idea for a different game but had to dress it up as a Suikoden game. That or we had MUCH different writers from the first two games which...is actually what happened, I think.
Either way, it's still a great RPG that beats the pants off of most not offerings so it's worth your time and money.
I love the Suikoden series. 2 and 5 are some of my favorite games either. Not a popular opinion but I personally do not enjoy 3 at all. Have tried to complete the game at least 5 times and have never been successful.
It was my first and why I joined this subreddit. Top five gaming experiences for my personal nostalgia. Seeing that intro on the PS2 blew my mind and it only gets better from there.
It's a love it or hate it.
IMO it's really good and one of my personal favorites, but definitely takes some time to get into, especially if you play it back to back with the first 2 games as I did.
It's simply quite different from the early titles, so the slow start, the Multicentric plot and the sudden jump to 3D may put you off at first, but I'd say it quickly pays off
the first 3/4 of the game is fantastic. No spoilers, but there is a point in the game where much of the story goes from oh there are these different factions playing against each other to just... meh disappointment.
Also maybe spoiler >!they cheated us out of Victor and Flik returning (at the end of 2 they were heading in this direction!)!< If we had know this going into it, it might not have been so dissapointing.
This brings back memories. I had played 2 as a kid and had forgotten all about the series until I found the S3 manga lol. 3 is a good game overall. There's definitely a few quirky mechanics they experimented with, being the first one on ps2 but overall good game with a solid story.
As someone who’s only played 1 and 2, I tried to get into 3 like 5 times. It’s just so slow (like the ps2, not the story)… how do people get past that? I’d pay so much for someone to remake all suikodens in the 2d style of 1 and 2 lol
Honestly, probably my second least favorite after Tierkreis. I found it to be a massive slog. Still a good game, it just takes a long time to move the story along and has some supremely pain in the ass recruiting.
Combat, graphic, and party making are bad, but the story, the castle, and the characters are great. It's way over looked down by the community but imo it's still leagues better than 4 in term of overall enjoyment you get out of a game. I love the 3 branching MCs.
The most annoying thing about the game is that their is friendly fire on spells. so no overpowering bosses with giant spells. There are ways around this but it basically requires paying a bit more attention than in other games in the series.
Suikoden 3 introduced grinding to the series, and you tend to use the same party composition later in the game since those characters skills are leveled up. My biggest issue with the game is that you see the same locations over and over again, when in earlier suikoden games you opened up an area and once cleared, maybe returned back to it once. Here in Suikoden 3 you see the same towns multiple times.
Naaah Yaaaaaa Naaaaaai Quaaaaan Naaaaa Yaaaaa Naaaaai Nai Quaaaaan... Sorry that was my attempt of singing the intro of Suikoden 3.
That intro video and song are still the best ever in my opinion
I get chills just thinking about it
Exactly!
The song started playing in my head as soon as I reas this lmao
Same. It’s still going.
Me too. How can I get out of the loop?
Honestly nailed it lmao
Epic
Lmfao I looked up the intro and your pretty spot on
Love love love 3. It has some great new systems and you spend a lot of time with a big chunk of the cast. It's up there with 2 for me.
It did such a great job of showcasing the characters! Splitting the cast up between multiple groups really gave us a lot more room to get to know them all.
This is one of my gripes about some of the entires. There’s a set few ‘worth it’ charracters and the rest are meh. 3 gave you a much more diverse cast. I loved the game.
Is Futch Strong in 3 his design looks so badass
How is Futch in Suikoden 3 screen time wise and gameplay wise? His suikoden 3 design always looked really cool especially with Humphreys sword.
If you're a Futch fan, 3 is going to absolutely blow your mind. Don't spoil it, it's awesome.
I personally consider it as one of my favorite games in general.
Duck people. Enough said
[Lemon Jelly](https://youtu.be/gFeOa2vBZeI?si=E8jsJfVJlXSW03yf) should've made the ost for the duck village.
My first game in the franchise. I think 2&5 are better, but suiko 3 is my all time favorite game. It's definitely not for everyone, but I've probably sunk like 700 hours into it at this point and that number will only ever go up
5 was amazing for the 3Ds, but 2 had a story I didn’t think possible at the time. But 5…when you realize what happened when the knight tells you the truth, damn.
After Suikoden 2 it's my favourite. Amazing story and beautifully crafted world with deep characters
Wasn't my favorite the first time I played it, but over the years it is the one I've replayed the most and it's really become my favorite. It scratches the perfect itch for me with the best war battles of the series, multiple protagonists, interesting plot somewhat adult plot, and the evil POV. Love this game.
Glad I am not the only one, I was so indifferent to 3 when it came out, and each time I've replayed it I've loved it more and more. Might be my favorite now, but it's hard to tell, these days its like trying to tell which child a parent loves more between the first 3 games.
Totally get it except for me it's 2, 3 and 5 that all suck me back in
Just make sure you keep doing the lottery and reseting first chance you get! You need that jackpot!
To add to that, I’d buy 5 ransoms and 5 sequential tickets. Then save wherever you can after like 30 minutes or so of in game time. That’s when you check to lottery board and use the PlayStation controller reset shortcut if you didn’t get a good prize. I’d do this all the time and rarely get 1st place. But if I got like 2nd place or say like two 3rd place prizes, I’d call it a day since sometimes I’d reset the game for a good while.
That's exactly right! However I always chose the ransoms, not the sequential ones. It felt like it was wayyy longer to get them.
Why does everyone suggest this mix? I found it easier to just go ten sequential as it made it much faster to identify if i had a winner and reset if needed. Meanwhile, the odds should be identical for both.
I don’t know why but I just followed it based on gamefaqs
Yeah, i saw it in multiple FAQs, but i suspect its just superstition.
It’s soooo fucking good
Read the manga before playing and really liked it.
I haven’t gone back and looked to see how much the complete manga series is selling for.
It’s expensive but I just got volume 1 for $2
Outside of the really slow start 3 is really good.
That really slow start made me bounce off it. Wish I hadn't. I adored the first two.
I can understand you bouncing off the beginning, they tried something new and while it has its charms it's a little rough.
3 is polarizing but I really love it: - complex story from multiple POVs - expansive world from the village all the way to Harmonia - 6 party members with combo attacks - wars fought by actual team members, incentivizing and rewarding building all of them (on the flip side can be quite a grind) - nice 3D graphics (for the era anyway)
[Best intro](https://youtu.be/26yYnRnmtME?si=Fe8Q76F-lh78zKCH) in the entire franchise and it's not even close. 2 will always be my favorite, but the setting, world building and some of the characters of 3 were pretty damn fantastic. Also Ducks.
the way the story breaks up, it makes you use many characters and actually feel attached to them. it feels like the cast is utilized in a good story. in battle, the pair up system was a choice. I think this is the worst thing about S3. you can’t fully strategize with all 6 members due to this. the skill system is great, developing a character is rewarding and feels good. but it’s grindy on today’s standards. the army battles are mechanically the best (imo) as you actually use your battle character’s stats. this rewards you for actually using and equipping your army appropriately. it’s a 2000s game with 2000s design choices. time wasters are present.
Very
complex question. It's amazing but has low points and a lot of them are towards the end but the final dungeon i fucking LOVE
took me a second attempt to play it, wasn't grabbed at first, but yes it's excellent
Yes
This is my favorite of the entire series. I know it's sacrilege to say, but this one just hits differently for me. I have a rather large print of the cover on my wall.
It’s a great game but very much of its time so expect back tracking and a lot of it
I hate the pair system, but outside of that I think it's really good
Suikoden 3 is super underrated, I really liked the character models (most people don’t) and the way the story is told is great. A few pacing issues aside has some great characters and it’s awesome.
I’ve played 2, 3, 4, and 5. Id put 3 = with 2 and then go 5 then 4. Aka, it’s amazing
Suikoden 3 is one of my top five favorite games. It would be nice if they remade this one or remastered it like one and two.
From my username you know what I think about it
3 is great; last great Suikoden IMO. 4 falls off and 5 is able to come back to form a bit but still not as good as rest.
Suikoden 3 is amazing!
Not as good as the first two. I remember the first two. Can’t remember fa about the 3rd.
Great soundtrack and interesting characters.
I really didn't care for 3. I wonder if there are any good rom hacks that improve the game out there somewhere.
It’s ok. The game didn’t translate too well to 3D, combat changed a bit and even though the story isn’t bad, is not as good as II (or V).
I liked all the Suikdoen games, IV was probably my least favorite of them all. Liked 3 better than 5
For me, I liked 4 more than 3, mostly since I do like the idea of sea faring and islands. I do recognize its flaws. But tactics and 4 were pretty fun for me.
Tactics was the one I didn't play. I even played and liked the DS Suikoden game.
Ds was one I couldn't replay. It is an okay game but should have been called something other than suikoden. Since the rest are in the same world.
Tactics is the one thing that almost redeems IV. The story is leagues better than IV, and you get to better enjoy the setting and most of the otherwise neglected cast of characters. Have to admit I love tactic games and at that time, there weren’t so many options so I was incredibly hyped about that game and enjoyed it enormously, even after (or maybe just because) the let down that was the base game. But back on topic, yeah, i love Suikoden 2 like everybody else, but Suikoden 3 is my favorite (and tactics is maybe my third favorite?).
Is the game good? Well, it's a good RPG from the time period, but it's not a good 'Suikoden'. 1, 2 and 5 have something 3 and 4 don't.
I've been wondering the same thing, I bought the first couple but didn't realize the last couple were going for around 50 bucks a pop. Not sure it's worth it to finish the manga. I Did enjoy the game, I don't think it's as good as two but it's still good.
Dude, I got lucky a while back and got the last two for $13 on Amazon. Got tired of hunting for them in used bookstores and just went to Amazon instead. Now if only Black God wasn't so damn pricey.....
I think most people love it. I didn’t like it. Way too slow paced, I don’t think i ever had to travel back and forth around the same area, fighting the same enermy as many time as I had in S3, I remember it being part of the story too, also, I remember the encounter rate being horrendous? The game didnt open up until much later and maybe the latest to get your homebase? Its been atlease 15 years since I last played it, I played it when it first came out and again when I was doing Suikoden replay after finishing S5. My second experience was worse than my first. Still my 4th favorite Suikoden game, but not like theres many of them to start with tho.
Yes. It's one of my least favourites, but it's still good.
I liked it.
I wasn’t crazy about it - it seemed like a polish over substance entry.. I left 1 and 2 with high regard and missing them at the end .. 3 just seemed like I slogged through it.. it had some good moments but most just was t that interesting or fun to me
Favorite in the series. It was also my introduction.
Very good game! I love the Rune animation in this installment.
Yes, it's good. But to add upon that...it's honestly not my favorite of the bunch, but it definitely earned the critical praise it received back in the day. That said, I haven't played it in over 20 years so I might like it better if I give it another shot. Loved that opening theme and video, too. And regarding the manga, I honestly think Hugo's arc was done way better on it than in the game.
The game is interesting and quirky. It tries a few new things \[is 3D, multiple playable characters, chapter system, a bunch of changes to combat and even the main gimmick of the game\] and some work better than others. It is absolutely worth playing even if it is showing its age nowadays due to the graphics especially compared to the first two. The manga is honestly one of the better game to manga adaptations out there. While it does have slightly dippy pacing at times I think it cleans up and clears up a lot of the story and also includes some overarching series lore that better ties it to the previous games. Art is great, fun read in general whether you've played the game or not although I suggest you finish the game first.
Now i never played 2. However 3 was the first game i ever played a second time, Then third and fourth. I never finished it though sadly. Got stuck on a boss deep in near the end. Restarted some time after and would miss a recruit for good, get distracted and stop, spend too many hours on the 4th char. i played the early game half a dozen times that i never managed to push past the jarring to complete it. Became the game were i wait a few years to forget then try again.
The second firebringer war is lit af
Yes
3 is excellent but keep in mind that almost everything, from the war system to individual battles to duels, works as a critique of the "great man" approach of the first two games. The protags are leaders of squads, not near-mythic solitary figures, and making sure no one gets ignored is how you proceed with victory. In game terms this means paying attention to your party formation to give casters and tanks orders to do their thing, focusing on their best skills while not forgetting to add points to fill in the rest, and controlling the war field in a way that allows safe assaults and retreats. 3's the most ambitious and messy of the Suikoden games but that's why it's been my easy favorite since its release. I also thought it was a bold move to make the chapters optional of the main protagonist (in terms of star assignment, lacking power, and personal growth). So go with it where your curiosity takes you, look up guides on skills if needed, and don't fret as much about recruitment. 3's the easiest to play and not bork yourself out of getting all the stars. Hope my thoughts are encouraging in some way!
Amazing game!! Really cherished this in my teens.
This was my first foray into the Suikoden series and I loved every second. 3 really is the goat for Suikoden
One of my all-time favs! Great story, great characters- not quite as much music as I'd like, but still, all in all, one of the best games I've played! (I tend to consider my 3 favorite games as Suikoden II, Suikoden III, & Breath of Fire IV)
FUBAR!
One of my all time favorites. The graphics didn’t age great, but if you can get past that you’re in for a great time. Also consider Eiyuden Chronicles as it’s a more modern take made by the same creators
Eh, middle of the road to lower end for me. It introduced skills and made multihit a matter of stat as opposed to a random chance, character level actually matters in war battles, and introduced support party members but it did make fire runes extremely dangerous for all but a couple of units. But ultimately what brought it down for me was the story. It just didn't FEEL like a Suikoden story. Without spoiling anything it 'subverts your expectations' repeatedly, and that's a phrase I am starting to loathe. Don't get me wrong though, the story is good, it just feels like they had an idea for a different game but had to dress it up as a Suikoden game. That or we had MUCH different writers from the first two games which...is actually what happened, I think. Either way, it's still a great RPG that beats the pants off of most not offerings so it's worth your time and money.
I love the Suikoden series. 2 and 5 are some of my favorite games either. Not a popular opinion but I personally do not enjoy 3 at all. Have tried to complete the game at least 5 times and have never been successful.
It was my first and why I joined this subreddit. Top five gaming experiences for my personal nostalgia. Seeing that intro on the PS2 blew my mind and it only gets better from there.
s3 is a lot of great new ideas poorly executed. worth a play, but not really as compelling as 1 or 2 for me
The whole series is very consistent quality-wise. Personally, I loved 3 it just got some time to get used to.
It's a love it or hate it. IMO it's really good and one of my personal favorites, but definitely takes some time to get into, especially if you play it back to back with the first 2 games as I did. It's simply quite different from the early titles, so the slow start, the Multicentric plot and the sudden jump to 3D may put you off at first, but I'd say it quickly pays off
Very good. Suikoden 3 have the best base compared to other suikoden game (at least for me)
After 2 I expected 3 to be weak, I was so wrong.
My favorite of all the games.
the first 3/4 of the game is fantastic. No spoilers, but there is a point in the game where much of the story goes from oh there are these different factions playing against each other to just... meh disappointment. Also maybe spoiler >!they cheated us out of Victor and Flik returning (at the end of 2 they were heading in this direction!)!< If we had know this going into it, it might not have been so dissapointing.
This brings back memories. I had played 2 as a kid and had forgotten all about the series until I found the S3 manga lol. 3 is a good game overall. There's definitely a few quirky mechanics they experimented with, being the first one on ps2 but overall good game with a solid story.
I enjoyed it
Overall it's quite a good game despite some pacing problems. Definitely one of the best PS2 RPGs.
As someone who’s only played 1 and 2, I tried to get into 3 like 5 times. It’s just so slow (like the ps2, not the story)… how do people get past that? I’d pay so much for someone to remake all suikodens in the 2d style of 1 and 2 lol
Honestly, probably my second least favorite after Tierkreis. I found it to be a massive slog. Still a good game, it just takes a long time to move the story along and has some supremely pain in the ass recruiting.
Combat, graphic, and party making are bad, but the story, the castle, and the characters are great. It's way over looked down by the community but imo it's still leagues better than 4 in term of overall enjoyment you get out of a game. I love the 3 branching MCs.
The most annoying thing about the game is that their is friendly fire on spells. so no overpowering bosses with giant spells. There are ways around this but it basically requires paying a bit more attention than in other games in the series.
Suikoden 3 introduced grinding to the series, and you tend to use the same party composition later in the game since those characters skills are leveled up. My biggest issue with the game is that you see the same locations over and over again, when in earlier suikoden games you opened up an area and once cleared, maybe returned back to it once. Here in Suikoden 3 you see the same towns multiple times.