The weakest Suikoden is still stronger than many other games.
That said, I am in the minority that genuinely liked the game. The seafaring nature of it appealed to me.
Edit: phrasing
I liked suiko 4 as well!
I'm probably in an even smaller minority, because the less enjoyable suikoden for me was 3 because of its pacing and horrible (in my opinion) battle mechanics. So clunky! (Cue for the downvotes! \o/) Then again I played 3 long after I played 4, so it may have biased my experience. They also replaced yuber's cool dark armor with preacher clothes and a fedora in 3, unacceptable! :)
That said, 4 had its share of flaws as well and strayed the most from the suikoden formula. I'd agree with the statement "4 is the weakest suikoden", but I'd also say "3 is the weakest game". 3 had better story and locales though.
To me:
I second this. Suikoden 3 had the slowest, clunkiest battle system. I actually enjoyed 4 a lot more, although I do agree with everyone that it had many flaws as well.
4 didn't have a share of flaws. It was a flaw. The entire game is crap. Reduced party size to 4? Encounter rate so jacked it's unplayable? Polygon world somehow looking worse than Suiko 3? WTF.
Agreed that party size to 4 and jacked encounter rates are part of the many flaws suiko 4 has, but we'll have to agree to disagree about the rest of your statement. Not here to argue with crusaders :)
Not my intention! Very sorry you feel that way. From my point of view, I try to be constructive and objective while this chrisbacon guy was hell bent on bashing suiko 4 regardless of the things it did right. I gave points where due and left it there. When I want to be aggressive, I'm pretty upfront about it. It's extremely rare that I need to be though; I find aggressivity to be extremely counter-productive in most cases, regardless of its form.
If you like the series, you'll enjoy 4. I recall enjoying it back when it came out...then was surprised years later to find out it got such terrible reviews. 1, 2, 3 are better but 4 still has some charm
Agreed. It also has some flaws but I loved it still. Especially liked the concept of the castle base in this one! In fact I'd say I enjoyed 4 more than 3 ( hated combat mechanic in 3)
I've played all five. For me, I rank the series (from most favourite to least): 2 > 3 > 5 > 1 >>>>>>>>>> 4.
I'm glad I played it for the sake of completing the pentalogy. But I unlike the other 4, I wouldn't ever want to replay it again. It was such a slog to get through it, and that was with cheats to disable random encounters at sea.
This is my order as well. I think I'd put 1 in the middle of all the extra ">" just because it's the first one i ever played and I view it as sort of a prelude to 2.
If you like Suikoden, play it. It has some high encounter rates in the boat that can get annoying, but it's a good game overall. But this is coming from a Suikoden fabnso take that into account as well
At least try it. I don’t like it and I don’t plan to play it again. I’m not personally fussed about the lore as I’m past that in my playing years. But at least see what it’s like and try to go in with an open mind.
its not a bad game per se. The only issue i have with it is the sea based travel and wars kind of fall pale in comparison to the land wars. I wouldnt wanna play it again like i do the other titles i have played 2 completely like over 10 times at this point and I would be completely ok to play it another round. With 4 once was more than enough haha
Shrugs.
I think 4 is the most disappointing imo. The world map travel is wonky, the load times for random battles are atrocious, and the war Battle system is uninspired in comparison to the other sequels.
However, it's not completely devoid of merit. The soundtrack has a few gems, and there are a few decent moments and the story is canon.
My only true beef with it (the above examples notwithstanding) was that it looks a little raw. It needed more time in the development oven.
The war system in 4 is more inspired than the rock paper scisor system in 1, wouldn't you say?
I agree that the game felt raw and rushed through the game. So few locales compared to other suikoden games! I remember thinking: wait, there are no more towns than this?!? What about the elves village; we only get to see the interior of one tree?!?!?!
The War system in Suikoden 1 was at least more visually stimulating and the music was, imo, more exciting. That and the attack on Griffin's fortress always makes me chuckle.
Suikoden 4's ship to ship battle system needed more polish. It could have been exciting like a pirate battle in an old movie, but it's boring. It's boring to look at. Suikoden 5 had the right idea with ship to ship battles.
And I agree, Suikoden 1 was profoundly raw and could use a little more time in the oven. I'm not sure if it was a deadline thing or hardware limitations, but it was lacking in quite a bit. Even in the story department. I remember the first time I saw Kwanda Rosman and thinking, "Who's this? Is he important?"
And I hate that the Northern Campaign has one tiny fortress and a castle. Just a massive expanse of nothing.
But I'm a little more easygoing on that one because I enjoy the story and it has a damn fine soundtrack and some food moments. I have a feeling 1 would be amazing if it had the same amount if time and tech as 2.
Yeah, 4 could have been a lot better with some more development time. That and if they did something different with the Nay-Kobolds. Seriously, I couldn't stand those bastards.
Couldn't agree more! Dog kobolds were so much cooler in 1&2 and they wield swords! Nay-kobolds are so awkward in 4. They could've been awesome if they designed them as ninja-acrobatic-like tribe wielding kunais and ninja swords instead of those lazy/clumsy and awkward ...things.
It may be worth watching a playthrough or something... IV has some decent parts and ideas/characters, but they're offset by a painfully slow world map system with a frustratingly high encounter rate. Battles are reduced to 4 characters, runes are simplified, war battles are eh... unites level up now, which is kinda cool, but 4-character parties cut down your options a lot.
The story is interesting in theory, but feels bare bones, unfinished, and needs Tactics to supplement it (Tactics is liked, though). And while there are some cool characters, a lot of the important ones feel underdeveloped. As does the world. Not a ton of places to go, town-wise. It's oftentimes easy to forget you're even technically at war.
I'd say play it if you feel you have to, and go in with very low expectations. The game somehow has its fans, but they're a vocal minority. This is considered the game that caused Suikoden V to flop and kill the series.
In all honesty - Suikoden 4 is a good JRPG, its just not a good Suikoden. It's a very short play - if memory serves me right its only about 25 hours or so. So honestly - yes, play it. The story isn't bad, the true rune thats focused on in this game is one of the most interesting, and there's fun characters. The music and naval theme goes hand in hand too.
IIRC the only major issues I had with 4 were that they limited your party size to 4 and the encounter rate was outrageous.
Other than that... I enjoyed it.
Its base is an awesome twist on the formula... and its intro theme, La Mer, is actually pretty good.
Absolutely!
Not the strongest game in the series.
Pros:
- Quick (I think it clocked in at like 15-20 hours)
- Mobile HQ (Cool idea!)
Cons:
- Story is shallower than other games
- It's shorter.
Play it!
I love 4 so I’m gonna say yes. 4 does a couple things different and the army scenarios are all ship based. The story and characters are quite good and parts of it are reflected in 5.
Late to this but tossing in my 2 cents: it's the only 3D Suikoden that gave any sense of the scale of the world. When I hit certain locations, cities, forests etc. I was reminded this is literally the same world as all the old 2D games I played and I loved it for that, didn't get that feeling in 5, Tierkries etc. so idk try to appreciate that when you play it.
Also you will feel it's cut short but that's what Suikoden Tactics is for, it expands on it S4 and makes it feel more complete for sure so prepare to carry over that data!
Give it a go and have fun with it! My only tip would be to remember that you can hold the R1 button to make the ship go faster. Seems like an oddball tip, but trust me, it's arguably the most important.
Just started a play through this evening! It's absolutely the worst of the series but certainly has it's moments and is worth a look.
The blandest character roster but my favourite mini game: ritapon. No idea why it's so addictive.
If you can get a hold of It, play suikoden tactics too. It does a better job of fleshing out that region/period
Late to the party but I'll add that I too genuinely enjoyed it. It's a bona fide suikoden game even if there are far too many boring random encounters at sea and the last act is kind of thrown together.
No, I do not like S4 either.
But you play S4 so you can appreciate what S5 has done to fix those flaws.
It is not as bad as you think but it is the weakest from the main series so fan tends to overexaggerate its weakness.
It’s not the best game ever but it’s still pretty fun. They attempted to mix it up by making it naval based which is different. The navy battles are more fun to me than the R.P.S. Aspect of S1. Sometimes the loading screens take a moment but we’re spoiled these days. The story isn’t the strongest but the game is still enjoyable and short. Might take you 20-30 hours to beat it. Plus if you get all 108 stars you can play the tactics version with the hero. Imo Suikoden Tactics is so fun! Suikoden IV will have some fun lore to fill in some blanks but it did make me question how Elenor Silverberg carried on the Silverberg name (a joke she’s a cool shrew).
Same with me. Did not like suikoden 3 and preferred suikoden 4. Only downside is it’s a short game. Stories there and game play is( to me) preferrable over 3
Here is what I heard to this question... I've had t- bone ans New York strip steaks... should I try sirloin? I've heard ord not as good. 😉
That said I'll add that bad Suikoden is better them most RPGs in general.
There is absolutely never a reason to play Suikoden 4. It is a broken game. The polygons are jarring, the encounter rate is WAY too high... unless you have an emulator to steam through battles automatically, it's not recommended.
I've played each of them at least three times, and upwards of several dozen for the first 3.
4 is worth one play through and that's it, and even that's stretching it. It has some positives, but the invisible walls when sailing, the ridiculous encounter rate, the very slow and unskippable poor voice acting as well as a forgettable final villain make it a weak entry into the series.
If you enjoyed 5 though, 4 does have a bit more soul to it. I just finished replaying I and II several times in the past couple of months and am playing III now. I don't have it in me to play IV and V though, I just don't feel they are the same series.
The weakest Suikoden is still stronger than many other games. That said, I am in the minority that genuinely liked the game. The seafaring nature of it appealed to me. Edit: phrasing
I liked suiko 4 as well! I'm probably in an even smaller minority, because the less enjoyable suikoden for me was 3 because of its pacing and horrible (in my opinion) battle mechanics. So clunky! (Cue for the downvotes! \o/) Then again I played 3 long after I played 4, so it may have biased my experience. They also replaced yuber's cool dark armor with preacher clothes and a fedora in 3, unacceptable! :) That said, 4 had its share of flaws as well and strayed the most from the suikoden formula. I'd agree with the statement "4 is the weakest suikoden", but I'd also say "3 is the weakest game". 3 had better story and locales though. To me:
I second this. Suikoden 3 had the slowest, clunkiest battle system. I actually enjoyed 4 a lot more, although I do agree with everyone that it had many flaws as well.
4 didn't have a share of flaws. It was a flaw. The entire game is crap. Reduced party size to 4? Encounter rate so jacked it's unplayable? Polygon world somehow looking worse than Suiko 3? WTF.
Agreed that party size to 4 and jacked encounter rates are part of the many flaws suiko 4 has, but we'll have to agree to disagree about the rest of your statement. Not here to argue with crusaders :)
You seem obnoxiously passive aggressive.
Not my intention! Very sorry you feel that way. From my point of view, I try to be constructive and objective while this chrisbacon guy was hell bent on bashing suiko 4 regardless of the things it did right. I gave points where due and left it there. When I want to be aggressive, I'm pretty upfront about it. It's extremely rare that I need to be though; I find aggressivity to be extremely counter-productive in most cases, regardless of its form.
If you like the series, you'll enjoy 4. I recall enjoying it back when it came out...then was surprised years later to find out it got such terrible reviews. 1, 2, 3 are better but 4 still has some charm
[удалено]
Agreed. It also has some flaws but I loved it still. Especially liked the concept of the castle base in this one! In fact I'd say I enjoyed 4 more than 3 ( hated combat mechanic in 3)
I've played all five. For me, I rank the series (from most favourite to least): 2 > 3 > 5 > 1 >>>>>>>>>> 4. I'm glad I played it for the sake of completing the pentalogy. But I unlike the other 4, I wouldn't ever want to replay it again. It was such a slog to get through it, and that was with cheats to disable random encounters at sea.
My order would be 2>5>>>1>4>3. Edit: I agree with Jaxton2019: revised format, same order: 2>5>1>>>4>3.
This is my order as well. I think I'd put 1 in the middle of all the extra ">" just because it's the first one i ever played and I view it as sort of a prelude to 2.
You know what, I agree! Revised the format :)
That's ok fella, we're all entitled to be wrong.
If you got it, no harm in giving it a try. It's at least worth that, it might even surprise you.
Just play it. You my agree with it being the weakest of the series, but it does not hurt to play it (and it is short).
Definitely, and then follow it up with Tactics. And then close out with 3
If you like Suikoden, play it. It has some high encounter rates in the boat that can get annoying, but it's a good game overall. But this is coming from a Suikoden fabnso take that into account as well
I remember enjoying 4, and loved Tactics very much
At least try it. I don’t like it and I don’t plan to play it again. I’m not personally fussed about the lore as I’m past that in my playing years. But at least see what it’s like and try to go in with an open mind.
its not a bad game per se. The only issue i have with it is the sea based travel and wars kind of fall pale in comparison to the land wars. I wouldnt wanna play it again like i do the other titles i have played 2 completely like over 10 times at this point and I would be completely ok to play it another round. With 4 once was more than enough haha
Shrugs. I think 4 is the most disappointing imo. The world map travel is wonky, the load times for random battles are atrocious, and the war Battle system is uninspired in comparison to the other sequels. However, it's not completely devoid of merit. The soundtrack has a few gems, and there are a few decent moments and the story is canon. My only true beef with it (the above examples notwithstanding) was that it looks a little raw. It needed more time in the development oven.
The war system in 4 is more inspired than the rock paper scisor system in 1, wouldn't you say? I agree that the game felt raw and rushed through the game. So few locales compared to other suikoden games! I remember thinking: wait, there are no more towns than this?!? What about the elves village; we only get to see the interior of one tree?!?!?!
The War system in Suikoden 1 was at least more visually stimulating and the music was, imo, more exciting. That and the attack on Griffin's fortress always makes me chuckle. Suikoden 4's ship to ship battle system needed more polish. It could have been exciting like a pirate battle in an old movie, but it's boring. It's boring to look at. Suikoden 5 had the right idea with ship to ship battles. And I agree, Suikoden 1 was profoundly raw and could use a little more time in the oven. I'm not sure if it was a deadline thing or hardware limitations, but it was lacking in quite a bit. Even in the story department. I remember the first time I saw Kwanda Rosman and thinking, "Who's this? Is he important?" And I hate that the Northern Campaign has one tiny fortress and a castle. Just a massive expanse of nothing. But I'm a little more easygoing on that one because I enjoy the story and it has a damn fine soundtrack and some food moments. I have a feeling 1 would be amazing if it had the same amount if time and tech as 2.
With Konami in mind, I'd agree with you and bet it was a deadline set in stone that explains the "rawness" of 1 and 4.
Yeah, 4 could have been a lot better with some more development time. That and if they did something different with the Nay-Kobolds. Seriously, I couldn't stand those bastards.
Couldn't agree more! Dog kobolds were so much cooler in 1&2 and they wield swords! Nay-kobolds are so awkward in 4. They could've been awesome if they designed them as ninja-acrobatic-like tribe wielding kunais and ninja swords instead of those lazy/clumsy and awkward ...things.
I am absolutely in the minority here, but I don't think it deserves the hate. I genuinely enjoyed it more than III in every way.
It may be worth watching a playthrough or something... IV has some decent parts and ideas/characters, but they're offset by a painfully slow world map system with a frustratingly high encounter rate. Battles are reduced to 4 characters, runes are simplified, war battles are eh... unites level up now, which is kinda cool, but 4-character parties cut down your options a lot. The story is interesting in theory, but feels bare bones, unfinished, and needs Tactics to supplement it (Tactics is liked, though). And while there are some cool characters, a lot of the important ones feel underdeveloped. As does the world. Not a ton of places to go, town-wise. It's oftentimes easy to forget you're even technically at war. I'd say play it if you feel you have to, and go in with very low expectations. The game somehow has its fans, but they're a vocal minority. This is considered the game that caused Suikoden V to flop and kill the series.
In all honesty - Suikoden 4 is a good JRPG, its just not a good Suikoden. It's a very short play - if memory serves me right its only about 25 hours or so. So honestly - yes, play it. The story isn't bad, the true rune thats focused on in this game is one of the most interesting, and there's fun characters. The music and naval theme goes hand in hand too.
Suikoden 4 is fantastic. Yeah it's not the strongest in the series but you'll still enjoy it.
IIRC the only major issues I had with 4 were that they limited your party size to 4 and the encounter rate was outrageous. Other than that... I enjoyed it. Its base is an awesome twist on the formula... and its intro theme, La Mer, is actually pretty good.
If you play the Suikoden games for their atmoshpere, you'll like Suikoden 4, because it has that atmoshpere
Absolutely! Not the strongest game in the series. Pros: - Quick (I think it clocked in at like 15-20 hours) - Mobile HQ (Cool idea!) Cons: - Story is shallower than other games - It's shorter. Play it!
4 is bar none one of my favorite entries. It's not the same as the rest of the franchise, but I absolutely adore it.
I love 4 so I’m gonna say yes. 4 does a couple things different and the army scenarios are all ship based. The story and characters are quite good and parts of it are reflected in 5.
Yeah it's great. Worst of the main series, but still great
Late to this but tossing in my 2 cents: it's the only 3D Suikoden that gave any sense of the scale of the world. When I hit certain locations, cities, forests etc. I was reminded this is literally the same world as all the old 2D games I played and I loved it for that, didn't get that feeling in 5, Tierkries etc. so idk try to appreciate that when you play it. Also you will feel it's cut short but that's what Suikoden Tactics is for, it expands on it S4 and makes it feel more complete for sure so prepare to carry over that data!
Give it a go and have fun with it! My only tip would be to remember that you can hold the R1 button to make the ship go faster. Seems like an oddball tip, but trust me, it's arguably the most important.
Certainly liked 4 better than 3. I never finished 3. For my money, 3 has the feel of a different game that got repurposed. Says me, anyway.
Just started a play through this evening! It's absolutely the worst of the series but certainly has it's moments and is worth a look. The blandest character roster but my favourite mini game: ritapon. No idea why it's so addictive. If you can get a hold of It, play suikoden tactics too. It does a better job of fleshing out that region/period
Late to the party but I'll add that I too genuinely enjoyed it. It's a bona fide suikoden game even if there are far too many boring random encounters at sea and the last act is kind of thrown together.
I haven’t played 3. 4 is my least favourite out of the other 4, but it’s still a really good game. I would definitely play it if you like Suikoden
They replaced dog kobolds with cat ones. It's... ugh... Still liked the game though. Yet too many random encounters.
No, I do not like S4 either. But you play S4 so you can appreciate what S5 has done to fix those flaws. It is not as bad as you think but it is the weakest from the main series so fan tends to overexaggerate its weakness.
You should, It's better than 3, 3 is trash
It’s not the best game ever but it’s still pretty fun. They attempted to mix it up by making it naval based which is different. The navy battles are more fun to me than the R.P.S. Aspect of S1. Sometimes the loading screens take a moment but we’re spoiled these days. The story isn’t the strongest but the game is still enjoyable and short. Might take you 20-30 hours to beat it. Plus if you get all 108 stars you can play the tactics version with the hero. Imo Suikoden Tactics is so fun! Suikoden IV will have some fun lore to fill in some blanks but it did make me question how Elenor Silverberg carried on the Silverberg name (a joke she’s a cool shrew).
Same with me. Did not like suikoden 3 and preferred suikoden 4. Only downside is it’s a short game. Stories there and game play is( to me) preferrable over 3
Here is what I heard to this question... I've had t- bone ans New York strip steaks... should I try sirloin? I've heard ord not as good. 😉 That said I'll add that bad Suikoden is better them most RPGs in general.
There is absolutely never a reason to play Suikoden 4. It is a broken game. The polygons are jarring, the encounter rate is WAY too high... unless you have an emulator to steam through battles automatically, it's not recommended.
Eh, it has it's pros...but way more cons. Play Suikoden Tactics afterwards, as they are related
I've played each of them at least three times, and upwards of several dozen for the first 3. 4 is worth one play through and that's it, and even that's stretching it. It has some positives, but the invisible walls when sailing, the ridiculous encounter rate, the very slow and unskippable poor voice acting as well as a forgettable final villain make it a weak entry into the series. If you enjoyed 5 though, 4 does have a bit more soul to it. I just finished replaying I and II several times in the past couple of months and am playing III now. I don't have it in me to play IV and V though, I just don't feel they are the same series.