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Suikoden V (PS2)
by simon020187
== Suikoden V ==
Those who have read my Suikoden IV review know that I am a huge fan of the Suikoden games and this one is no different. Suikoden V was published back in 2006 by Konami for the Playstation 2. Suikoden V just like the previous games has pretty much along the lines of the same storyline and also has another 108 ... characters that join you for the battle of the land. Suikoden V takes place on a different land compared to previous games, the land on this game is called Queendom of Falena. Now this may be slightly confusing but Suikoden V is set 8 years before the events what happen in the first Suikoden game and 142 years after the events of Suikoden IV (quite strange I know). In the game you play as a prince (named what ever you call him), he is the son of Queen Arshtat, he has a younger sister called princess Lymsleia and his father is A knight by the name of Ferid who did in fact win Queen Arshtat's hand in marriage.
The game starts with you choosing the name of the HERO of the game, but I will just call him Hero because its easier. As the game starts you meet serveral characters on a ship your on traveling back to the Queendom of Falena, there is Lady Sialeeds, Georg and Lyon (the princes bodyguard). As you arrive home Queen Arshtat doesn't seem her normal self as she bears one of the 27 true runes. Later that night you are told your going on a quests to go watch the sacred games, which are basically battles in an arena to find princess Lymsleia's new husband even tho she's only about 12 years old. As you progress through the game with your missions, you go through lots of emotions such as betrayal, sorrow and even joy. You also acquire the 108 stars of destiny throughout your story, can you find them all and put an end to the so called end of Falena. As you progress you will be pleasantly surprised to see finally Suikoden V is actually not to far off being as good as the first two games. Thanks to having a just as good storyline.
=== Gameplay ===
Now the gameplay has always been my favourite for the Suikoden games except for Suikoden IV as I feel it was hugely let down due to the fact you can only take four characters to fight with you at any one time but now back in Suikoden V they have reverted back to using six at any one time which is so much better. I have always loved the fact there are usually over 108 characters to find and recruit in all different ways which includes secret characters. The fights are still turn based. Suikoden IV used map ship battles instead of normal map battles like Suikoden II and in Suikoden V they have both types which is a bonus. Also there is one on one battles again which are my personal favourites. The castle on this Suikoden is very similar to Suikoden 1 because it is based on water. There are many more towns and villages on this one which contain shops for buying new equipment or for items to use in battle. Runes are used in the form of magic like they always have been. There are a whole range of places to explore including caves, mountains and lots of places within enemy territory. Also another thing thats new to the Suikoden series is the ability to use formation skills and change your formation to different styles which could result in raising your attack power or enhancing other abilities. The gameplay is special to me and the story of each game especially this one is special. Not many people seem to know about the Suikoden series and if your a role playing games fan I would suggest you check them out. Also the basic control system is fairly simple and shouldn't be to hard for any gamer because it is fairly simple to navigate. Also a thing that is quite dreadful at first is Hero's clothes when you first start the game and do a few hours of gaming in it, they look terrible but as you leave Falena your character changes his clothes and he looks far more better, so if your put of by the look of your character at first don't worry to much because his prince clothes are just temporary. Theres a whole range of mini games to tackle as well.
=== Graphics & Sound ===
The graphics have improved from the previous PS1 games going from a 2D style to 3D which is so much better but it loses the feeling a little bout the previous games. The graphics for the previous games have always been quite good and my first thoughts about the graphics for the fifth game was no different, I wasn't at all surprised at how good they are for a 2006 role playing game. The design of the characters have been somehwat improved, they were good before but now in this new game they are more detailed to every aspect of themselves. There are a few characters from previous games in this one that look far better designed especially the few characters that are from Suikoden II. The castles design and layout is pretty good, not the best I have seen because the second game still holds that award for best castle in my eyes. However it still looks awesome and you can design certain parts yourself. the layout is brilliant but the look of it is even more better. The design of the places you go to like dungeons, villages and other places is pretty good as well, there are none that look similar to each other and thats always a good thing. Another bit that impressed me was when traveling in boat the sea looks almost real and yet this is an older PS2 game. I was very impressed with the graphics overall.
As for the sound to the game, well its even better than the graphics. The sound to the Suikoden series has been the best to any game and will stay that way for a very long time. I love all the music to the games especially to Suikoden I,II and V they are very similar. Konami released soundtracks for all of the games the only problem is each one are way over £50. As for the sound effects, they are just as great. The characters are voiced activated most the time and they all do have very different voices because they come from different backgrounds. Also the sound of footsteps, fighting, when your sailing and other parts bring the game to life because they sound so good. I love both the sound and graphics to this game!
=== Difficulty & Longevity ===
The game like the other is actually pretty simple most of the time and the only way it can become difficulty is if you make it difficult. I would say the hardest part of the game are the one on one battles as they have been remade to make it slightly harder, however all you do is listen to what the enemy says as he gives hints in what hes saying on his next move. The bosses can be tricky it all depends if your used to elements, like fire and water. Obviously water is fire's weakness and so on with the other elements. Also the mini games you can play throughout the game can be difficult and rather annoying. Other than that the game is easy to follow and your quests are easy as well. The only other hard bit is getting all 108+ characters as some are really hard to find. As for the games longevity, it has improved on all the games. If you know basically where your going and what your doing it should take you over 40+ hours to complete and if you miss something you may need to do it again. Other Suikoden games have been a little bit of a let down in terms of longness. Suikoden IV being the biggest disappointment lasting not even half of this one. This was one aspect that needed to improve and it did thankfully.
=== Good bits ===
*108+ characters to find and recruit.
* A great compelling story that will keep you hooked.
*A castle that you can call home for all your characters, build it up in some aspects to how you would like, with paint colours and stuff.
*Some great graphics and some huge bosses.
*Finally back to six characters fighting at once for you!
*New and improved one on one battles, new skills and new items.
*Beautiful sounds to the game bring it to life!
=== Bad Bits ===
*Mini games can get annoying and so can the amount of fights.
*Very poor multiplayer options, not one single mode for multiplayer.
*The ship can be quite difficult to navigate.
*Also easy to get lost because of the huge world!
=== Final Bits ===
Suikoden is a great Japanese role playing game which is based on a Japanese novel and old folks tale. I have been looking for a book similar to this but the only one I have came across is way to pricey. However the game itself is fantastic and i would recommend it to anyone. Gamers that like a great storyline would love this because it has the best story to a game I have ever seen. I would say its value for money but the only thing is games like this tend to rise in price throughout the years. I bought mine just recently to be fair but it cost me quite a hefty price. I paid £22 for mine from Amazon which all gamers will know for a 2006 PS2 game is pretty steep but this is due to the fact it is becoming increasingly rare and hard to get hold of. My copy was used already but didn't have a mark on it. I was very pleased and to me its value for money because the game itself can last years as I would play it again and again. However for a brand new copy of the game from Amazon it would cost only £21 which has actually shocked me. I'd recommend it to fans of Final Fantasy games, this doesn't get much daylight because of the Final Fantasy games but to me there even better. The game has so much to offer. The game has a rating of 12+ which is perfect. All in all the game series is one of my favourites and the fifth installment doesn't harm the series at all, however because of the low sales Konami haven't made a new one for five years now and its looking increasingly likely that this one may of been the final. I hope not but only Konami knows. I would have to give this Suikoden a solid 8/10 its a lot better than the third and fourth but not as good as the first two games but all in all its a wonderful role playing game worthy of calling a classic!
Review also on Ciao under the username: MrBrightside1987!
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Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
by Liam1979
This is probably my best game of all time an, at times uncomfortable, insight into the depth of human experience, whilst also an excellent gameplay experience. The game doesn't have any real relationship with the first game other than the location, however fans of one will love the second installments faithfulness to a mounting sense of ... fear and confusion, scored by similarly unsettling music. On one level this is a game about survival, yet on another it is an almost freudian investigation into man's mind and the demons it conceals. Almost Hitchcockian moments of shrill terror are balanced with some poingnant and fascinating characters and moments of sentiment or unbridled sadness. The difficulty levels on the game can be tweaked to individual preferences and their are some unique rewards for the player who wishes to obtain all available endings. A truly beautiful and scary epic with a truly cinematic feel and unsettling subtext. My addition contains an extra game, playable as Maria, full instructions and a truly terrible 'making of' DVD that is so bad it's good.
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Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
by Liam1979
Silent Hill 3 takes the little girl from the first game and places her against the dark forces that her father, Harry battled against in the first game. The transition from PS1 to PS2, tried and tested to a grainier effect in Silent Hill 2, is ramped up here, some of the meaty, visceral monsters and rooms are genuinely stomach churning. ... The plot is much more accessible than in other games and forms a road movie narrative as heather and dubious private eye, Douglas travel to silent hill to uncover heather's past and avenge the death of Harry. The game has a real feeling of expanse and starts in a shopping mall, miles away from silent hill, however this sense of expanse is lost in the scarily visceral and claustrophobic church rooms later on, creating a shift in how to deal with enemies and explore areas. The finest part of the game is the haunted mansion segment....don't play alone.
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