Suikoden I:
This game felt totaly original to me whe I first played it. They really tried to make your standard, traditional JRPG with a difference. The sheer amount of characters was really different for me. The way in which that fell in line with the story, and the depth of character interaction, felt to me what was really needed in RPG's. They really played on the deeper aspect of storylines within games and the superb writing was a real stand out for me. Even when the story was rushed or too short, you always felt there was more 'behind the scenes' which really got your imagination fired up. I loved the customisation i.e. naming your castle, this made me feel more involved than I had in previous RPG games. Also, the amazing soundtack <3
You were left feeling that the series had (and still does!) bags of potential.
Suikoden II:
Suikoden II capatalised on this potential. It expanded on its predeccessor in every way possible. Many fans consider it to be a 'perfect game'. Need I say anymore?
Suikoden III:
What a game. I'm actualy replaying this right now. I only compelted it once before, unlike the first two which I completed numerous times. I feel that Suikoden III was actualy really ahead of its time. Although I didn't like the buddy system, I got the idea. It could have worked with a few tweaks. I liked that it was the first Suikoden game that levelling up your characters actualy had a difference on the major war battles. Many people did not like the Trinity System but I think its really uniqe. I dont like seeing the same scenes over and over again, on my second playthrough, however. Again, with a few tweaks I think the Trinity Sight System could have been better. The thing I like most is the sheer volume of dialouge and storyline. Overall, I think SIII is a hidden gem and slightly revolutionary. If JRPGs are to ever make a comeback, they can take a leaf out of this book and try somethign different.
When I first played SIII, I felt it was too different and that Murayama was trying too hard to change things and/or come up with somethign new and 'cool'. Now, looking back realising we only had 3 of the Suikoden games made by Murayama, I am happy he made these changes and can truly appreciate Suikoden III for the ahead-of-its-time masterpiece that I perceive it to be.
Suikoden IV:
Yeah ..this one lol Alot of fans hatde this game and, while I was gravely dissapointed with it at first, I cannot deny that fell under its spell. I think its a great game. I like it. I like the characters and the setting. It was different. And in a good way. Yeah alot of the differences are bad too. But I thought it felt quite unique. The standout for me was how, despite its flaws, it somehow managed retain the Suikoden feel but in an entirely different setting and style.The only major draw back for me was the total lack of depth in the story. But I felt Suikoden Tactics made up for this.
Many people say that a good game shouldn't need another game to make it good. I disagree. I think this is neccessary for some gaming experiences. I think Suikoden IV is one of these experiences. Both of these games compliment eachother really well and it makes quite a deep experience playing through the both at the same time and delving into its lore.
Suikoden V:
Yay! A return to a more traditional Suikoden! ^^
Actualy, I disliked this more than IV. I thought it tried too hard to be like Suikoden II. Some of the stroy point and dialouge was, to me, either poor or simply ripping off SII. On the one hand, its great that the developers clearly made a concerted effort to try and make Suikoden V closer to the original games. But on the other hand this would ensure that the game would always be compared to SII ...where it would inevitably fail. I think the writing was just not up to the calibre of Murayama. This is why the story was so basic in SIV - they did not want to take any risks lacking Murayamas prowess. Something the SIV team were shot down for. But they took the risk with SV. In my opinion, they kinda failed. But they should be applauded for taking the risk. Kinda a no win situaion for them. But I would be more than happy with games like SV if it meant the continuation of the series.
I do not think there is anything that truly stand out for SV for me. I think it felt like just another traditional JRPG and not exactly a unique Suikoden. Don't take that as truly dislikingthe game though. Even with a new team, they managed to pull off a decent story, good characters, great artwork and a great soundtrack. Yeah, I'd buy that again for SVI :)