This week sees the arrival of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars on the Switch and multiple other platforms.
The reviews are now rolling in for this two-in-one Konami offering, and if you are still not sure if this collection is right for you as a returning fan or newcomer, this round up might help you decide.
Starting with our review here on Nintendo Life, we think these RPGs have largely stood the test of time (even with some issues) awarding this package 8/10 stars:
“What impressed us most about revisiting these games isn’t just how well they’ve both stood the test of time, but just how ambitious they are, and how effectively both games fulfill that ambition. Suikoden might be simplistic on the surface, but it laid the foundation for the rest of the series that was largely unshaken for five mainline entries. Suikoden II then took that formula and ran with it, improving it in almost every single way. It truly deserves its status as one of the best RPGs of all time.”
Read the rune, Konami
As for what other outlets had to say, Nintendo World Report gave the Suikoden I & II HD Remaster 8.5/10:
“If you’ve never played Suikoden II and consider yourself a lover of Japanese-made RPGs, you should already have this game pre-ordered. This is a game that belongs on the podium near the ‘90s classics from Square Enix.”
RPG Site gave this pack 9/10 calling it “one that reaches for the stars and knocks it out of the park”:
“The effort put forth by Konami pays off in dividends. The end result is a project that, like another Pixel Remaster project before it, has the best of both worlds. These are games that play and look just like you remembered them, but somehow even a bit better. Slight QOL changes complement, rather than complicate, the gameplay. Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars might be a mouthful of a title, but it’s one that reaches for the stars – and knocks it out of the park”
PC Gamer acknowledged how these are still fantastic RPGs, but felt there were some issues with the HD Remaster awarding the game a score of 79/100:
“These are fantastic RPGs wrapped up in a middling remaster. Many of the new additions have simply been lifted straight from a 19-year-old PSP remake, and rarely address anything that seriously needed more care to improve. An inconsistent lick of paint that in one game highlights as many flaws as it hides and some additional difficulty levels really are the only significant unique features here, and surely not the best Konami could do for these incredible games.”
Siliconera had high praise for the Switch version, serving up a score of 9/10:
“Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster might not have earth-shattering additions, but the graphical updates and quality of life adjustments that are here make it a joy to return to these fantastic JRPGs. Both games are a delight to play on the Switch.”
And our pals at Push Square gave the game 8/10 stars as well:
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars combine two incredible JRPGs from the genre’s golden age on PS1, lovingly remastered and improved for PS5 and PS4. They suffer from the same issues many games did back in the day: unwieldy, occasionally grindy, and sometimes obtuse. Still, the package offers fans the chance to experience these lesser-known gems, and both deserve a place in the collection of any fan, even the least bit interested.”
Push SquareTwo of the best PS1 role-playing games ever made
So, will you be adding this one to your Switch library this week? Let us know in the comments.
