It’s a good time to be a fan of old-school JRPGs. With hidden gems like Live A Live and classics like the early Final Fantasy games getting remastered for modern consoles, there is no shortage of experiences for those wanting something different than the onslaught of check-list-based open-world games. One series that has long been dormant is Konami’s Suikoden series, but with fan demand for a comeback, the publisher has finally delivered in the form of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. Here is everything we know about the upcoming release of these JRPG classics.
When is the Suikoden I & II HD remaster release date?
Announced at Konami’s Tokyo Game Show showcase, the HD remaster of both Suikoden I & II will be coming sometime in 2023. No further details were provided about the release date.
Is there a trailer for the Suikoden I & II HD remaster?
Yes! The much-requested remaster was announced with a shiny trailer during Tokyo Game Show. Check it out:
It gives fans a look at the graphical upgrades that they can look forward to in the remaster.
What platforms is the Suikoden I & II HD remaster coming to?
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. It does seem strange that the remaster will not be coming to current-gen consoles. Backward compatibility will allow Xbox Series consoles and PS5 to play the last-gen versions, but it is a strange decision.
For now, it does not look like players will be able to purchase the two titles separately, they will only be available as a single collected game.
What has been updated in the Suikoden I & II HD remaster?
The remaster will stick to the pixel art of the original release, but it will all be made to look clear and clean for modern audiences. Here are the changes that Konami highlights on the Steam page for Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars.
- All background illustrations have been upgraded to HD
- Updated effects breathe new life into the pixel art animation
- New environmental sounds effects to immerse yourself in this fantasy world
- Battle SFX are also now HD and add a new level of realism
- Newly added auto-save
- Battle Fast Forward
- Conversation Log
The Fast Forward feature will be one of the most welcome features in the HD remaster, older JRPGs often suffer from slower pacing as well as a need to grind to level up. The 3X speed feature in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy remasters is one of the best improvements they have.
Who are the original developers behind Suikoden?
The Suikoden franchise was created at Konami by Yoshitaka Murayama in 1995. As a series, it is defined by its political intrigue plots, six-party combat, and the ability to recruit over a hundred unique characters in each game.
Suikoden I received much critical praise, which its sequel only surpassed. The most recent mainline Suikoden title, Suikoden V, was released in 2006 for PlayStation 2. However, series creator Murayama departed Konami in 2003 before the release of Suikoden III.
In 2020, Murayama and other veteran developers from the franchise started a Kickstarter for a project called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. It would be a spiritual successor to Suikoden. The Kickstarter campaign was fully funded in three hours. Former Konami creators kickstarting spiritual successors has worked out before, just look at Castlevania developer Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be published by 505 games and is set to release on every platform under the sun in 2023. A prequel game called Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released in 2022 and is worth playing for those looking forward to the full game. Fans of Suikoden will have their hands full between Konami’s HD remaster and the spiritual successor to the franchise from its original creator.
