Friday 19 February 2010

suikoden tactics

Gamespot score:7.6(good)
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my score:8.1
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(+)pros:-tons of unlockable and usable characters,-skill system is in depth,- dramatic story early on,-battle is fun and rewarding,- elemental affinity system is creative and adds strategy to every battle
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(-) cons:-clunky graphics(even for a Ps2 game),-story gets less dramatic later on
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gameplay time:50 hours +(above average)
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Today I will be covering yet another one of the older PS2 generation games. Suikoden tactics is a suikoden 4 spinoff, and unlike normal suikoden games, which are strictly more turn based, this game takes the turn by turn strategy formula. I am not a suikoden person and havent played any suikodens before and after this game, but I must say this is one of the best turn by turn strategy RPG I have ever played. With a roughly long and dramatic story, addictive and rewarding gameplay, this is definetely not a game to be missed.

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Kyril is a boy traveling with his father, who is a rune cannon researcher. Following them are 2 friends andarc and seneca. Like any other day they are travelling for search of rune cannons, but however one fatal day they found a rune cannon, but on the ship of a ruthlesss well known pirate among the seas. Steele, the pirate's name was. While helping another pirate group to raid steele's ship for the rune cannon, walter, kyril's father, is hit by the rune cannon, and is transformed into a grostique fish man. The terror struck kyril has no choice but to kill his father to defend himself.
Years later, the story goes as the now grown kyril, travels with andarc and senaca, as they continue walter's research about rune cannons, but little do they know what perils await them in thier travels.....
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Suikoden tactics's may sound pretty normal up front in words, but in the game, the story is told very well, and the scenes will really speak to you, making up a greatly dramatic piece. Now before I get on to the gameplay, I must state one warning, but I dont think its just this game. All suikodens on PS2 have suckish graphics, this game included. In up close scenes the characters look like they are blocky figures , much like the old FF7 days. But pay this no heed, as altough graphics may suck, you wont be getting a LOT of up close scenes, and in battle you really wont find anything bad about the battle sprites.

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Okay on to the battle system. The battle system isnt very in depth, its just like any other strategic turn by turn RPG. You deploy up to a certain number of units on the field, then depending on speed, they get thier turn, they move to the range where they are close enough to attack thier opponents, they wack, do some damage, get exp, level up, etc..... Its very basic. You get your other basics. Weapons, armor, itmes etc. But in this game, weapons cannot be obtained, you only stick to your original weapon which is first obtained by default. Weapons must be honed at the blacksmith to become stronger, that is the only way to increase attack power. Also in battle, besides armor and weapons, the game's so called accesory is available too. The items known as runes.
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In suikoen tactics, every character has thier own elemental affinity. With runes, one can infect a certain area with elemental energy. Example, when someone with fire affinity stands on an area infected with fire element, thier attack,defense and most other stats increase, and when someone with wind element stands on the fire infected area, their performance decreases, this is beacause every element has a weakness. It is a complex and interesting system used in battle. Spamming rune energy to make one area totally affected with one's suited elemental energy is always a good way to turn tides of battle. And of course, one must carefully strategize in a battle, since even enemies can use this to counter your strategy, by applying their own elements to the field, and if your character is weak to that element, you are screwed.

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Though the game might make it seem you are moslty battling imperial soilers, bandits, mecernaries and pirates,which are mostly human foes. The later stages allow you to battle insanely mutated people, becoming fishmen. Also there is an insane mechanic looking fish boss among them. You can also choose to enter the optional 5 floored dungeon, to fight zombie,skeletons and on later floors, golems and dragons. This game, as most can see, has plenty of gameplay value in it, and in new game plus, the optional dungeon gets thougher, making dragon slaying a hell lot of fun. This is one game not to be missed.
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Happy gaming.