Suikoden 1 > Suikoden 2

[fluffie the sock]

Anyone else? Just me? S2 is amazing, but I've always appreciated the tone and atmosphere of the first game even more.

[Purple Tentacle]

Suikoden 2 is the better game, but I have more nostalgia for Suikoden 1

[jomigaru]

Publicado originalmente por Telcontyr:

I love Suikoden, I absolutely love it. When the music kicks in within the first 2 minutes when you enter Barbarossa's throne room that was it, I was hooked (this was back when the game released, boy I am old now...). It introduced some of the best characters ever seen in a JRPG, to name a few - Flik, Viktor, Clive, Mathiu, Luc, Leknaat, Pesmerga and more. Not only that even side antagonists only glimpsed conjured incredible gravitas like Yuber. The game set the scene introducing us to the world. It started the castle base system that became a defining feature of the series.

Suikoden II fleshed out the lore, introduced more epic characters with a better roster of characters as well as returning our favourites, told us more of their stories and motivations... it did everything better. The castle is far bigger, has minigames like the cook off contests. We got one of the greatest villains in video game history with Luca Blight, a name that still gives me goosebumps remembering. That is a villain you never, ever forget as long as you live. The game has the best OST in video game history as far as I am concerned, and the first game was no slouch in this department but again Suikoden II trumps it. The storyline is a truly brilliantly written tale that really captures your heart. Few characters are black and white, you feel empathy even for your enemies in this game which is a feat few novels/films/games ever achieve.

In short Suikoden is a fantastic game that laid the foundations for the absolute masterpiece that is Suikoden II.

All of that true and very well told.
Alas, I would add something. That was an era when Internet was not there or just starting...meaning there were no videos -dont even think about youtube- or guides to be checked. You had to rely on people who had played the game or *paper* guides usually coming along with some console magazine.
Why do I say all of that?
Because that means that you would not be getting all 108 characters on a first playthough and you would get one of the endings. But boy oh boy there were other/s and they felt truly rewarding when you got them.

[jomigaru]

Publicado originalmente por Telcontyr:

I had to buy Suikoden off ebay for a huge sum of money for the time (my friend found a copy in a bargain bin the lucky....), and pre ordered Suikoden II and got it release day.

Crazy as it sound I can relate to that
After playing a...ahem...pirate copy of S1 and loving it I tried to buy the game a couple of years later, but then it was S2 the one being sold, which I bought and still hoard. Years later I got S1 in a ebay auction too (the first thing I bought in ebay) around 2001 but the price was reasonable (around 45 euros).
and yeah I also have a friend with luck as superpower and bought a S1 copy for one freaking euro in a second hand store by the time prices had already gone mad. And worse, he doesnt even like suikodens, he just sold it again for a small fortune.

[hush]

suikoden 2 is more memorable for me but man i played it 20 years ago i think, so i don't trust my memories lol

[StackzGaming]

Publicado originalmente por ntall1:

I agree. They are both really good games, but I just like the plot of S1 better. S1 has hard hitting plot points throughout. S2 starts strong, then only gets good towards the end and only if you get the good ending. The middle of S2 drags imo.

This is the correct answer.

[Joerpg84]

Publicado originalmente por fluffie the sock:

Anyone else? Just me? S2 is amazing, but I've always appreciated the tone and atmosphere of the first game even more.

S1 holds a special place for me and prefer it but S2 definitely improves with the dash not taking a rune spot and some other things but overall S1. Maybe my thoughts might change now playing S2 again.

I think what ruined S2 was speed rushing for the Clive event as well. I couldn’t relax. And I have FOMO and was short on time with study to replay it.

[Doom]

2 might be a better game but I have way more emotional attachment to the first

[Nasedo]

Publicado originalmente por fluffie the sock:

Anyone else? Just me? S2 is amazing, but I've always appreciated the tone and atmosphere of the first game even more.

its been the 90's since I last played it, I really don't remember anything.

[Zeo]

It feels like Suikoden 2 is Suiko 1 remaster! I understand that when Suiko 1 came out the PSX hardware still was new, the same thing happened with Arc the Lad 1 and 2, the second Arc is way better.

The story of 1 is very simple and linear, I think is the one needing a remake the most, in contrast, Suiko 2 aged very well.

Edit: forgot to mention that I played both games back in the time when they was released and Suiko 1 already was an odd game in a bad way, constantly I see people commenting but some games already was bad back then.

[Mobiusx2]

1 is the better game but 2 is the better GAME.

[AshaMarie]

Both are excellent games, but it's best to play the first and finish it off with the 2nd. Lot of people want to just dive into 2nd game, but the enjoyment factor is more significant playing first game for the lore build-up leading to the 2nd game.

[Kick the Bukkit]

i just see them as a whole game :D

but love both equaly

[Gopher]

Then suikoden III came along and blew both them out of the water

[Zero McDol]

Suikoden IV and Tactics are my go-to, but I like almost all of the Suikoden games (minus 3).

Between 1 and 2 though -> Suikoden II > Suikoden I. I specifically like the McDohl name and lore in 1, but I really like the ability for the McDohl hero to show in Suikoden II.

[vinnyknight0123]

The first game story is more tragic because of all the sacrifice and losses Tri goes through and then for him to do what he does at the end pretty much means for him lease it was all for nothing. Not to say that Riou doesn't have great tragedy as well but at the end of the game he gets a much happier ending then Tri does