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Show Diversions esman Best RPG of the year meant for hardcore gamers Loosely based upon "Outlaws of the Marsh," one of duction without giving up, they will be handsomely the four classic Novels of Chinese literature, the original rewarded with all of the spoils one should expect from "Suikoden" allowed players to accumulate "108 Stars a compelling "Suikoden" experience (pre-"Suikoden III" of Destiny" to join them on a quest filled with political that is). intrigue, a sweeping, epic storyline and a battle system Players assume the role of the unnamed prince of the that utilized a massive party formation that applied Queendom of Faleena who, like any good sovereign-inengaging SRPG elements to a more traditional formula. training, must try and come to understand the demands The series' more recent installments have ^ _ ^ _ _ ^ and desires of his people — and, because degenerated into a shell of the franchise's this is an RPG, the best way to go about Mack Perry doing that is to make with the perilous former glory, however, and have become bogged down by lackluster visuals and questing. Much like any other taxing politderivative gamepiay mechanics. ical system, a handful of right-wing and left-wing strands of nobility will be there Just when all nope seemed lost ior every step of the way to cause mischief. the diminutive cadre of loyal "Suikoden" The game's storyline is just as creative as supporters, Konami finally unleashed an "Suikoden V it is absorbing, and players can expect a RPG experience worthy ot the "Suikoden" Grade: A slew of unforeseen surprises before the Jmoniker. A prequel to the first game in ----- - — Pop inspired soundtrack subsides and the the series, "Suikoden V" returns the series to its affable, strategy-based roots in a very old-school credits role. fashion. With an enormous cast of quirky, elegantlyGamers looking for a little variety in their turn-based designed party members, grandiose locales, a storyline palette should look no further than trie diverse battle sysfilled with a number of memorable twists and turns and tem venues of "Suikoden V," many of them running the the six-member battle set-up that originally set the series gamut from full-scale warfare to intimate, one-on-one apart from other notable games in the genre, "Suikoden fisticuffs. The standard turn-based battles allow players V" may very well be the best RPG of the year. to control six characters and their fighting formation The most difficult task awaiting gamers when they on a 3X3 grid. The series' staple rune magic system first pick up "Suikoden V" is not the end boss. Nor is it also makes a return, as do the massive land battles that accumulating the 107 other characters that decorate the require the player to direct archery, cavalry, and infantry game's sizable world. It's setting through the first couple units around trie map in real-time. Faleena's forces do of hours. You read that right. Approximately seven of the battle with a number of unseemly foes through a priority game's expositional hours are dedicated to a disturbing system that recalls the simplicity of rock-paper-scissors. Tack of justifiable gamepiay, tasks so menial they make Additionally, this installment allows players to enter the Bliztball mini-game from "Final Fantasy X" seem duels and engage a single opponent in timed matches like a good idea, and entire sections where the storyline with remarkable responsiveness from the game's A.I. controlled adversaries. pacing putters at the rate of a snail's crawl. • Ifs almost a test of sorts: a role-player's "rite of pasAlthough Konami obviously sought to separate the sage" to weed out all of those who mightVe glanced at causal gamers from the more experienced crowd with a "Final Fantasy" title every once and a while without the game's taxing introduction, the latest installment picking it up in order to make way for those that have of the "Suikoden" franchise reinvigorates the genre by logged an unhealthy 100 hours on obscure gems like delivering players more of what made the earliest titles "Lunar: the Silver Star." And so we have the game's only in the series such unforgettable experiences in the first major flaw: it is clearly intended for the hardest of the place. hardcore. Mack Perry is a critic at die Utah Statesman. If players suffer through the game's jarring introComments can be sent to him at mackp@cc.usu.edu. IN THE GAME: Video Game Reviews "SUIKODEN V" " A prequel to the first game in the series, 'SuiKoden V returns the series to its affable, strategy-based roots in a very old-school fashion. With an enormous cast of quirky, elegantly-designed party members, grandiose locales, a storyline filled with a number of memorable twists and turns and the six-member battle set-up that originally set the series apart from other notable games in the genre, 'Suikoden V may very well be the best RPG of the year." 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