suikoden

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the Suikoden series is loosely based on a classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan (Traditional Chinese: Ë®G‚÷; Simplified Chinese: ˮ䰴«; Hanyu Pinyin: Shu¨«h¨³ Zhu¨¤n, Outclaws of the Marsh), by Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong. Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as Ë®G» in Japanese, and read as Suikoden. Each game centers around relative themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical orbs known as True Runes, and the "108 Stars of Destiny" ¡ª 108 protagonists also very loosely interpreted from the source material. Though the games follow an irregular chronological sequence, the entire series takes place within the same world among overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear in multiple installations.

The games, standard to most RPGs, commonly feature random over world and dungeon battles, inn-based game saves, a turn-based, menu-operated combat system, mini-games and side quests. Saved game data can be transferred from Suikoden I to Suikoden II, and Suikoden II to Suikoden III (Suikogaiden Vol.1 can also receive data from Suikoden II, and is transferable to Suikogaiden Vol.2, but only in Japan).

Suikoden implements many features as each title allows players, in varying degrees, to:

Conduct strategically pitched war campaigns.
Participate in turn based, one-on-one duels.
Build an immensely large headquarters that grows as the story progresses (and only develops fully if all the characters are recruited).
Recruit a colorful cast of 108 pre-determined characters, each specializing in various aspects of combat or support.
Essentially, each game follows the plot formula of a coup d'¨¦tat by corrupt power holder(s), the main protagonist's exile from his/her home, the disastrous misuse of the True Runes, the hero's struggle, despite overwhelming odds, to bring peace to the land alongside his/her friends, and the climactic showdown with the corrupted True Rune.

The Suikoden series is my most favorite game/s and series.
Chrono cross/trigger is similar to suikoden, with all of the recruitable characters,silent protaganists,similar battle system.

[Brian Moy]

I've only played thru the first Suikoden.  Took me around 60 hours playtime if I recall.  I've got to get thru the rest, I tend to just play one game at a time until I finish it, so its hard for me to commit to a particular game right away.

I like how the finished game save can be transferred from the previous game to the next.  I like series that reward the player that plays thru sequentially.