Suikoden Tierkreis Reviews

LanceHeart · **Joined:** Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:48 pm **Posts:** 785

Destructoid review: 8.5

Destructoid wrote:

The game's frequent annoyances sometimes threaten to get in the way of a great game, but it's undeniable that Suikoden Tierkreis is definitely great. If you've been feeling a little burned by the recent string of disappointing JRPGs, then Tierkreis is definitely worth picking up. It takes a little time to really get going, but so far it's the best RPG I've played since Lost Odyssey, and while it may not always be true to Suikoden's roots, it's a game that happily deserves to be part of the series, and has made for a wonderful DS debut.

http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid- ... 6530.phtml

LanceHeart · **Joined:** Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:48 pm **Posts:** 785

GamePro: 4/5

GamePro wrote:

While Suikoden: Tierkreis is a definite departure from the franchise, it not only serves as a worthwhile spin-off, but a well constructed role playing experience in its own right. From it's impressive presentation to addictive nature, Suikoden: Tierkreis is a journey worth taking for role playing fans - even if you're bound to come across a few bumps along the way.

PROS: Wonderful hand-drawn backgrounds; intriguing story; interesting characters

CONS: Lackluster voice-acting; relatively simple and repetitive battles; streamlined traveling dynamic

http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/ ... tierkreis/

Nintendo Difference: 18/20
For French readers, Nintendo Difference has a humongous review of Suikoden Tierkreis. It's an absolutely great read, though you might want to avoid it because it drops some massive spoilers for some plot points (counterproductive, I know).

http://www.nintendo-difference.com/test ... rkreis.htm

What's more, they also have what seems to be a French version of most of the more important bits of information Suikosource and Gensopedia have. It's all in this article: http://www.nintendo-difference.com/doss ... ikoden.htm

JeuxActu: 15/20
Again, another French review. I might get around to translating this one at some point since it's not as impossibly massive as Nintendo Difference's.

http://www.jeuxactu.com/article-36440-s ... kreis.html

EDIT
Really thinking about splitting these reviews into their own replies... If only to get more visibility for them.

61FPS: C+

61FPS wrote:

It’s Suikoden with the heart ripped out—all of that good storytelling and risky characterization replaced with comfortable genre tropes and easy mythmaking. It’s Suikoden as directed by a publisher that is seeing diminishing returns on Suikoden, and its intention to make the franchise more “mainstream” feels obvious and cynical. It’s Suikoden for JRPG fans, but not for Suikoden fans. It’s amazing to me that there’s a difference, but Suikoden Tierkreis proves there is. It’s a good RPG, and yet I can’t help but be disappointed by it.

http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/61fps/arc ... kreis.aspx

LanceHeart · **Joined:** Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:48 pm **Posts:** 785

Common Sense Media: 4/5

Common Sense Media wrote:

There’s a lot to like about this epic role-playing game. It sports gorgeous, hand-drawn backgrounds and dozens of high-quality anime cut-scenes. What's more, the characters who populate these scenes are generally quite likeable, thanks in no small part to the expertly penned dialogue they’ve been given. Plus, the game introduces some thought-provoking metaphysical themes concerning predeterminism and the possibility of infinite worlds. And with a story that lasts scores of hours, it provides excellent bang for your gaming buck.

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-re ... -tierkreis

The Washington Times: No Score
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/ap ... tierkreis/

DC Video Game Examiner: No Score

DC Video Game Examiner wrote:

Suikoden Tierkreis – As good as it ever was. One of the best looking DS titles with lush backgrounds and its one great role-playing game.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1140-DC-Video ... t--Wii--DS

Gamer Limit: 5/10

Gamer Limit wrote:

It’s true that if you compare Suikoden Tierkreis to other Suikoden games, it looks really bad. However, if you judge the game by its own merits, it’s…well, it’s still pretty crappy, actually. Suikoden Tierkreis is a very generic RPG, its saving grace being that it took some cues from the more stylish ideas of the earlier games in the series. A casual player of RPGs, or someone who is just getting into the genre may enjoy it a lot, because it has a lot of superficial things that RPG fans look for in a game. However, a Suikoden fan or a grizzled RPG veteran would be well-advised to avoid it like a fat man avoids exercise - That is, perpetually and indefinitely.

http://gamerlimit.com/2009/04/gamer-lim ... tierkreis/

Quing · **Joined:** Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:28 pm **Posts:** 130

Well, since most people here seemed to like Tierkreis, I'm going to voice my general dissatisfaction with the game.

But first the good points:
-There were many interesting characters. On this one I can't fault them.
-There were some good politics on a local level. I particularly like the politics of the magedom.
-The music was pretty good. Not great, but pretty good.
-The trading system was done well.
-They didn't screw up the quest system.
-Rarohenga is one of the coolest places in any video game ever. Alas, we didn't spend much time there.

And now the bad points:
-It isn't a Suikoden game. It's not set in the same world. It's not set in the same universe. There are 108 stars of destiny, but the similarity ends there. It is clear from the game that any world in that universe would have a chronicle, which is something that we don't have even hints of in the Suikoden world. I admit that this problem has little to do with the game itself and more to do with the fact that it is called Suikoden and as such has become taken in by the Suikoden fan community as canon. Furthermore, it seems likely that this has marked the end of the legitimate Suikoden series. Certainly, the game has laid the seeds for a more direct sequel. Were it not for the possibility that this is more than simply a one-time spin-off, This whole thing would worry me less.
-The macropolitics are extremely simple. Citro Village is a small, largely unprotected autonomous village in a fertile valley, and no one is trying to change that. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of internal politics in Cynas either. Everyone follows Valfred and except for a handful of people who join you, no one has issues with it. The magedom is supposedly huge but only consists of two cities, one of which is a fairly recent addition. I could go on, but I think I'll leave it at that.
-The morality of the game is childish. There is only room in the company opposing The Order for people of one belief system. Anyone who believes in predeterminism is automatically branded a bad guy. I see the game as a battle between two evil organizations that is trying desperately to make one of the organizations seem good. If it weren't for the fact that the Order is actively trying to destroy the world, I wold join up with them rather than the Company.
-The main character is stupid and foolhardy. And the game supports that. At any point in the game where someone might put in real thought, the main character doesn't, and it turns out to be the right decision. If you choose to attempt to resolve the game in such a way as to create victory for the world at tremendous sacrifice to the characters, you lose. Indeed, you can only win by doing something completely unfounded in logic.
-There aren't any runes and the magic system that replaces them isn't as interesting and doesn't have the same sort of internal consistency. There seems to be little connection between what the chronicle is and what powers it bestows. In contrast, not only is there a strong correlation between the runes and the powers they bestow, but one could make a nice bit of mythology/cosmology from the various runes.
-The big battles between nations almost never involve more than ten people on each side.
-The voice acting is painful.
-They have you buying weapons. This irritates me because traditionally, weapons aren't so easy to come by (or so different in quality) that it's worth it to buy a bunch of weapons and sell your old ones. I mean, in Medieval Europe, a new sword could well cost the amount of money a knight would earn in a year. And peasants? Well, they'd just have to attach a knife to a pole and call it a spear because they'd never be able to afford a sword. And that's one of those things that the Suikoden series got right up until now.

So that's my review.

Suikoden Tierkreis Reviews

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