Ranking The 5 Main Suikoden Games

We finally got a release date for Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. Thanks to that I will be doing plenty of Suikoden content for you here. Today I will give my opinion and rankings of the 5 Main Suikoden games. Don’t get me wrong I love the entire series, but we will rank them from least favorite to favorite. So let’s get into it!

5. Suikoden 4

Of the 5 mainline Suikoden games, I would have to say Suikoden 4 is my least favorite. I want to reiterate that it is a good game, but there were some changes and things I didn’t enjoy. I enjoyed the Rune of Punishment and the story in the game. I also enjoyed being able to cultivate and make some items, and the added battle feature of “Rush” was a great addition. Suikoden 4 also had the addition that a lot of the game involved sailing and being on the water, even in your HQ which was something the other games hadn’t done.

However, the 108 Stars of Destiny is a big factor that makes the franchise unique. With that said the switch to only having 4 party members instead of 6 was something I didn’t like then and still don’t like now. We have all these amazing characters, so why pull away from the party of 6 which gave us more options to use them? I also felt like the animations of the rune spells in this game weren’t as good as the other games, and animations are one thing I enjoy in games. With that said this game is still one of my all-time favorites.

4. Suikoden 5

Number 4 on the list, is the last of the 5 mainline entries for the Suikoden series. This is one that kind of gets lost in the middle for me. There aren’t a lot of detractors for me regarding this game. The one thing I wish was different is that the main character isn’t the bearer of True Rune in the game. Granted he holds the Dawn Rune which is one of two runes that keep the True Sun Rune in check.

However, this game has some amazing characters with great backstories. This game takes place before the other four so you get to see what George was doing before what happened in the other games. I was also a big fan of the “Nether Gate” story in this game and seeing how they were used by certain people. War battles in this game were unique in that after commands were made troops all moved at the same time. So it kind of added a multitude of different ways you could do certain things. Suikoden 5 to me will always sit in the middle part of the list.

3. Suikoden 3

My third favorite game of all time and number 3 on this list is Suikoden 3. This was the title that tried the first change of the series making it to where people attacked as columns. (Front/Back) So if you used the front person to use a rune, ability, or attack the person in the back couldn’t select their option. The same for if you use something from the person in the back. As a kid, I didn’t know how I felt, because I enjoyed being able to select all 6 people’s actions. I grew to like this element as it provided a unique Suikoden experience. It was also the first Suikoden that had 3D models.

This game to me has the best rune animations of all 5 games. The first time I saw the True Fire Rune’s animation for the first time I was like holy ****. The story was amazing and seeing 3 different perspectives on the events was a great addition for this game. Then when you find out who the villain is in this game I was shocked the first time. That is something that doesn’t happen a lot these days in games. This was also the only Suikoden game I got as a birthday gift, so it does hold a special spot for that as well.

2. Suikoden 1

Number 2 on the list and my 2nd favorite game of all time is Suikoden 1. This was the 2nd game I played in the series and enjoyed it immensely. The Rock/Paper/Scissors-style war battles with some characters having the ability to provide advantages were great. There is so much tragedy in this game, but it adds to the overall story. All because of the Soul Eater Rune throughout the game essentially.

The translation errors in the game which some don’t like bring about a nostalgic moment each time I play through these games twice a year. I feel when this game out in 1995 it was way ahead of its time with what it offered. How many other games had 108 unique heroes that each had their own story and felt unique? I feel safe saying I don’t know if a game could take Suikoden 1’s spot on my all-time list.

1. Suikoden 2

The number one spot which comes as no surprise if you know me is Suikoden 2. I played other games before this came along, but this truly made me love gaming. The way I randomly discovered this game while my mom was playing was unique. This group of 108 characters is my favorite in the series with my favorite video game character or all-time Shu being the military strategist. I get to use three of my top 5 Suikoden characters in the game. The story is just a masterpiece.

Best friends both have a similar goal to achieve, but end up going different routes to try and achieve those goals. I like the whole story surrounding the Rune of Beginning in the game and believe the hero and Jowy got the correct parts of the runes. Suikoden 2 was also the first game that because of the music I was able to understand how important and intense certain situations were. Then how sad and solemn moments were in the game. I feel I can relate most to this story and hero in this game which also plays a factor. I honestly can say I don’t think any game will ever knock this out of the number spot!

Final Thoughts

I know there are others out there who might have different opinions on how to rank these. If you want to see some of the other games my friend Culgan has ranked all the games here. I would be confident in saying that the majority of the community agrees that Suikoden 2 is the best in the series. However, I know different people enjoy different things. I would love to hear your thoughts on how you would rank the games. Let me know your thoughts!