Crafting, Survival, Hunting.... Headshots, Impact, Victory... Video games have been transformed into e-sports, and the market has grown many times over. The arcade gamers of the past have grown older, and the gamers of 2025 have been fighting online since they were young... It is in these times that the good old JRPGs stand out! Gensou Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: The War of the Gates / The Dunan Unification War (hereinafter referred to as Gensou Suikoden I & II HD Remaster)", the blockbuster titles "Gensou Suikoden" and "Gensou Suikoden II", which are dedicated to all gamers, will finally be released in HD remastering! It will be released on March 6, 2025 (Thursday). The Saiga NAK editorial staff had the opportunity to play the game ahead of others, and we are pleased to present an advance play review!
What is "Gensou Suikoden" in the first place?
ー EPISODE 1 赤月帝国 ー
静かに水をたたえるトラン湖。
それを取り巻く一帯を230年の間支配した帝国が赤月帝国である。初代皇帝クラナッハ・ルーグナーはハルモニア神聖国の内乱に乗じて独立を宣言、以後この国を治めてきた。帝国暦217年には、帝位継承権をかけた「継承戦争」がおこる。… pic.twitter.com/0tL8jdN7Cv
— 幻想水滸伝【公式】 (@GensoSuikoden) February 19, 2025
KONAMI's "Genso Suikoden" series was first released in 1995. As the name suggests, the series is based on the Chinese novel "Suikoden," and its greatest feature is that 108 friends (108 stars) appear in the game. So far, 11 titles, including spin-offs, have been released in the series, and their rich stories and fascinating characters have attracted many fans.
Originally scheduled for release in 2023, "Gensuikoden I & II HD Remaster" was postponed due to the " need for more development time," but it will be released on March 6, 2025 (Thursday), with full anticipation! It will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, Steam, and Epic Games Store!
GENSOU SUIKODEN I&II HD Remaster" Play Review & Beginner's Guide
The first game in the series, "Gensou Suikoden", was released in 1995. Although several ports of the game have been released, the year 2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of the game, so there are probably many people who have never played the game. In this review, we will introduce the new elements of "GENSOU SUIKODEN I & II HD Remaster" and explain the basic game system!
The following includes actual game screens (Steam version). We will not touch on the storyline as much as possible, but just to be safe, beware of spoilers.
HD remastered cityscapes and sounds
"Gensuikoden I & II HD Remaster" features higher image quality for towns, fields, battle effects, and more. The aspect ratio has also been changed to a wide one, so you can proceed with your adventure in a comfortable manner with a wider angle of view.
All sound sources, including background music and SEs, have been upgraded to high sound quality, allowing you to immerse yourself in the story with a nostalgic yet fresh feeling.
I personally feel that the harmony between the dot art and the remastering is wonderful. However, in "GENSO SUIKODEN I & II HD Remaster," the backgrounds, battle effects, and text are in HD, while only the characters remain as dots. The fact that the characters are still in dots while the backgrounds , battle effects, and text are in HD in "Genso Suikoden I & II HD Remaster" is a true feat of craftsmanship.
Sophisticated UI design
The UI design is arguably the most changed from the original version. The higher resolution and widescreen display has allowed more space for information to be displayed on the screen. The "audience" dialogue mentioned earlier has also been made more readable, as some text that was previously in hiragana is now in kanji.
In "Gensou Suikoden" each character can have only 9 slots for items and equipment, and in "Gensou Suikoden II", where the bag system was added as a shared party item, each character can only have 3 slots for items and other equipment. Even in "Gensuikoden II," where a bag system was added to the party, a character can only have three slots for items and equipment. If a member of the party leaves the party, it may be difficult to retrieve the items that have been placed in his or her bag, and the warehouse cannot be used at the beginning of the story. This is a specification that is hard to imagine in modern RPGs, but let's enjoy such inconvenience once in a while.
Log function is newly included.
A "log" function has been added to the commands. You can read back a character's lines and save up to 100 messages.
The "Gensou Suikoden" series has a main storyline and a rich sub-storyline for gathering friends. There will be times when you will want to accomplish your objectives in parallel with the main storyline, or when a character you casually talk to will unexpectedly take on a major role in the game. Just when you think you've finally reached the end of the story, you find yourself saying, " Oh, what am I supposed to do next? What am I supposed to do next? What am I supposed to do next? The log function is a great tool to make the most of.
A battle system that adds spice to the royal road
In "Gensou Suikoden" and "Gensou Suikoden II," the basic party consists of six players, three in the front row and three in the back row. Each character has a unique weapon and range, and can attack different targets depending on their placement in the party. This does not apply to "crests" and "together" as described below.
- S-range: If you are in the front row, you can attack only the front row of the enemy. When you are in the back row, you cannot attack.
- M-range: When in the front row, you can attack the enemy's front and back rows. When in the back row. Can attack the front row of the enemy.
- L-range: Can attack the front and back rows of the enemy, regardless of whether they are in the front or back rows.
The unfamiliar "money" command allows you to pay three times the amount of money (pottage ) you would have received if you had killed the enemy to ensure your escape. If you're in a pinch, you can't afford to lose..!
In addition, when you are facing a lower-ranked enemy, the "escape" command will change to "let go" and will be successful 100% of the time. As I am the type of person who challenges bosses only after training them well, I appreciate this because it gives me an idea of how to raise my level.
There are various types of "emblems" such as attack and recovery skills, automatic activation, etc.
"2 uses left
The unique system of the "GENSOU SUIKODEN" series is the " sigil ". Some characters have their own emblems, while others can use them by equipping the "sealing ball" item. The "sealing sphere" is a kind of "spell. The "sealing sphere" can be easily attached and detached at the sigil shop, so it is fun to search for a sigil that goes well with each character. MP is also displayed in the upper right corner next to the strength bar.
The "Gensuikoden I & II HD Remaster" early bird bonus includes additional content (57300 potties/sealing sphere of good luck/sealing sphere of golden luck). The Sealing Ball of Luck doublesthe amount of experience gained, and the Sealing Ball of Golden Luck doubles the amount of potch gained, so just equipping these for now will make your journey easier!
Just looking at it is fun "together."
The
solve the
beginning of the game.
By having specific characters in the same party, you can "work together" (cooperative attack). The number of people who cooperate with each other consumes the same number of actions, but many of these attacks have more powerful effects. Especially in "Gensou Suikoden II", the animations are enhanced compared to those in "Gensou Suikoden", so it is fun just to look at them!
The battle is crisp and easy with omakase and double speed!
One of the major new features of "GENSO SUIKODEN I&II HD Remaster" is the addition of the "Omakase" and "Double Speed" functions. The "Omakase" function, which automatically performs battles, can now be executed with a single button, and together with the double-speed function during battle, it makes it much easier to level up or fight a series of battles for drop items. (Even with this feature, it still took me less than 30 minutes to get the "nameless jar" to drop...)
The immediate omakase battle will continue until the end of the battle, but if you press the omakase button again, it will abort on the current turn. The battle will not use crests or cooperative attacks, and the targets to aim for will be spread out, so please plan accordingly!
The 2x speed can be used right from the start of the game, but if certain conditions are met, the 4x speed can also be used. What do you mean by "fast" in "GENSOU SUIKODEN" and "GENSOU SUIKODEN II"?
Of course, the mini-games have also been remastered in HD!
3月6日発売の「幻想水滸伝 I&II HDリマスター(@GensoSuikoden)」を先行プレイ🎮
もちろんコイン当てやチンチロリンも高画質化されています🎉
PC版だと60FPSで遊べることも確認したので、オリジナル版より簡単なの・・・かも？#KONAMI #幻想水滸伝 #コイン当て #マルコ #ポッチ稼ぎはガスパー pic.twitter.com/iAu2cthyt7— Saiga NAK (@saiganak) March 5, 2025
GENSO SUIKODEN" and "GENSO SUIKODEN II" offer a wide variety of fun mini-games, such as coin-play and chinchillorin. Of course, the graphics have been remastered in high definition! The Steam version seems to be up to 60 FPS, so it might be easier to win coins...? All of them reward you with potch, items, and equipment, so take advantage of them actively.
Rest assured. Gasper was gasper.
Save data is 16 slots and auto save.
" which
The data in "Gensuikoden I & II HD Remaster" can be saved in up to 16 slots, which can be saved from the inn or from the travel sealing sphere. In addition, there is a new feature that auto-saves to the 0th slot when you enter an area with a travel sealing sphere!
In "Gensou Suikoden" and "Gensou Suikoden II," where the story branches off with every little choice you make, saving frequently is of the utmost importance. I won't say where, but there were times when I was saved by the auto-save function.
In the options, there is an "event timer stop"!
"GENSO SUIKODEN II" has an " event timer stop " function! In this title, the event timer is running separately from the play time, and it can be easily stopped from the options. By using this function, you can enjoy the story more fully without being rushed by some events that diverge depending on the playing time!
Also, in the title screen options...
- Message speed (fast to slow/3 levels)
- Window Density (Light to Dark/5 levels)
- SE volume (small to large/10 levels)
- BGM volume (small to large/10 levels)
- Operation setting (A type / B type / C type)
- Display mode (window/full screen)
- Resolution (*1280 x 720 to 3840 x 2160 confirmed by editorial staff)
- Play languages (Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese)
... can be set. Display modes and resolutions are believed to be available only in the PC version.
Look back on event scenes with the gallery function.
.
- Sound Mode" allows you to listen to more than 160 types of background music for fields, battles, etc.
- Movie" to watch the opening of the remastered version as well as the original version.
- An "Event Viewer" that allows you to re-live the most important events in the scenarios (including control and decision making).
- Ending" to replay the endings of "Gensuikoden" and "Gensuikoden II" respectively.
- Staff roll" to play the staff rolls of "Gensuikoden" and "Gensuikoden II" respectively
When "GENSOU SUIKODEN I&II HD Remaster" is launched, you can select "GENSOU SUIKODEN" and "GENSOU SUIKODEN II" as well as a gallery. The BGM, of which there are an overwhelming number, is a must, and the "Event Viewer" function, which allows you to try out choices and actions that you could not choose during the story play, is very helpful...!
Encounters and partings. Fate or inevitability?
The main character, a young boy, is caught in a whirlpool of fate that he cannot escape when he carries a crest in his hand. Is it inevitable? Or is there a way to resist? What will the 108 stars, each with their own feelings and backgrounds, gain in the battle?
In the article, I mentioned "inconvenience," but thanks to the dash and double speed functions available from the beginning, you can proceed more quickly than in the original version. The time required for leveling up and updating equipment is short compared to most RPGs, so experienced RPG players should be able to complete both titles in 30 to 50 hours. However, it is extremely near impossible to gather all 108 companions on the first try.
Each character has its own story and charm, which is why this superb masterpiece is still loved 30 years after its release. I'm not going to spoil the story for you, but you will definitely want to play it over and over again to see how the story turns out.
Gensou Suikoden I & II HD Remaster", which includes "Gensou Suikoden" and "Gensou Suikoden II", will be released on March 6, 2025 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, Steam, and Epic Games Store. For more information, please visit "Genso Suikoden I&II HD Remaster" and "Genso Suikoden " series official X (@GensoSuikoden ).
| Title Outline | |
|---|---|
| Title | Genso Suikoden I&II HD Remaster: The Crest War of the Gates / Dunan Unification War |
| Package version | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 |
| Downloadable version | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, Steam, Epic Games Store |
| Release Date | March 6, 2025 (Thursday) |
| Genre | RPG |
| CERO | C |
| Number of players | 1 player |
Sorry, this article is only available in Japanese and 繁體中文. at the moment.
