Review of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

A much-needed reminder of what made the Suikoden series so fantastic is provided by Rabbit & Bear Studios.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Platform: PC, also on PlayStation and Xbox
Developer: Rabbit & Bear Studios
Publisher: 505 Games
Release date: April 23rd, 2024
Price: $49.99, $79.99 Deluxe Edition
Digital availability: Steam

Why do people enjoy Japanese role-playing games so much? There are others who contend that the franchises from the 1990s established some remarkably robust groundwork. When you go back to almost any Square or Chunsoft title, you’ll discover endearing characters and compelling storylines that rival the best movies of the time.

However, distinctiveness wasn’t just found in the big publications. Yoshitaka Murayama, a 1992 University of Tokyo graduate, was employed by Konami to develop a game that was akin to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Upon the 1995 debut of Suikoden, critics observed that Murayama had enhanced certain nuanced aspects of the genre. Character development for supporting cast members was almost equal to that of major cast members. The primary attraction of Pokémon came before the capacity to enlist from the roster of 108 distinct warriors. Additionally, although the game included standard turn-based combat, its narrative was given considerable variation through duels and even large-scale conflicts.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that players like Suikoden and its sequels. Even though Konami had no intention of bringing together the franchise’s expertise for an official follow-up, the game’s spiritual successor was swiftly created through crowdsourcing. After four years, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is finally available for purchase. The title from Rabbit & Bear Studios creates the impression of replaying the original Suikoden even though there isn’t much originality. Reviving that emotion will often make a purchase justified.

Luxurious Display

In the first scene of Hundred Heroes, the main character Nowa enlists in The Watch, a gang of mercenaries working for the League of Nations. The one-dimensional nature of the individuals you’ll partner up with is mostly indicative of the game’s characterization style. You’ve probably encountered all of these characters before, from the austere mystic to the brazenly overconfident little sister to the grizzled old veteran. The problem is that Hundred Heroes is more concerned with the interactions between these people than it is with the characters. Much of Hundred Heroes’ exposition is fascinating, even though these exchanges don’t quite approach some of the Suikoden franchise’s most moving moments.

Yes, the narrative doesn’t always feel new. Early on, Nowa collaborates with Seign Kesling, a youthful tycoon connected to the Galdean Empire, which has been at odds with the League of Nations for a considerable amount of time. For a brief period, it seems as though the two sides are working together to locate a potent Primal Lens and are going toward a truce. But in these kinds of games, an impenetrable coalition appears improbable.

You Have to Hire Them All

The two men regret their fortunes intersecting, as one would expect. Granted, it is corny and cliched, but then, so were a lot of Suikoden’s plot points. However, there’s something really satisfying about seeing two people who represent diametrically opposed ideas treat each other with respect. As expected, the majority of Hundred Heroes feels like getting back together with an old buddy, and I think most gamers will be okay with that. As I listened to the Japanese actors, who both gave excellent performances, I was undoubtedly feeling that way. A number of the secondary performers can come across as untrained, even if many of the primary English performers had respectable performances.

The character recruitment aspect of Hundred Heroes also evokes nostalgia. By engaging in activities like conversation, finishing fetch quests, and even dungeon exploration, you’ll come across possible allies. Some of them are carefully disguised, so if you’re stuck in the game without any in-game help, you may have to rely on an appropriately archaic diary and FAQ. Approximately 70 of the characters can be deployed in combat, and many of them serve to enrich Hundred Heroes’ expansive universe. This is a feature that will appeal to those who enjoy putting together and leading battle teams, as runes can give characters abilities that will help the group as a whole. The fact that low-level characters level up swiftly when paired with more experienced companions is another fortunate fact.

Generally Satisfactory Supplements

Numerous allies that are unable to join a battle team are useful in the Hundred Heroes town-building feature, which becomes available after a few hours of gameplay. Here, you’ll develop your modest base of operations into a formidable stronghold where raw materials and recruits will increase your capabilities, enabling you to increase your carrying inventory, among other things. There is also a selection of mini-games vying for your free time, but these are usually easy to pick up and won’t keep your interest for very long.

Combat is where you’ll naturally spend the most of your time. In the game’s basic combat, groups of enemies are pitted against two rows of up to six characters. It moves a little slowly, but it’s fun to figure out how to outmaneuver foes that are airborne or have armor. You can let the CPU take charge if you’d rather not have to deal with managing each turn, but you’ll lose out on important features like cooperative attacks. Gimmicks that can give an advantage on the offensive or defensive are incorporated into boss bouts. They certainly live up to the hype and provide a little something different, but if you’re using the automated fighting in Eiyuden Chronicle, get ready to be ill-prepared to take on these more skilled opponents.

Random Problems

Fans of Suikoden will surely enjoy the addition of larger-scale conflicts and duels, which have historically offered a macro-sized view of continental conflict. However, both are rudimentary; the former relies excessively on scripting, while the latter gives you little strategic depth and only assigns you the responsibility of arranging units. Rather than simplifying these essential Suikoden elements, Hundred Heroes should have expanded upon them.

Naturally, there is a number of other infractions for a game this size, ranging from a little used auto-save system to menus that are unresponsive or even display ghostly control movements. Furthermore, there is DLC available that claims to fill in the blanks on events that take place between the main plot points. While I have no problem with decorative goods in role-playing games, I find it annoying when exposition is withheld.

Owners of Steam Decks should anticipate occasional drops in framerate when rendering the open environment. However, it’s difficult to stay angry with Eiyuden Chronicle for very long despite these problems. A character’s individuality is almost always shown through a sprite animation, while the soundtracks by Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms) and Motoi Sakuraba (Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile) adequately uplift, enthrall, and soothe. The soundtrack that the two have created is incredible.

In summary

Regretfully, Yoshitaka Murayama died just before the publication of Hundred Heroes. However, had he been here, he may have benefited from the acclaim that Eiyuden Chronicle would surely garner. After eighteen years since the last Suikoden game, this one serves as a fun reminder of all the things that made the series so great, such the character relationships and the sense of accomplishment that comes from discovering a new recruit who shares information about the world of the Hundred Heroes.

The PC game Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was used.
using a review code that the publisher sent.

Review Overview

Gameplay – 90%

Story – 85%

Aesthetics – 85%

Content – 90%

Accessibility – 90%

Value – 95%

89%

GREAT!

Summary :Regaining the allure of a faded brand is a risky endeavor. However, Rabbit & Bear Studios managed to capture a lot of Suikoden’s charms without having to create an exact imitation. While there are undoubtedly some obvious errors in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, overall the work is passionately made, something that many of its revitalized competitors lack.