Suikoden V PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Mar 21, 2006
User Score
9.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 43
  3. Negative: 2 out of 43

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. QquinaU.
    May 24, 2006
    10
    One of the best RPG out there. If you are bored with RPG game with crappy storyline and nothing but graphic show like Kingdom Heart 2. Suikoden V is perfect for you! The graphic of the game is decent. The storyline is BEYOND superb. This is a must-have for every RPG player.
  2. BenY.
    Mar 23, 2006
    10
    I played already 20+ hours and for me this is the best rpg in ps2 out now out of all the suikoden games this is the first and suikoden 2 is second, suikoden fans know what this means... Go grab a copy now!
  3. BrianK.
    Jun 13, 2006
    10
    And the award for "Making a great RPG by going back to the roots of what made the series so good" goes to Konami for Suikoden V. Hooray for Konami for ressurecting a wonderful franchise that became mired in mediocrity when it hit the PS2... unlike Squaresoft who takes a franchise that produced two of the best RPGs ever Final Fantasy 3(5) and Final Fantasy 7 and them makes garbage games that completely strip what makes an RPG great and disguises it graphical luster and polish, RPGs were never about graphics, but gameplay and story and characters, Suikoden 2 was the best in the series by far, 3 and 4 tried to destroy it bu luckily Konami, bless them unlike aome companies answered the angry and saddened fans cries and brought back the series to the old in Suikoden 5, just playing this game makes me feel at home like I was playing a polished and upgraded version of Suikoden 2, it has all the elements and themes that made 2 so appealing but adds more depth, more improved gameplay and a greater story even, I am 25 hours into it and finally have my castle which I am happy to see is an actual castle that lives and breathes and grows like the previous ones in 1 and 2, I am also very impressed with the new Duel and battle systems which have undergone major upgrades, the real time battles are great and exciting, I wish all companies would go back to the roots of gameplay and story like Konami did, Suikoden 5 and Dragon Quest 8 are the two best RPGs out right now and they both have the gameplay and story that us RPG baby boomers remember form the good old days, If it ain't broke don't fix it. Suikoden 2 was a classic masterpiece and now Suikoden 5 compliments what made it so great but now stands out as another masterpiece ready to stand the test of time!… Expand
  4. AbrahamD.
    Dec 10, 2007
    10
    Suikoden is once again shown that it is the story telling master of all RPGs.
  5. RandyS.
    Apr 19, 2006
    10
    A return to greatness. Everything from varied enemy models to the classic battle system to interesting characters has returned to this latest entry to the series. I'm 60 hours in and having the most fun I've had since Suikoden 2! Get this game!
  6. RemO.
    Mar 28, 2006
    9
    This game features one of the best story lines that i've seen in any game, rivaling the story telling of the vaunted Suikoden 2. The combat system returns of the old 6 person individually commanded party, and as usual features a dizzying array of combination of runes you can equip with a variety of effects. The 108 stars include old favorites as well as new faces many of which have good storylines to unlock. The game's not without its problems tho--the graphics aren't exactly top notch for today's standards, the voice acting can make you slightly cringe at times, there's so many loading screens particularly in ctiies and into and out of battles that it can get annoying (and as far as i've figured out, there's no Hai Yo style cook-off included). However, the game has so many pluses, not the least of all its excellent story, and includes small 'touches' and info that will warm the heart of old school suidoen fans--for example the loading screen whcih you are forced to look at time and again has one of the suikoden characters currently in your party walking/running/teleporting as he/she would have looked in Suikoden I or II, as a pixelated 2-D sprite, a feature which, if a new character shows up, makes the loading screen surprisingly bearable. All in all, the pluses far outway the minuses for me, and I think this game is one of the best in the Suikoden series.… Expand
  7. AlicD.
    Mar 23, 2006
    10
    I have to agree with Ben, that this game is perhaps the best Suikoden ever. It has fairly simple but at the same time extremely easy to look at, beautiful, and stylish graphics, not unlike Suikoden 2 -- and it goes back to 2 in many other ways as well. However, it has its own style, much better music than 3 or 4, and a story that goes beyond even 2 in excitement and 3 in complexity. This is a great game, the kind that you can play for twenty hours straight after starting it. If this game gets an 82%, final fantasy X, on my scale, gets a 70% at the highest, and that may be pushing it. It's too bad hardly any RPG but the final fantasies get consistently high reviews, and, in my opinion, consistently fair treatment from all reviewers.… Expand
  8. BlakeG.
    Apr 15, 2006
    10
    The return of the world map was very refreshing. Very intelligent design as far as its use as well, I never had to run ridiculously long (boring) distances to get to a destination. The battles were interesting, and customizing my formation and party was immensely fun. It reminded me a lot of Suikoden 2, when I saw that it used an army-style battle for the third battle mode... I was ecstatic, as Suikoden 2's army battles were my favorite of all. It was an awesome surprise to find out that not only are they army battles... but they're in REAL TIME! Wow. So ya, lovin it. My wife and I have to keep wrestling the controller between us, and just today at lunch we ended up discussing the inter-game politics for 2 hours, hah :)… Expand
  9. ThorHoltan
    May 30, 2008
    10
    On your first playthrough, the first ten or so hours of the game may test your patience; you'll be worried that the game is going to value story over gameplay all the way through. Once the game really gets going, however, you're familiar with the world, the characters and the game's premise, and you'll be in for a heck of a ride. At least that was the case when I played it. And on my second playthrough, the lengthy beginning portion of the game didn't bother me one bit - in fact, I quite enjoyed it. The game's biggest flaw is its difficulty - or lack thereof - but it's not so bad as to be laughable, and the rest of the game, from its intricate, compelling story to its catchy (albeit way too short) melodies is strong enough to make it excusable. Also, recruiting is great fun as usual, and man, are some of those characters cool. It's the best PS2 RPG I've had the pleasure of playing, and I reckon it's going to be a part of my all-time top 10 list for years to come.… Expand
  10. JulioYeapJulio
    Mar 31, 2006
    10
    Well I'm from Argentina... and even if i'm a fan o every Suikoden I can't say that this one deserves just an 8 in almost every page that I search before I get it... se, DON'T BE UNFAIR, I played a lot a RPG's, and thanks to that I have a big view of what should I Look in a game like this...
    IS ONE OF THE MOST ADDICTED GAMES EVER... je... I hope that I didn't     over reacted... but is true, good music, loooong, great story as bloody as the Suikoden II, and that cool, awsome list of characters and minigames, nice graphic, because have the esence of Suikoden II, not the better but more than enough to be beautiful and nice to my eyes...
    To finish, eve being a fan of the series, is obviuos that this game was perfect to finish the saga in this generation of consoles... (sorry if I don't write well, remember, I'm from Argentina)    … Expand
  11. TrevorMartin
    Sep 15, 2009
    10
    A storyline to rival the most epic of novels, a fantastic roster of characters and the ability to make you genuinely care about the choices you make throughout. Suikoden 1 was fantastic, 2 was perhaps the greatest console RPG of all time (even today - I've just completed it again on PS3) and 5 is almost it's equal. If I was to level any criticism it would be that the game isn9;t challenging enough from a battle perspective - it's more than possible to play through all (65+hrs with 108 stars) of it without having one complete 'wipe'. This is partly forgotten though as you get swept away by the magnificent storytelling.… Expand
  12. cnekans
    Dec 24, 2012
    9
    I have loved all the Suikoden games; I have the first thru the fifth. And especially like the game play and the characters in THIS one. Like that you can make orbs and build your skills(great touch). There really isn't anything i don't like about this game. The characters have personalities and a great range of individuality. Enjoy the battles too. Rune archers, infantry, calvary and lots more. Sea and land battles that you have to use your head to win.

    Shopping, treasures, trading, prizes for winning battles and alot more pleasant surprises on your journeys, this games the game worth it. If you decide to get this game in my opinion you won't be disappointed.

    This game has the old school charm of Suikoden 1 & 2. Unfortunately it has the old school camera angle. It's not that the graphics are bad, it's just that at the 3/4 angle view It's kind of hard to see the detail. You can zoom up, but then it's hard to get a view of your surroundings. Plus the non-cinematic cut scenes are in the wide angle.

    My biggest compliment: Replay value

    After obtaining all 108 stars of destiny and playing around with some of the more interesting characters, I clocked in about 62 hours with this game. However, it should be noted that I played 40 of those hours in the matter of one week (and i'm a guy who played Persona 4 for a year)! Suikoden 5 is INCREDIBLY addicting and if you are in the middle of a relationship or attending school at this time, I DON'T recommend you dive into this game right now. Just make sure you get copy though! Who knows how high the price may inflate in the future? PS2 games are hard to find because Sony still doesn't want to bring them out on PS3 or higher systems.

    Drawbacks:
    Tons of cutscenes (like the first Xenosaga)
    Some of the areas have bad music
    Load times can be bad (I guess this might not be a problem in the future with a digital version not on DVD)
    The story takes some time to pick up

    Conclusion: If you are tired of Final Fantasy and all the clones, gives Suiko5 a try. It's not a dungeon crawler; it's not an anime music disguised as a game (looking at you, Xenosaga 1). btw, please leave a review once you play this and please DO give the 108 stars of Destiny a try. That's 70 solid hours of gameplay right there.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 43
  3. Negative: 1 out of 43
  1. GameBrink
    70
    A very average to mediocre game that’s held together by a good story and cast. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  2. 1UP
    80
    A welcome return to form for the series. Even the plot revolves around minor characters from "Suikoden II," and the loading screens show the game's characters as they would have been rendered in a 32-bit sprite style, as if Konami is apologizing for the turns taken after that era.
    Read full review
  3. Play Magazine
    80
    Suikoden V is easily twice as long as the next-longest title in the series, a length it achieves not with filler dungeons and needlessly frequent battles, but by sheer weight of story. [Apr 2006, p.57]
See all critic reviews »