Suikoden V confirmed for US

The good news: Suikoden V will be released in North America. Konami confirmed this week that the latest installment in the role-playing series, already announced for Japan, will ship in the US and Canada. As has been the case ever since Suikoden III in 2002, the new entry in the series will be exclusive to the PlayStation 2. (Note: A combination reissue of Suikoden I & II has been announced for the PSP in Japan.)

The Bad News: We don't know when Suikoden V will be released in North America. Konami's announcement about the game was brief even by press-release standards, and it gave no indication of either a ship date or a launch window for the game.

Suikoden V takes place in the realm of Falena, and like previous installments, the player will recruit 108 non-player characters on his or her voyage. The player's objective in Suikoden V will be to collect pieces of the Sun Rune, one of the 27 True Runes the Suikoden series' storyline centers on. Players will play the 3D RPG as the silver-haired Prince of Falena, who wields a three-section staff on his adventures.

GameSpot will have more details on Suikoden V as they become available. In the meantime, watch the trailer for the game from this year's Tokyo Game Show.