Suikoden V is a fantastic RPG with a great storyline among other features that returns to the roots of the series.
The queen seems to have mixed feeling when it comes to Lord Lake, at times she seems to be vengeful and self-righteous and then at times she seems in agony over what she has done. The sun rune which can only be worn by a Falenan queen has the power to harness the sun but also some say it alters the state of the user's mind. With the nobility split into two dangerous factions the Barrows and the Godwins constantly at eachother's throats it is unsafe to take off the sun rune.
As you and your family try to protect the future of Falena someone is plotting to overthrow the queendom from the shadows. As you discover more of this plot that is when the story and the adventure of the prince truly unfolds. Suikoden V has an amazing storyline, possibly one of the greatest RPG storylines. An epic tale of war, betrayal, and justice unfolds as you (the prince) adventures through many hardships in Falena.
The Suikoden series is known for quite a few unique things that add to its storyline. First is the large intertwined storyline of all the games and the returning characters that result from it. Another is the collection of the 108 stars of destiny which you can collect to help you fight against your foes in your adventure. Most of these characters are playable but others are merchants or other helpful civilians. These features not only make Suikoden unique but increase the entertainment of playing the series by a lot.
A perfected form of combat makes Suikoden V excel as well. With the classic teams of 6 brought back but now with more unique characters, customization, and now stances to set your team in making your strengths even stronger. The magic system in Suikodens is based around runes a magical item that you can put in your body increasing your abilities. Based on the characters magical prowess they can use from 1 to 3 runes at a time, runes vary from magic runes, stat-boosting runes, unique runes, or melee attack runes. This system allows for a pretty deep level of customization between all of your characters. One important feature linked to the large amount of playable characters is the fast leveling ability for under leveled characters. This allows you to catch up unused and/or new characters easily and makes using it less of a hassle to change up your party.
Graphics are more advanced than all of the previous titles without losing the similar feel. With very nice animations for spells, attacks, and story sequences the game looks very good in all aspects. The sound is just as impressive as the graphics with a great score of old and new music from the series. Also the voice acting is quite good with the wide variety of characters you meet throughout the game.
With the collecting of the 108 star of destiny there are tons of things to do while playing through Suikoden V. Although not the best in the series it proved that the old favorites aren't always the greatest and RPGs still can be amazing. Due to a great storyline and an amazing RPG combat system I would rate Suikoden V a 9.8 out of 10. This game gave me somewhat of new hope in a new age of blander RPGs anyone who feels similar or likes RPGs would love to play this title.
This review will show up as a 10 due to Gamespot unfortunately not allowing a 9.8 to be selected.