Well, Im gonna go grab a fork and scrape my gums with it, that will be less painful than the first 5 hours of this game.
I must admit I am disappointed that other than the story line there are no improvements over previous titles. In fact It would be safe to say that Suikoden 3's graphics and battle system were much better than Suikoden 5. Good news at least, is that this is a vast improvement from 4.
Here's a breakdown of Suikoden 5
Gameplay: When I think of gameplay i think mostly of the battle system and crawling through dungeons, because in most RPGs thats what you spend time doing the most. Suikoden 5 is no exception, you will do plenty of both, in fact the random encounter rate is pretty high, but luckily the battles are fast paced. There is not much new with the battle system, regular battles can be done using auto battle for the first 8 hours or so of the game, not really requiring much strategy. The duel battles have a time limit now, which keeps you on your toes, and the War battles are a little more interesting now as well. So overall the gameplay here is OK.
Graphics: I'll be brief, the Character models are good, other than that, well, you mind as well be playing this on the PS1.
Sound: This is this game's saving grace. I have always like the music found in Suikoden games, especially 1, but in addition to good music, 5 also bears decent voice acting. Most voices match their characters pretty well which is good seeing how you will hear a lot of them.
Story: If your like me, and you should be, you play RPG's for the story and gameplay. All other features of RPG's are just a bonus. The story in Suikoden 5 is very well executed, and like in previous titles, revolves around one of the True Runes and a vast cast of characters. Suikoden 5 sports the interactive selection feature again, allowing you to make decisions for the main character which makes you feel like your part of the game. The game has a good ability of staying mysterious and not revealing too many details too early, which is part of the reason it grabs you.
Overall so far, Suikoden 5 is turning into what seems like an enjoyable game, so just stay patient through the first few hours, and it will grow on you.