Suikoden Tierkreis

Did You Know?

• The game's development was led by Osamu Komuta, who had previously been a planner for Suikoden Tactics.
• Kazuyoshi Tsugawa, who wrote Suikoden V, served as head writer.
• The game features the ending theme song 'Tierkreis' performed by Satomi Takasugi.

Gameplay

Suikoden Tierkreis is a traditional JRPG with three-dimensional environments and story-based objectives. The Nintendo DS dual screens are used to display gameplay, text, and menu options on the bottom screen, while the top screen shows a landscape image of the current location, its name, and season information. During battle, the top screen also shows character hit points and magic points. Players move using the directional pad or stylus. Interacting with non-player characters advances the story and unlocks new scenarios. Enemies are encountered randomly in hostile areas. Battles are turn-based: players input commands for up to four active party members before each round, with actions resolved according to each character's speed rating. Special combination skills become available depending on which characters are in the party. Defeating enemies awards experience points that raise levels and unlock new skills, and may yield trade items that can be sold for money to buy restorative items and equipment. Two players can connect via Wi-Fi to exchange characters and items and access unique battle scenarios.

Plot

The game is set in a world with diverse nations and tribes, including humans, Roar, Porpos-kin, and Auster. The setting is a parallel world within the Suikoden multiverse, known as the Infinity. The protagonist, an energetic young man from Citro Village, fights a mysterious organization that preaches fatalism and a predetermined future. The concept of the Infinity has appeared in earlier Suikoden games: monsters from another dimension are summoned in Suikoden I and III; parallel worlds appear in Suikogaiden II, Suikoden IV, and Suikoden Tactics; and recurring characters Viki, Yuber, and Pesmerga are implied to come from parallel worlds.

Characters

The player controls an unnamed character from Citro Village. One Future!' The Order's leader intends to summon the One King using the power of the Chronicles, memories of different worlds, to join a world where everything is predetermined. No characters from previous Suikoden games appear in Tierkreis.

Reception

Famitsu Weekly scored it 34 out of 40, calling the story fascinating and finding no obvious flaws. The English version received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic. IGN gave it an Editor's Choice award, noting that while longtime fans might find it too different, it is one of the deepest and most fully produced RPGs on the DS. Nintendo Power criticized the core gameplay and simple battle system but praised the storytelling. GameSpot called it a brisk, beautiful role-playing experience with fantastic visuals and music, but panned the main character's English voice acting and the lack of early Wi-Fi support.