Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
A spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, funded via Kickstarter.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a 2024 role-playing game from developer Rabbit and Bear Studios and publisher 505 Games. It is widely described as the spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, which lead developer Yoshitaka Murayama created for Konami. Murayama directed the first two Suikoden titles before leaving Konami in 2002, just before the release of Suikoden III.
The game’s funding came from a Kickstarter campaign that launched on July 27, 2020. It reached its base goal of $500,000 within three to four hours and went on to raise $4,541,481 from 46,307 backers. That made it the third highest-funded video game in Kickstarter history, behind Shenmue III and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Hundred Heroes was shown at E3 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Originally planned for an October 2022 worldwide release, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then rescheduled for 2023 before being pushed to 2024. A release date of April 23 was confirmed during a September 2023 Nintendo Direct presentation. A prologue game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, launched on the same platforms in May 2022.
According to review aggregator Metacritic, the game received “generally favorable reviews” on Windows, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5. In Japan, four Famitsu critics gave it a combined score of 33 out of 40. Game Informer rated it 8/10, praising its creative battle system, extensive party customization, and top-notch writing, but criticizing an empty open world and tedious dungeons as outdated. Godisageek called it a truly memorable experience that sticks with the player. IGN Japan awarded it 90/100. PCGamesN offered a mixed view, stating that while the game is worth playing, its highs are matched by painful lows, resulting in a disjointed experience with forgettable minigames and characters.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Rabbit and Bear Studios
- Publisher
- 505 Games
- Genre
- Role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
- Director
- Osamu Komuta
- Producer
- Junichi Murakami
- Designer
- Junko Kawano
- Artist
- Junko Kawano · Junichi Murakami
- Writer
- Yoshitaka Murayama
- Composer
- Motoi Sakuraba · Michiko Naruke
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Windows · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S
- Engine
- Unity
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The development of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was led by Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of the Suikoden video game series by Konami. Murayama had directed Suikoden I and II during his time at Konami, but resigned from Konami in 2002, shortly before the release of series third installment, Suikoden III. The fundraising campaign for the Eiyuden Chronicle project was conducted through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The campaign exceeded all of the original stretch goals and met its base funding requirements after surpassing $500,000 within 3 to 4 hours on July 27, 2020. It ultimately raised $4,541,481 with 46,307 backers, making it the third highest funded video game in Kickstarter history behind Shenmue III and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Hundred Heroes was featured at E3 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and was originally slated to be released worldwide in October 2022 before being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was then set for a 2023 release, but was delayed to 2024. It was later confirmed to release on April 23, during their presentation on the September 2023 Nintendo Direct. A prologue, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, was released for the same platforms in May 2022.
Reader's Guide
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes received 'generally favorable reviews' on Windows, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 33 out of 40. Game Informer awarded it an 8/10, saying 'archaic structures makes those first impressions tough to look past, but a creative battle system, extensive party customization, and top-notch writing make up for the retro jank.' Game Informer however criticized the gameplay for being outdated at certain points, such as having an empty open world and some tedious dungeons to go through. Godisageek praised the game, saying that 'Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a truly memorable experience that absolutely will stick with you when it's over.' IGN Japan gave the game a 90/100. On a more mixed review, PCGamesN said that 'whether or not you're a fan of Suikoden II, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is just about worth your time. Unfortunately, almost every high point in Nowa's adventure is met with a painful low, making for a disjointed experience bursting with forgettable minigames and characters.'
Did You Know?
- The Kickstarter campaign raised $4,541,481 from 46,307 backers.
- A prologue titled Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released in May 2022.
- The game was delayed from an October 2022 release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2020s, Part 1 1-24
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