Suikoden Tierkreis

The only installment in the Suikoden series for the Nintendo DS moves to a new universe with 108 new characters.

Overview

Suikoden Tierkreis is the first Suikoden game for the Nintendo DS, and while it shares the same name as its predecessors, this stylistically disparate edition (using more drab colors than the traditional saturated palette) takes place in an entirely new universe. Though it retains the classic "108 Stars of Destiny" trope from earlier games, this turn-based RPG will not include full-scale war battles as previous Suikodens have. Standard bouts will take place using four team members, as opposed to the Suikoden standard of six, though optional support characters can aid if the need arises. The main reason the battle system has been changed is because the DS lacks the power to create the large full scale battles. Konami has changed the story to reflect this. There are still the classic "108 Stars of Destiny" but a twist in the opening cinematic depicts all but four of them dying in an epic battle. As the four survivors, you must search for the souls of the remaining 104 dead Stars of Destiny and resurrect them. You are able to choose what they are resurrected as, so you could use their soul to form a party member, weapon, or monster.

There is also a mode that uses the DS Wi-Fi connection. In this mode you can send your party members out on "quests" against your friends' characters. Konami isn't shoehorning touch controls into the game, but it appears that most of the action takes place on the lower screen, which means there is still a possibility that there will be some touch controls.

Story

The story for Suikoden TIerkreis begins in a tiny village called Citro. You play as an orphan who was raised by the village. You and a couple other friends undertake a mission to take out some beasts who have been terrorizing the town. On the journey, you find a book which you touch. Upon touching the book you get a vision of a fierce battle taking place and receive strange powers. The other members of the group also touched the book and most of them also experienced the same thing. Knowing this is part of something bigger, the group sets off to find out more about the book in the larger cities of the world and begin on their grand journey into the unknown. On the way they will fight against an oppressive religious government, make allies, and learn a lot about themselves as they explore the world in Suikoden Tierkreis.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Suikoden Tierkreis is basic, yet fun. You can outfit your group with a number of different equipment types and then participate in random encounter battles. The battles typically last around a minute with some weaker enemies being less and bosses being more. At the beginning of the turn, you select what you wish to do which includes melee, magic/skills, and items and then proceed. Another option is to let the computer auto normal attack for you and chose enemies which makes battles fast and easy. Bosses are where the true challenge is found as some will test your skills and make you rely on everything you have learned up until that point in the game, so always be aware of what the game is teaching you.