Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes review

Rabbit & Bear Studios delivers a welcome reminder of what made the Suikoden series so great.

Why are Japanese role-playing games so beloved? Some might argue that the franchises of the 90’s laid down some amazingly strong foundations. Revisit nearly any Square or Chunsoft title, and you’ll find memorable characters and conflicts that rival the storytelling of the era’s best films.

But distinction wasn’t restricted to the major publishers. In 1992, recent University of Tokyo graduate Yoshitaka Murayama was hired by Konami and began working on a game similar to Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. When Suikoden was released in 1995, critics noted how Murayama had enriched some of the genre’s subtleties. Secondary characters were given nearly as much development as main characters. The ability to recruit from the cast of 108 different warriors predated the principal allure of Pokémon. And while the game’s delivered traditional turn-based combat, duels, and even large-scale battles injected some variety into the game’s campaign.

As such, it’s hardly surprising that Suikoden and its follow-ups are adored by players. Despite Konami’s lack of interest in uniting the franchise’s talent for an official sequel, the game’s spiritual successor was quickly crowdsourced. Four years on and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is now with us. Although there’s scant innovation, Rabbit & Bear Studios’ title cultivates the feeling of playing the original Suikoden again. For many, rekindling that feeling will justify a purchase.

Indulgent Exposition

Hundred Heroes opens with the protagonist Nowa becoming a member of The Watch- a group of mercenaries who serve the League of Nations. The kinds of characters you’ll team up with are largely representative of the game’s approach toward characterization: they’re one-dimensional. From the grizzled old veteran, the brashly over-confident little sister, to the stoic mystic, you’ve likely met these personalities before. But here’s the thing: Hundred Heroes is focused on the interplay between these individuals rather than the characters themselves. Although these interactions don’t match some of the more poignant moments of the Suikoden franchise, much of Hundred Heroes exposition is enthralling.

Yes, the storytelling rarely feels fresh. Early on, Nowa works alongside Seign Kesling, a young imperial with ties to the Galdean Empire, which has long been at war with the League of Nations. For a moment, the two factions appear headed toward a truce, as they collaborate to find a powerful Primal Lens. But we know an impermeable alliance seems unlikely in these kinds of games.

Gotta Recruit Them All

Predictably, the two men lament about their intersecting fates. Yes, it’s pulpy and clichéd, but so were many of Suikoden’s story beats. But there’s something quite gratifying about witnessing a pair of individuals representing oppositional ideologies have respect for one another. Fittingly, most of Hundred Heroes feels like becoming reunited with a much-loved friend, and I suspect most players will be perfectly fine with that. I certainly was as I was listening to the Japanese acting, which both offered strong performances. And while many of the main English performers delivered an acceptable effort, a few of the secondaries can sound amateurish.

Nostalgia also emerges from Hundred Heroes’ character recruitment component. You’ll encounter potential allies through actions like chatting, completing a fetch quest, and even exploring a dungeon. Some of them are well hidden and without any kind of in-game assistance, you might rely on an appropriately old-fashioned notebook and FAQ. Pleasingly, many of the characters help flesh out Hundred Heroes’ vast world, and about 70 or so can be used in battle. Anyone who appreciates assembling and managing combat teams should relish this component, with runes able to provide characters with skills that can benefit the entire party. Another merciful quantity is that low-level characters quickly increase in level when put on teams with more experienced allies.

Mostly Satisfying Supplementals

Many of the allies who can’t join a combat team provide benefit within Hundred Heroes town-building component, which unlocks several hours into the game. Here, you’ll advance your humble base of operations into an impressive fortress, where recruits and raw materials will expand your abilities, doing things like enlarging your perpetually small carrying inventory. A collection of mini-games also competes for your recreational hours, but largely these diversions are simple and unlikely to hold your attention for too long.

Expectedly, combat is where you’ll spend a significant portion of your time. The game’s basic battles pit two rows of up to six characters against groups of foes. Sure, it’s a bit sluggishly paced, but there’s enjoyment in discovering the advantages that can be had against flying or armored enemies. Should you want to circumvent having to manage each turn, you can allow the CPU to take over, but you’ll forgo key abilities like joint attacks. Meanwhile, Boss battles integrate ‘gimmicks’ that can provide offensive or defensive advantages. They undoubtedly live up to their moniker and inject a bit of novelty, but if you’re taking advantage of Eiyuden Chronicle’s automated combat, prepare to be ill-equipped to fight these elevated enemies.

Sporadic Snags

Suikoden fans will undoubtedly appreciate the inclusion of duels and larger scales battles, which have traditionally provided a macro-sized perspective of continental conflict. But both are unsophisticated, with the former relying too much on scripting, while the later tasks you with units positioning but offers little strategic nuance. Ideally, Hundred Heroes would have fleshed out these signature Suikoden components, instead of streamlining them.

Expectedly, for a game of this scale there’s a list of other transgressions that range from an auto-save system that is barely used to menus that lack responsiveness or even exhibit phantom control movements. And then there’s the presence of DLC that purports to explain events that occur within gaps of the main storyline. I don’t mind the presence of cosmetic items in RPGs, but withholding exposition feels obnoxious.

Steam Deck owners can expect the framerate to sporadically plunge when rendering the open world. But despite these issues, it’s hard to remain frustrated with Eiyuden Chronicle for long. There’s almost always a sprite animation that discloses the personality of a character, while Motoi Sakuraba (Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile) and Michiko Naruke’s (Wild Arms) sonic contributions suitably serenade, stimulate, and sadden. The pair have composed an amazing soundtrack.

Conclusion

Sadly, Yoshitaka Murayama passed away just before Hundred Heroes’ release. But if he was still with us, he might have enjoyed the praise that Eiyuden Chronicle will undoubtedly receive. It’s been eighteen years since the last Suikoden entry, and this game is a delightful reminder of the series’ strengths, whether it’s the rapport between characters or the fulfillment associated with finding a new recruit who divulges a detail about Hundred Heroes’ world.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was played on PC
with review code provided by the publisher.