Wednesday, September 8 2010

Suikoden III

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Suikoden III (幻想水滸伝III)
Development
Developer Image:Konami Logo.gif KCE Tokyo
Main Staff
Reception
Released Image:Sony Playstation 2 icon.gif Image:Japan icon.gif July 11, 2002
Image:Sony Playstation 2 icon.gif Image:North America icon.gif October 24, 2002
Sales Image:Sony Playstation 2 icon.gif Image:Japan icon.gif 397,422
Information
Timeframe SY 475
Location Grassland
Holy Kingdom of Harmonia
Zexen Confederacy
Protagonist Chris Lightfellow
Geddoe
Hugo
Thomas

Suikoden III (幻想水滸伝III Gensō Suikoden Surī) is the third instalment of the Suikoden video game series, designed and released for the Sony Playstation 2.

General Overview

Suikoden III (Genso Suikoden III in Japan), was released in 2002 in both Japan and North America (its European release was cancelled). Released on the PlayStation 2, Suikoden III was the first 3D Suikoden game. The development of Suikoden III was not without its controversey, however. Towards the end of the game's development, Yoshitaka Murayama (the creator of the Suikoden series) left Konami after having become increasingly frustrated with attempts by Konami higher-ups to meddle with his creative output. For many fans this put a dampner on the release of the game itself.

Set a whopping fifteen years after the events of Suikoden II, the game took place to the north-west of Jowston, in an area called the Grasslands where the tribes of the area have just negotiated a cease-fire with the mercantile nation, the Zexen Confederacy. The Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, meanwhile, is waiting for a truce with the Grasslanders, made in secrecy fifty years perviously, to expire so they can launch an offensive of their own. Relations between the tribes and their Zexen neighbours dissolve and lead to war until the Harmonian invasion. However, unknown to everyone, these events have been set in motion by someone else with a far darker purpose than territorial expansion.

The game followed the trials of several main characters in what was dubbed the Trinity Sight System. Each main character had a series of chapters, all of which ran concurrently with the other characters, allowing the player to gain, for the first time, a full view into the motivations of every faction in the game. From the Zexen Knight, Chris Lightfellow, to the Grasslander youth, Hugo, and the Harmonian mercenary, Geddoe, each character brings their own culture and personal beliefs to the story.

Boasting a new gameplay idea (the Trinity Sight System) and putting the battle and war systems through extensive tinkering, Suikoden III was warmly received by fans but also attracted criticism from those who felt that the game strayed to far from the series' roots and that the Trinity Sight System led to dull and repetitive gameplay. Meanwhile, reviewers heaped considerable praise on the series, overall even more than Suikoden II had been given.

Sales

  • According to Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, Suikoden III sold 377,729 units in Japan. The game also sold an additional 19,693 units as part of the The Best budget series.
  • In the United States, Suikoden III sold in the area of 101,274 units.
Games in the Suikoden series
Old World Suikoden · Suikoden II · Suikoden III · Suikoden IV · Suikoden V
New World Suikoden Tierkreis
Side Games Suikogaiden Vol 1 · Suikogaiden Vol 2 · Suikoden Card Stories · Suikoden Tactics
Re-Releases Suikoden I & II · Suikoden (Mobile)