Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Review — Suikoden Fans Rejoice

JRPG is a genre that is very close to my heart. From the day I first discovered it to today, those feelings haven’t changed. Whether it be tactical RPGs, turn-based, or even full-on action, I love JRPGs all the same. Even more so, the classic adventures that helped shape the present of this genre. And if I talk about those retro gems, there’s no way I won’t mention Suikoden.

Suikoden is a reminder of the creative days of Konami and JRPGs. The classic base-building, character-recruiting JRPG with a grounded narrative and real-world concepts tackled with a variety of characters, seeing all this return was the greatest joy for me, something I’ll be forever thankful for to Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

Story And Setting

At this point, I’m sure you’re aware of the origins of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series. It’s a brand new game at its core, and so is the story, but that Suikoden soul is still evident and very much a driving force.

Granted it’s a rather straightforward story that’s pretty predictable at times, certain twists catch you off-guard, and the heartwarming moments between the cast more than make up for it. 

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is set in a fantasy world where unique abilities and magic can be wielded with an object termed a “Rune-Lens.” Those who control the lenses, control the world. Or so it’s supposed to be.

In the world of Allraan, there are multiple nations joined together in a League and co-exist peacefully. However, one Galdean Empire emerges with a Rune-Lens-powered technology to play the conquerer. This conflict between two opposing countries and the politics involved are the backdrop for our story.

Enter Nowa, an ambitious young man with a “meddling” problem from a small remote village who joins the Eltisweise Watch in Grum County, one member of the League. When this small group goes on a joint mission with the hateful Empire searching for a Primal Lens, he meets Seign Keisling, a young Lietunenat with the Empire.

Thus begins a story of political conflict, conspiracies, wars, racial segregation, and backstabbing with these two acquaintance-turned-friends on opposing ends, coming to terms with their conviction and eventual goals. Raise a resistance army to protect your homeland and uncover the nefarious threads that bind it all.

A World Building And Character-Focused Narrative 

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes does a solid job with its story portrayal. Granted, it’s a rather straightforward story that’s pretty predictable at times; certain twists catch you off-guard, and the heartwarming moments between the cast more than makeup for it. The writing and dialogue in this game are incredible, and the voice acting is supreme.

Being a Suikoden vet, you’ll know that the story is more about the development of the characters involved and the world they inhabit, and rest assured this game does a splendid job at that. Sometimes humorous dialogue can ruin the serious tone, but it’s not an extreme problem.

Gameplay

The core gameplay involves strategic turn-based battles initiated as random encounters throughout the map. Yes, the random encounters are back, and I was surprised to see that they happen with considerable gaps and never frustrate you with their frequency.

The game lacks what you might call QoL updates and ease-of-use features we’ve grown accustomed to, and many might consider this a flaw; I do not.

Once you initiate a battle, a screen with three commands appears, Fight, Auto, or Flee. Choosing to fight has you set actions for everyone at once which they then execute based on their speed.

You can take six characters to active battle: three in the front row, three in the back, and one support-only. Each has a different attack range and can use single or multi-target moves. The combat itself is pretty basic and slightly uninspiring, but it’s what you expect from a Suikoden game; it’s not necessarily bad.

Abilities include a basic attack and Rune-Lens skills that cost SP (recoverable overtime) or MP (requires items or resting). Plus, it’s a unique two-person Hero combo. You can use some gimmicks in boss fights and always rely on Auto to skip the formalities. The true fun is experimenting with all the versatile, playable characters.

Similarly, the level design of dungeons is quite straightforward. However, certain locations add a creative little puzzle, which I genuinely enjoyed.

Base Building, Wars, And Character Recruition Is At The Core

Moving on, the character customization system is also pretty basic. The only real variation in builds comes from the rune-lens slots, and the Primal Lenses later on. Moreover, you get epic Duels which are cinematic, contextual battles, and a magnificent OST blasting in the background.

The real stuff starts when you’re introduced to the first War and, later, your base. Wars are played on a board-like UI where you move your units in certain directions and intercept enemy units while defending your home and playing strategically to reign victorious.

And then, to let the vicious Empire know you mean business, you establish a resistance army and your own little town. Coming from Suikoden, it’s more complex now. Recruiting a character doesn’t mean your base gets upgraded automatically; you still need to build facilities, scour for resources, and find more relevant people.

Depending on the character you recruit, they require a side quest or challenge you to minigames. Speaking of mini-games, I just couldn’t get behind the cooking and the Beniogma tops ones.

The Game Doesn’t Embrace Modernity, And That’s Perfectly Fine

If you’re a fan of modern JRPGs and can’t digest old-school games like Suikoden, then Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes might not be the game for you.

This is because it’s still very much a classic game that doesn’t let go of that essence, even for a bit. The game lacks what you might call ease-of-use features we’ve grown accustomed to, and many might consider this a flaw; I do not. The game wholeheartedly embraces the classic essence, and I genuinely respect that.

The combat itself is pretty basic and slightly uninspiring, but it’s what you expect from a Suikoden game; it’s not necessarily bad.

I dived into this game expecting a Suikoden throwback, and I was not disappointed. Do I have to run around the map for a good half-game before unlocking fast travel? That’s completely fine. Run through an entire dungeon to get to the blacksmith before I unlock one for my base? I accept that. Scour the world and learn its patterns, actively searching for allies to gather instead of a pre-made guide. That’s exactly how I want it to be.

Visuals And Performance

From its iconic 2D sprites to the classic animations, beautiful backgrounds in the iconic art style, and the battle graphics opening a portal to the good old times, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes’ visuals are a proper feast for any retro JRPG fan.

I was genuinely blown away when I was hit by the extreme nostalgia the moment I laid eyes on it. The graphics themselves tell a story, and the character animations during various scenarios augment that. 

There are some problems in the game, like visual bugs and glitches, but I think day-one patches might be able to fix these. One particular that I noted was how when you run behind large structures, they’re supposed to blur out to let you see your character, but sometimes it doesn’t work as intended. 

For the performance, I’ve played the game on a PS5 and didn’t notice any significant problems over my playthrough. There were some minor frame drops like when exiting the map, but that’s it.

Verdict

To conclude, I’ll only say this. We Suikoden fans have waited for a long time, and I can say with confidence to my fellows that the wait was well worth it. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a love letter for all Suikoden fans; it embraces the classic essence wholeheartedly and doesn’t succumb to modernity.

That was all about my Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes review; I hope you enjoyed it. Might I interest you in checking out some more of our reviews?

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