Konami has officially announced plans to release remasters of both Suikoden and Suikoden 2. The PlayStation-era JRPGs have long been cited as two gleaming examples of the genre. Despite that, both Suikoden games have proven somewhat inaccessible through the years and have never been treated with much respect by Konami. The Suikoden franchise hasn't received a main series sequel since 2006. Konami now has a different plan for Suikoden going forward.
The original Suikoden was released in 1995 for the original PlayStation console. The JRPG was celebrated for its epic storyline and how it tied in over 100 different recruitable characters, each with its own subplots and contributions to progression. Suikoden 2 followed in 1998, also for the original PlayStation, iterating on the systems that made Suikoden a success and delivering an even grander story full of character drama and political intrigue.
Konami's new Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster will preserve the identity of both classic JRPGs while making improvements where it makes sense. Pixel sprites and environmental art will be enhanced for high-definition screens. That includes new character drawings done by Suikoden's original character artist Junko Kawano. Sound, both environmental and in battle, will also be enhanced and expanded. Konami will also add key technical features, including double-speed battles, a dialogue log, auto-battle, and more.
A specific release date for the Suikoden remasters has not been confirmed, for the time being. The two-game bundle is tentatively planned for release in 2023 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, ensuring that gamers across all major platforms have access to the JRPGs.
It seems that the recent success of the Kickstarted spiritual successor to Suikoden, Eiyuden Chronicle, has shown Konami that there remains an audience for the games even now. Eiyuden Chronicle raised over $4.5 million in crowdfunding, becoming the third-biggest video game project to be funded on the platform. Eiyuden Chronicle is planned to release in 2023, and Konami's release of the Suikoden remasters could help build up excitement for both projects consequently.
What matters the most about this announcement is that two classic JRPGs often looked at as shining examples of the genre will soon be widely available for gamers across all major modern platforms. While Konami has released these Suikoden games digitally on PlayStation, their age and the lack of availability on other platforms have kept them relatively inaccessible. Konami will hopefully give the remasters the level of respect they deserve, and in turn, Suikoden will hopefully be seen as an exciting property again just as it was in the 90s and 2000s.
Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster releases in 2023 on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.