Since 1995, Konami Entertainment Tokyo has taken it upon themselves to bring forth an RPG franchise that doesn't follow the beaten path that Squaresoft had set forth for nearly the last two decades. The series is called Suikoden (Genso Suikoden in Japan) and it not only innovatively has taken the RPG genre in a new direction with character development and role playing, but it has also outclassed almost every franchise in the process. Suikoden and Suikoden II were somewhat well-known by the hardcore Japanese RPG fan base on the Playstation home console last generation, and Konami was nice enough to make a third game in the series exclusively for the Playstation 2. Going head on against the likes of Final Fantasy X and Xenosaga Episode I, Suikoden III was swept under the rug by the commercial Playstation 2 fan base. Not all is lost, though. The game has received mass praise by critics and fans alike, just as the other two games in the series had, and it is bar none the best RPG available on the Playstation 2 thus far.

If that didn't spark your attention, maybe this will. Not only is Suikoden IV going back to the roots of its predecessors, but it is also by far the best looking game in the series. As a follow-up to one of the most acclaimed RPGs on the Playstation 2, it has a lot to live up to. At this point, though, we're fairly sure it will not disappoint, and even if it doesn't entirely outclass Suikoden I through Suikoden III, it should still be a solid RPG that shouldn't be missed by anyone with even the slightest interest in the genre.

To be perfectly blunt, 2004 is the year of the RPG. Games such as Fable and Sudeki are going to be the front runners for the Xbox, while games like Tales of Symphonia, Paper Mario 2, and Baten Kaitos are going to be batting up for the GameCube. The Playstation 2 has a rather impressive RPG lineup as well, though, which makes Suikoden IV's competition increasingly fierce. With the imminent release of both Final Fantasy XII and Xenosaga Episode II later on this year, not to mention games like Digital Devil Saga and Star Ocean 3, both heavy hitters making their way over from Japan, it might be a tough fight. To say the least, Suikoden IV will likely lag in the sales department, but it has the uncanny potential of a truly wonderful RPG.

The first three games in the series have touted something that no other RPG has in the past: that strength really does come in numbers. The Suikoden series has always, since 1995, had 108 characters, called The Stars of Destiny, that are able to be recruited during the games. One of the only downsides of Suikoden III was that the recruits were relatively easy to get and rather straightforward in comparison to the first two games. One of the things that piques our interest most in Suikoden IV is that it is said to be more in line with the first two games than the third, which likely means that it will be a more difficult, fulfilling adventure in comparison to a linear and disappointing one.

Generally speaking, it was Suikoden's gameplay and story that drove it forward. While much is still unknown about the story at this time, it does look to fall in line with the previous games. Each and every Suikoden game has had a unique story with very inimitable characters, but they always seem to flow together with references and plot hints to one another. This installment does not look to break the trend either; we have seen some footage of the game, which has a cameo of Vicky, the blinking magician, along with many other familiar characters. The game seems to revolve more around the water though, rather than the land-loving characters we've played in the past.

Like other Suikoden games of old, this game still centers on one of the 27 true runes; this time, it's the rune of punishment. This is said to be one of the most powerful runes around, but it does have a drawback; every time it is used it drains the life from its host. Like the original Suikoden, the game is set in the area of South Toran and the game will feature one main character rather than the highly unique Trinity Sight System seen in the last Suikoden game. Ship travel will be a major means of transportation this time around, rather than riding on horses or running as we've seen in the past.