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Suikoden: Tierkreis

• By Will Herring
• March 31, 2009 12:35 PM PST
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Suikoden: Tierkreis is very much an "Elseworlds" version of the Suikoden franchise; an original and interesting story that departs from traditional Suikoden canon, yet at the same time retains everything that makes the main series so great. From swapping trade goods at various towns to recruiting all one hundred and eight Stars of Destiny, Suikoden: Tierkreis captures the essence of the Suikoden series, but stands very well on its own two feet as a contained RPG adventure.

THE VERDICT by Will Herring A huge fan of the Suikoden franchise, I was more than charmed when given the opportunity to take a look at the series' first full-fledged spin-off this side of Tactics - and trust me when I say that, even with its faults, Tierkreis definitely delivers.

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Don't even try to pronounce it

Suikoden: Tierkreis sticks you in the shoes of a brash, headstrong hayseed of a protagonist. Upon discovering a strange book, our hero and his childhood friends begin to notice some uncertainties in the world around them: large bodies of land appearing out of nowhere and strange prophecies speaking of the "marks of the stars". When the Order of the One True Way, a devious cult known for subjugating villages unwilling to adhere to their beliefs of predetermination (imagine a very ambitious version of "Gattaca") makes their interest in these mysterious chronicles known, our hero must take to arms in classic Suikoden style, and endure the transformation from stubborn young adventurer to the leader of a fortress and highly renown company of warriors.

The first thing anyone's bound to notice when they plug Tierkreis in is the game's stellar presentation. The game meshes simply astounding hand-drawn backgrounds with wonderfully detailed and animated character models - seriously some of the best I've seen in an RPG on any console, as of late. The game's use of perspective, specifically the 3D characters interacting with the 2D backgrounds really brought me back to the Playstation's Final Fantasy titles, creating a fantastic cinematic experience. The game's presentation is complimented with some beautifully animated cut-scenes, complete with voice-acting. While the cut-scenes are relatively grainy, I find it a miracle in itself that Konami was able to pack so much content - from the massive amounts of quests you'll undertake to all one hundred and eight stars themselves - into a DS cartridge.

Every rose...

I know I've been heaping some heavy praise upon the game so far, but Tierkreis does have its fair share of faults and annoyances. The previously mentioned voice-acting is extremely hit-or-miss, from some incredibly decent voices to absolutely dreadful droning - and let's not forget that that the main character delivers his lines so fast you might get whiplash. Thankfully, you're given the option to speed through or skip any dialogue exchanges if it's all too grating.

Much of the game's interface should be standard fare to anyone that's played a JRPG in their lifetime - everything from the typical inventory and equipment menus to character status screens should be old hand to fans of the genre. Even with such familiar territory, there are still a few clunky caveats that need to be pointed out. For instance, the game's battles - while effective and easy to navigate - are a bit too easy. While I appreciate not having to level-grind like a mad-man just to take down the next wave of Order soldiers, I found that about 90% of the time, I could just set my party to "Auto-Attack" and let the AI take care of business on its own. Much of the time, this takes away any reason to use the mystical marks of the stars that you obtain throughout your journey.

While battles are relatively simple in the long run, Tierkreis deserves some praise for how easy it is to manage every member of your company. When you're forced to take a mission with that character you haven't touched since you've hit the power button, enemy encounters offer helpful amounts of level-relative experience that saves the player plenty of time and sanity. Missions - which can be accepted at your leisure straight from your fortress - are also relatively diverse. You'll find yourself trotting across the game's map on a regular basis, which really brings the tried-and-trued trade element to life. Before long, you may even find yourself heading back to Citro Village in search of Laggart Pelts, just to see how much they'll go for in Grayridge.

Never know till you try

While Suikoden: Tierkreis is a definite departure from the franchise, it not only serves as a worthwhile spin-off, but a well constructed role playing experience in its own right. From it's impressive presentation to addictive nature, Suikoden: Tierkreis is a journey worth taking for role playing fans - even if you're bound to come across a few bumps along the way.

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