I played Suikoden II in 1999. This profound experience shaped my thoughts and expectations of the RPG genre. It was the second RPG I played to completion. I was so enthralled with so many aspects of this game that the entire Suikoden series became obsessed with me, showing just how powerful the narrative medium of video games can be. I still recommend Suikoden to anyone who will listen to my clumsy, rambling, glowing praise. It was with a heavy heart that I learned that series creator Yoshitaka Murayama passed away in 2024. I sat down to play a preview of his final game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and felt oddly melancholic. After all, Suikoden is a beloved series for me and many other RPG fans. Does Chronicle of Heroes: One Hundred Heroes live up to the reputation of its spiritual successor? I’ve only seen a few previews, but I was very impressed and excited for the adventures to come.

Chronicle of Heroes: One Hundred Heroes is a Suikoden title in more than just name. Anyone familiar with the Suikoden games will immediately recognize similar aspects of Chronicle of Heroes: One Hundred Heroes. For example, in this story world, rune lenses replace runes as a source of magic and unique abilities. You can visit blacksmiths around the city to enhance your character’s unique weapons. You can recruit various and colorful characters for your purposes. Combat is turn-based with up to six active combat group slots. Combined attacks come in the form of hero combinations. There are also valuable items that are unique to specialized stores. Eiyuden Chronicle borrows some gameplay elements from Suikoden, but in many cases more refined, so that Suikoden fans can quickly get to grips with the controls. At the same time, potential beginners will find a decent selection of proven mechanics.

Another aspect of Eiyuden Chronicle that will have a big impact on Suikoden fans is obviously the story. I’m reluctant to make too many arguments based on this preview, as I believe it should be left for individual players to experience for themselves. However, I think the hints at the story given in the preview are fascinating and potentially moving. Suikoden fans like me probably won’t be disappointed with the plot and characters based on the preview version of Chronicle of Heroes: The Hundred Heroes.

As the preview begins, it takes you through some dungeons in the early story, showing you what to expect dungeon-wise and combat-wise. One of the dungeons you explore features a visual memory puzzle to further dig into its depths, showing you that not all of the dungeons you explore are long battles with no breaks or hostile terrain. Frequent random battles occur on the world map and in dungeons, making it easy to figure out how combat works. If, like me, you choose manual combat control, your party and enemies will take turns acting. When deciding on a particular character’s action, you can choose between a basic attack or a special move granted by a Rune Lens, provided you have enough MP or SP. Some characters may develop combination attacks with another character, called Hero Combos, which are a definite addition to your repertoire. MP must be replenished by resting or using items, while SP accumulates during battle. Most of the early battles rely on regular attacks and strategic healing when needed. However, in dungeons, it’s satisfying to be able to use special moves to take down stronger foes.

Like Suikoden, Eiyuden Chronicle also requires you to consider the placement of your party characters. Some characters can deal damage from the front and back rows, while some fighters can only attack from the front row. Putting a weak healer character first is not the best survival strategy. Combat starts quickly after just a few steps on the world map or in a dungeon, but it may feel tedious for those who are not good at leveling up. Still, exploration battles allowed me to keep my party at a high enough level for boss battles, giving me the resources I needed to upgrade my armor and strengthen my weapons. For those who want to speed up combat, there are some easy auto-combat options to try. While I prefer to control my party manually, I have to give the game credit for providing an alternative for those who don’t feel that way.

Combat-wise, the only thing that doesn’t remind me of Suikoden is the inclusion of boss fight mechanics known as “gimmicks,” unique gameplay elements added to boss fights to make them different from random encounters. Before they rise. In one boss fight, I had to strategically hide certain characters behind rubble before the boss unleashed a devastating special attack. But in another case, I relied on a 50:50 chance of landing an additional decisive move against my opponent. I recognize the inherent tactical potential of gimmicks when used correctly, but the second example I mentioned was frustrating because of the randomness involved.

Although the preview only gave me a small amount of time with Chronicle of Heroes: The Legend of One Hundred Heroes, I was able to immerse myself in a familiar process that probably excites most Suikoden fans: recruiting characters. As with the Suikoden series, some party members are recruited simply by following the main story. However, you can also recruit many optional characters depending on your actions in the game. Once I was free to explore, I searched every nook and cranny of the world map and everywhere I could find party members to reinforce my army. These characters are often memorable and very quirky, so figuring out the steps required to become friends with them is a lot of fun. The number of combat and support characters is very limited, and there is a huge list of candidates to recruit, so you will need to decide on your main party early on. Even just from the preview, I had to choose which of the optional party members to keep in the fight because I had already recruited a lot of them and some were necessary for the story. Having a lot of options and limited usage often puts me at a disadvantage despite Suikoden’s large cast. I like that optional characters appear in the side quest story scenes (to remind me of their existence), but it felt odd to see characters necessary for the story disappear from there.

While the main story quests are a useful note, I wish Eiyuden Chronicle had a log to keep track of the various side quests you take part in. Things like potential recruits’ requirements to kill a certain number of specific monsters is information you should keep in mind or write down so you don’t forget or miss an opportunity. A log of side quests is very welcome, given the large number of optional actions you can take. Be prepared to backtrack thoroughly if you really want to recruit everyone. Certain scenes and events are only unlocked by progressing through other quests or areas.

Visually, Hundred Heroes is a great game that makes effective use of 2D and 3D graphic elements. The graphics are bright, colorful, and really pop off the screen. I played the preview version on my Steam deck, which was originally set to 60 FPS, and there was noticeable visual stuttering. I switched to a less demanding 30 FPS and didn’t notice a huge difference graphically, other than the stuttering was gone. To be honest, the game is beautiful at either setting. I love the expressive portraits used for prominent characters. The interface is clear and easy to understand.

I like that there is background dialogue in the different areas you travel through. This gives you a deeper look into the character interactions and personalities. Optionally recruitable characters also have something to say. It’s important to note, however, that the text for these snippets of dialogue is small and not audio, so you’ll need to keep your eyes on the bottom of the screen to avoid missing them. While you can rotate the camera on the world map, in cities and dungeons the camera is fixed. This can be a bit distracting, as your view is blocked at certain angles in dungeons, making it hard to tell if you’re missing something hidden.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gives you the option to have the dialogue dubbed in English or Japanese. I opted for the English dialogue and was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the voice acting. I would also like to praise the music tracks I have heard so far on the game’s soundtrack. While I love certain works from the Suikoden series, the overall tone of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has incredible potential. I admire composer Michiko Naruke’s work on the Wild ARMs soundtrack. She, alongside acclaimed composer Osamu Sakuraba, is clearly at her best with her work on Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes from the early stages of the game. The battle music is so good that I didn’t mind a lot of random battles.

My biggest problem with the preview of Hundred Heroes is that it only scratches the surface of a game I want to play more of. Hundred Heroes is reminiscent of Suikoden in some ways, and these early stills only reinforce that sentiment. This game is more than worthy of being a spiritual successor to this beloved series, and it’s clear that a lot of care went into its design. Rabbit & Bear Studios may be in the making of a modern classic. I’m now even more excited to fully experience Hundred Heroes when it launches on April 23, 2024.