Summary
Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of the classic JRPG franchiseSuikodenand the director of its spiritual successor seriesEiyuden Chronicle, has died. He had apparently been fighting an unspecified illness, which led to his untimely passing in the middle of thedevelopment ofEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
Murayama createdSuikoden,which launched for the PlayStation in 1995. The first and secondSuikodengames became big hits among RPG fans in the PlayStation era, with their biggest defining feature being the huge character rosters, known as the 108 Stars of Destiny. This concept was based on the ancient Chinese novelWater Margin, which involved historical figure Song Jiang and his band of 108 outlaws who rebelled against the government.
Murayama’s development company, Rabbit & Bear Studios, clarified that he died on February 6. He and his team were still hard at work onEiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which had begun development back in 2020 after it was successfully funded bySuikodenfans on Kickstarter. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the team stated that they would continue their commitment to finishing the game and achieving Murayama’s dream.
Yoshitaka Murayama Games Fans Can Play Right Now
In the meantime, longtime fans can look forward to reliving the glory days of Murayama’s past creations. They canstart withEiyuden Chronicle: Rising, the first game in the new series released back in 2022. While it does its own thing as a side-scrolling action RPG, as the spiritual successor toSuikodenit still brings back familiar elements from the original series.
And for those who want to play the original games, the first twoSuikodentitles are still available on the PS3 via PSN. Konami plans to release anHD remaster ofSuikoden 1and2on the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, but the titles have encountered some delays after originally being announced for 2023.
Beyond the first two games, therest of theSuikodenseries is also worth playing, especially for JRPG enthusiasts looking to explore some deeper cuts they may not have encountered before. Despite the relatively inconsistent quality of the titles in the franchise, they’re still well-regarded by series fans as some of the best in the genre. While they’re on old consoles like the PS2 and PS3, some of the latter games are worth checking out and playing for those able to get their hands on them.
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
WHERE TO PLAY
A hero’s destiny is written in the Stars. The legendary Konami JRPGs Suikoden I and Suikoden II have now been remastered in HD!The Story of Suikoden I: A once renowned hero turns into a violent tyrant, and an empire falls into decline. A Liberation Army is rising up in an act of rebellion against an oppressive rule. One by one the 108 stars of Destiny gather to shape the course of history.The Story of Suikoden II: Our story’s hero and his friend Jowy are members of the Unicorn Youth Brigade, which participated in a drawn-out border dispute between the Highland Kingdom and the City-States of Jowstown .A few months earlier, a truce agreement was signed between the two forces, both of which were happy to see an end to the fighting.However, hidden under the momentary peace the fires of a new war continued to smolder…
