Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes Reviews
While its premise, story beats and main characters echo Suikoden II a little bit too much, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes manages to stand on its own with a compelling tale, excellent characterization, classic JRPG gameplay and great presentation, which make it easy to look past some of its shortcomings, such as balancing and minor gameplay issues. The world of Allraan may never get into the spotlight again due to the unfortunate departure of its creator, but it is undeniable that it couldn't have been introduced to JRPG fans in a better way.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is the true spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, capturing what made those games magical and expanding on the premise a hundred-fold. It tells a well-written and verbose tale of courage and endurance, but adherence to some fairly brutal old-school design precepts means it won't appeal to everyone.
As far as homages go, Hundred Heroes is an exceptional one. That old-school sensibility is captured perfectly, almost to its detriment. The sprite art is exceptional, the voice work is fantastic, and the character designs are excellent. I wish the pacing was more modern, though. And I’d be fine with an updated approach to inventory management. But all that is what makes this such a faithful successor to the Suikoden series. Well, that and the establishment of your own kingdom full of heroes. If you’re looking for the next Suikoden game, this is it! Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a worthy ascendant to the Suikoden throne.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has had a rocky road to release. The latest (and, sadly, final) game from legendary Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama is a beautifully executed JRPG that feels both modern and nostalgic. Above all else, it's a game where the developer's passion for the genre is evident in everything from the storyline to the battles.
"To JRPG lovers" is the first sentence we read when starting Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes, testifying to the intentions that moved the developers of Rabbit & Bear Studios Inc.. In fact, the game is an impeccable collection of quotes, cues, mechanics and plots dating back to various sacred monsters of the genre, moreover staged with a curated artistic direction and really "in love" with its sources of inspiration.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Whether or not you're a fan of Suikoden II, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is just about worth your time. Unfortunately, almost every high point in Nowa's adventure is met with a painful low, making for a disjointed experience bursting with forgettable minigames and characters.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a good game. Although billed as a spiritual successor to the Suikoden games, you don't need to have played them to enjoy this JRPG adventure. You do need some patience, however, as performance issues and its "traditional" ways continue to trip up the Switch version.
While not every gambit succeeds, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes delivers us the spiritual successor we all dared to hope for, but never expected to get. While things like the War Mode and some balance issues and bugs will require additional attention, there's a great JRPG here worth playing.
While there is room to improve and some blemishes throughout, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has excellent presentation & nostalgic charm, and I cannot overstate enough how glad I am that it exists.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes might be a poor imitation of the games that came before, but it still has plenty to recommend it.
Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes hits the right notes on paper but in practice, the story is poorly executed, battles are bland, recruitable characters are beyond forgettable, and the game itself is sluggish. The style and audio design do a good job, but not enough to save the overall experience.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gets a lot of things right for fans of Japanese role-playing games. It has great visuals and a great soundtrack that complements everything. But poor design choices from the classic games that inspired it can negatively impact the whole experience. The main story may also not be that good for everyone, which can take a long time to play through.
As an aggressively old-school role-playing game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes suffers in areas like combat, side quest design and balance but makes up for it with the story, extensive cast and strong presentation.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a robust remembrance of JRPGs from a bygone era. Despite some of the more archaic design elements of that generation seeping through the cracks, this spiritual successor to Suikoden offers a comforting and familiar experience that feels inherently nostalgic. Between engaging characters, a diverse world, alluring combat, and more, Hundred Heroes is proof that this sub-genre is timeless, even at its roots.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a worthy spiritual successor to Suikoden. Outside of some combat tweaks there is a lot to love here.
Despite boldly declaring "the JRPG is back" and then doing absolutely nothing new with the genre, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a decent, traditional JRPG that will tickle anyone who adored the classic PlayStation titles of the late nineties. Its modern affordances in visual design and voice acting bring this nostalgic adventure into the present day, but it is let down by sluggish, repetitive combat and some missed opportunities when it comes to utilising its massive roster of characters. Fans of Suikoden will likely already have this pre-ordered - for everyone else, check this out if you're looking for a nostalgic romp and don't mind a few speed bumps along the way.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is sure to satisfy long-awaited fans of the series, but whether it will win over casual gamers is another story. It boasts a quality script and a large, unique ensemble cast, but its dated design and lack of side-quest guidance will detract significantly from your experience.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Old players who have grown up with the first two episodes of the Suikoden franchise and backers of the Kickstarter campaign will be the most pleased by Eiyuden Chronicles Hundred Heroes, and old school JRPG through and through. Divisive game design choices aside, what we have here is a solid effort, but also one that looks too much to the past and much less to the future of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
As a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gets a lot right. It's just a shame its story lacks emotional impact and in some ways it's a little too old-fashioned.