General Gaming Eiyuden Chronicle - Hundred Heroes (A Spiritual Successor to Suikoden) Coming April 23, 2024

[Brian]

 

[EternallDarkness]

I miss the Suikoden series so much. Definitely will want to play this, also wish the Suikoden series would get ported to the switch 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[Brian]

 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[jaethos]

With this release date I now have 5 Japanese made RPGs to play in the first 4 months of next year. Like a Dragon IW, FF7 Rebirth, Persona 3 remake, Dragon's Dogma 2, and this. That makes early 2024 one of the best starts of a year ever for me video game wise.

 

I'm not sure whether I'll play this or Persona first. The other 3 will be played as they release, or as close as possible as I finish them. I might go for this, since I backed it. It also might be shorter than P3.

[Keyser_Soze]

Looks like it shares some characters from the "first game" Rising, so check that out if you want to get to know Garoo!

[Greatoneshere]

Crazy news, sad to see right before the release of this game (a game I'm pretty hyped for, which releases this April):

 

Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama has passed away

WWW.EUROGAMER.NET

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Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of the Suikoden RPG series and scenario writer for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, has p…

 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

 

Looked like there was a portrait of Murayama on the walls in one of the buildings

[Littleronin]

My copy arrived today. Sadly I won't get time until Tuesday to start playing.

[crispy4000]

Man the reviews on this have been so harsh.  I'm not the biggest fan of this series, only having played a bit of the first.  But still, I hope its still an enjoyable time.

[Xbob42]

Harsh? I mean, some definitely were, but it's sitting at a 78, which is... honestly where most RPGs I play sit, if not lower.

 

I'm actually running through the Suikoden games first. I had played and beaten Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising before this and based on how people talked about it, I expected it to be a grindy dumpster fire, but I found it to be a fairly short, overall pleasant little "make the numbers go up" action game with RPG elements. There was definitely a lot of back and forth fetch quest stuff, but almost all of it would let you collect the required items or whatever before even getting the quest, so I'd just go to town and have like 20 quests to turn in and have enough to upgrade the town, get new shops, spells, etc. Was a nice mellow game in my opinion.

 

Got about 30 minutes into this, and just suddenly told myself "I should really play the Suikoden series first," so I've got 1-5 loaded up on my Steam Deck. I'll go through them as long as I'm entertained. I have Tierkris on my DS< which I did actually play upon release and enjoyed it. Dunno if there's any others, but looking forward to playing through all of them, been on a real RPG binge the last couple of years, clearing up huge amounts of my backlog and classics I never got to try before.

 

Honestly, this is a spiritual sequel Kickstarter to a series that's been dead for almost 2 decades, I'm not expecting it to be incredible, I don't even know if I like Suikoden as a series yet! But I do find all of this interesting, and will be happy to play through it as part of the bigger overall narrative behind the series.

[crispy4000]

The RPGamer one I read first basically said that its fine? … but had no soul.

[Xbob42]

Did it go into more detail than "no soul"? I feel like that's shorthand for "I shouldn't be reviewing games." In casual conversation, sure, but "no soul" is such a vague, overarching generalization it really doesn't mean anything.

[crispy4000]

12 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

Did it go into more detail than "no soul"? I feel like that's shorthand for "I shouldn't be reviewing games." In casual conversation, sure, but "no soul" is such a vague, overarching generalization it really doesn't mean anything.

 

Kinda?  They had things to criticize, but no cohesive argument about what a game's 'soul' is and why this lacks it.  Which is what that criticism invites.

 

It's still not a good sign.  These reviews in general remind me of Yooka-Laylee's.  Reviewers had a hard time pinpointing what made it worse than Banjo, so they often resorted to that line to get the point across.  Or the even lazier criticism of 3d platformers never being that good to begin with.

[Xbob42]

Boy I could go into what makes Yooka-Laylee worse than Banjo all day!

 

Hell, I made a way-too-long Youtube comment about it in reply to a video defending the game 6 years ago, that fucking inexplicably enough just got a reply today. Obviously it's replying to a specific video but you can see there's a lot more than just "no soul."

 

Quote

As for your questions at the end:

 

"What is a collect-a-thon with a minimap?"

 

I think this is true enough. But there's a reason people wanted a mini-map: You get lost, in a bad way. Not lost as in "oh boy I'm exploring this level," lost as in "Oh boy, I have like 3 quills left and have no idea where they are. and also this map is 3 square miles" I believe Stop Skeletons From Fighting actually covered this really well in his video. He called quills "low-tier collectibles meant as breadcrumbs to subtly guide you to new parts of a level, but also to make it evident where you've already explored." Hiding them actually completely destroys their purpose.

 

 "What is a collect-a-thon without elements of Metroidvania?"

 

Getting new powers is fun! Getting new powers, then having to backtrack to a hot tub just to swim under it for 2 seconds to open a cage is tedious. Doing that should've triggered the hot tub to open a trap door or something and have you do a challenge using the power you came back with. This is actually often a problem in Metroidvania titles too. Using my powers as a key to unlock a further reward is boring. Using my powers to unlock a challenge involving said powers and THEN earning my reward is way more effective.

 

"What is a collect-a-thon without variety?"

 

What? Who complained about the game having variety? Maybe I zoned out during part of the video.

 

"What is a collect-a-thon without a sense of space?"

 

A... sense of space? I'm not entirely sure what you mean here. But if I'm right, I think that not having that sense of "space" was what disappointed a lot of people. The levels feel large and aimless and boring. It wasn't out at the time you made this video, but just explore any Mario Odyssey level and then try to explore a stage in this game. Mario Odyssey is packed to the gills with secrets, enemies, way better variety, everything feels very intentionally placed. From any point in a stage you can look around and likely see something you haven't explored yet. Yooka-Laylee just feels... big? I like exploring big 3D platformer stages, but I think there's something subtle that developers themselves can forget sometimes. I noticed the same thing with the big first open level in A Hat In Time. It just feels aimless and meandering, same as Yooka-Laylee, its smaller, more focused levels feel much better. But it's not because I hate open levels, because exploring Mario Odyssey's big stages was a joy.

 

"What is a collect-a-thon with a focus on... combat?"

 

Is this meant to excuse the poor combat in Yooka-Laylee? Look, if you don't want a combat focus, that's fine. Just don't add a bunch of enemies. But no one's going to complain if the combat is fun unless it takes over the whole game. If it's included and also bad (like in Yooka-Laylee) then that's a problem. It's not the worst in the world, but it just contributes to the general sense of slowness.

 

Also I think that final focus on the game being a collect-a-thon after telling people they can ignore objectives they don't like was really tone deaf. People buy these games because they like 100%ing things. You really want to limit the amount of C-tier stuff you pack into a collect-a-thon because it's going to be seen by a lot more people than a C-tier quest in an action game or MMO or something. It's a case where it's actually worse than nothing, because it drags down the whole experience without adding anything except padding.

 

As a JRPG fan, I totally get where you're coming from on reviewers decrying a genre you like (or any genre, really) as a relic of the past. It's short-sighted, absolutely. But I don't think any of that excuses Yooka's failings. If you loved it, that's great. But I think trying to downplay these issues as "part of the genre" is actually just as bad as what these reviewers are doing. Because the developers will think that we're okay with that. I'm not okay with bad combat. I'm not okay with missing the point of low-tier collectibles as breadcrumbs. I'm not okay with confusing stages that I dislike so much that I don't even bother learning them. That's another thing: If I liked them, I'd have learned them much faster. But if you find the simple act of getting around a map to be an annoyance, then it doesn't matter how well you know it. You still don't want to be there.

Video in question: 

 

 

Obviously I neither expect you to fully read some random ass comment I wrote from over half a decade ago or watch the video, just there for posterity. Noticing I wasn't very clear in a few parts, whoops! Well I ain't going back and editing shit!

 

But yeah, obviously if critics are seeing something wrong, well... smoke, fire, all that. But I feel like it shouldn't be too hard. Like Jason Schreier I feel wrapped up his thoughts pretty succinctly:

 

Quote

I finished Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes a few days ago and am sad to report that it's a messy, disjointed game, with tedious activities and a disappointing story. Plus: a critical bug prevented me from recruiting one of the characters and seeing the true ending, and as of right now it still isn't fixed. 

 

In many ways Eiyuden captures the Suikoden feeling, from the rousing pre-intro cinematic to the castle that grows as you play, but it's missing the emotional core that made those games (especially 2 and 5) great. The three protagonists have no personality and the grand political plot turns out to be tropey anime nonsense. And it's so janky. I really wanted to love this one, but alas.

 

Obviously lacking in some minutiae since it's a Tweet, but his broader points are easy to understand and relate to, I think.

 

Honestly, it made me want to play through the original series more, to see if I agree or disagree. For example: Will I agree that there's a strong emotional core to the original games? Will I agree that they don't evolve into tropey anime nonsense, which I feel like 99% of JRPGs do? It'll be fun to find out!

[Brian]

This released today. Downloading it now on Game Pass. Looks to be swimming in 7s. @Keyser_Soze do the open critic dump 

[Keyser_Soze]

A huge dump for @Brian

 

Game Information

Game Title: Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Apr 23, 2024)
• PlayStation 5 (Apr 23, 2024)
• Nintendo Switch (Apr 23, 2024)
• PC (Apr 23, 2024)
• Xbox One (Apr 23, 2024)
• PlayStation 4 (Apr 23, 2024)
  

Trailer:

Publisher: 505 Games

    Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 76 average - 58% recommended

Critic Reviews

 

Spoiler

CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 8 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a worthy spiritual successor to Suikoden. Outside of some combat tweaks there is a lot to love here.

COGconnected - James Paley - 75 / 100

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.

Cat with Monocle - Seth Hay - 4.5 / 5

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is what classic RPG fans and especially Suikoden veterans are looking for. It has the gameplay, the soundtrack, and everything in between. It’s like reuniting with a long lost comrade and picking up where you left off, having a blast all over again. Welcome back, old friend, we missed you.

Cerealkillerz - German - 8.3 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes offers excellent content, especially for fans of JRPGs from the 90s, looks great and also keeps you engaged in the long term with the many characters that can be found. Only the story sometimes suffers from pacing issues and the current objective is not always completely clear. But that doesn't stop the title from being a great new start for an almost forgotten series.

Checkpoint Gaming - David McNamara - 7 / 10

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.

Digital Trends - George Yang - 3 / 5

As a Suikoden successor, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is faithful to a fault.

Eurogamer - Kaan Serin - 3 / 5

A big throwback RPG that doesn't meaningfully mess with Suikoden's 30-year-old formula.

Everyeye.it - Lorenzo Mango - Italian - 7.5 / 10

"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.

GAMES.CH - Benjamin Braun - German - 75%

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes mainly delivers what the developers promised. It's a mostly very classical JRPG experience with beautiful graphics and great music. But while fans of the 90's JRPGs might get anything they love about these classics here, they also get nearly everything, that they might hate about them.

Game Informer - Josh Broadwell - 8 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a good reminder of why the RPG genre left some parts of its Golden Age behind. It’s also a testimony to what makes the genre special and the power of good storytelling to move and inspire. Admittedly, rigid adherence to archaic structures makes those first impressions tough to look past, but a creative battle system, extensive party customization, and top-notch writing make up for the retro jank.

GameBlast - Victor Vitório - Portuguese - 7.5 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was clearly made with dedication to deliver an epic experience about assembling a resistance army in the midst of an inglorious war. The narrative cannot give importance to such a vast cast, but, overall, it does a good job with what it has at hand, telling an engaging, well-written and well-voiced story. Translation does not follow the same level and several systems seem to be too close to the old productions on which they are based, missing the chance to modernize to allow for more efficient management. The end result is a good JRPG that suffers from limitations, which can still be resolved with changes here and there to systems, options and menus, bringing with it the potential to really shine in its environment.

GameGrin - Alana Dunitz - 9 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is for fans of turn-based RPGs. It's challenging, has great heroes, and a deep story. It will pull you in!

GameLuster - Nirav Gandhi - 9 / 10

I am shocked to my core; as a great lover of RPGs, this is one of the best ever. It's a must play for any genre fan out there.

GameSkinny - Abby Smith - 9 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has the nostalgic feel of a '90s JRPG but revitalizes the genre with lovable characters and epic strategy sequences.

Gamer Guides - Ben Chard - 80 / 100

Eiyuden Chronicle is a fantastic first entry from Rabbit & Bear Studios in an attempt to bring back Suikoden. A by-the-numbers plot holds it back from truly achieving greatness, but a strong cast and exciting base building makes this a must-have for all fans of classic JRPGs.

Gamers Heroes - Johnny Hurricane - 85 / 100

Eiyuden Chonricle: Hundred Heroes is exactly what Suikoden fans have been asking for. Fans of old-school JRPGs or games about recurring characters shouldn't hesitate to check it out.

Gamersky - Chinese - 7.5 / 10

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.

Gaming Age - Dustin Chadwell - 7 / 10

Devoid of a lot of modern conveniences found in other RPG’s nowadays, your tolerance for the experience that Eiyuden Chronicle sets out to deliver will likely hinge on your love of Suikoden (II specifically) or other RPGs from that era. As someone who basically grew up playing RPGs on the PlayStation 1 and earlier, I was willing to look past a lot of the issues, but this might not be the best way to spend your time if you’re coming into this with a fresh set of JRPG eyes.

GamingBolt - Ravi Sinha - 7 / 10

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.

God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 9.5 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a truly memorable experience that absolutely will stick with you when it's over.

Hobby Consolas - David Rodriguez - Spanish - 82 / 100

Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes is a great journey back to the golden age of the JRPG and a tribute to all the good things Suikoden gave us. With nostalgia as its flag, this game manages to overcome its lack of innovation to deliver a great adventure that will take you back to simpler times.

IGN - Jess Reyes - 7 / 10

One you get past its slow start, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes mostly succeeds in weaving the stories of multiple countries and characters together into a sprawling epic.

IGN Italy - Francesco Destri - Italian - 7.5 / 10

While Suikoden II and IV remain on another level, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes takes the formula of these classics to some extent and repurposes it in a JRPG that is certainly interesting but perhaps not as beautiful and accomplished as we would have hoped.

IGN Korea - Jieun Koo - Korean - 10 / 10

Another great title with immersive classic JRPG roots. Players will be busy with their hearts being engulfed with a tsunami of emotions when the game’s protagonists with all differences in races, culture and relationships eventually come together as one to share an ultimate goal. Players must build cities and defend against waves of invasions which brings enough motivation to show that even heroes still need everyone’s support to grow and be strong. Truly motivating once the players understand that maintaining positive relationships with other adventurers is key to advance forward in their journey. The 2.5D-esque graphics paired with dynamic action camera work is surely eye-candy and the sound design that focuses on epic 1-on-1 duels will be music to every gamers’ ears.

INVEN - Kwangseok Park - Korean - 8.5 / 10

A love letter to classic JRPG fans' would be the perfect description for this game. It's filled with various elements that evoke nostalgia for JRPG enthusiasts. However, despite its efforts to recreate the nostalgia of the past, maybe the absence of convenience feaures was too much.

Infinite Start - Mark Fajardo - 8.5 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a heartfelt homage to the Suikoden games, seamlessly blending nostalgia with fresh experiences. While it effectively captures the essence of Suikoden, offering familiar storytelling and visuals that resonate deeply with fans, the presence of bugs and occasional performance issues may detract from the overall enjoyment. Nevertheless, these minor setbacks do not overshadow the game's true strength—its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia while delivering a new and captivating adventure. With its rich narrative and familiar gameplay elements, Eiyuden Chronicle feels like a true Suikoden game with a new title, making it a must-play for fans of the beloved series.

Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 90 / 100

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes perfectly captures the zeitgeist period of Japanese role-playing games of the late 90s, faults and all. [...] Players who yearn for the days of an epic fantasy story with solid turn-based combat & dungeon puzzle shenanigans most immersive will find a lot to love in this heartfelt tribute from the late Yoshitaka Murayama and his team Rabbit & Bear Studios.

LadiesGamers.com - Margaret David - Loved

It won’t take long to fall in love with Nowa and his initial teammates on the Watch, and the bittersweet story beats come achingly fast in the first act of the game. Those who played the prologue game, Eiyuden Chronicles Rising, won’t have to wait long to meet some familiar faces and learn the answers to some of the questions left hanging there. From there, the journey is a comfortably familiar but emotional one, where power-hungry villains separate friends and family under the banner of a war that threatens to grow out of control.

It’s a beefy game, too, with backers who already got their copy claiming that they’re clocking 60 hours on a fast-paced playthrough, and I’m suggesting that around 80 is going to be a fair hour count for most players. Chock full of stuff to do, things to explore, and characters to meet and collect; for some of us, this is the game we wanted when we were teens and still enjoying our last free summers. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a fantastic JRPG, wearing its old-school quirks like a badge of pride, with even its deliberate annoyances feeling like a wool flannel shirt. I can safely say it’s a terrific game and one its backers will welcome home with delight.

MonsterVine - Nick Mangiaracina - 4.5 / 5

To say I’m surprised by how much I’ve been enjoying Hundred Heroes is an understatement. Truly, I cannot wait to not only finish this game. I’m also really hoping the passing of the great Yoshitaka Murayama doesn’t slow Rabbit & Bear Studios down because I would really love to see more RPGs in this vein.

Niche Gamer - Fingal Belmont - 9 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes perfectly captures everything it set out to achieve. While the “love letter to JRPGs” phrase gets thrown around a lot these days, and sometimes makes me cringe despite my adoration for the genre, I have to hand it to Rabbit & Bear Studios. They made a promise and delivered with in amazing ways I never thought possible – Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a love letter to classic JRPGs.

Nintendo Blast - Ivanir Ignacchitti - Portuguese - 6.5 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an RPG that actively strives to go against the market's quality of life efforts in pursuit of an old-school ideal. However, the result is a game that closes in on itself and caters only to the most die-hard fans of the genre. It's a shame, because even simple adjustments, like a mission menu and occasional changes to the menu, would be enough to maintain the challenge without the part that is purely inconvenient.

Nintendo Life - Mitch Vogel - 6 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is the epitome of a flawed gem-the kind of game that does a lot of things right and we're sure will command a dedicated legion of fans, but has legitimate problems that are tough to overlook. The expansive narrative, gorgeous spritework, and addictive combat all help make it an easy recommendation to any classic JRPG fan, but bear in mind that it can feel dated in its design philosophy and that the Switch version has a lot of performance problems, at least at launch. If you can get past those issues, this is an enjoyable and immersive RPG that mostly achieves what it set out to do.

NintendoWorldReport - Jordan Rudek - 5 / 10

Were I not reviewing the game I would have put it aside after a few hours and never thought about it again. Eiyuden Chronicle comes after scores and scores of excellent and successful turn-based RPGs from which it could draw inspiration. Instead, it neglects so many of the lessons learned throughout the years in favor of outdated, tedious gameplay.

Noisy Pixel - Azario Lopez - 7.5 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a beautiful JRPG from beginning to end. It captures the wonder of discovery and adventure in every scene, with an added dose of tension as you navigate the complexities of a nation at war. Still, much of the weight has been removed from the player to the point where it feels like the entire experience is on autopilot and you're simply participating when it wants you to, like in a boss battle or environmental puzzle. That said, if I look at this game through the lens of it being Murayama-san's adventure and not mine, I'm just happy that he allowed me to accompany him on this path. While it's a brilliant showcasing of retro meets modern, there are areas to improve, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

One More Game - Vincent Ternida - 7 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes pays homage to the beloved Suikoden series, which left an indelible mark as one of the most memorable JRPGs during the PlayStation 1 era. The game’s expansive design and nostalgic elements evoke fond memories for fans. However, nostalgia can be selective, often glossing over past flaws.

The revival of dated mechanics, including random encounters, fixed savepoints, and lengthy world map treks, hampers the overall pacing. Additionally, new features like gimmicks, war games, and forgettable characters miss the mark. The resulting package falls short of the (unreasonable) highs set by its inspirational source material.

PC Gamer - Baxter Burchill - 85 / 100

A joyous adventure and fitting swan song for one of Japan's great RPG directors.

PCGamesN - Lowell Bell - 6 / 10

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.

PSX Brasil - Thiago de Alencar Moura - Portuguese - 85 / 100

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a beautiful love letter to RPGs. It has an excellent story and characters, a challenging and entertaining combat system, as well as a vast amount of content to explore, all wrapped up in a package with great graphics and soundtrack. It's a must-have title for fans of the genre.

Press Start - Harry Kalogirou - 7.5 / 10

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.

Pure Xbox - PJ O'Reilly - 8 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a slick and satisfying spiritual successor that gives Suikoden fans a great big dreamy treat whilst updating, modernising and streamlining its most retro aspects into a brand-new and exciting adventure for newcomers. With a timely tale to tell, excellent battle systems, an amazing cast of characters and plenty of experimentation and puzzling in its dungeons, this is a big win for Game Pass, and a fine farewell for one of the industry's true greats. Now, isn't that a lovely thing.

Push Square - Khayl Adam - 8 / 10

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.

RPG Fan - Zach Wilkerson - 80%

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes might be a poor imitation of the games that came before, but it still has plenty to recommend it.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored

A turn-based JRPG that accommodates those familiar with Suikoden or those who don't know what a Suikoden is. Embrace the old-school quirks and there's a wonderful journey to be had here.

Shacknews - Lucas White - 7 / 10

Maybe Hundred Heroes doesn't have me ready to run outside screaming about miracles, but I'm plenty satisfied and ready to go back and fill in some old, classic JRPG blind spots. Well, after I replay Tierkreis.

Siliconera - Jenni Lada - 5 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is designed to bring players a modern take on a classic JRPG experience. Get ready to lead 100+ playable characters through a war-torn world only you can save. Switch version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes. On a PC, I imagine Eiyuden Chronicle might generally be fine, but on the Switch it is a mess.

Spaziogames - Gianluca Arena - Italian - 7 / 10

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.

TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 5.5 / 10

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.

The Beta Network - Anthony Culinas - 6 / 10

Being a homage to the classic Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes contains a PS1-like nostalgic appeal, a decent story and varied dungeon designs throughout. However, it’s held back by tedious recruitment processes, lacklustre battle systems and pacing issues that drag down the potential level of enjoyment.

The Games Machine - Danilo Dellafrana - Italian - 6 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is a good, deliberately old-fashioned JRPG with all the pros and cons. As a love letter to Suikoden it hits the mark despite some uncertainties, but the biggest problem at the moment are the bugs we encountered during the review, some very serious and impossible to ignore. Wait patiently for the bugfixes.

TheGamer - James Kennedy - 5 / 5

Murayama and the rest of the fine folks at Rabbit And Bear did it. They've created a masterwork. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes may have one foot firmly planted in the past, but make no mistake, its other foot is lunging forward into the future.

TheSixthAxis - Reuben Mount - 6 / 10

What could have been the best strength of Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes is its greatest weakness. With the amount of things to do, types of gameplay available, and sheer number of heroes to recruit, the game feels unfocused and inconsistent. Some of what it does, it does very well, but it doesn't quite overcome the negatives. Those who truly love classic JRPGs like myself will find plenty to feast on, but those who don't should go Nowa near it.

Twinfinite - Lewis Rees - 4 / 5

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.

Video Chums - Mary Billington - 9.1 / 10

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an incredibly enjoyable RPG and it brought back great memories of the Suikoden series. Collecting the heroes and having them join you in battle while you build your base and protect the land is just as fun as it was decades ago. 🏰

Wccftech - Francesco De Meo - 8.5 / 10

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.

Windows Central - Alexander Cope - 4 / 5

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an enjoyable JRPG that old-school and new JRPG fans alike will enjoy. It has dozens of playable heroes to recruit and sidequests to complete, the combat system is intuitive and satisfying and the 2D-HD graphics are pleasing to look at. While the storyline, characters, and mini-games are relatively simplistic and there’s lots of micro-management required, these issues do not deter from the game’s positive qualities.

eXputer - Hanzala Iftikhar - 4.5 / 5

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a love letter for all Suikoden fans; it embraces the classic essence and doesn’t succumb to modernity.

 

[Brian]

I have enjoyed what I played so far. Unfortunately, I encountered a save bug where I lost a couple of hours. The opening is very slow so I don’t look forward to replaying it. 

[TheLeon]

Love getting a throwback JRPG on Game Pass. I can download it, play for a few hours before getting bored, then delete it guilt-free, having only spent time on it, not money. 

[BloodyHell]

About 20 hours in, and Im really enjoying the game. I don’t think it’s quite as good as Suikoden, but it’s still very good. I do think the Military battles are mid at best, but otherwise I’m enjoying chasing down new characters while pushing through the story, which is quite fun. The castle building is also a fun, simple distraction.