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Suikoden: Characters
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All in all, Suikoden is a fine, albeit short, RPG. Experienced role-players should be able to whip through it in no time. Even novices shouldn't encounter too much trouble. It's got an appealing storyline, and tons of characters to experiment with. Even so, consider it a warm-up for Wild Arms and Final Fantasy VII. --Jeff Gerstmann
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Outside of the six formation battles, Suikoden duels have come back dressed in high fashion. The duels are all story driven that pits your character in a one-on-one match against an enemy. Like before, only three options are available to use; attack, guard and special. Consider this rock-paper-scissors as you’ll have to figure out what the opponent will use to counter. Here’s a quick rundown:
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Battles in Suikoden III take place on a continuous field of battle, unlike the front and back rows of earlier Suikodens. Characters are controlled in groups of 1 or 2, with 3 pairs maximum, and a single command is issued to each pair, a somewhat unorthodox choice. It does speed combat, albeit at the expense of being able to carefully manage each character's actions.
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Suikoden V sports a very traditional, turn-based battle system allowing up to six characters in any given battle. The three differences that make Suikoden stand out from the standard RPG clone are as follows:
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Duels are another perennial Suikoden feature. They take place between two characters, usually the hero and whomever he's trying to best. The duels haven't changed much, though they are far more expressive than in the past. There's ... a time limit on choices, making the action a little more intense. Three commands are available during duels: Attack, Special, and Defend. Pressing the corresponding button will initiate the response, but it can't be taken back.
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[T]he size and scale of your army in these battles is dictated by your ability to recruit - and this is wherein much of Suikoden appeal lies. There are 108 stars of destiny - characters from all walks of Falenan life (beavers, craftsmen, warriors, magicians, detectives, even an orchestral conductor) each bound by destiny and a celestial kinship. You must seek out each of these characters and, if your answers to their questions convince them to join you, you'll see them take up residence in your fortress.
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