Short answers, pulled from the story.
Suikoden II was released on the 17th of December, 1998, in Japan; on the 29th of September, 1999, in North America; and on the 28th of July, 2000, in Europe. It was developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation.
Suikoden II sold modestly at launch, partly because its 16-bit sprite visuals were seen as outdated at a time when 3D graphics dominated the industry. A limited Western print run meant copies became scarce, and their high secondhand prices drew renewed attention. By the 2010s, critical reassessment placed it among the finest console RPGs ever made.
Suikoden II features over 100 recruitable characters, of which over 40 can be used directly in combat. The full roster of story-significant characters is the 108 Stars of Destiny, a recurring element across all Suikoden games.
Suikoden II was directed and written primarily by Yoshitaka Murayama, working alongside Junko Kawano at Konami. Murayama's stated goal from the start was to build a franchise that could rival Enix's Dragon Quest and Square's Final Fantasy. After reading fan letters praising the original Suikoden's story, he made narrative the central focus of the sequel.
Suikoden II contains three combat formats: standard turn-based battles with parties of up to six characters, one-on-one duels played in a rock-paper-scissors style, and large-scale army battles using a grid-based tactical system. Only standard battles award experience points and items.
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars was released worldwide on the 6th of March, 2025. It is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. An anime adaptation directed by Yuzo Sato is set to premiere in October 2026.