Ch. 1 · The Scorched Capital

Suikoden V.

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6

In the Queendom of Falena, the Feitas River runs dry. Lord Rovere lies dead in the ruins of Lordlake. Queen Arshtat stands over the scorched earth with the Sun Rune glowing on her skin. Two years have passed since residents stole the Dawn Rune from the East Palace. The vegetation is gone. The wildlife has vanished. The river that once connected the land's disparate parts now flows only as a memory. Arshtat declares that the citizens deserve their desolation for stealing the sacred artifact. Her husband Ferid pulls her back to her senses, but she dismisses the inspection party with a whisper. The royal family watches as the nation teeters on the edge of collapse. The Godwins and Barows noble houses wait for the next move. They know that Lymsleia's Sacred Games will decide the future of the throne.

Six Person Formations

Konami released Suikoden V for the Sony PlayStation 2 in 2006. The game features six person parties in combat rather than the four person parties of Suikoden IV. Each character is individually controllable during battle sequences. A variety of statistics determine in-game combat ability. Stamina skills increase hit points while other stats affect different aspects of performance. Characters can be set up in fighting formations across a roughly 6x4 grid. Each formation allows the party to gain increased statistics such as defense or attacks. New formations are acquired over the course of the game. Some characters have special cooperative attacks that do more damage than normal. These attacks cannot miss but also cannot receive critical damage bonuses. An auto-battle function enables quick progression through easy battles.

Director Transition

Takahiro Sakiyama worked on a side-game to the Suikoden series at a conceptual stage when producer Noritada Matsukawa approached him. Matsukawa asked if he was interested in directing Suikoden V instead. The gaiden project was cancelled and Sakiyama fully focused on the development of a main game. On the next day after being asked to direct the game, he drafted the framework of the scenario. Kazuyoshi Tsugawa served as the writer for the title. He had previously written The Sword of Etheria and worked on the battle system design for Skies of Arcadia. This marked Sakiyama's transition from cancelled side projects to lead the development of this mainline installment. The team built upon these foundations to create the final entry in the series.

Orchestral Themes

Hudson Soft composers Yoshihiro Tsukahara, Takashi Watanabe, Kuniyuki Takahashi, and Chiharu Mukaiyama created the score under the direction of Konami veteran Norikazu Miura. The opening theme Wind of Phantom was composed by Yuji Toriyama. Robin Smith conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the performance. The complete Genso Suikoden V OST featuring all music from the game in original form was released on the 24th of March 2006. A shorter Limited Edition demo disc with 10 tracks had been released earlier. These orchestral arrangements defined the auditory landscape of the Queendom of Falena during its civil war period.

Sales Figures

In 2006 in Japan, the game sold 194,780 copies. This figure represents a decline from Suikoden IV which moved 303,069 units. The title has sold around 200,000 copies in Japan overall. It remains the fifth and final main installment of the Suikoden video game series developed by Konami and Hudson Soft. Famitsu gave it a score of one nine, two eights, and one seven for a total of 32 out of 40. Review aggregation website Metacritic recorded generally favorable reviews elsewhere. The plot received praise for depth while graphics and loading times faced criticism. GameSpy noted the robust nature of the narrative design.

Critical Awards

Suikoden V won IGNs 2006 award for Best Story on the PlayStation 2. It also won the Danish gaming magazine Gamereactors award for Best Story overall. The publication named it the 9th best game of the year. Critics found the cast of characters engaging throughout the experience. GameSpot stated that Suikodens always been great at making stars evince unique personalities with just a few exchanges of conversation. IGN wrote about the ton of loading everywhere you turn. Moving from one area to another means 2-5 second loads. Initiating a battle means 7-10 second loads. Winning a skirmish brings 4-6 second loads afterwards. Army battles and in-engine cut scenes look blocky and raw according to reviewers.

Up Next

Suikoden Tactics Mitsumete Knight Gensō Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki Suikoden IV Suikoden (video game)

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Common questions

Who directed Suikoden V and when was it released?

Takahiro Sakiyama directed Suikoden V after Noritada Matsukawa asked him to take over the project. Konami released the game for the Sony PlayStation 2 in 2006.

What is the setting of Suikoden V and what happened to the Feitas River?

The story takes place in the Queendom of Falena where the Feitas River runs dry due to the theft of the Dawn Rune. The vegetation has vanished and the river flows only as a memory while Queen Arshtat stands over scorched earth with the Sun Rune glowing on her skin.

How does combat work in Suikoden V compared to previous entries?

Suikoden V features six person parties in combat rather than the four person parties found in Suikoden IV. Characters can be set up in fighting formations across a roughly 6x4 grid to gain increased statistics such as defense or attacks.

When was the complete Genso Suikoden V OST released and who composed the music?

The complete Genso Suikoden V OST featuring all music from the game in original form was released on the 24th of March 2006. Hudson Soft composers Yoshihiro Tsukahara, Takashi Watanabe, Kuniyuki Takahashi, and Chiharu Mukaiyama created the score under the direction of Norikazu Miura.

How many copies did Suikoden V sell in Japan during its release year?

In 2006 in Japan the game sold 194,780 copies which represents a decline from Suikoden IV which moved 303,069 units. The title has sold around 200,000 copies in Japan overall.

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