Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster is the return of one of the most beloved cult classic JRPG franchises of all time in a two-in-one package! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Review Overview

What is Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster?

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster is the long-awaited return of the legendary RPG franchise Suikoden. It is an HD remaster compilation containing the first two games of the series being ported over to modern consoles.

Suikoden I centers around the son of the esteemed Great General of the Scarlet Moon Empire. The son, along with his friends Ted, Cleo, Pahn, and Gremio, all set out to serve in the Imperial Army. Through a series of events, the friends are all separated, each taking sides with and against the empire, with Ted stumbling onto the possession of the Rune of Life and Death.

Suikoden II is set three years after the events of the first game, where it concerns two childhood friends in the youth brigade of the Highland army. Through their adventures, they each obtain both halves of the Rune of the Beginning, forcing the two friends to a destiny where they must fight each other in the future for the other half.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster features:
　⚫︎　 2 JRPGs in 1
　⚫︎　 Classic Turn-Based Gameplay
　⚫︎　 Enhanced Audio Design
　⚫︎　 Revamped UI and Inventory System
　⚫︎　 8-Way Movement

For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster’s gameplay and story.

Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
Steam		Playstation		Xbox		Switch

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Two Amazing JRPGs For AA Price Massively Improved Visuals Same Compelling Storyline	Unnecessary Additions Didn't Change All of the Dialogue Classic Problems Not Solved By Modern Solutions

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Overall - 86/100

Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster is a good remaster. However, the games deserved something greater. There are welcome additions like the fast-forward to battles and better audio quality, but there are other decisions that will leave you scratching your head. Nevertheless, this remaster is the best way to play two great JRPGs of their time.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Story - 9/10

Left untouched, Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster tells the story of children forced into war because of circumstance. With no choice, they end up bearing the weight of nations on their shoulders. They are both very compelling tales from start to finish, and it’s no surprise that they’re known as great JRPGs that hold up to today. The only flaw is that not all of the dialogue was completely redone and localized, despite fixing many of the typos that existed in the originals.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gameplay - 7/10

Being a remaster of a turn-based game, there isn’t much to change to an already straightforward game. It’s largely kept the same with the addition of a few quality of life enhancements that make it more convenient to play. However, some of these additions have noticeable flaws, making them largely unnecessary.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Visuals - 8/10

Most of the animations and 2D sprites are kept largely the same. The biggest changes to the visuals are the enhanced backgrounds, uplifted portraits, better lighting, and added special effects. There aren’t any big overhauls to the overall art direction, which is good, but there are times when the added visuals do too much to overshadow the original identity. This is more evident in the first game, as the second game looks stunning with all of its backdrops and new effects.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Audio - 9/10

Easily one of the best aspects of both games, the music of both games is highly regarded and memorable after just a few listens. The overall audio quality of both games is great, and they even added new sound effects to bolster it. What makes it interesting is that most of the BGM in towns, battles, and other story cutscenes never seems to be tiring to listen to. It does, however, lack in voice acting and maybe could’ve enhanced the game’s overall auditory experience if it did.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Value for Money - 10/10

Having two great JRPGs for the price of a single AA game is an absolute steal. Not only do the games combine for an average length of about 60-80 hours of playthroughs, but the added achievements also encourage players to dive into the many entertaining mini-games that they have to offer.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Review: Could've Gone For the Scarlet Moon

The Suikoden franchise was my first taste of JRPGs back in the day. Suikoden 2, in particular, was my gold standard of what a JRPG should have: a compelling story, memorable characters, straightforward yet nuanced gameplay, and enough content to last you more than a day’s worth of time. It’s a cult classic for a reason, and it’s more popularly known for being a "JRPG that needs a guide," and its themes and narrative hold up against today’s games.

To my surprise, KONAMI announced that the first and second games in the series were getting a remaster. This was a total shock, especially since it’s been so long since the franchise has had any news about it ever since the original team left to make their own inspired JRPG, Eiyuden. I wanted the remaster to succeed, but more importantly, I wanted it to be done right. Especially since it was going to include arguably the best game in the series. So does the remaster live up to its legendary name? That’s the question I’m looking to answer.

If It Ain’t Broke…

Being a remaster, it’s aimed to be an enhanced port of the game’s original version, so better audiovisuals with a few tweaks without changing 90% of the game. They’ve achieved this much, as the story, combat, and music were mostly untouched. In a sense, this is great. I imagine Konami didn’t want to break or change what was already great to begin with.

Nostalgia is at an all-time high with remembering all of the different story beats, specific recruitment options, and more with the remaster. It’s highly appreciated that they didn’t change much with the overall story of either game, since they’re both more than fine as is. Even the drop rates of rare items are left untouched; veterans know farming for Double-Beat Runes is still going to be a time-consuming endeavor.

An Amazing Package Deal

In terms of value, the remaster is already perfect for JRPG lovers. It’s two classic JRPGs in one package for $49.99 that has easily about 60 hours of gameplay and a compelling story that will surely stick with you, mostly because of its memorable characters. It’s also a JRPG that’s quite easy despite not holding your hand for anything. The combat is straightforward, the progression is linear, and with the absurd number of playable characters, players can create their own party compositions.

It’s two games that are worth the investment for one; what’s not to like? Well…

Unnecessary Changes and Additions

The main things to look for about remasters and remakes are the changes, tweaks, and overhauls that were made. And there are a ton of tiny things that will leave fans of the series scratching their heads.

For one, combat now has a fast-forward function. This was specifically made to quicken battles and maybe for those times when you want to farm certain items. But was it needed? Not really. Combat was already resolved relatively quickly outside of boss battles; the only thing slowing it down were the animations that couldn’t run smoothly on the PS1 at the time. Since they made the animations smoother this time, the fast-forward function doesn’t really make sense.

Another is the inclusion of an auto-save function. This is good on paper, until you realize that it only works on screens or rooms right before a boss battle. This change was absolutely pointless since the game already has save points before the room with a boss battle.

There’s also the addition of being able to run in Suikoden 1 without needing a certain party member now and the ability to move diagonally. This is mostly a good change, but it looks very unnatural compared to everything else.

Weirdly enough, the translation was also totally changed. There are important lines that were cleaned up, especially for the Duel sections of both games, but it’s mind-boggling that they didn’t go the extra mile to clean all of the dialogue up, as the first game is still pretty rough to read.

The biggest unneeded change, however, was the addition of difficulty settings. Originally, the game didn’t have a difficulty setting, and the game was perfectly fine without it. However, upon checking out the "Hard" mode for both games, it was just a bump of enemy HP and damage. Thus, making it artificial since if you grind hard enough, it won’t even be difficult anymore. It’s a weird addition that does not need to be there, as it only begs the question, which difficulty is intended for newer players?

Actual Good Changes

So there are a ton of tiny cracks that the remaster is showing, but it’s not all bad. The remaster gave both games a very noticeable facelift in more ways than one. The 2D sprites were enhanced to be high definition, but the different backdrops and character portraits were remade by the original artist. This is most noticeable in the first game, but the second game has way better lighting and scenery.

Animations are smooth as butter, and new special effects were added to make the game more visually appealing. This was apparent when I played through the remastered version of the second game. The Buddy ATK animation and sound effects threw me for a loop when I first saw and heard it since the original version would slow the game down drastically.

Also, the game now has an in-game map when you're inside dungeons and cities, which makes it easier to navigate. Last, and probably the most underrated addition, was the added Log to revisit dialogue. It would help if they displayed the button to open it during cutscenes though, so that new players will know that it exists.

Decent Enough, But Could’ve Been Better

So to answer the question asked at the start: does the remaster live up to its legendary name? Frankly, no. I think the series deserved a way better effort of a remaster than it currently does. Does it do its job? Yes. It definitely gives both games the much-needed modern facelift to match today’s visual standard. The remaster still keeps some of the problems that the original has, like the inventory system.

The games themselves were already great to begin with, so remastering a beloved classic was already a difficult task, as they literally could’ve just ported both to current-generation consoles and been done with it. KONAMI banked on nostalgia for the most part for this remaster, but it’s clear that they’re putting in some effort in reviving the franchise. I certainly hope for a sixth mainline entry, but maybe that’s asking for too much too soon.

Is Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Worth It?

Yes. Nothing Wrong With Revisiting Classics

Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster is absolutely worth it for multiple reasons. First, it’s a package deal of having two amazing JRPGs for the price of $49.99. Second, the games have surprisingly held up for the most part, even without the added quality-of-life improvements. Third, the remaster is the most accessible and best way to play both games without relying on an emulator or an expensive physical original copy. Lastly, it’s the remaster of the first two games of a JRPG franchise that deserves a revival. It’s a decent remaster of an okay first game and a genre-defining second game; it does enough to modernize the game for newer audiences.

Digital Storefronts
Steam		Playstation		Xbox		Switch
$49.99

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster FAQ

What Are The Changes in the Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster?

Many changes include fast-forward option during battles, auto-save, and more. Click the link below to see the full list of changes in the remaster!

Do You Need to Play Suikoden 1 to Play Suikoden 2 in Suikoden 1&2 HD Remaster?

For the most part, no. However, completing the first game grants certain bonuses in the second game. We highly recommend playing through the first game solely for this reason. Click the link below to see more details!

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Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Product Information

Title	SUIKODEN 1&2 HD REMASTER: GATE RUNE AND DUNAN UNIFICATION WARS
Release Date	March 6, 2025
Developer	KONAMI
Publisher	KONAMI
Supported Platforms	PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre	RPG, Adventure
Number of Players	1
ESRB Rating	T
Official Website	Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Official Website

Michael Gerra-Clarin

Resident fighting game nerd, avid FFXIV fan, and enjoyer of mostly anything gaming. He is currently addicted to gambling in TFT and dying to Light Rampant in Futures Rewritten Ultimate.