Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Reviews

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.

There is no doubt that the vision Rabbit & Bear Studios had behind Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes yearns for JRPG classics - with Suikoden at the heart (and history) of many of the team. This has many benefits, with a world fit for a grand adventure, and a combat system beaming with countless intricacies, but with that anachronism comes some roadblocks too.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gets a lot of things right for fans of Japanese role-playing games. It has great visuals and a great soundtrack that complements everything. But poor design choices from the classic games that inspired it can negatively impact the whole experience. The main story may also not be that good for everyone, which can take a long time to play through.

Look, don’t crucify me, but as a teen, I sold Suikoden 2. I didn’t care to keep it in my library, and that’s despite being a turn-based fanatic. I couldn’t tell you what my thought process was when I came to that decision, but I regret it. Not only because, as a collector, it hurts knowing that I relinquished such a gem, but because it’s tied to dear memories. Stupidly, I allowed the valuation to cloud my judgment. it’s true that Konami plans to re-release it and the first in a po...

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a retro-JRPG throwback that delivers with great characters, an engaging story, and fun gameplay progression.

And two: the amount of micro-managing of a team is an absolute headache. Just sorting through equipment is annoying, especially when paired with a less-than-exciting but unfortunately necessary upgrade system that makes maintentance even more granular. That isn't even considering the actual swapping in and out of characters, their positions on the battlefield to maximize effectiveness, their abilities, and which runes to give them based on their roles. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a game with over 100 characters. It's inexcusable to not streamline menu, UI, and party management in a way that's more effective than what's available here.

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.

A sequel to 2022’s action RPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising and a spiritual successor to the original titles in the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes plunders the aesthetics and mechanics of the late nineties’ era of PlayStation JRPGs and polishes them up for the modern audience.

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.

As a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes gets a lot right. It's just a shame its story lacks emotional impact and in some ways it's a little too old-fashioned.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes takes a bit to sink its teeth into you, and you, it. Initially, I was a little put off from the game and felt kinda bored. But every single step delving further into Hundred Heroes made me love it even more. The sense of progression in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is wonderful and managed to recapture a feeling I haven’t had in a while.

The spirit of adventure sings in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a great throwback to past JRPGs, for better and worse, but it is perfect on the Steam Deck.

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

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a JRPG that understand its audience every step of the way. It has some of the best side characters I've seen in years and a colorful universe I can't get enough of.

While there is room to improve and some blemishes throughout, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has excellent presentation & nostalgic charm, and I cannot overstate enough how glad I am that it exists.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a different kind of retro throwback than what I’m used to. Normally a game like this is a mish-mash of genre homage points that encapsulates a broader historical context alongside the individual creators’ more homegrown ideas. Suikoden was already kind of a niche in its heyday, and this is such a laser-targeted visitation that we may as well be looking at a new entry from Konami. The forbidden door has been opened so to speak, and the unthinkable has been thunk. Sure, there are problems that come from the kind of scrappy position a crowdfunded project typically grapples with. But we’re far closer to the Bloodstained side of Kickstarter spiritual successors than the Mighty No. 9. Hopefully some of the bigger pain points get ironed out by launch (or later), but at least on PC I’ve had a respectably solid experience.

For fans of JRPGs, it’s unmissable, and features all the typical tropes: turn-based combat, minigames, emotional beats, and fishing (obviously). It encourages you to take your time, explore every corner, and rewards you with something new continuously.

With the Kickstarter long behind, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was easily worth the backing fee, my copy coming in just last Friday. I was skeptical, as stories with enormous casts don’t always fare well in pacing—but great combat, excellent visuals, and an entertaining story about rising from the ruins of warmongering makes for a fantastic turn-based time.

While not as well known as those made by Japanese game creators such as Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii, creators of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series, respectively, the contributions to the JRPG genre made by Yoshitaka Murayama with his Suikoden series cannot be understated. Leaving Konami shortly before the release of the third entry in the series in 2002, Murayama-san seemed to have left JRPG behind for good, only working on The Alliance Alive scenario. Still, somewhere along the way, his love for the genre must have sparked anew, as his studio Rabbit & Bear Studio revealed Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in 2020, a classic JRPG that promised to bring back that unique feel the first entries in the Suikoden series have and that no other franchise managed to replicate. Following the most successful Kickstarter campaign of that year, a prequel, and plenty of hard work, the spiritual successor of the Suikoden series is finally here, and it doesn't disappoint, although some issues here and there prevent it from reaching the same heights of the classic series.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is so close to being the feel-good JRPG for 2024 but it still needs a bit of work before it can shine.Let’s not forget the incredible story that you’ll get to experience too as things unfold while you’re exploring.

Described as a game that honors the JRPGs of the 90s, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is easily one of the most anticipated titles this year for fans of the genre. It is, after all, a game by the creators of the Suikoden series, and cited as a spiritual successor to said franchise, which had not gained any new entry for 18 years already.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” A small child dressed as legally distinct Sailor Moon chirped this trite little phrase at me about an hour into Rabbit and Bear’s Suikoden successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. I’m not sure when I realized the adage applies to Hundred Heroes itself as much as it did to whatever the child was talking about. It might’ve been after I met a cleric whose vices included violence and foul language; but whenever it was, it encouraged me to overlook the misgivings Hundred Heroes’ poor first impressions raised in me, and there were plenty. Hundred Heroes adheres a bit too closely to outdated design conventions, but the strength of its writing and characters makes up for its short-sightedness.

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.

Eiyuden Chronicle is a fantastic first entry from Rabbit & Bear Studios , recalling its iconic Suikoden origins. While the by-the-numbers plot prevents it from achieving true greatness, a strong cast of characters and exciting base-building mechanics make this a must-play for classic RPG fans.

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

I’ve had a complicated relationship with turn-based JRPGs over the years. Pokemon was essentially the only RPG I played as a child, and once I started getting into gaming as an adult I slowly started making my way through the enormous back catalog of Japanese role-playing games dating back all the way to the early 90s, trying to dip my toes into every series I could. Some, like Dragon Quest, or Octopath Traveler, or the older Final Fantasy titles never quite hit right with me. Others, like Chrono Trigger, or Persona, or the newer Like a Dragon titles felt just right. RPGs in general however, are my favorite genre. I preface this only to accentuate my statement that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is one of my favorite RPGs ever, turn-based or not.

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

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

What started as a Kickstarter project 4 years back has finally been released and this Suikoden fan couldn't be happier so let's dig in.

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.

It was only near the end of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes that I began to grow accustomed to its retro design. Throughout the RPG, I learned that I should pack as many healing and revival items as I could before a boss fight, but it still didn’t prepare me for what I was about to experience.

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.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is the final work of Suikoden creator Yoshitaka Murayama who passed away earlier this year, and it's a love letter to fans of the classic series. It was a promised beginning to explore a path that has largely been the road not taken by games since, probably due to the scope and ambition that it entails. While he may not have lived to see its release, he would have been nothing but proud of the end result. You should take the time and check out Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and when you're done, look into Suikoden if you enjoyed your time. It’s not perfect, there are flaws, relics of another time and oddities in places, but it's a soulful work with an excellent tale, engaging characters, a rich world and strong gameplay. It’s easy sometimes to miss the forest for trees when reviewing a game, to get caught up in smaller problems that detract from the game, but it's important not to get lost here, and take in the view of it all as a remarkably cohesive, thoughtful and fun whole.

Spiritual successors are a tricky business. If you change too much, you lose that critical connection to the old game(s). But changing too little is equally risky. You don’t want it to feel like a re-hash, you know? Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is more than a JRPG. It’s a long, detailed love letter to the Suikoden series. The devs at Rabbit & Bear have used their time with the Suikoden games to make as perfect an homage as possible. Did they keep too much from those games, or not enough? Either way, the end result is fun, enormous, and totally endearing.