Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is the perfect fix for all Suikoden fans

My first enemy is a wolf man. The hunting lodge is in the hands of a queer hunter. Meanwhile, the captain of my desert ship is a great white shark. Outwardly, the strongest character appears to be a girl, but when it comes to inner strength, that title goes to a centuries-old super magician. And anyway, I’m not in control of my actions; there’s a countess pulling the strings in the background. The cast of the JRPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is diverse and striking, but the beauty of this is it’s not unusual. Its 1995 spiritual predecessor Suikoden already showcased similarly versatile and lovable characters.

However, these protagonists I’ve mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg. Over the course of this game, I can win 120 people over to my cause. Given the numbers involved, they obviously don’t all undergo profound development. Nevertheless, most of them have more personality than a lot of superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the story itself isn’t out of the ordinary. Like the gameplay, it could be from the mid 90s. But for fans of the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is still excellent – or perhaps that’s precisely what makes it so.

Suikoden, just with a different name

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes tells the story of Nowa, a young man who joins the Etlisweiss Watch at the beginning of the game – a vigilante group belonging to Countess Perielle of the League of Nations. During a joint mission with the Galdean Empire, led by the young Seign, they discover a powerful ancient artefact: a Primal Lens. These artefacts played a major role in the 2022 spin-off Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising. It’s not long before the squabble over the Primal Lens turns into a war between the Galdean Empire and the League of Nations. Nowa then goes on to establish a revolutionary army in an abandoned castle. Seign, meanwhile, is confronted with a conflict between his obligations and morals. And young warrior Marisa suddenly finds herself caught between the fronts.

The story of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes thus continues the tradition of the Suikoden series. The script is the final work of the late Yoshitaka Murayama. Even if its storytelling isn’t on a par with current top games, the plot is still entertaining and will stay with me. I should also point out that this game is linear, in keeping with the genre.

The base grows alongside you

For the resistance army to be effective, Nowa has to start looking for fellow soldiers. This means that throughout the game, I’m always on the lookout for new characters for my base. This is what made the Suikoden games so charming. Some join in as part of the story, while others I can simply invite. Equally, with some, it’s not quite so easy. In order to recruit certain characters, I have to play mini-games that also have their own storyline. One of these is a Beyblade-like game called Beigoma where I have to compete against opponents using a spinning top.

My base changes as I recruit people. I can construct buildings using the architect, but this requires either people or resources. The latter I find in dungeons or by sending characters on guild missions. For example, I set up a shop for items or runes – the magic in the world of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. But there’s also a hotel where I can sleep and a restaurant that serves as a venue for cooking duels. This game offers plenty of distractions away from the main story, but not enough to keep me from the primary play.

Beautiful presentation in terms of visuals and sound

When I’m not busy recruiting new characters or playing one of the mini-games, I continue with the story. That’s when I explore dungeons, deserts, forests and mines – and in between all that, I need to solve switch puzzles. I can’t get enough of the explorable landscapes. They’re all lovingly designed in a chic retro 2.5D style with a blur effect.

The wonderful presentation is complemented by an equally great soundtrack. Each place has its own music that reflects its spirit. The town of Hishan, reminiscent of ancient Chinese cities, features the sounds of the erhu, a violin-like instrument.

Old combat system, annoying battles

The Suikoden model is also recognisable in its combat system. The random battles are turn-based and take place with up to six active characters – three in the first row, three in the second. I can also pick up a support character that provides buffs. In battles, I can attack, use special abilities or perform magic, and defend or use items. The type of weapon – long, medium or short – determines where I place my team members, either in the front or back row. There are gimmicks for certain boss fights. For example, I can hide behind stones or fire a harpoon, which is a nice idea, but I rarely use it.

After the battles, I receive experience points and the characters move up a level. If the story forces me to accept someone who’s far below my level, this system ensures they improve quickly, and it saves me long grind sessions.

With so many people involved, it’s sometimes difficult to give out orders. An auto-battle feature makes this easier. In the menu, I can also define what is and isn’t allowed in auto-battle. For example, I can ban any magic. Despite these new features, the system as a whole still looks old-fashioned.

Generally speaking, I’d have liked fewer battles. There was already something similar in Suikoden and I had mixed feelings about it. The battles are structured in a similar way to turn-based strategy games. I give my soldiers orders on a chessboard and let them compete against our enemies. But most of the time I can’t do anything. I tell my army what to do and then follow the battle for several minutes without being able to intervene, which is no fun.

The duels you’ll recognise from Suikoden are also back. These involve you carrying out certain actions based on what your opponents say. Animations are now shown in between, which makes the fights look more cinematic.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has been available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S since 23 April 2024.