Highlights
- Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of Suikoden, has died.
- Murayama’s games can still be enjoyed, including Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising and the original Suikoden titles.
Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of the classic JRPG franchise Suikoden and the director of its spiritual successor series Eiyuden Chronicle, has died. He had apparently been fighting an unspecified illness, which led to his untimely passing in the middle of the development of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
Murayama created Suikoden, which launched for the PlayStation in 1995. The first and second Suikoden games became big hits among RPG fans in the PlayStation era, with their biggest defining feature being the huge character rosters, known as the 108 Stars of Destiny. This concept was based on the ancient Chinese novel Water Margin, which involved historical figure Song Jiang and his band of 108 outlaws who rebelled against the government.
JRPGs To Play While You Wait For Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster
With Suikoden 1 & 2 getting a remaster in 2023, we take a look at JRPGs for fans to play while they wait.
Murayama’s development company, Rabbit & Bear Studios, clarified that he died on February 6. He and his team were still hard at work on Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, which had begun development back in 2020 after it was successfully funded by Suikoden fans on Kickstarter. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the team stated that they would continue their commitment to finishing the game and achieving Murayama’s dream.
Yoshitaka Murayama Games Fans Can Play Right Now
In the meantime, longtime fans can look forward to reliving the glory days of Murayama’s past creations. They can start with Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, the first game in the new series released back in 2022. While it does its own thing as a side-scrolling action RPG, as the spiritual successor to Suikoden it still brings back familiar elements from the original series.
And for those who want to play the original games, the first two Suikoden titles are still available on the PS3 via PSN. Konami plans to release an HD remaster of Suikoden 1 and 2 on the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, but the titles have encountered some delays after originally being announced for 2023.
Beyond the first two games, the rest of the Suikoden series is also worth playing, especially for JRPG enthusiasts looking to explore some deeper cuts they may not have encountered before. Despite the relatively inconsistent quality of the titles in the franchise, they’re still well-regarded by series fans as some of the best in the genre. While they’re on old consoles like the PS2 and PS3, some of the latter games are worth checking out and playing for those able to get their hands on them.
Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster
Konami’s Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster is a compilation containing remasters of two PS1 JRPGs. The project has been announced for the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, with a 2024 debut seeming likely.
- Released
- TBA-00-00
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
