Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Changes and Features We Want

One of the most memorable experiences I have from the PSP is booting up Suikoden II for the first time. This classic PS1 JRPG wowed me, even though I didn’t stick around and finish it. With the upcoming Suikoden I & II HD Remaster collection, this is the chance for me to finally fix that mistake and beat both of these games, but I’d like to see certain features first.

We already know quite a lot about what this Suikoden collection will include. For instance, one of the best new features is how battles will be much smoother this time around. Players can speed them up to help with the grind and even do auto battles. These features will make the whopping six-character turn-based battles a bit more modern-feeling.

However, the changes shouldn’t stop with auto battles and sharpened graphics. There are other Suikoden I & II HD Remaster features I hope to see in this collection. This especially goes for the first game, which from the little I’ve played, needs some enhancing. Later features like a party inventory bag wasn’t present in the first bag.

Navigating the UI and dealing with items for all of the various party members is a bit more frustrating than it should be in 2024. Changing up some of the menus and letting the player access a party inventory bag in the first game would make the entire process more modern and enjoyable to deal with.

The main goal here is to balance the idea of nostalgia and modernity. These games haven’t seen a new version available in the West since the original versions. It is key to cater to both the diehard fans who deserve this re-release and the newer JRPG fans who want to check this integral collection out for the first time.

To this point, there are features and changes I don’t want to see in Suikoden I & II HD Remaster. I consider the Muse-Matilda glitch to be one such part that should remain in Suikoden II. For those who don’t know, this glitch involves the border between Muse and Matilda. You can find this gate pretty darn early into the game, but it is locked. The point of this is to stop the player from getting to Matilda too early.

Well, except that isn’t the case. For whatever reason, the game flags the gate door as a movable object similar to a box. You can then run into it and effectively “push” it open. This lets you get into Matilda early and complete a fair bit of content well before you should be able to. This includes recruiting certain characters and even grinding for impressive XP.

Other similar glitches and exploits like this one include being able to fast travel earlier in the first game, beating Luca Blight without taking damage, and more. These glitches make the game more hilarious and fun for those who want it. And for those who don’t, they can simply avoid them. The only problem with this is that the Japanese PSP releases of these two games fixed most of these glitches. Unfortunately, these glitches returning might be a bit of a stretch.

Moving back to features I want, the other main one is an updated localization. The localization for the originals is charming and fun. But there are some awkward translations and differences that make the Japanese versions superior. I don’t think an overhaul is necessary for the localization; just an update to certain phrases, moments, and characters that bring these games more in line with the Japanese versions.

The general look and quality-of-life changes for Suikoden I & II HD Remaster already have me excited. This collection looks like what I have been wanting for a long time: a chance to fully experience them in a modern way, especially on the go. Only time will tell if Konami nails this remaster collection.

Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars releases for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 6, 2025.