You can’t play every single game that comes out–that’s a given. What that means is that like it or not, there’s going to be the occasional amazing title that comes and goes without the proper attention it deserves. History is littered with forgotten classics and cult favorites, but what this means is that there’s always something out there for you to hunt down and play for the very first time.
Recently, I picked up Suikoden 1 and 2 via PSN. Sony released both titles properly as PS1 classics, and I’ve been making my through them on my Vita. To say it’s been a history lesson would be putting it lightly. At about the half-way point in the first game, it’s easy to see just how the highly-respected RPG classics earned their place in history. There’s a lot Suikoden did that other similar games of the time just weren’t. For context, the elevator pitch for Suikoden is Game Of Thrones by way of Pokémon wrapped in eastern mythology. There’s familial and political drama, a huge collecting mechanic, very little grinding, and a compelling tale with roots in Chinese myths.
What I realized as I started playing Suikoden while at the same time diving into the first few hours of Dragon Age: Inquisition was just how much has changed and remained the same in RPG’s over the years. Both feel grand and epic, yet Suikoden keeps a sense of urgency that Inquisition can’t seem to maintain. Both give you command of a castle and army to manage, but it all feels more tactile and high-stakes in Suikoden . On the other hand, there are fundamental elements to huge games like this that just weren’t a part of JRPG’s yet; quest logs, a user-friendly save system, a world map (there is one, but you have to find a character that’s easy to overlook, who will in turn give it to you).
Going back to forgotten gems that you didn’t know about (or didn’t get to) back in the day offers you perspective on the games of today that some miss out on. So when time allows, dig into your back-catalog, or maybe take a risk on a classic that you’ve heard great things about.