I'm not entirely familiar with the Suikoden brand like a number of role-playing fans out there, but I'm familiar enough to understand what I'm getting into. The Konami staple has been around for almost ten years now, debuting so long ago on the PlayStation with an engaging adventure that provided a fresh alternative to the constant barrage of Square Soft releases. This was followed by a fantastic sequel, which has now become something of incredible rarity that goes for like $80+ complete on Ebay. The following chapters for PS2, however, seemed to wander off the beaten path, serving as suitable adventures but still feeling somewhat disjointed. Fans will be happy to know that the good ol' feeling of Suikoden is back with part five, just in time for the series' tenth anniversary.

In the game, you take control of a prince who's trying to solve a mystery in his home land of Falena, where a force driven by Sun Runes unfolds into a nefarious plot. Somehow, you find yourself on a quest to also find the 108 Stars of Destiny, a group of people who could lend a significant hand through a series of battles and turn the tides of war in your favor as you try to provide peace to your land. I'm just reading it basically as it is, but it's more deeper than that, and the best way to experience that is through gameplay.

And whoa, does gameplay stack. We're talking higher than a stack of pancakes touching the roof of a Village Inn. The game features a number of customization features not only in the armies you possess (which can work around the 108 Stars that you manage to find throughout the game), but also in battle formations. There are a number of formations to mess around with, as well as the ability to choose from over 60 different characters, each with their own abilities. Mixing them up mixes up your battle tactics during the fight durations, and, considering that the game follows a typical battle system that RPG fans will be familiar with, it's a golden touch that adds a handful of freshness.

My main problem, though, is you'll encounter quite a bit of fights. The game has a high encounter rate, meaning that you'll want to plod ahead, but you can't because, boom, there you are, in another fight. This game seems to be built for the more patient Suikoden fans who don't mind working on their customization features instead of refreshing their sense of discovery and wonder. Throw in a bit of loading time that's a bit too constant (blame it on the large maps), and you'll need to exhibit a great deal of patience.

It also takes a little bit to get started in your journey. You'll meet some characters and manage to get right off in your footing, but it takes a bit of exploration and maybe even something along the lines of a few hours of play before you start getting to the meat of the product and your first real intense battles. I suppose some might consider this a starting ground of sorts, which is nice for newbies and those getting back into the familiar sense of actually good Suikoden play, but some may show off some impatience.

But relax, the quest is all worthwhile, and Konami's backed it up with some impressive presentation values. The graphics, while not overwhelming by the PS2 standard, still deliver in terms of solid animation and beautiful map layouts, as well as some spell effects that will astound aplenty. These are matched up with great cut scenes which move the story along, as well as a full dedicated voice cast that sounds true to form instead of bored with the content. Throw in some quality music and sound effects, and you have all the bases covered here. There are plenty of hours to questing to be done, it's just a matter if you have the time to go through it all.

With just a little more work on the loading and ridiculous encounter ratio, we might've had something along the lines of Suikoden II. But even with these flaws, Suikoden V is still the best PS2 chapter to date, with impressive production values and a battle system that'll keep you engaged until you get everything just right...and even then, there's still creativity juices flowing. You might miss out on it in favor of Kingdom Hearts 2, but do yourself a favor and take some time out. After all, you need a break from Mickey and company sometime...I assume.