Completely deserves its reputation as one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

This game does not waste your time. Battles load almost immediately, and are quick and fluid. It doesn't have a particularly long running time (~40ish hours), but there is almost always a sense of riveting urgency to the story, and it just feels like more things 'happen' in this game than some that are twice as long.

Visually, it has not aged a day. It looked fantastic 25 years ago, looks fantastic today, and will look fantastic 25 years from now.

Recruiting characters and growing your castle is an absolute joy. Some will be fighters for your party, some will run shops or minigames, some don't do much of anything but add humor or backstory to other characters. It's hard to make 108 different characters distinct, memorable and useful, and this game does an exceptional job at it. Add in one of the best antagonists from any game ever, and you have a truly special cast.

While entirely playable on its own, play Suikoden 1 first for some extra emotional oomph, as much of the cast returns for this game.

Absolute 10/10.