Suikoden 2 Anime Announced Alongside New Mobile Gacha Game

This week, Konami delighted fans of the classic RPG series Suikoden with a special live stream dedicated to the franchise. It's been over a decade since the last entry, a Japanese and PSP-only side story, leaving fans eager for what's next. The announcements, however, stirred a mix of emotions: a Suikoden anime (exciting!), and a new Suikoden game for mobile (interesting), but with gacha mechanics (disappointing).

The newly announced anime, "Suikoden: The Anime," is set to adapt the events of Suikoden 2, marking Konami's first venture into animation. While details on the visual style and international availability are sparse, a brief scenery clip was shared:

This is thrilling news for long-time Suikoden enthusiasts and could serve as an excellent introduction for newcomers, provided the anime becomes widely accessible.

The second announcement, "Suikoden Star Leap," introduced a new game set to release on mobile platforms. With its stunning visuals resembling the Octopath Traveler style of 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds, it promises to be visually appealing. The storyline is set a few years before Suikoden 1 and after Suikoden 5, maintaining the series' tradition with 108 characters.

However, the decision to launch exclusively on mobile and include gacha mechanics has left fans conflicted. Historically, Suikoden has been known for its premium console and PC releases, making this shift towards mobile and monetization strategies a concern. The impact of these mechanics on gameplay and character collection remains to be seen.

In the meantime, fans can look forward to the re-releases of Suikoden 1 and 2 in the "Suikoden I&II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars" collection. A new trailer for this remastered collection was showcased during the live event, and it's set to launch tomorrow, March 6.