Suikoden II's sound ranges from trash to masterpiece. The soundtrack is a prime example of this -- one moment you can be listening to a piano ballad filled with emotion, and the next moment you are treated to lifeless notes that don't seem to comply to any form of 'music'. Also, the sound effects seem out of place and sometimes obnoxious during the game's few serious moments. Graphically, Suikoden II offers little, if any, that we have not seen before. The characters are presented in colorful sprites, as are the backgrounds. In fact, most of the in game graphics look like they are straight out of the days of 16-bit. That said, Suikoden II is still easy on the eyes. Although Suikoden II is presented in a slightly higher resolution than it's predecessor, it still maintains the oldschool look and feel. The battle system may seem simplistic at first, but a closer look reveals a small amount of depth. Composed of the standard 'fight', 'magic', 'item', and 'defend' options, Suikoden II also offers special team attacks to inflict more damage on tougher opponents.

The game once again has you recruiting more than 100 characters to aid you in your quest for justice in the land. Once again, certain characters you find will add special abilities to your party, as well as your castle. As was the case in the first, you are not required to find all 108 characters, or 'stars of destiny' as they are called, but you are rewarded for your vigilance in the end if you do. In fact, Suikoden II features 3 seperate endings, and the only 'true' ending can be achieved by having all 108 characters alive. A heavy complaint of the Suikoden series has been lack of character development for 108 characters, but think about it for a moment. How often does an RPG let you choose out of a cast of 108? Exactly. The game would have to be huge to personalize every town and every plotline. Suikoden II follows the main characters well, and even attempts to give some depth to the remaining characters you will probably never end up using.