I'm sure that we all remember the drought of RPGs during the Playstation's first year of existence in North America. The drought ended when big games like Final Fantasy 7 were released for the PSX. There were, however, a few underrated titles released before the wave of massively popular RPGs. A few of these were Wild Arms, Beyond the Beyond (ha, just kidding), and Suikoden. Suikoden was quite impressive to gamers at the time, boasting rich 2D graphics, 108 characters, a gripping storyline, and beautiful music. A few years later, a sequel was released. Suikoden II improved the graphics and continued the storyline of the original. After a long wait, PS2 owners can finally rejoice. The production of Suikoden III is well underway.

Three seems to be the magic number in the newest title in the Suikoden franchise. Aside from the Trinity Sight System, which enables players to see the plot unfold from the perspectives of all three heroes, Suikoden III offers three types of battle systems, three styles of combat, and three main characters to control, all set in - of course - a 3D world.

The story of Suikoden III continues from the last installment of the series. Fifteen years after the events of Suikoden II, three unlikely heroes join together to bring peace to their troubled land. Hugo, the first main character that the player "meets", is the son of the leader of the Karaya Clan. Chris is a strong female knight of Zexen (who also happens to be rather attractive). The third main character is Geddoe, a mysterious unit commander, since traditional RPGs always need to throw a mysterious person into your party. Konami is still following Suikoden tradition by including over one hundred characters in the game aside from Hugo, Chris, and Geddoe. The storyline, which will hold the player's interest with various plot twists, will conclude in one of many different endings.

A lot of depth and detail has been added to the complex battle system. A new feature, dubbed the Battle Pairing System, allows the characters to either join forces with each other for the battle, or to mount (no, not like THAT) fearsome beasts in order to become more powerful. The three styles of combat available to the player include One-on-One Duels, Party Battle, and Army Battle. Of course, we all need to stay interested during the longer fights. Luckily, the camera is always located right in the center of the action, making the battles more dynamic and exciting than ever.

Suikoden III will not only give players what they liked from previous titles in the series, but will also include a few innovative gameplay features. The storyline promises to be powerful, the battles will no doubt be exciting, and the music will be as enchanting as always. Hardcore Suikoden fans will definitely not want to miss out on Suikoden III when it hits retail shelves this November. Even those new to the series might want to give this one a look as well. Stay tuned for more information and media as the release date draws closer.

· · · Ren