The “good old days” are refreshing in their own way!? “Hundred Heroes” is a classic JRPG with over 100 fully voiced characters – the BGM is so good that any complaints are forgotten[Play Report]

505 Games released “Hundred Heroes” on April 23, 2024. This is an RPG brought to you by the staff of the renowned masterpiece “Suikoden” series.

The prequel, Hundred Heroes Rising, was released in 2022, making this a much-awaited new title.

This time, I was excited and said, “I love RPGs! I'll play the renowned masterpiece “Suikoden” someday!”, but then a remastered version was announced. However, the spiritual sequel “The Legend of One Hundred Heroes” was released before the remastered version, so I would like to bring you a fresh gameplay report from the perspective of someone who still has no knowledge of “Suikoden”.

“Since Suikoden is an old game, the new Hundred Heroes will probably be significantly different. It might be hard for someone new to the series to learn the new system,” I thought when I tried playing it. However, I was able to get into the new game in seconds without any problems, and I'd like to share my thoughts on it as a pure JRPG fan!

◆ A new yet nostalgic RPG that is more than worthy of the title “good old.”
My first impression after starting the story was, “It's fun! This RPG is so fun!” The reason is that it is truly a “RPG-like RPG.”

Moving around the field, talking to characters, battling enemies – these everyday actions are very RPG-like.

When I write it down, it's hard to understand because I'm praising something so obvious, but let me just say, “If you like RPGs, please give it a try.” It's a new game, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like you've experienced it somewhere before, but it's a new experience.

However, there's no doubt that it's a new game, and when playing a completely new game, there's a lot to learn in the beginning, such as learning all the specialized terminology and understanding the unique battle system, so it can be difficult.

In today's increasingly complex game systems, many games include tutorials and tips, and many gamers simply read them to memorize them until they get used to the game, or even ignore the instructions and just play to hammer them into their bodies.

However, there is almost no forced tutorial for the new “Hundred Heroes”. In battle, there is a tutorial for “Hero Combos”, a big move that is performed by a certain pair, interspersed with conversations between characters, but it doesn't teach you everything from A to Z.

However, when you start the game for the first time, you can get a general idea of ​​the system just by moving around the map and fighting. I was supposed to write a play report, but I was scratching my head thinking that I didn't need to introduce the basic system… before I started writing this article.

The combat aspect is not limited to RPGs, but whether or not you master the techniques can affect how fun the game is. However, the combat in this game is a very ordinary “turn-based command battle”.

Nothing more, nothing less, just attack, defense, and sometimes use magic techniques that consume MP/SP to defeat enemies. Therefore, there is no need to learn a unique system from scratch, and if you are an RPG fan, you can definitely use the battle experience you have had in other titles.

The story begins with the protagonist, Noah, leaving his hometown to join the security force and take on his first mission. As you'd expect from a protagonist in a game with 100 companions, he quickly makes friends with Gaou, Liang, and Mio, who are waiting for him at the rendezvous point, making full use of his natural communication skills. After that, he continues to perform the typical heroic role.

Along the way, there are many characters who join the group due to Noah's actions, and the more I watch, the more I think he is a great protagonist. At times, he goes beyond the boundaries of the game and feels like a hero in a shounen manga.

That's how orthodox the RPG “Hundred Heroes” is in terms of both story and system. While there are many games that overwhelm you with beautiful 3D modeling, this game does not take advantage of the flow of time, but instead invites you into the game with its nostalgic graphics that look somewhat familiar.

◆Over 100 characters are fully voiced and all playable
So far we have introduced the retro and modern elements of this game, but one thing we must not forget is that it is an RPG with over 100 companions, which is a major differentiator that sets it apart from other games.

Despite the fact that there are over 100 characters in the game, the character designs are never symbolic, and each character has their own appearance and personality. Moreover, each character is fully voiced. Furthermore, all of these characters can be added to your party and become playable. Amazing…

Even so, when it comes to party members, it is necessary to set the status and attacks for all of them, so the fact that elements inherited from “Suikoden” have been implemented once again made me marvel, even though it is something that does not concern me at all, saying “They have achieved something incredible, it's amazing…”

Also, of course, there is a limit to the maximum number of party members compared to the total number of companions. When and where you take who varies greatly depending on the player, but when an event occurs, the party members you take with you will start speaking with voices, no matter who they are.

Of course, she doesn't talk as much as Noah, but there are voices that change depending on the choices you make, and I wonder just how many different voices are included… I can only be amazed at the passion that comes through from the development team, who have stuck to creating a truly full voice.

In addition to making new companions during the main story, they may also join your party through side quests such as “bring x amount of xxx.”

When it comes to side quests in RPGs, you often get items as a reward for completing them, which makes it a little easier to progress in the main story by taking a detour, but in “Hundred Heroes,” you can increase the number of your allies as if they were reward items.

Taking detours is directly linked to gathering companions, so you should definitely do this! So it's a bit of a shame that the main story doesn't progress so quickly.

◆ There have been many bugs since the release and updates are needed… There are some issues, but the BGM is just the best
So far, I have been telling you about the good points of “Hundred Heroes,” but because it is so interesting, it also has some unfortunate problems. Unfortunately, this game has had many bugs since its release and several update patches have already been released, so in this article I will list the points that I personally found interesting.

First of all, it was inconvenient that you had to access a base or save point to do anything, and then go shopping or organize your party at various facilities located around the game. It may seem like a minor element, but when you have an RPG with so many companions, you end up frequently switching party members and buying equipment.

It's true that in old RPGs, accessing facilities can be a hassle and there's even no fast travel, but in this day and age when there are so many convenient means of transportation available, this is a bit tough…

The sluggishness of movement caused by the large number of companions, one of the game's main attractions, becomes particularly apparent, and some players may not be able to endure until a new base is created in the middle of the game, which may make access a little easier, and so they drop out.

It is true that there are negative aspects as mentioned above, but I forgot to tell you about the background music that I particularly liked in “Hundred Heroes,” so I will introduce it at the end. The music for this work was composed by Sakuraba Osamu and Naruke Michiko.

In particular, the battle BGM is the famous “Sakuraba style” from the Tales of series and Batenkaitos, which gets you pumped right from the intro, and I was in a frenzy as soon as I started the game. The good feel right from the start, as mentioned at the beginning, also includes the BGM.

Why am I talking about such wonderful BGM, which I want to listen to anytime, in the section that lists my complaints? It's because I was personally bothered by the fact that the playback position of the map BGM returns to the beginning after the battle with a small enemy while moving around the field.

In the days of the Super Nintendo, it was normal to have to go back to the beginning every time the background music changed, but as a fan of background music, this is a bit of a problem in modern times. Moreover, because the encounters are random, there is no way to avoid them, such as “I want to listen to the background music for a long time, so I'll avoid the encounters.”

It's a shame that the BGM is so well-crafted that you can't hear it to the end if you play normally, even though it's so catchy. There doesn't seem to be a solution at the moment, so I hope it will be improved in a future update.

Although it has some rough edges, the good old JRPG “Hundred Heroes” is definitely recommended for RPG fans. It is currently available for a wide variety of platforms, including Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

To be honest, the loading times vary quite a bit depending on the hardware, so you'll want to choose the platform you play on carefully, but I think it's best to enjoy it in an environment that's easy to play in. If you're an RPG fan, it won't hurt to give it a try!