Being the son of the famous Radiata Knight that defeated the water dragon, Jack Russell embarks on a journey to be like his father. Although he is accepted to be a Radiata Knight due to his heritage, his encounter with a girl named Ridley Silverlake changes his fate forever. Amidst the war between human and non-human beings, what side will Jack choose? Join Jack’s adventure as he finds allies that can help him in his colorful adventure.

If you had fun recruiting the 108 Stars of Destiny, then you will most likely enjoy recruiting the 176 characters that Radiata Stories has to offer. Each recruitable character has their own story to share and, of course, has their own special ways for the player to recruit them. Although the battle system is largely different from Suikoden, the story of Radiata Stories will somehow remind you of the classic game. Like all of the protagonists of the Suikoden series, Jack will begin as a simple person who will eventually be a prime figure to people as he gains allies and reputation. The war between humans and non-humans is also present here, much like in the Suikoden series. Both games also rely on the player’s decisions, which can influence the whole game until the end. Radiata Stories has some similar themes to Suikoden, but in a much lighter tone. You may not be able to gather the 176 characters in Radiata Stories in one playthrough, nonetheless, giving this game a second playthrough is worth it because it is fun.

Chrono Cross is based on a visual novel “Radical Dreamers” and is the sequel to the well-known Chrono Trigger game. The story revolves around Serge who is suddenly thrown into an alternate universe where he is considered dead. To find out why such a thing is happening to him, he goes back and forth between worlds in order to seek answers. Chrono Cross is a game that you will either love or hate depending on how much you view it as a sequel to Chrono Trigger. The same goes with the Suikoden series, some fans may utterly hate some sequels of it, while others love it nevertheless. Overall, as a stand alone game, they are equally as good and amazing as their predecessors.

Similar to Suikoden and Radiata Stories, Chrono Cross showcases 45 playable characters. Though, unlike Suikoden and Radiata Stories, all of these characters can fight with you! But whether they are useful or not is entirely up to the player. Not only that, if you immensely love the gorgeous music in Suikoden, then Chrono Cross will not disappoint you. The composer behind Chrono Cross’s magical OST is none other than Yasunori Mitsuda, who is a renowned musician.

The battle system may also remind you of Suikoden with its turn-based system with a twist of its own. Both games have their own set of skills that is different from others and both games feature “unite attacks” where certain characters can work together to create a powerful attack when they are in your party. The game is also rich in story and the worldbuilding behind Chrono Cross is amazingly unique in its own way. You may not have some marvelous headquarters like in Suikoden, but at least you have an amulet that can help you time-travel and a boat of your own to control, right?

Skies of Arcadia follows the story of Vyse who is a member of the Blue Rogues, a group of “Robin Hood” air pirates. Everything changes for him when he saves a beautiful lady named Fina who is one of the survivors of an ancient civilization. Vyse and his friends help Fina in her search of Moon Crystals in order to stop the evil plans of the Valuan Empire.

Not only is Skies of Arcadia similar to Suikoden IV when it comes to the fascinating worldbuilding, it is also similar when it comes to the battle system and the usage of ships. In Skies of Arcadia, there are two possible battles that can be fought. The first one is where the characters directly fight the enemy in the turn-based battles. Battles always are randomized when the player explores a dungeon. The second one is where your ship can engage in strategic airship battles.

Adding to that, making the right choices can boost your reputation. As you boost your reputation, you will have potential crew members that can help you make your airship grow. If you like having headquarters like in the Suikoden series, then you will certainly like Skies of Arcadia. Players have their own island to themselves while they can also modify and customize their airship. It’ll take lots of money and the right crew members to achieve this, but it’ll benefit you in the long run in the game. The world of Arcadia is extremely vast and if you are fond of exploration, then this is the right game for you.

In the fictional continent of Europa, two superpowers, the East Europan Imperial Alliance and the Atlantic Federation are at war. In the middle of this war is the neutral nation of Gallia, a place that is rich in Ragnite stones. Seeing their hometown getting attacked, ordinary citizens work together as the army Gallian Militia.

While the war campaigns in the Suikoden series are special on their own, they are very simple and straightforward, in contrast to Valkyria Chronicles. If you want a very elaborate war campaign that is unique, then this game will suit your taste. The game uses the BLiTZ system, which is also the same as any tactical role-playing game with an added twist; you can zoom into a unit and directly engage each enemy in action mode with limited action points. The rock-paper-scissors aspect in the battlefield is still here, much like in the Suikoden series’ war campaigns.

Compared to Suikoden, Valkyria Chronicles is deeper when it comes to war plotlines. Nonetheless, both Suikoden series and Valkyria Chronicles have the same themes, such as politics, familial bonds, and friendships. This game may not remind you of Suikoden entirely, but the war battles and their themes will make you think otherwise.

Rush Skyes is a kind young boy living a peaceful life on Eulam island. His world is turned upside down when he sees his sister, Irina, kidnapped right before his very eyes by a hooded man. Determined to find his sister, he leaves the island and fortunately meets David Nassau, who is willing to lend a hand. While Rush searches for his sister, he is pulled in the midst of chaos between powerful kingdoms.

Like our last selection, The prominent similarity of The Last Remnant with Suikoden is its battle system. In the game, players can engage the enemy in a turn-based fashion. Though, instead of giving commands to certain characters, you will control different units to defeat the enemy. Although it sounds so simple, Square Enix put some twists here in there to make the battle system more concise and distinct from other tactical RPGs. You may find the gameplay quite hard because of its lacking explanations, but once you invest the time for it, you will find out that The Last Remnant is an entertaining game.

Of course, the similarity does not end there. Like the True Runes of the Suikoden series, the Remnants have a large influence on the game. They can either be used for good or for evil depending on how the person or the people use it. We also have the protagonist, Rush, who is put in the middle of the power struggle between kingdoms for Remnants which we can be reminiscent of our protagonists in the Suikoden series. Overall, if you enjoy the war battle system of Suikoden, then you will love The Last Remnant, as it is more addictive and more different.

The SaGa series is a spin-off of the Final Fantasy series. Even though it’s only a spin-off, the SeGa series is exclusively different, as it focuses more on its non-linear gameplay. Because of this, the SaGa games are often open-ended in contrast to other JRPGs. Being one of the oldest listed games in this article, the SaGa series will greatly remind you of Suikoden. Like the Suikoden series, the SaGa series boasts a brilliant storyline and a traditional turn-based system with a little touch of their own.

Although you may not recruit tons of characters like in the Suikoden series, the SaGa series still has characters that you can recruit in different ways. There are also ample quests for you to choose from, which can determine the outcome of your gameplay. Other SaGa titles will also remind you of Suikoden III, since players are given a choice to choose a certain hero in order to know their side of their story or who they are in general. If you want a JRPG that is somewhat uncommon, then give this franchise a go.