Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars Review (Cade)
Suikoden 2 remains my quintessential JRPG after all this time. This remaster is definitely the best way for longtime fans to replay these games or for newcomers to try them. Yet this series (even including Suikoden 2), despite its cult following, remains somewhat underrated both COMMERCIALLY and CRITICALLY. Fingers crossed this release meets Konami's expectations and warrants another remaster/remake of the sequels or a new mainline entry.
For newcomers to the series
Suikoden 1 is "old" even with this remaster-newly introduced QoLs. It is simplistic, the writing moves too fast with no proper bridging, etc. Some gameplay aspects like inventory management (disappointingly) are still frustrating to do. But the game is not hard (the series was never known for its difficulty even in later titles). You just need to pay a bit of attention to enemy weakness(es) and pattern at times. So at least you won't get frustrated by the difficulty. It is also quite short, 10 hours if you rush through things or 15-20 if you take your time.
Suikoden 2 however holds up so much better, even the original PS1 release I would say 90% still holds up to be played as is to this day (with its known originally bad translation). If the first game felt like proof of concepts of the creators' pitch to Konami's management, S2 is where you can see the creators' vision fulfilled.
I do recommend you to play S1 first even if S2 (by the majority) is regarded as the series' best. If you do, you'll appreciate the improvements S2 brings and the interweaving settings this series is known for.
For the series fans
Again this is the best version to replay these 2 games IMHO. Konami got a bit lazy in some parts though. I wish they revamped the S1 inventory system and brought it closer to S2's. You don't even need to bring the 3 runes or 3 accessories slots to S1, just the ability to swap equipment between party members and directly equipping from stores would be a godsend. All in all, I'm still satisfied and grateful that the series has breathed new life at last.
Also finally you can play these games with a proper translation. I came to appreciate Suikoden 2's moments so much more now even though I've played this game a dozen times at this point, even with its (still) simplistic dialogue.
Addendum
RIP Murayama-san, here's to your legacy to be enjoyed by millions more of people to come.