If you’re a Suikoden fan, you’re going to feel right at home here. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes wears its inspiration proudly, and it delivers on almost everything that made the genre special — a sprawling cast, a war-torn world, and the slow, satisfying grind of building an army one recruit at a time.

That said, my time with it on Switch wasn’t perfectly smooth. I ran into bugs almost immediately — freezing, crashing, and noticeably slow transitions between screens. I adapted by saving obsessively across multiple slots, and honestly, somewhere along the way the unpredictability became part of the experience. Never knowing if I’d have to redo a boss fight because the game froze mid-battle added this weird, chaotic thrill I wasn’t expecting to enjoy.

What It’s All About

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is set in a world torn apart by the awakening of ancient, godlike Runes — powerful artifacts that grant their wielders extraordinary abilities, and just as often, extraordinary trouble. At the center of it all is a conflict between two nations: the Galdean Empire and the newly formed League of Nations, whose fragile peace is shattered when a group of Imperial soldiers unlock a forbidden Rune with catastrophic consequences.

You follow Nowa, a young mercenary swept into the chaos alongside Seign, a childhood friend now serving the Empire, and Perielle, a Rune Seer whose fate is tied to the awakening itself. What starts as a small band of allies grows into a full-blown rebellion, as the trio sets out to build an army, recruit history’s “Hundred Heroes,” and establish their own nation to stand against the Empire’s growing corruption.

It’s a story about found family, the cost of war, and the weight of leadership — themes that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who’s played Suikoden, since Hundred Heroes was built by many of the original creative minds behind that series. Where it really distinguishes itself is in scale: the game isn’t just about a handful of heroes saving the world, it’s about the small choices, side stories, and personal stakes of over a hundred characters who all end up shaping the outcome in some way.

The Good Stuff

The combat is where the game really shines. The 1-on-1 duels, the core battle system, and especially the final boss fight are all standout moments — genuinely epic in scale and execution. The castle/base-building features are also a highlight; watching your hub grow as you recruit more heroes gives the whole journey a real sense of momentum.

And speaking of recruits — this is where the “Hundred Heroes” part of the title really earns itself. Unlike a lot of games where your roster feels padded, here recruiting actually matters. You’re not stuck cycling the same six party members the whole game. Characters get pulled into battles, tasks, and story beats based on their skills, so leveling up your whole roster feels worthwhile instead of optional.

⚠️ Spoiler Territory

If you want to go in blind, skip this section.

My biggest frustration with the game centers on one specific recruit. Out of 119 other characters, each of whom contributes something meaningful to the story, this one felt like a complete outlier — and getting him requires winning at least 24 Beigoma matches, which in practice meant grinding through the world hoping for high-rank Beigoma drops from monsters.

This single side quest nearly killed my momentum. I got to the point where I was ready to walk away from recruiting him entirely and settle for the “good ending.” But my completionist instincts wouldn’t let me leave it there — I couldn’t stomach the idea of replaying the entire game later just because I skipped one annoying character. So I pushed through, and got the True Ending — but it was a grind that took a lot of the fun out of an otherwise great game.

One tip if you’re chasing the True Ending yourself: some recruits don’t follow the main story path at all, so using a walkthrough is basically necessary to avoid missing anyone.

Final Verdict

Status: Finished — True Ending, 120/120 recruits

Ratings:

Playability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sound: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Graphics: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fun: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Replay Value: ⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 4.5/5

Game Info

Game: Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Release Date: 2024
Brand: 505 Games
Developer: Rabbit & Bear Studios
Platforms: Epic Games, GOG, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Steam, Xbox Series