A man who possessed the True Fire Rune intervened in the battle that was developing between the powerful nation of Harmonia and the tribal people who lived in the Grasslands. He was known as the Flame Champion, and he was in charge of defending the Grasslands against an invasion by the Harmonians. Eventually, he let loose the power of his rune in a decisive fight, which resulted in the deaths of many individuals on both sides of the conflict. Harmonia withdrew, and the figure known as the Flame Champion vanished. An uneasy ceasefire was reached, but the relationship between the Grasslands and the neighboring merchant nation of Zexen slowly deteriorated over the course of the next years.
Chris Lightfellow, also known as the “Silver Maiden,” is the captain of the Zexen Knights. She is in charge of commanding the armies of her faction after a peace deal between Zexen and the Grasslands was violated. She is becoming more and more discontent with the leadership of the Zexen, and she is resolute in her pursuit to locate her absent father. Hugo’s mother, Lucia, holds the position of leader of the Karaya tribe in the Grasslands. Hugo is her son. After discovering that his hometown had been set ablaze, he vowed to exact retribution on the nation of Zexen and its knights. While this is going on, the authorities of Harmonia dispatch a mysterious mercenary leader by the name of Geddoe to investigate reports of the return of the Flame Champion.
Suikoden III takes place sixteen years after the events depicted in the game that came before it. It is possible to recruit 108 characters (Stars of Destiny), many of whom can participate in battles; the castle that serves as the army’s headquarters can be customized; and so on and so forth. However, the game does not deviate significantly from the gameplay of the previous games in the series in terms of the majority of its distinguishing gameplay elements. The tactical army fighting mechanics used in this installment are very similar to those used in the second game.
The so-called “Trinity Sight System” is the game’s most major new addition to its roster of new features. Throughout the course of the game’s nine chapters, rather than taking control of a single primary protagonist, the player alternates between playing Chris, Hugo, and Geddoe (three per character). The war between the Grasslands and the Zexen is the primary topic of discussion in these chapters, which give three distinct perspectives on the goings-on. After that, the user has to decide which character they believe will be the most important protagonist throughout the course of the game. The player has the opportunity to play through two additional chapters that are recounted from the perspective of a different character.
In addition to gaining levels and improving the effectiveness of their weapons and armor, characters can also learn skills, which are passive abilities that improve the characters’ performance in combat. Examples of skills include being able to parry, dealing more damage, acting more quickly, and so on. The casting time for magic spells is often longer than that of other types of spells; however, this delay can be mitigated by increasing a relevant skill. Some magical spells have area effects, which cause damage to all parties involved (including adversaries and allies). During combat, the player has to command six different fighters, which are split into three separate pairs. Only the leaders of each pair are actively commanded by the player, while the other characters in the pair follow predetermined AI routines.
