Counterpoint, I hate Suikoden 3, but absolutely loved 1 and 2. Maybe it was the art style (going from aesthetically pleasing sprites to clunky polygon models of a bygone era... but even then, I didn’t mind Wild Arms or FF7's look at all). Maybe it was the LACK OF MUSIC during potentially tense or heartrending scenes…

It’s not required, but I’d recommend it if you have the time. The first one is just a good game, not the masterpiece S2 is, but you’ll appreciate S2 much more if you’ve played the first.

I have to say, I had this exact question two weeks or so ago, and every opinion I read, including Jason’s in his “Tips for Playing Suikoden I and II”, said that while it is not absolutely necessary, it is strongly recommended to play the first game first for story reasons. Jason said that (and I’m paraphrasing), “the…