It may not be the best Suikoden, but it's definitely a great RPG on its own.
STORY 8/10
Suikoden games always have a great story, no matter how long or short it is. Suikoden IV, thankfully, does not break this chain. While not epic, the story of a boy with a curse, struggling to control it is not exactly original, but definitely interesting. Plus, the background of war adds a lot of depth to the story. While the plain, spoon-fed story itself isn't so incredible, if you bother to delve in a bit and collect all 108 Stars of Destiny, you will find it is quite deep and can really hold your interest.
However, regardless of how deep it can get, the story just doesn't stand out from games like Xenosaga or FFX, as well as older games. The fact that the "trinity sight system" has been removed somewhat hinders it (depending on how much you liked it in Suikoden III). Also, the only characters who will be truly well-developed are the Hero (you), Snowe (your best friend), Lino En Kuldes (King of Obel, as well as leader of the fight against Kooluk), and Elenor (A famous tactician). Still, the story is decent, and definitely has some originality to it. Just remember that if you want the full effect of it, invest the time to get all the characters, talk to people (to activate events), and read the comments in the Comment Box (found outside your room on your ship).
GAMEPLAY 7/10
Suikoden battles have always been exciting and different. Fortunately, S4 removed the poor "partner" style S3 had. Unfortunately, the extremely "old-school" and simple system that replaces it is only mediocre. It isn't bad, but it it's not much of a challenge, and later on, you'll find most battles only last a few seconds.
Of course, there are 2 other kinds of battle as well. While the ship and duel battles are quite simple (though the ship battles get harder later in the game), they are a nice change of pace, and can be fun if you try to challenge yourself.
The rest of the game doesn't hold up much of a challenge either. Most of the game is spent sailing from island to island, walking around on them, and fighting a few ship and boss battles. The few dungeons that there are, however, are quite the challenge. Plus, the monsters get harder later in the game, and there are also several extra bosses that can be fought over and over.
The only really bad part about gameplay is the ship. It goes extremely slow (unless you hold down R1 to almost double the speed), and the encounter rate can get kind of ridiculous. Also, landing is difficult since you have to sail to a port (some of which are very minute) to land, and if you hit anywhere else, an invisible barrier turns you in the opposite direction. Fortunately, all of these can be avoided/fixed with a little bit of effort. Finding the Champion's Rune via treasure hunting stops all encounters with weak enemies, and once you recruit Viki, she allows you to use her magic mirror to teleport to anywhere (or back to the ship from anywhere).
GRAPHICS 9/10
Just like many of today's RPGs, the graphics are excellent. The character models are beautiful and detailed. The environments are realistic, and the colors, while not bright and varied, really fit the tone of the game. The ships are amazingly detailed. There are beautiful anime-style portraits for every main character. But the most incredible graphical piece of S4 is what one of the main themes of the game, the water. Colorful, realistic, and just downright amazing. When you look out into it, it really feels like you're out at sea.
SOUND 7/10
The Suikoden series has never been known for it's music. While the music is decent, it's not breathtaking. Fortunately, there is a nice sound test, so you can listen to your favorite tracks. Several excellent tracks are the intro (La Mer, or The Sea when translated from French), the duel battle music, and the boss battle theme. Voice acting is good, though not every character has it (it's quite spontaneous), and there are of course those infamous squeaky-girl voices. The sound/music in S4 is only average.
VALUE 9/10
While it doesn't have the replay value of S3 or S2, S4 has tons to do after beating it. There is a new game+ which carries over runes, equipment, items, and money, plus allows you to skip cinematic cutscenes. There are a vast number of mini games, treasure hunting, books to read, a training room (leveling up to 99 is not as time taking as most games), tons of equipment to collect and make, and much more. It would be a perfect 10 if it only held the standards set by past Suikoden games.
OVERALL 8.8/10 (not an average)
I gave this game a tilt of 10 because it is an enjoyable game with loads of potential. While it's not an epic, mainstream classic, it truly is an excellent RPG. With a great story, beautiful graphics, S4 is definitely one of the most underrated RPGs to date. If you look beyond the simple but distracting flaws of the game, it really is a masterpiece.