Hard Mode is one of the new features added to Suikoden 2 HD Remaster to provide players with a more challenging experience. Read on to learn more how to complete the game in Hard Mode, its accessibility, and difficulty changes!

Hard Mode Guide

Hard Mode Guide
Level Up Your Characters Upgrade Your Equipment Recruit Strong Party Members Optimize Party Composition and Formation Use Powerful Skills Unlock Surpassing the Tenkai Trophy

Level Up Your Characters

Hard Mode in Suikoden 2 HD Remaster increases the stats of the enemies you'll encounter during your journey, so it is important to farm EXP as much as possible for your party to rise towards the challenge.

When progressing the game, make sure to fight enemies when passing through dungeons or head towards other cities to gain EXP whenever possible. Use the Fortune Rune to double the EXP gained by your party from battles.

Make use of the Bath or Inns when your party members' HP becomes too low from grinding.

EXP Farming Guide: How to Level Up Fast

Upgrade Your Equipment

When playing Hard Mode, you'll notice that enemies also have an increase to their HP as well. This will result in more difficult encounters as your enemies tank your attacks through battle.

Make sure to upgrade your weapons as much as possible in Blacksmith Shops to increase their damage output. You will also need to purchase better armors and accessories to endure against enemies in hard mode.

How to Change Equipment and Armor

Recruit Strong Party Members

One of the main features of the Suikoden franchise is to recruit allies to your cause that can help strengthen the overall capability of your army in the game.

Make sure to explore cities and find strong characters so that you can better improve your party composition and win against enemies in hard mode.

List of All Characters and Recruitment Guide

Optimize Party Composition and Formation

Characters in the game have their own strengths and weaknesses, which means that you will need to find the best way to synergize your party composition that helps improve their overall stats and efficiency.

Make sure to add characters with high stats in your party, or recruits that are equipped with powerful runes to increase your offensive in battle.

Best Party and Team Composition

Use Powerful Skills

Playing Hard Mode will make enemies stronger and tankier in the game, which will require you to retaliate in return as you cast out your powerful abilities against your opponents.

You can try equipping characters with Fury Runes or Double-Strike Runes to improve your offensive output. You can also use the Cyclone Rune as you can both unleash damage and heal your allies in battle.

Best Runes

Unlock Surpassing the Tenkai Trophy

Completing Hard Mode will also earn you the Suprassing the Tenkai Trophy, so be sure to progress the game in this difficulty if you're planning to aim for platinum in Suikoden 2.

Trophy Guide and Achievements List

How to Access Hard Mode

Option Becomes Available During New Game

Hard Mode is only accessible when starting a new game in Suikoden 2 HD Remaster. Once you've selected Hard Mode, you will no longer be able to change the difficulty in your game when progressing.

How to Change Difficulty Settings

Difficulty Change to Hard Mode Cannot Be Done During Playthrough

Additionally, you will also not be able to access Hard Mode once you've started the game in Easy or Normal difficulty.

What is Hard Mode?

Increased Challenge For Combat

Hard Mode increases the overall challenge of enemy and boss battles you'll encounter throughout the game. Additionally, finishing the game in Hard Mode can earn you the Surpassing the Tenkai Trophy.

Trophy Guide and Achievements List

Hard Mode Raises Enemy Stats During Battle

Do note that Hard Mode only raises enemy stats in battle, which gives players a challenge when progressing the game.

Hard Mode does not change the overall rate of enemy spawns, drops, or rewards received from enemy encounters. Additionally, Army Battles are unaffected during Hard Mode in terms of difficulty.

List of All Enemies

Suikoden 2 HD Remasted Related Guides

Beginner's Tips and Tricks

All Tips and Tricks Guides

Tips and Tricks
Trophy Guide and Achievements List	Auto Battle Guide
Does the Protagonist Have a Canon Name?	How to Recruit the Suikoden 1 Protagonist
Endings Guide	Missables Guide
Guardian Deity Combinations	Rune Scrolls Guide
List of All Shops	How to Save Progress
Save Data Transfer Guide	Best Runes
What Happens if You Run Away with Nanami?	Should You Choose Kasumi or Valeria?
How to Dash	How to Change Equipment
How to Level Up Runes	How to Equip Orbs
Bath Scenes Guide	How to Collect Rare Finds
All Character Stats Guide	Fast Travel Guide: How to Teleport
Is There A Default Unit Name?	Time Cheat Guide: How to Stop Event Timer
Does the Castle Have A Canon Name?	Best Recipes and How to Get
Hard Mode Guide	Dancing Minigame Guide
Level 99 Trick and How to Perform
Combat Guides
Best Party	How to Escape Battles
What Happens When You Die?	Army Battle Guide
Duel Guide	Weapon Range Guide
How to Change Party	Best Army Battle Formations
How to Revive Party Members	Anger Status Guide
How to Protect Party Members	List of Status Ailments and Cures
Farming Guides
EXP Farming Guide	Money Farming Guide
Headquarters and Facility Guides
Headquarters Upgrades and List of Facilities	Rune Shop Guide
Library Guide	What Can You Do at the Inn?
Warehouse Guide	How to Use the Stone Tablet of Promise
Item Shop Guide	Blacksmith Guide
Appraisal Shop Guide	Trading Post Guide
Ranch Guide	Detective Agency
How to Unlock the Armor Shop	Farm Guide
Bronze Statue Guide	How to Unlock the Gossiper
How to Unlock the Elevator	What Can You Do With the Suggestion Box?
Restaurant Guide and How to Unlock	How to Unlock and Use the Bath
How to Access the World Map	How to Use the Telescope
How to Change Sound Effects	Window Maker
Musician Guide	-
Minigame Guides
Chinchirorin Dice Minigame	Fishing Minigame
Cooking Minigame	Rope Climbing Minigame
Whack-A-Mole Minigame	Trading Guide and Best Trading Routes