Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki is a PlayStation Portable title set in a parallel universe to the main Suikoden series. The narrative follows a young swordsman who, inspired by his mother's tales, seeks to combat ancient monsters known as Terrus Firma. The game features visible enemies, allowing players to choose when to engage in turn-based battles, and retains the series’ signature of recruiting 108 characters. Town exploration is menu-based, differing from previous installment mechanics.
A mother tells her son a tale of their ancestors battling monsters known as the Terrus Firma almost a century ago and that the monsters are due to return every hundred years. This tale inspired the young boy to grow up as a swordsman so he'd be prepared to fight these monsters when the time came. One day the young man was out with his friends, Myura and Zeno, when they get attacked by some hostile creatures. Fleeing from the monsters they find a hiding place where they are then met by a young man named Xephon. Xephon hands them a mysterious object and when they are told to touch a tree they are then transported back in time where they meet their ancestors who want to travel to the present time to help rid that future world of the incoming Terrus Firma. However the ancestors are not able to transport to the future time so the young swordsman asks his ancestors to take him under their wing and train him so he can rid the world of the Terrus Firma.
Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki is a Suikoden game taking place in a universe outside the main canon Suikoden series, The game doesn't have random encounters as the player can see the enemies on screen and can usually choose when they want to enter into a turn based battle with an enemy or not. The turned based battle system retains the six party member standard of the earlier Suikoden games. Towns in this game are explored through menus instead of physically walked through.
Like in the other Suikoden games, the game lets the player try to recruit 108 characters to their forces.