It really is one of the all-time greats. In my opinion, Suikoden II holds up better than any JRPG from that era. It has fast combat (unlike most RPGS of the era), 3 different battle systems (traditional, 1v1, and army battles), a top-notch story, and one of the best soundtracks to be found on the system.
Oh shit! I forgot about the 1v1 battles. Those were really fun
It's a fantastic game, I had a blast playing through it twice, first 'unspoiled', then following a guide to get all the characters.
I wish there were more JRPGs that took such a maximalist approach to how many playable characters you get
I expect there will be a bit of a Suikoden renaissance, since they're working on an HD remaster of Suikoden I & II.