Producer: Capcom
System: SNES, GameBoyAdvance
Year: 1994 (SNES), 2001 (GBA)
Overview: Breath of Fire is an RPG that gets mixed reviews. Some love it, some hate it. It was originally released for the SNES at around the same time as Final Fantasy 6 (I think). As I result, I think it got severely overshadowed. Then again, I don't think RPGs were that popular in the United States until Final Fantasy 7 came out.
Story: This could be a major reason a lot of people hate this game so much. The story is perhaps the most cliched in existence; there's a big, bad, evil emperor terrorizing the world, go beat the snot out of him. That's about as deep as the story gets. There is a plot twist or two, but it's nothing an RPG veteran couldn't see a mile away. The hero is your typical silent protagonist with spiky blue hair. His default name is Ryu, but you have the option at the beginning of the game to name him whatever you want. Throughout the game, other characters join him, as per other RPGs, usually because they’re bored and have nothing better to do. The big, bad, evil guy, meanwhile, is out to acquire the seven 'Goddess Keys' to awaken an evil goddess named Tyr. Yeah, that part's nothing original either, but while I do mock it, I still don't mind the plot that much, and I still find it enjoyable.
Graphics: The graphics are excellent, to put it simply. They easily rival those of FF6, and even surpass them in some areas. Backgrounds are wonderfully detailed, giving a great atmosphere to the towns and dungeons. You can see steam coming from food on the stove, as well as rats running around dungeon floors. Even monsters in the field move during battle (as opposed to a static graphic in all Final Fantasy games before 7). Slimes pulsate and WarHogs twirl their staffs. They even get attack animations. At the time this game first game out, this was a major innovation.
Sound: Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I fell in love with the music of this game more than any other aspect. Whether you're trotting through a castle, clamoring through a dark cave, or exploring the world map, the music always gives the perfect sense of atmosphere.
Gameplay: Typical gameplay for RPGs. One interesting feature, however, is the fact that they replaced text-based menus with icons. For example, in battle, selecting the sword icon makes you attack, the staff icon casts spells, the bag icon uses items, etc. Also, each character has abilities in the field they can use along with battle skills. Nina eventually gains the ability to morph into a bird, allowing you to freely travel the world map. Bo can walk through forests when leading the group, and he can hunt animals on the map to gain meat and other healing items. Karn can disarm traps and unlock doors. Another great innovation is the fact that this was the first game I saw where you could switch party members during battle. Ryu, the main character does not have to be in the fighting party.
Challenge: Difficult to say. Most of the game is relatively easy, but a few of the bosses may pose some problems. The Gremlin that you fight relatively early in the game is one of the toughest. Once Ryu learns the Agni dragon spell, though, the rest of the bosses are a pushover. Most bosses simply have massive amounts of HPs, so while they may not be hard, the battle can last a good long time.
Final Rating: 9/10 This is among my favorite RPGs. The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is because of the cliched plot. The excellent graphics, sound, and overall gameplay more than make up for that shortcoming, however.
I reccommend checking out Dragon Tear.net for more BoF goodness.
