Breath of Fire
Reviewed by Grant Palin
Breath of Fire is an excellent RPG released for the Super NES in 1991
or 1992. Anyway, it involves taking your characters out into
the world, fighting monsters with might and magic, gaining
experience and becoming stronger. Also, besides the main quest
(see below), there are many smaller, optional missions that you
can choose whether to do or not, at your choice. However, the
extra trouble is often worth it, paying off in money, experience,
valuable items or knowledge.
You are one of the last members of the clan of Light Dragons.
Your objective: find and defeat the evil Emperor Zog, and decimate
the Dark Dragons. On the way, you will need to find other heroes
and friends to help you achieve your ultimate goal, for the fate
of the world rests in your hands...
Graphics 9 out of 10
The graphics are pretty good, although not perfect. The point of
view is normally overhead, with the characters walking (or flying)
around. The characters all have their own pictures and statistics.
There are many enemies, although some of them appear similar
with different colors. They are also animated. In battle, the view
changes to a close-up of the heroes and the bad guys ;) When they
attack, they are animated quite well, and there are many different
attacks as well. The game also show spell effects when the are
cast. Some of them are pretty neat; when someone casts Nova,
the whole screen shakes and reels from the impact. When walking
around, the screen will occasionally flash to warn you that a
character is poisoned.
Music and Sound 8 out of 10
The music is not very...well...noticeable. There are lots of different
sounds though. For example, when a boomerang is thrown, you hear
a sort of swissssshhhhh. When a spell is cast, it is accompanied by
a certain sound as well. For example, when a character casts Nova,
it is followed by a huge explosion. If one or more character is
poisoned or has some other ailment, and the party is walking around,
the game will give a sort of warning beep every few steps.
Game Challenge 10 out of 10
Excellent!!! There are many puzzles to be solved in Breath of Fire.
Sometimes, someone will ask you to do them a favor, like
rescue hostages, or find a lost son, etc. Sometimes, before you
can beat a boss, you must learn some skill or perform some other
act. The tricky part is often finding out what it is to do, go and
do it, and get back without getting killed. Some puzzles can be
pretty tough, while some others can be quite simple.
Game Play-Fun 10 out of 10
While some puzzles can be difficult, it is always fun (for me) to
figure it out and then solve it. After completion, you can let out
a big sigh of relief now that that obstacle out of the way and you
can go on to the next one.
Frustration
Some areas are really difficult, such as solving a tough puzzle, or
trying to stay alive. In the latter case, some more leveling-up
would be good.
Replayability 7 out of 10
Well, once you've beaten the game, it's done. That's it. Kaput. Since
most of the major things HAVE to be done to beat the game, there's
not much else to try doing. You could go back and finish all the mini-quests,
but then what? Well, if you're like me, you'll start the game over
from scratch, all by yourself, without any help. Beat it all over
again, just for the fun of it.
Game Value 10 out of 10
Definitely!! A must have for any RPG fan who still has a Super NES!
Although, frankly, I don't know where you could buy it. It's not
available in any stores in my area, none that I've seen anyway.
Gameplay 10 out of 10
There are a lot of things to do while playing the game. The tough
spots will entertain you for hours. I like the menu system,
especially in battle. It's very simple to use. It'll take you five
minutes to get the hang of it! During the game, you can (and MUST)
get special powers for the main hero. Since he is a member of the
Clan of Dragons, he can use special powers. Although human in shape
and form, he will gain the ability to transform into many different
dragons with impressive powers. He must go to special training
centers throughout the world however, and he must fight a strong
enemy, alone, to receive his powers. The fight is worth it. The
dragons' attacks are mega-powerful against your enemies! Also,
you can equip a character with a bow and arrow, and shoot creatures
on the overworld screen to gain bonus items.
Overall
This game is great! I love it!!! If I could, I would definitely buy it (if
I were you that is!). In the end, however, it turns out that your true
enemy was other than the Dark Dragons. After Zog, you must face an
even more powerful foe.