Which Breath of Fire from the series did you like the best? What are your reasons for picking a particular one over the others? And I'm only including 6 to cover all bases. ;)
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Which Breath of Fire is your favorite from the series?
- Thread starter Squarehard
- Start date
3 is probably my favorite from a 'game' perspective for a more standard RPG, though some of the mechanics behind the trainers is a little tedious.
4 has a fantastic artstyle, a pretty good localization, and probably my favorite iteration of Nina.
5 is one of the most interesting games I've played, and it's not quite like much else. It's really weird and really cool.
4 has a fantastic artstyle, a pretty good localization, and probably my favorite iteration of Nina.
5 is one of the most interesting games I've played, and it's not quite like much else. It's really weird and really cool.
Haven't played Dragon Quarter yet (will do it when I do my next BoF run for sure), but III takes it. It's not the best game because that's BoFIV, but I have too much nostalgia for it to vote otherwise.
Okay Dragon Quarter had a fun combat system and good atmosphere but I'm not seeing how it's an amazing game
Soundtrack was weak (yes, I said it, this is a genuine opinion. It's weak)
Visuals are butt ugly
Story is very "meh"
Characters are forgettable
Not to mention the fact that it kind of requires you to restart at a certain point so that the game isn't annoying
Soundtrack was weak (yes, I said it, this is a genuine opinion. It's weak)
Visuals are butt ugly
Story is very "meh"
Characters are forgettable
Not to mention the fact that it kind of requires you to restart at a certain point so that the game isn't annoying
Three for sure. Four second. Dragon Quarter third.
I wish the first two games received better localizations..
I wish the first two games received better localizations..
Breath of Fire 1 holds up pretty well IMO. Been playing that on and off via the Switch Nintendo Online (Ngl, I think the save states help me enjoy it more). BoF 1 was one of my favorite rpgs as a kid. But BoF 4 is for sure my favorite in this series. Sublime sprite art, great soundtrack, great villain. I also am on team BoF V is a masterpiece. While the design choice of having you replay the game from the start to get more powerful is at first annoying. It really clicks when you make it back to the point you originally wiped your game on, and completely demolish through the boss/dungeon that gave you trouble in the first place. Would love an HD port. Capcom pls.
My rankings are
BoF 4 >> BoF 1 >> BoF 5 >> BoF 3 >> BoF 2
My rankings are
BoF 4 >> BoF 1 >> BoF 5 >> BoF 3 >> BoF 2
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1 is honestly not a great game, but I remember it fondly since I played it as a young child. 2 is probably better but isn't quite as memorable to me...it feels more generic somehow.
Never played 3 or 4. Are they still worth playing today?
5 is a bit too much for me. Never got into the groove.
Never played 3 or 4. Are they still worth playing today?
5 is a bit too much for me. Never got into the groove.
3, but for some reason I never played 4 or DQ even though I have owned them both since the day they released lol.
I like 3 just a tiny bit more than 2. They're both very good games but I think III aged better than II did due to II's absolutely ass translation.
IV has very high highs but it's also very boring for long stretches, and I just couldn't get into V, even though I respect it as the genesis of Dead Rising.
IV has very high highs but it's also very boring for long stretches, and I just couldn't get into V, even though I respect it as the genesis of Dead Rising.
III is one of my favorite games of all time. Nostalgia is probably the main cause for that one but the OST is something I still listen to regularly and I just find going through it to be comforting. I actually played it recently and still find that it holds up well despite the fact that there are a lot of mini games to go through.
I wish I still had Dragon Quarter so I could give that a proper shot as it flew over my head when it was first released. I have the case still but no game. No idea what happened to it.
I wish I still had Dragon Quarter so I could give that a proper shot as it flew over my head when it was first released. I have the case still but no game. No idea what happened to it.
3 has a really laid back vibe unlike any RPG I've ever experienced, so I'm inclined to say that. Playing it is like coming home.
Dragon Quarter's probably one of the most meticulously designed games I've ever played, though. Either that or 4 is my runner up.
Dragon Quarter's probably one of the most meticulously designed games I've ever played, though. Either that or 4 is my runner up.
The first two were the ones I have the fondest memories of. Of that I'll have to go with 2. I loved that fusion system they expanded upon from the first. Also there is an improved translation for it.
To date, I've only played 1, 3 and 4 (but I have 2 and 5 on the shelf).
Although I enjoyed my time with 1, it's just too dated to really be in the running.
3 and 4 are close but 3 wins due to the fact that I prefer the sprite work in it to 4 and the dragon gene fusion system was super cool.
I think I like the story and characters of 4 a hair more though.
Although I enjoyed my time with 1, it's just too dated to really be in the running.
3 and 4 are close but 3 wins due to the fact that I prefer the sprite work in it to 4 and the dragon gene fusion system was super cool.
I think I like the story and characters of 4 a hair more though.
Was hard to pick, first i was going to chose 3, but 4 has aged well imo, still looks very nice, and i liked the world/ost/story more. And i know many love BoF 5, but after playing 4 it was such a shock to play 5...
I wish we would get remaster, or just a port to a switch or something from old BoF Games.
I wish we would get remaster, or just a port to a switch or something from old BoF Games.
I can't understand the ranking of 3 over 4. Not trying to say other people are wrong, I just literally can't see it. Disclaimer: I played each game for the first time on vita so I don't have a perspective on the games when they initially came out, but from a modern view 4 is just better than 3 in nearly every way.
Spoilers ahead.
BOF3 has one of my favourite video game stories ever. Whenever I replay it I find myself amazed at how well crafted the plot and characters were, even while if you look at the plot on a sheet it has all the hallmarks of generic fantasy.
Its biggest strength is really having well written characters who are easy to like, and the animators really helped with some absolutely charming animations (in battle, idle and special case) for them. The battle animation with Ryu timidly waving his sword with his eyes closed, which you see for a big chunk of the early game suddenly changing to a new animation when he has to protect Nina was particularly well thought out, and subtly implemented.
The game doesn't make any big deal about this, it just happens in battles that come after this event. A small thing, but Breath Of Fire III excels at doing these kinds of things, and this - as well as the nature of the story - really fleshes out the characters, and kept me interested in a game with pretty bad random encounter rates and a rather questionable design decision (desert of death section).
So I was saying how great the characters are. The best of all is Rei, who starts off as a seemingly devil-may-care orphaned teenager who is barely making ends meet stealing bits and bobs. When he finds the main character of BOF3 being attacked by wolves, he rescues him and pretty much adopts him, much like he did with his friend Teepo. Later in the game the three are broken up, all assuming the others dead. When the main character eventually finds Rei again, it turns out Rei has been targeting the organisation who attacked them. Rei is only just keeping it together at this point, his usual happy go lucky act barely shielding the despair within, and he finds it the height of irony that the main character killed the people chiefly responsible years earlier, and his actions were in vain - there's once again a great special-case animation used here for this. He's a fantastic character in a fantastic game, and he's my fave rpg character ever.
Even the bad guys are great, like Balio & Sunder, evil unicorns who endlessly chase the protagonist in the early part of the game to sell him off. Another little touch is used to flesh them out - a creepy horse bray of a laugh that plays in their cutscenes, one of the very rare voice samples to play outside of battle, but beautifully used.
There's also a "master" system, where your characters can be assigned to different masters, who can teach you skills, and - more importantly - affect your stat gains when you level up. This system made me replay the game more than I otherwise may have, as it's quite fun to push the main character along warrior/mage build paths.
And all of this happens with the backdrop of a superb Jazz influenced BGM by Yoshino Aoki & Akari Kaida that is my favourite JRPG BGM ever.
So yeah, BOF3. Very possibly the best JRPG ever made too, it's this or PDS. Probably this.
BOF3 has one of my favourite video game stories ever. Whenever I replay it I find myself amazed at how well crafted the plot and characters were, even while if you look at the plot on a sheet it has all the hallmarks of generic fantasy.
Its biggest strength is really having well written characters who are easy to like, and the animators really helped with some absolutely charming animations (in battle, idle and special case) for them. The battle animation with Ryu timidly waving his sword with his eyes closed, which you see for a big chunk of the early game suddenly changing to a new animation when he has to protect Nina was particularly well thought out, and subtly implemented.
The game doesn't make any big deal about this, it just happens in battles that come after this event. A small thing, but Breath Of Fire III excels at doing these kinds of things, and this - as well as the nature of the story - really fleshes out the characters, and kept me interested in a game with pretty bad random encounter rates and a rather questionable design decision (desert of death section).
So I was saying how great the characters are. The best of all is Rei, who starts off as a seemingly devil-may-care orphaned teenager who is barely making ends meet stealing bits and bobs. When he finds the main character of BOF3 being attacked by wolves, he rescues him and pretty much adopts him, much like he did with his friend Teepo. Later in the game the three are broken up, all assuming the others dead. When the main character eventually finds Rei again, it turns out Rei has been targeting the organisation who attacked them. Rei is only just keeping it together at this point, his usual happy go lucky act barely shielding the despair within, and he finds it the height of irony that the main character killed the people chiefly responsible years earlier, and his actions were in vain - there's once again a great special-case animation used here for this. He's a fantastic character in a fantastic game, and he's my fave rpg character ever.
Even the bad guys are great, like Balio & Sunder, evil unicorns who endlessly chase the protagonist in the early part of the game to sell him off. Another little touch is used to flesh them out - a creepy horse bray of a laugh that plays in their cutscenes, one of the very rare voice samples to play outside of battle, but beautifully used.
There's also a "master" system, where your characters can be assigned to different masters, who can teach you skills, and - more importantly - affect your stat gains when you level up. This system made me replay the game more than I otherwise may have, as it's quite fun to push the main character along warrior/mage build paths.
And all of this happens with the backdrop of a superb Jazz influenced BGM by Yoshino Aoki & Akari Kaida that is my favourite JRPG BGM ever.
So yeah, BOF3. Very possibly the best JRPG ever made too, it's this or PDS. Probably this.
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I've played all of them except for IV (which I have but didnt get to yet).
II is my most favorite by far and Dragon quarter is my least favorite cause of its gameplay design.
Excluding DQ - I would say III is my least favorite, just felt grindy and slow - also the mini games/puzzles didnt help.
II I love for the story, characters and the combat. Music is nice too (though I found DQ's OST to be the best out of the entire series).
I've played/own/beaten the following
-Breath of FIre I (SNES)
-Breath of Fire I (GBA)
-Breath of Fire II (SNES)
-Breath of Fire II (GBA)
-Breath of Fire III (PSP)
-Breath of Fire IV (PS3)
-Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter (PS2)
Wish they would re-release the games, doesnt matter if its PS4, Switch or PC - though would prefer it to be on PC.
II, III and Dragon quarter does that for sure.
Not sure about IV since I havent played it but I does not have the mechanic.
II does it with humans
III does it with faeries
Dragon Quarter does it with some sort of Ant type race.
II is my most favorite by far and Dragon quarter is my least favorite cause of its gameplay design.
Excluding DQ - I would say III is my least favorite, just felt grindy and slow - also the mini games/puzzles didnt help.
II I love for the story, characters and the combat. Music is nice too (though I found DQ's OST to be the best out of the entire series).
I've played/own/beaten the following
-Breath of FIre I (SNES)
-Breath of Fire I (GBA)
-Breath of Fire II (SNES)
-Breath of Fire II (GBA)
-Breath of Fire III (PSP)
-Breath of Fire IV (PS3)
-Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter (PS2)
Wish they would re-release the games, doesnt matter if its PS4, Switch or PC - though would prefer it to be on PC.
II, III and Dragon quarter does that for sure.
Not sure about IV since I havent played it but I does not have the mechanic.
II does it with humans
III does it with faeries
Dragon Quarter does it with some sort of Ant type race.
You're probably thinking of Suikoden (also a great series).
BOF3 is really special. But I have more fondness for 4. I replayed that game so much and I will still do. Time to bring out my Vita and play them again I guess.
What are you waiting for. Play 4 now. Also it also has a town building thing with faeries.
What are you waiting for. Play 4 now. Also it also has a town building thing with faeries.
This is one of the reasons why I love BoFIII so much. It's a nice subtle change that the game doesn't feel the need to to beat you over the head with it.
Also the OST deserves special mention for its use of jazz as a basis for the soundtrack.
Also, Peco is pretty dope.
Leaving him at level 1 until you can apprentice him to Fahl and watching him become an absolute tank is the best
I'll make sure to play them again in the future through the service but would like a non-online version too where I can download it - I dont mind triple dipping on NS/PS4-5/PC! lol
3 is my favorite followed closely by 4. 5 was an interesting experiment and I wish more RPGs used its combat system.
Exactly what I like to do. Level him under Fahl and place him in the point position in the Attack Formation for the sweet %100 reprisal rate.