Breath of Fire IV

Review

by Steven Sloboda

Breath of Fire IV is an auspicious achievement in RPGs. The combat system has undergone a transformation that makes each battle an opportunity to try something new, and mini-games and sub quests create breaks in the action that keep it from becoming a boring slew of battles.

The game uses 2D sprites like the previous installment, but the artwork is new and the animation is more fluid. Using the term "3D backgrounds" isn't appropriate for the new game world, as they are now totally 3D environments. The camera is no longer a fixed perspective, and can be rotated depending on the area the player is in. A small icon next to the compass indicates how the camera can be rotated. Capcom used this, of course, as an opportunity to make pathways and items harder to find, as the player must rotate the camera frequently in order to see where they are going.

In the first Breath of Fire, combat was merely choosing which ability you wanted your characters to use, and then watch the result. While still true in Breath of Fire IV, it's explored in much greater depth. Only three characters can actively be in combat, but any remaining party members are in the "ranks" behind them. Members in the ranks cannot be attacked, but they can still be targeted by friendly spells and randomly perform assist actions.

The player gets to choose which three characters are in active combat by selecting which ability they want the characters use. Any character not performing an action is put into the ranks. This system allows for switching characters after every round of combat, giving access to the entire party's abilities and allowing more variety in the combos the team can perform.

While the story is amazing, and the combat system is incredible, the mini-games become a bit of a nuisance since they must be completed in order to advance the plot. Some of the more mini-games have random encounters during them, making it take even longer to complete.

Breath of Fire IV is greatly entertaining, and it doesn't matter whether you prefer story or gameplay; this game satisfies both tastes.