Breath of Fire

"Fire can breathe?"

Game Play-
7/10

This game is the first game of four in the Breath of Fire Role Playing Game series from Capcom, believe it or not. The game play is average for a Role Playing Game at that time. Take this fact in mind that Breath of Fire was released in 1993, so the caliber of Role Playing Games was not a very high standard back then. The story is average. Boy must be a hero, has friends help him out along the way. One good thing is the different parts of the world. There is an icy part, a desert part, an underwater part, a part that is frozen in time, a part that has people with wings, and so on. And for some reason, this game is really addicting. I do not know why. I just want to play it over and over and over again, and I have. There is a total of eight characters, each with their own special abilities. Another problem is that there is no experience counter, so you don’t know when your characters’ll get a level up. And some characters level up faster than others. Bleu levels up constantly. While the other characters were level 25-30, she was at level 40. At that same point, Ox was at level 22.

Graphics-
8/10

The graphics in Breath of Fire were good for its time. The battle scenes were different from all other Role Playing Games for its time. They were at a diagonal angle, unlike Final Fantasy II which was at a sideways angle, or Earthbound or 7th Saga which was at a forward angle. And unlike any other Role Playing Games at the time, the weapons actually touch the enemy. The graphics are are good and detailed for its time. I would not have expected this type of game from Capcom, but alas, I was a fool to think that.

Audio-
8/10

I know a lot of people say that the musical tunes, musical tracks, and the sound effects are annoying. I do not think so, I think that the musical tunes, musical tracks, and the sound effects are among the best on the Super Nintendo, and they are definitely the best in the Breath of Fire series of Role Playing Games. Each tune sets the mood well, whether it is the castle music, the dungeon music, the first overworld music, the Winlan music, or the forest music. The music is Capcom quality.

Enjoyability-
7/10

This game is good, but it is too easy and short. The game has a lot of variety, but the game makes you so embedded in your attack routine that you never use them. The game is a decent RPG.

Score-30/40

Overall-
8/10

The game is a good find for fifteen bucks at Hollywood Video. If you want a Role Playing Game with good graphics, good music, and an average story, than make a purchase of Breath of Fire. It may actually be worth the fifteen buck purchase. If you like Role Playing Games, than Breath of Fire is worth it. You would probably like Breath of Fire more than Breath of Fire II or III. I do not know about Breath of Fire IV because I have not played that particular game yet. But don’t waste your money, the GBA remake looms in the distance.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/21/00, Updated 05/20/02