Breath of Fire II

"Certainly one of the best RPGs ever!"

Capcom continues its excellent Breath of Fire saga with yet another rerelease: Breath of Fire 2, taking all the stuff that made the first one so great, and making it even better!

Story:
A young boy named Ryu was growing up in the village of Gate with his father and sister. After visiting a sleeping dragon on the outskirts, he returns to his village to find that his family has disappeared, and no one else recognizes him at all. After a strange encounter with a powerful demon, the story skips to ten years later, where Ryu, as a young man, is a Ranger with his friend, Bow. In the events that follow, Bow is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Little does Ryu know that his quest to clear Bow's name will soon erupt into so much more....

Graphics:
When I first played this game on the SNES, I was amazed by the graphics, especially in battle scenes. The characters are very detailed, with very fluid animation. The Game Boy Advance hasn't lost this a bit. Rather, it seems better than ever, with the enhanced cinema scenes, like they did with the remake of the first BoF.

Sound:
Absolutly wonderful. The music really fits the mood. A rather tranquil song plays in the aquatic kingdom of Simafort, and the boss themes are powerful and energetic. You even hear a remix of the overworld theme from the first BoF partway through the game.

Play Control:
Being an RPG, play control isn't as big a necessity as in platformers. Though there are some scenes where you can hunt or fish. I've always found fishing in this game to be somewhat confusing, as my line keeps breaking. But hunting is okay, although it's definatly easier with a bow than a staff.

Challenge:
Just where it ought to be. Challenging, but not too hard. There are lots of powerful monsters here, but none so powerful that they seem impossible to beat. Though some of the later bosses will certainly give you a run for your money.

In Conclusion:
Capcom outdid themselves here. This game proves that Final Fantasy isn't the only good RPG franchise out there. Another thing I'd like to add is that there are three different endings you can get, which adds to some amount of replay value. This along with its predecessor, was hard to find, I'm glad to see Capcom has given us a second chance at one of the best RPGs out there!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/02, Updated 04/24/02