Breath of Fire II

"A fine sequel, though it is very similar to the first game."

The first Breath of Fire was a great game, big and enjoyable with lots of surprises up its sleve. It also had a sequel on the SNES, and since Capcom had already re-made the first one, it was an obvious choice to also port its sequel. Like its prequel, Breath of Fire II is a traditional Rpg that is both huge, entertaining and interesting, but also at times horribly frustrating. But still, it is surely worth buying and good for a lot of great moments. Now lets get on to the review.

Graphics: The graphics are certainly not the best on the GBA, and not even much better than that of the first Breath of Fire, which was a real let-down for me. The landscapes are pretty primitive, and the variation there is pretty weak. In the battles however, it all looks much better, with very well animated and good-looking enemies and bosses (some of the last bosses looks spectacular). The spells are pretty standard, with a few ones that looks excellent , while the characters you are controlling looks nice. Overall, Breath of Fire II's graphics are nothing to shout about, but do the job well.
8/10

Sound/Music: The sound is, like the graphics, not really improved upon the first game, but in this case it is more understandable (the first game had great sound). The sound-effects do their job well, with a satisfiyingly meaty sound when the big attacks hit the targets. The music is great, just like in the first game, with many different tunes of high quality, that are the kind that are worth stopping playing to listen to. Some of its numerous tunes are loud, dramatic and apocalyptic, while others are silent and peaceful, and most of them sound very good. While games like Golden Sun and Zelda: A Link to the Past got better sound-tracks, Breath of Fire II can still hold its head up high when comparing its music to that of other GBA games. Very good stuff all in all.
8.5/10

Story: The story on display here is rather brilliant, especially compared to that predictable tale that was Golden Sun's story. Not only does the story feature many different themes and sub-plots, it has also got its fare share of mystique. In addition to that, it is entirely unpredictable, making sure that you will experience many a surprise through this journey. At times serious and sad and sometimes really tragic, at times funny and light-hearted, the story of Breath of Fire II makes you want to keep playing the game and is clearly better than that of the first game.
9/10

Gameplay: The gameplay of the first Breath of Fire was a mixed bag of true greatness and extreme frustration, and in its sequel, that feeling is even stronger. The gameplay itself is very well constructed, with a decent sense of progress and a brilliant amount of different challenges as you visit towns, meet new people and get new characters to join your party, and it is entierly un-predictable. The world you are exploring is huge as well, with tons of different enemies and bosses to fight, but that is also the problem. That is because the random-battles are back, and are - if possible - even more frustrating than before, and are in an annoying way the game's main challenge. I am sure that I have died a lot more times because of random enemy attacks, than I have in boss-fights, which I can't imagine that the developers were aming for. Still, the game's nice battle-system does its best to ease the pain, and when you are making decent progress, there are few games that can match Breath of Fire II. With the good points being so strong that they easily outdo the bad, the gameplay is just as good as in the first game, which is saying something.
9/10

Lastability/Replayability: Breath of Fire II is far longer than most of the other GBA games available, and is no walk-over, either, offering some rather difficult challenges. And as there are some secrets things to be found and a lot of levelling up that you can do for fun, it is clear that this game gives you your money's worth. However, when you finish it I don't expect you to replay it over and over again, because of its massive frustration-factor. Still, the game is good for many hours' play.
8.5/10

Pros and Cons

+
Pretty good graphics, with good-looking spells and characters
Good sound-effects, and great music
Brilliant, interesting and emotial story
Many characters to meet, many party-members available
Lots of different enemies to fight
Nice battle-system
Long game, many hours worth of play
Better than its prequel

-
Graphics and sound is vastly improved from the first Breath of Fire
Extremely annoying random-battles, that occur way to often
Very limited replay-value after you finish it

To Rent or to Buy?

With its size preventing it from being a rental, I would clearly recommend you to buy it. Yes, it is not as good-looking as games like, say, Golden Sun, and it is at times incredibly frustrating, but when it shines, it shines extremely brightly. I would say it is better than its prequel, it is more frustrating, yes, but also more rewarding, and gives you an even better experience overall. The brilliant story and the amount of surprises and joy this game delivers, makes it one of the best GBA games available, and a fine sequel. Buy it if you have the slightest interest in Rpg's!

Overall: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/05/03, Updated 04/20/03