Breath of Fire III - Reader Review |
A classic that you don't want to miss.
By PinoyMan07@aol.com
Review Breakdown |
Battle System | 8.5 |
Gameplay | 10.0 |
Music | 8.0 |
Originality | 9.5 |
Plot | 9.5 |
Replay Value | 5.0 |
Sound | 9.0 |
Visuals | 9.0 |
Difficulty | Easy |
Time to Complete | 60+ hours | |
Overall |
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Most RPG fans are familiar with the Breath of Fire series. With its series
debut back in 1994, it was one of the most innovative RPGs in a while with
it's unique battle system and characters. Packed with gameplay and a good
plot, Breath of Fire begot a sequel, Breath of Fire II. And after waiting
three years, gamers finally receive the third (and possibly final) installment
in this series, Breath of Fire III.
Unlike Breath of Fire II, which was a direct sequel to Breath of Fire,
Breath of Fire III is a "loose" sequel, with a slightly new story that retains
some plot elements from its predecessors. You still control a member of the
Dragon Clan (now the Brood) acuire new allies as you help the main character,
Ryu, discover what happened to the Brood. What you'll notice when you get
this game is that your companions no longer borrow the names of previous
characters from the past two games. It's nothing big, but it helps
distinguish itself from Breath of Fire/Breath of Fire II and raises its
originality at least half a point.
Breath of Fire III is unlike most RPGs on the PlayStation. For one thing,
it's not fully 3D; it has hand-drawn 3D backgrounds with sprites. This may
sound like a bad thing, but in reality, this works out well. The sprites are
colorful and detailed, a step up from the 16-bit days. The backgrounds,
although not on the same level as recent RPGs, hold up on their own with
vibrant colors and details down to pebbles and grooves on a dirt road. Not
bad overall.
The music is average. It won't appeal to all gamers, mostly because of
it's "happy," not-so-dramatic feel. That's expected since this game isn't
dark and gloomy, more happy and cheery. Another turnoff to some is that there
isn't much variety in the music and some won't like the techno samples used to
make the music. The sound is better than most games with voice samples that
match what's going on the screen and sound effects that sound like what you
would here in real life (well, it's close :) ).
Gameplay is where this game really shines. Like Breath of Fire 1&2, Breath
of Fire III has a new, unique battle system and has a good plot. Battles are
fought on the screen, so load times are a little shorter than other games
since there's no fading in and out of battle. You're battle menu is shaped
like a "t" with icons for: use of items, magic, attack, auto attack, dere a little shorter than other games
since there's no fading in and out of battle. You're battle menu is shaped
like a "t" with icons for: use of items, magic, attack, auto attack, defend,
examine (learn an opponent's ability), and run away. There are a lot of
goodies thrown in (like being able to build a faerie town) and the game is
packed with secrets and side quests just for the heck of it. But once you
beat the game, there isn't much left to do except find any secrets you haven't
found yet. (It's a problem in most RPGs.)
Overall, this RPG is worthy of anyone's library. Breath of Fire III excels
in almost all catagories and is loaded with hours of gameplay. Pick this game
up. You won't regret it.
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