Capcom is no stranger to sequels, and the company reaffirmed its affinity for extending its various franchises with the announcement this week of Breath of Fire V. Like any good sequel, BoF V boasts a number of tweaks and improvements over its predecessors. Gone are random encounters; players will instead be able to utilize the Positive Encounter and Tactics System (PETS), which includes such options as laying traps and using decoys to assist in defeating monsters. Capcom will also institute a feature similar to the New Game+ option found in Square's Chrono series. In the Scenario Overlay System, it is possible to start the game over with items and experience from previous playthroughs.

Whether the Scenario Overlay System will translate to multiple endings is anyone's guess right now. The four previous entries in the series have all made it to North America, suggesting that a localization of the game is all but a foregone conclusion. For now, Japanese gamers can look forward to the exclusive PlayStation 2 release of BoF V sometime this winter.