RPGamers Network > Reviews > Game Reviews > Breath of Fire III
Originality:
While the game's plot itself wasn't radically different from the previous games, it did have its own charms. Many other elements came into play as well. A new race, the Guardians, were introduced, bringing the world up to ten sentient races. Also, the Master/Apprentice system allows a new customization feature previously unavailable. The longer you are apprenticed to a master, the more your character's stats begin to reflect theirs, and the more of their spells and abilities you will learn. Battling itself was tweaked and refined (which I'll elaborate on later), and the Brood transformation was completely redone. Having personally played through BoF I, II, and now III, I would say this system easily outperforms the other two. More combinations are available, but you'll have to sacrifice some AP in order to do them.
Gameplay:
As far as BoF goes, the gameplay in this was stellar. But in comparison to current RPGs, it was nothing particularly new (granted the game itself is six years old). The world map offered now optional random encounter fields (each offering at least one item), a camping system to restore HP and AP, and detailed towns. Dungeons and towns now have a partially rotatable camera (which lead to many hidden treasures), well structured buildings and dungeons, and smooth transitions into combat. Also, the characters were each given a special ability to use outside of battle that aided in finding hidden items and areas. The map itself worked flowed smoothly and quickly. The game offered a slough of mini-games and puzzles. Some were very interesting and complicated... and others were just plain annoying. The random encounters tended to be consistently difficult. Unfortunately, over half of the bosses were relatively easy to defeat.
Music:
Easily the weakest area. Nothing truly memorable came out as a result of this game. While all the songs fit it, many were repeated several times throughout the game. Also, some had frequencies annoying enough to listen at a barely audible volume. Most of the musical problems can be overlooked, because the music doesn't stand out. And the un-repeated songs were nice to listen to on the occasions that they arose, often adding a better feel for the area and events.
Plot:
Whereas BoF I and II had a main, definite enemy, BoF III was very vague. Events seemed to interlocked to be purely coincidental, but many leads ended up being false. In the end, the characters wind up seeking out the "God" of the world, desiring to have so many questions answered and atrocities explained. This is where BoF III shone. The plot was developed beautifully, and all loose ends were tied up. The characters were very well developed, and at almost any point the player was allowed to speak with each individual to learn their thoughts and opinions on the situation or the future to come. This was a very nice touch, because we received a better understanding of the character's personality and why he/she would make certain decisions. The search for "God" brought many questions and conflicts into play, and the player and characters' jobs were to overcome those. Furthermore, few translation errors plagued the game, offering a better understanding.
Battle System:
BoF has always used a conditional turn-based system. However, menus no longer flood the screen, but are easily brought up by use of the directional pad. New skill varieties are available, and the characters can even learn new abilities and spells from observing their opponents during combat, at the risk of opening themselves up completely. Still, the risk pays off when abilities like Double Blow and Focus are added to the arsenal. Also, new formations that affected the fighting characters' stats were added, causing players to consider sacrificing one statistic in favor of another, or formations that would boost all characters but leave one particular character more vulnerable to attack. While some battles could be easily won, others had to be well thought out and played if success was desired.
Sounds and Visuals:
The game looked nice. The character and NPC sprites took a 2-D format, while the background was 3-D (similar to Xenogears, if you've played it). While this has been known to create pixel-y sprites, BoF III was surprisingly clear. Most actions had sound effects that were timed very well and sounded good in most situations.
Replay Value:
In terms of extra features, only the Master/Apprentice system really requires multiple play-throughs to fully experience. The game itself, however, is good enough to go through a few more times to monitor the details you may have missed the first time, and to draw better connections after the resolution. A few secret weapons and enemies are easily missed as well (and in some occasions they are a one-time only type of deal).
Conclusion:
Breath of Fire III is a very enjoyable game. The characters are quite memorable, the plot is intruiging, the battle system is refined, and the world well designed. I would call it the best in the series thus far without a shadow of a doubt. It's another one to add to the list of games to play through.
| Game Stats | |
|---|---|
| Genre | RPG |
| Platform | PlayStation |
| Format | CD-ROM |
| # of Players | 1 |
| Released Jap | 09.11.1997 |
| Released US | 04.30.1998 |
| Released EU | 10.01.1998 |
| Aprox. Length | 30-40 hrs. |
| Reviewer Rankings | |
| Battle System | 7.0 |
| Gameplay | 8.0 |
| Music | 6.0 |
| Originality | 8.0 |
| Plot | 9.0 |
| Replay Value | 7.0 |
| Sound | 8.0 |
| Visuals | 8.0 |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Overall | |
| 7.6 | |
Breath of Fire III
By: CapcomReviewed By: Dominator
Breath of Fire is a longstanding RPG series spanning multiple platforms. It's the story of the plight of the Brood, a race of Human/Dragon hybrids. Confused? Many usually are. But Breath of Fire III does a very good job explaining the past and begins to show the real reason for the existence of the Brood. No prior knowledge of the series is required of the game, but those that have played the first two games will find themselves reminiscing over the many details that were incorporated into this game.Originality:
While the game's plot itself wasn't radically different from the previous games, it did have its own charms. Many other elements came into play as well. A new race, the Guardians, were introduced, bringing the world up to ten sentient races. Also, the Master/Apprentice system allows a new customization feature previously unavailable. The longer you are apprenticed to a master, the more your character's stats begin to reflect theirs, and the more of their spells and abilities you will learn. Battling itself was tweaked and refined (which I'll elaborate on later), and the Brood transformation was completely redone. Having personally played through BoF I, II, and now III, I would say this system easily outperforms the other two. More combinations are available, but you'll have to sacrifice some AP in order to do them.
Gameplay:
As far as BoF goes, the gameplay in this was stellar. But in comparison to current RPGs, it was nothing particularly new (granted the game itself is six years old). The world map offered now optional random encounter fields (each offering at least one item), a camping system to restore HP and AP, and detailed towns. Dungeons and towns now have a partially rotatable camera (which lead to many hidden treasures), well structured buildings and dungeons, and smooth transitions into combat. Also, the characters were each given a special ability to use outside of battle that aided in finding hidden items and areas. The map itself worked flowed smoothly and quickly. The game offered a slough of mini-games and puzzles. Some were very interesting and complicated... and others were just plain annoying. The random encounters tended to be consistently difficult. Unfortunately, over half of the bosses were relatively easy to defeat.
Music:
Easily the weakest area. Nothing truly memorable came out as a result of this game. While all the songs fit it, many were repeated several times throughout the game. Also, some had frequencies annoying enough to listen at a barely audible volume. Most of the musical problems can be overlooked, because the music doesn't stand out. And the un-repeated songs were nice to listen to on the occasions that they arose, often adding a better feel for the area and events.
Plot:
Whereas BoF I and II had a main, definite enemy, BoF III was very vague. Events seemed to interlocked to be purely coincidental, but many leads ended up being false. In the end, the characters wind up seeking out the "God" of the world, desiring to have so many questions answered and atrocities explained. This is where BoF III shone. The plot was developed beautifully, and all loose ends were tied up. The characters were very well developed, and at almost any point the player was allowed to speak with each individual to learn their thoughts and opinions on the situation or the future to come. This was a very nice touch, because we received a better understanding of the character's personality and why he/she would make certain decisions. The search for "God" brought many questions and conflicts into play, and the player and characters' jobs were to overcome those. Furthermore, few translation errors plagued the game, offering a better understanding.
Battle System:
BoF has always used a conditional turn-based system. However, menus no longer flood the screen, but are easily brought up by use of the directional pad. New skill varieties are available, and the characters can even learn new abilities and spells from observing their opponents during combat, at the risk of opening themselves up completely. Still, the risk pays off when abilities like Double Blow and Focus are added to the arsenal. Also, new formations that affected the fighting characters' stats were added, causing players to consider sacrificing one statistic in favor of another, or formations that would boost all characters but leave one particular character more vulnerable to attack. While some battles could be easily won, others had to be well thought out and played if success was desired.
Sounds and Visuals:
The game looked nice. The character and NPC sprites took a 2-D format, while the background was 3-D (similar to Xenogears, if you've played it). While this has been known to create pixel-y sprites, BoF III was surprisingly clear. Most actions had sound effects that were timed very well and sounded good in most situations.
Replay Value:
In terms of extra features, only the Master/Apprentice system really requires multiple play-throughs to fully experience. The game itself, however, is good enough to go through a few more times to monitor the details you may have missed the first time, and to draw better connections after the resolution. A few secret weapons and enemies are easily missed as well (and in some occasions they are a one-time only type of deal).
Conclusion:
Breath of Fire III is a very enjoyable game. The characters are quite memorable, the plot is intruiging, the battle system is refined, and the world well designed. I would call it the best in the series thus far without a shadow of a doubt. It's another one to add to the list of games to play through.
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