Recognized by Capcom as their first traditional role-playing video game, Breath of Fire would set the precedent for future entries in the series, and features character designs by company head of development Keiji Inafune, as well as music by members of Capcom’s in-house sound team Alph Lyla. In 2001, the game was re-released for the Game Boy Advance handheld system with new save features and minor graphical enhancements, with the English version being released in Europe for the first time.
Set in a fantasy world, Breath of Fire follows the journey of a boy named Ryu, one of the last surviving members of an ancient race with the ability to transform into mighty dragons, as he searches the world for his sister. During his quest, Ryu meets other warriors who share his quest, and comes into conflict with the Dark Dragon Clan, a militaristic empire who seeks to take over the world by reviving a mad goddess. The game experienced mostly positive reception upon release, and was followed by a direct sequel, Breath of Fire II, in 1994.
One of the easiest JRPG's ever
Not replay worthy due to awful pacing and boring narrative
Overall, a pretty mediocre game. It’s VERY easy to beat and the characters are pretty barebones in terms of depth. The scenario is sort of epic, but the path the narrative takes is really pretty shallow, especially when you compare it to games like FF6 which came out the same year. And, GOOD GOD, were there FAR too many random battles, which is a big “no-no” when it comes to keeping up pacing and fun. A meandering, very simple start to a B-level JRPG series.
Score Breakdown
“The Tale”
Story- 6
Pacing- 3
Characters- 5
Originality- 5
Linearity- 7
Length- 6
Epicness- 7
“The Presentation”
Visuals- 7
Display- 6
Music- 7
Sound FX- 6
“The Mechanics”
Ease of Use- 10
Innovation- 8
Replayability- 2
This is it. The game of my life that started it all.
To any other retro fans or RPG fanboys/girls out there who have never laid hands on this gem… do so.