Breath of Fire III

I loved Breath of Fire III, but the pace of that game made me wish for death many times (or at least for the game to hurry along). Breath of Fire IV is not only sped up, but is also well orchestrated to create a fantastic and twisted tale that features cinematic cutscenes and tons of great 2D art that will tickle the fancy of any RPG fan. Certainly, BOF IV doesn’t have the flair of a Final Fantasy or Chrono, but it is close, with the biggest drawback being its somewhat small environments that require you to use the camera to rotate around to find treasures (which is clumsy to use at best). This epic will definitely keep you glued to your TV for a number of days and is a great addition to the PlayStation’s already impressive lineup of RPGs this fall, which includes Final Fantasy IX and Chrono Cross. If you dig RPGs, Breath of Fire IV should fit well into your library.

Det sagolika Breath of Fire III är extremt traditionellt på många sätt, men det är inte så traditionellt att det blir tråkigt eller förutsägbart. Det är ett spel för de som tidigare har upplevt Lufia eller några av de äldre Final Fantasy-spelen. För de som tycker om dessa tidiga klassiker kommer tveklöst att ta Breath of Fire III till sina hjärtan.

I call Breath of Fire III "the little RPG that could." It's a bit slow, not extraordinarily stylish, and the basic mechanics are very traditional. And yet it was a treat to play through the game again. The above-average difficulty and solid skill and master systems make every level up and every completed dungeon seem like a major leap forward. The story takes some patience, but consistently gets better, especially during the adult phase of the game. On the PSP, the game looks and sounds crisper than ever before, and the fishing game is a nice distraction. If you did not get Breath of Fire III when it originally came out, then you missed a gem.

A dark horse role-playing series since its Super Nintendo inception, the Breath of Fire lineage has yet to receive the attention it truly deserves. While the last endeavor was a tad too problematic for the masses, Capcom has ironed out the wrinkles and constructed a sequel that has something for everyone. The annoying loading times that plagued Breath of Fire III – wasting countless hours of our lives staring at a blank black screen – have miraculously disappeared and the game now flows at a feverish pace.

Breath of Fire III is easy about 75% of the time. The rest of it is populated with bosses that require a fair amount of preparation, a few resets, and a dash of pure luck. Outside the main quest, there are a handful of major sidequests and a couple other odds and ends. They can eat up a fair bit of time if you let them, but they're still sidequests. Barely doing anyway, Breath of Fire III is fairly average in length, my final clock time being 31 hours.

But Meteo again looked back at the screen; the decision had still not been made. Would he give up, or would he stand tall? Meteo then realized it wasn't even a decision at all. The answer was clear as day. With his last ounce of strength, Meteo grabbed Steven Coy and hurled him into Axwexler. The force of the throw was enough to combust the evil dragon carrying the sun and a tremendous light burst forth. The light of the sun. The light of eternity. There would be no more darkness. The energy gave forth by Breath of Fire III strengthed Meteo beyond every fabric of weakness he had. He returned to the game and played out the ending. The ending was a disappointment, but Meteo never had this much fun in a four-day period ever again.

Aside from the inexplicably bad soundtrack, BOFIII is worth a long look from RPG fans. Although it doesn't possess the visual and aural magnificence of Final Fantasy VII (which few games will ever accomplish), Breath of Fire III holds up as a very enjoyable RPG in which sure craftsmanship is easily evident.

With a cast of memorable characters, Breath of Fire III manages to combine the best of old school, traditional RPGs and adds in just the right amount of 32-bit innovation in order to create a game that's not only challenging and massive, but immersive and endearing.

Die Idee ist klasse! Meine Partie darf sich die Angriffe ihrer Gegner abgucken und der putzige Held kann sich in Drachen verwandeln, dessen Erscheinung und Fähigkeiten meiner Wahl unterliegen. Optisch zeigt Breath of Fire zwar keinem aktuellen Titel die Zähne, dafür motiviert das Wandern durch die makellose Fantasywelt. Letztere hat aber ein Problem: Die wenigen frischen Ideen halten das Abenteuer nicht lange am Leben. So witzig das Fischen ein paar Minuten lang auch ist, so eindrucksvoll der Drache kämpft und so praktisch das Erlernen der generischen Attacken ist – die Entwickler schicken euch in eine lineare Welt von der Stange und bringen das Vorankommen mit den ständig auftauchenden Zufallskämpfen zu oft ins Stocken. Unter der uninspirierten Schale versteckt sich jedoch ein ansprechender Titel, der mit etwas mehr Liebe zum Detail einen leckeren Kern zum Vorschein hätte bringen können.

Painful and disruptive loading times may make you feel like you're blacking out every 60 seconds, but the patient will find in Breath of Fire III a long adventure that twists and delights.

The title is a neat little RPG that’s showing its age around the corners, but is still more engrossing than some of the PSP’s newer titles. Well worth the patience to see the story pan out, but probably one for the dedicated RPGer.

The title is a neat little RPG that’s showing its age around the corners, but is still more engrossing than some of the PSP’s newer titles. Well worth the patience to see the story pan out, but probably one for the dedicated RPGer.

Even with its handful of new features, Breath of Fire III breaks little new ground. Die-hard RPG fans may find it entertaining, but those looking for something new in this increasingly static genre will come away disappointed.

While it would be better to get new intellectual property, it's getting a habbit to port games every time a new console gets released. This Breath of Fire 3 is such a port and we'll tell you whether it's a classic in a portable format or completely useless

While it would be better to get new intellectual property, it's getting a habbit to port games every time a new console gets released. This Breath of Fire 3 is such a port and we'll tell you whether it's a classic in a portable format or completely useless.

Breath of Fire III is a decent RPG. Since no real role-playing games have been released since Final Fantasy 7, BOF III is sure to fill a void in many gamer's hearts. With good graphics and an interesting story, it's sure to please the anime / RPG addict.

Voor de die-hard old-skool RPG speler die geweldige momenten beleven met backtracken, levellen en/of turn-based vechten in een semi-3D omgeving is dit spel fantastisch. Voor de mensen die elke minuut spanning of actie verwachten is deze game niet geschikt. Breath Of Fire III vereist veel geduld, heel veel vechten en lang wachten op voortgang in het verhaal.

Un jeu de rôle correct, qui ressemble un peu à Alundra dans l'esprit. Une représentation en vraie 3D aurait été intéressante. A noter que la documentation est assez mal faite et que la traduction est parfois laborieuse.

Elitiste à bien des égards, Breath Of Fire III a bien du mal à convaincre sur PSP. Les problèmes de la version PSOne (de caméra notamment) n'ont pas été réglés et ce ne sont pas les quelques ajouts qui feront passer la pilule. Paradoxalement le début du jeu est bien plus difficile que la seconde partie, la lenteur inhérente à la fin des combats est énervante et le système de sauvegarde aurait gagné à être revu. Pourtant, le jeu mérite le coup d'oeil, ne serait-ce que pour le jeu de pêche (jouable en Multi dans cette version), les transformations en dragon ou le très beau design général.

For five minutes, after the PSP's drive has accelerated and settled into that battery draining hum, the revolutions per minute spinning a scenic tapestry of dark hewn rock, purple half light and cold cave womb around you, Breath of Fire 3 seems delightfully different.