GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
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- Reviewed on: 05/14/1998
- Updated on: 04/28/2000
- Released on: 04/30/1998
- Originally published on GameSpot: Breath of Fire III (PlayStation) Review
In most role-playing games, the player finds himself in the role of an adventurer who, sooner or later, must meet and defeat a fire-breathing dragon. But in a nice change of pace, Capcom's new RPG Breath of Fire III allows you to be adventurer and dragon all rolled into one.
You play Ryu (or whatever you want to call him - the game leaves it up to you), the last of a race of beings who once sought to rule the world. A dragon that appears in the form of a young boy most of the time, Ryu travels the globe in a quest to reunite with two friends. But as his journey unfolds, he uncovers the truth behind their disappearances, as well as a larger plot of unspeakable evil - one that only Ryu can stop.
RPG fans have heard this kind of story before, and in many respects, they've played this game before. Breath of Fire III has all the standard RPG trappings: the "you hit me, now I hit you" combat engine, control over a multiple-character party, and a number of smaller quests you have to accomplish along the way to finishing the overall one. This is not necessarily a criticism. Innovation is none too common in the world of RPGs, and even "cutting-edge" examples such as Final Fantasy VII stay pretty much within the narrow path beaten by their predecessors. But Breath of Fire III does bring a few fresh offerings to the table, such as its "examine" command, fishing minigame, masters' apprenticeship, and, most notably, its dragon gene system.
The examine command is an option you can choose for any or all of your characters during battle. It instructs them to watch their enemies as they perform specialized attacks - and if they're lucky, pick up the attack as their own, which often comes in handy in later battles. Whenever you decide to visit a fishing spot, a fishing minigame provides you with the chance to catch different status-enhancing fish (eating a rainbow trout restores magic points, blowfish cure poison, and so on). It's kind of fun and doesn't take up too much time, making it pretty much like any other minigame found in a RPG, but hey, it's fishing! Apprenticing to one of the world's masters entails different requirements for each master, such as providing a certain item, money, or nothing at all, and pays off in status bonuses that sometimes take away a few points from other areas as well. When it comes down to it, it's just another way to build up your characters, though the variety's nice.
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