Breath of Fire II
Score: 85% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: Unfortunately, I never got a chance to play either Breath of Fire or any of its sequels on the SNES. I knew about them and was interested, but since I was like 14 when they came out, I never had the money to spend on it. Of course, as soon as I got the money - I had one hell of a time finding it, so I was very pleased to see that the game was released for the GBA. BoF II is a very pretty game. Just looking at it brought back all those warm, fuzzy memories of playing on the SNES. I love the artistic presentation and think it's outstanding to see all the different ways color is used throughout the game. This lends a nice charm to the presentation. For example, when the game first starts out, it is in black and white and rather plain looking. However, when you reach a certain point, the screen just explodes with bright, vibrant colors and nice effects such as transparent tree shadows (remember the Lost Woods in Link to the Past?). I also really enjoyed the character designs - in fact, they were one of my main draws to the game in the first place. Sound also sets a high mark and helps put the overall presentation in high gear.
Gameplay: Breath of Fire II takes place 500 years after the events in the first game. Thankfully, having played the first one does not seem to be a requirement since I could easily follow the story. As with most RPGs, it stars an unlikely hero, Ryu, who embarks on a meaningless task only to find out later that the fate of the world is in his hands. As usual, you are not alone on your quest. As the adventure develops you will meet new characters who will each contribute to the group in their own ways. For example, Katt can hunt for items at certain parts of the map and Sten can use his long arms to reach across gaps. Characters can also learn new abilities as the game progresses - including the ability to merge with shamans and transform themselves into dragons and other creatures. Although I wasn't able to use it, the game also supports a link cable system that allows you to trade items with other players.
Difficulty: One of the hardest parts of any RPG is always going to be the random battles - it is a system that never seems to work well. Although things are rough in the earlier levels, as you progress in experience things become much easier. Also, in an interesting twist - as you gain levels, the number of random encounters in certain areas go down. This is an excellent way to combat the monotony of slaughtering of first level creatures for little to no experience points.
Game Mechanics: Getting around on your adventure is straightforward and easy enough for anyone to understand. The menus are easy to navigate, however since the text box size is so small, deciphering what some of the abbreviated item names are can be a hassle. I also felt that the game ran a little to slow for me. Numerous times I found myself tapping the buttons and saying 'C'mon...let's get on with the game.' If anything, BoF II made me realize just how little gameplay there is in new RPGs. Even though it doesn't have any of the elements that make newer games great, it has a good solid base that really makes it stand up to the test of time and makes it a strong game when compared to it's younger cousins.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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