(Also available on PSP via the UK and Australia. Why not USA?)Not many people talk about this game, so I thought I might bring it up. As a little backstory, this was the first game I got for my Playstation. Keep in mind this was also my first experience outside the relm of Nintendo fandom so I wasn't sure what I was getting into. After a while though I was obsessive about the BoF universe.
Story: Where to start? Like all Breath of Fire games it has the same few characters, Ryu, Nina, and that snake woman who has a different name each game. BoF3 seems to follow the first two games plots since some of the former main characters make an appearance either as a race or as a npc like a merchant etc.
The story is probably better told than any Final Fantasy game I have played. First off, you don't need to take notes to understand it. Its also not so cut and dry as "go here, defeat this". Characters come and go, some die, and even the npc side stories are almost as deep as the main character's. There are so many plots that the game takes you through, the designers could have cut out half the content and still had a great game. The biggest plot twist comes in halfway through the game and it changes things so much it feels like you're playing an expansion or a sequel.
My favorite part of the game is the progression of the main character Ryu. At first he is weak and a coward. When he attacks he looks away and swings his sword randomly with a yelp. Later in the story he gets braver and he swings his sword professionally to reflect this. Did they need to add that different animation to reflect that he is getting stronger? No, but just watching your character change over time is very gratifying.
Gameplay:
RPG simplified. Attack, defend, items, magic/special attacks, and watch. Moves are all assigned to the control pad so if you wanted to defend you just press right and X. Simple. No complex menus at all. One thing that blew me away when I first played this game was the fact that all the battles took place where I ran into the enemy. Not many RPGs had that at the time. There isn't any tactics with the higher and lower elevations, but at least you're not teleported to a generic battle stage.
Magic in the game is varied. Characters can have varied attacks thanks to the watch move that allows your characters to learn the moves that enemies use on them. Very cool, but the character is an open target while they are trying to learn a new move. Each character has their own main magics, Nina being the magical powerhouse, and Ryu with his dragon transformations. Speaking of that, Ryu's transformations are quite creative on their own. Throughout the game he gets powers such as ice or mutant that can be combined to form new dragons. There are many different types, a small dragon, a larger dragon, behemoth, warrior, and several more. Some combinations can even result in errored, but rare transformations.
I might also point out that unlike BoF4 which had 3D versions of the dragons, those where only in game cutscenes whereas in BoF3 Ryu is always transformed.
The field gameplay is fairly simple. You walk around an isomeric area, use the R1 button to free look around the buildings etc, and use the triangle button to "steal". Stealing is just the player controlled character slashing, headbutting, or even using a cannon on NPCs which sometimes yields some coins. It is also like the Lost Vikings games in that each character has a specific ability that can be used on the field. Peco can hit objects, Nina uses magic to power things, and Garr can move big objects. There are many times where the game takes a break from fighting and you have to solve puzzles with the characters.
Anyone who has played the game can tell you that fishing is one of the main game highlights. Pick your bait, your rod, and cast out the line. Caught fish can even be used in battle to heal or cause damage to the enemy. If you catch the right amount of fish you can trade them for rare items. The other main mini game is the fairy village. It's kind of fun, but it is kind of tedious. I liked it because I could make item shops and a free hotel within quick access wherever I am on the world map. Along with this there are MANY smaller mini games such as training a weakling to fight his stronger rival. The desert crossing mini game is really annoying however. It does give you the feeling that you are taking part in Laurence of Arabia, but without any online guides it could be your downfall.
Graphics: Okay, looking past the aged square background polygons, the pixled sprites, and some of the effects, it still stands on its own really well. The sprite animation is really varied and full of reactions. Like I said before, they took the time to create different animations for the same character just to show what we already know. There are a ton of cute actions like Ryu and Nina "talking" in the background while Momo has a serious conversation.Sound: Its varied and never gets on your nerves. One thing that I really love about the Breath of Fire series is each game has a point where the battle theme changes. Its not the same rocking beat 100% of the game. In BoF3 it happens at that change in the game I mentioned earlier. Another thing that blew my mind at the time was that the characters had voices! Wait? You mean at one point characters just made slashing sounds when they hit someone? Yes, and you can just play Final Fantasy VII to hear/not hear that (man I am really bashing FF today). Sure its not full blown dialogue, but they do speak actual words. I used to play around with the custom magic spells to hear how other characters would say them since they all have slight Japanese accents. Most of the sounds are just exclamtions though, but still that's better than silence.
Afterword: BoF 1 and 2 are okay. The first BoF feels like an RPG Maker game and BoF2 feels like an advanced RPG Maker game. Then BoF3 blows out of the water keeping all the good of the previous games and adding to it. I'm still not sold on BoF4. It's like BoF3 with a clean layer over top of it. The character animation is beautiful and it has the added 3D dragons (but Ryu is always in warrior form). The story is very crazy because you play as the final boss throughout the game and learn about all the things he is doing while Ryu travels around. The ability to learn attacks, fish, and the fairy village return too. Despite all of this the story and game plot flow just aren't as interesting as BoF3's. However the point where the main cahracters finally find the princess is probably the highest point (not being sarcastic, it is a pretty traumatic moment). It was so-so which is probably why they changed things up for the fifth Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. I haven't played that yet, but it sounds pretty interesting. BoF in a futuristic setting and the reviewers say that dying in the game actually affects the game somehow.
All I am saying is PLAY THIS GAME. Screw next gen murder fests, Breath of Fire III is where its at.
