Breath of Fire IV

Prepared by Capcom, the fourth installment of the popular series, which was launched in 1993. The title again uses the motif of turning people into dragons as an element influencing the mechanics of the game and shaping the presented story.

Story

While searching for Princess Elina, who was missing during a diplomatic mission, her younger sister Nina and the leader of the warlike Woren Cray clan accidentally find a mysterious man. Ryu remembers nothing but his name. Travellers urge him to join them and continue with their mission. With time, it turns out that the fate of the whole world lies in their hands, and the mysterious past of Ryu has a significant meaning for the future of humanity. The young man has much in common with the former ruler of the Fou Empire, Fou-Lu, who unexpectedly returned to the living world to subjugate everything and everyone.

Mechanics

Breath of Fire IV is an extended Japanese RPG, in which elements typical for the genre are intertwined with ideas realized for the purposes of production. The camera presents the action in isometric projection, but it can be freely rotated to observe the area. During their adventure, players spend time exploring new areas, talking to the NPCs, fighting battles with encountered opponents, developing the abilities of their characters, as well as various side activities. Among them is the traditional mini-game, which is based on fishing.

Battles in the game are fought in turn-based system. A team of heroes takes part in them divided into two squads of three characters each. The first one takes an active part in the battle, using physical attacks, spells and special abilities. The other three rest in reserve, renewing their health and magic points. The player is free to change formations at any time, adapting to the situation in the arena. A unique element of production is the combo system - firing attacks in the right order causes more damage and increases the player's chances of success.

Each of the six available heroes has their own special skill, which is useful not only in confrontation with opponents, but also during the exploration of the world. Players can influence the direction of development of available heroes by selecting different available mentors and performing specific missions for them.

Technical issues

Breath of Fire IV combines two-dimensional, hand-drawn sprites of characters with detailed three-dimensional backgrounds. Tatsuya Yoshikawa has once again prepared the protagonists' projects in the series. One of the advantages of the game is the soundtrack composed by Yoshino Aokie.

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Last updated on 14 August 2018