Breath of Fire III Video Game Review

Posted by Angelo Moreno 14/06/2021

BREATH OF FIRE III REVIEW

Game Development

Breath of Fire III is a role-playing video game from Capcom developed in Japanese style. It was first released in Japan on 11th September 1997, and in 1998, it was introduced in Europe and North America. It was the first game to have three-dimensional graphics and voice acting features. Director Makoto Ikehara came up with the game’s title.

The game’s PlayStation Portable version was ported and released on 25th August in 2005 in Japan, and later on 3rd February 2006, this version reached Europe. Breath of Fire III supports single-player mode, and it is part of the Breath of Fire series.

Capcom announced on 27th January 2016 that the game would be re-released as a download in the US by February via PlayStation Network for the PlayStation Vita, PSTV, plus other PSP hardware compatible devices.

Summary

The story of Breath of Fire III begins in a mine. The miners find a baby dragon, but later it transforms into a child. Ryu, the dragon, is now an outcast in society, and he must fight for his fiery past. He has to regain his dragon’s power to achieve his destiny.

Review of Breath of Fire III

Since the game’s introduction to the PlayStation, many people have managed to play it. Here is what people say about this RPG game;

  1. Storyline

The Storyline of BOF III is just simple. Its flow is easy to follow from the start, where the miners find a baby dragon that transforms into a boy. Nothing in the game is complex for human understanding. The sequence of the story has a flow of events.

  1. Characters

The BOF III games involve great characters- Ryu and his companions, adventurers. Each of the characters brings out their traits to allow the audience to learn some skills. This is because you can relate to what the characters go through during the play.

  1. Sound

Do you love video games that come with that unique jazz sound? I guess it is time for you to go for BOF III. It provides authentic RPG music. If you have watched the other BOF series, you could relate to this type of music. It blends perfectly with each scene because it brings both fun and sad memories. Besides, the sound effects are superb, bringing the play’s mood into reality.  

  1. Graphics

The BOG III uses 2D graphics in a 3D environment. To ensure you feel more of 3D, you can revolve your camera to see the hidden characters and items. The characters are also well-animated and have various positions to portray multiple actions. Also, the graphics are colorful, and the diversity of the color palette is something to appreciate- the reflecting blue skies and the green trees in the outdoors contrast so well with the dirt of the mines and crypts in the game.

  1. Controls

The controls of BOF III are simple and easy to understand in most parts. When it comes to the battle commands, they are easily selected and implemented for each character. Besides, the characters respond so well.

  1. Minigames

BOF III has many minigames in between the play. One of the unique minigames is fishing. There are different fishing spots in the game, and each shows about five different fish types. Different rods and lures are available, and the fish have various preferences. Also, the variety of fish types have different properties in battling, from healing to offensive attacks.

Another unique minigame is the Fairy Village that can be compared to SimCity. BOF III has fairies with different strengths, and you can choose their jobs such as clearing the land and hunting. When the village becomes more advanced, other opportunities come up, such as shops with rare items.

  1. Innovations

BOF III has plenty of innovations in it. Some of the notable innovations in it include the enemy skills and examine commands, masters, players setting up a camp over the world, and the Dragon Gene system. With all these innovations, the game becomes enjoyable because you interact with new ideas. As a result, it brings more cards to the table from its players.

Reception by Players

People provided positive feedback after the game came to Japan and beyond. In its country of origin, the Dengeki PlayStation Magazine gave it a 79% on average, while Famitsu Weekly awarded it 28 out of 40 possible points.

In Europe, the Computer and Video Games gave it a five-star rating, while in North America, the game scored 74%. The Official Magazine PlayStation called it a must-buy game due to its clever use of the sound effect, humorous dialogue, and detailed animation. By the end of the first year, 230,000 BOF III copies of the North American version had been sold. The Next Generation reviewed the PlayStation version of BOF III and gave it a four-star out of five.  

Critics

Every game has its shortcomings, and Breath of Fire is not an exception. Its players have tested it and have come out with a few things they dislike about the game. First, some say that the game is tedious to watch. The game has many minigames, and players may not fully concentrate on the main task. Also, most of the game’s focused hours come very early, and hence, cuts off the desire to keep playing the game. Besides, you have to spend several hours building characters inch by inch to have a strong opponent over the weakling monsters. If the number of random encounters could go down to one or two and the examine command made it a little easier to pull off successfully, things would be better.

Finally, others claim that the Breath of Fire III story is dull. It lacks diversity, and it is shallow, only centers on Dragons, the state of the world, and a journey of self-discovery. It is just flat.

Breath of Fire III is a videogame with its good and bad sides. However, its positive impact on players outweighs the critics. It is one of the best videogames you can enjoy on your PlayStation. If you haven’t played it- I suggest it is time to try it out and gauge it.