Breath of Fire IV Review! [PlayStation] The Game Collection

[@Johnny_the_5]

I actually think that this is the best game in the series.

[@LPJMANGA]

3&4 was the best

[@Borderose]

BoFIV was the best one in the series for me.

[@arthrisis9629]

This game is so underrated.

[@gc1087]

BoF3 had a better story, but BoF4 had the best sprites I've seen, atleast that's my 2 cents.

[@Anhiksi]

Yeah BoF4 sprites are fantastic, BoF3 just stands at the top as a full package even the sprites are great in that one.

[@seawind930]

Yeah, BoF4 kind of goes no where with its story and I wish they did more with Fou-lou. BoF3 though really gets you invested in its characters. That and the janky a** camera that 4 has.

[@zwatchxd]

@@seawind930 bof4 camera isnt that bad, its just that towns are smaller and mostly cramped up

[@gc1087]

@@hitpeppens2932 Could be, but BOF3 story got better after Ryu grew up past the time skip.

[@gc1087]

@@hitpeppens2932 I wish they made another but instead of a nice Dragon Quest type new gem game, we got some garbage mobile game which failed within a year. I doubt well ever get a nice new BoF.

[@mikigirl18]

This review seemed kind of... bland when you speak of the story. Fou Lu is one of the most interesting antagonist, and you didn't even point out, even though the video shows a tiny amount of footage, but you play the game from his side. You see what he goes through and suffers. You feel honest-to-god empathy for the character, and he's not a bad guy just because, like so many other antagonist. If you went through what he did, you probably wouldn't blame him for his actions, even if they are taken far too extreme.

[@fujiwuji891]

Lord Yuna was more of an antagonist i felt.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

His story bored me. I just wanted to rush it.

[@danangalung1624]

Fou lu become crazy because that carronade which has been fired by imperial. and cause hex effect. Hatred and any negative emotion

[@taciolothar3794]

@@fujiwuji891 Yuna is a Villain...

[@seawind930]

That's the thing Fou-lou is the only interesting character you can get invested in. No one really cares what's happening with all the petty squabbling with Ryu's group and Ryu is just a bland insert character. They did not do enough with Fou-lou. They could have made him more of a protagonist and given him a proper story arc.

[@kijuaxel3791]

Oh... kay. Did you actually play the game from start to finish? Ryu was created out of nothingness. When this game started, he didn't exist, not until Nina actually found him (or more specifically: when the trader found him). Nina was nice to him, and offered to even help him, figuring he maybe had amnesia and someone in the next town would recognize him. Considering Ryu didn't have a past or any memories (or anything at all, really) to go off of, he agreed. Though admittedly, I have a feeling he doubted he'd be recognized. Yes it's not the most epic of quest starts to go off of, but he didn't "have no reason to care". Nina was nice to him, and she offered to help him. Until they leave the first town, technically Nina is the main character.

[@SuperDerek]

As a matter of fact, a point of pride of mine is that I don't even start a review until the credits are done scrolling. :) Since this review, I think I've narrowed down a bit more what it was that threw me off about the game's beginning. If you've got time to kill check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a322lH9qeLyYa6c It's about pacing, and one thing I noticed about BoF 4 is that it doesn't start with that intensity that serves as the hook. I hope that better serves to clarify my hangup. But otherwise the game was awesome. :)

[@RememberTheAGES]

Super Derek Let me say I'm a huge fan of the Breath of Fire series and I found you on the Facebook Breath of Fire Fan page. I understand what you are saying with the intro not having the hook right at the beginning. The Dragon ramming the Sandflier really wasn't the hook, even though it started the pace and true that finding Ryu was more of helping someone who was lost. The hook though was when you made it to the first town when you have your first encounter with the empire. That's the initial grabbing point, and I agree it did take a while to get there but by that point I know I was completely engaged in the story which I find to be a very strong point in the game. Good review though!

[@lil_grogu89abuelo59]

He was actually spawned off fo lou so he came and he is part god

[@liczasiecentymetry]

This game was my first PSX JRPG. And for sure started my love for genre.

[@Heeroneko]

Ryu following Nina makes perfect sense to me. If you're trapped in the middle of nowhere with no idea who you are or means to defend yourself and some cool person shows up and is super nice to you and helps you out? Course you'd follow them. What else are you gonna do when you don't know anything about the world you're in or yourself?

[@SianaGearz]

I didn't have a problem with it personally, i too think it made sense from a story perspective; but i understand Derek's gripe from the writing perspective. Ryu is the player stand-in character, so comparatively weak motivation of the character "well you're my only friend now, i guess we're tagging along" doesn't exactly translate into high player motivation, when you as a player are also bombarded by dozens of other games you could possibly play instead. But i also think it's much less cliche and overused than a lot of typical "strong" motivation setups, so i'm happy enough with it. I feel the game makes itself motivating enough for one by gorgeous presentation and interesting world; and also by introducing you to Foulu right off the bat rocking the shit, spitting his "thou" and "hath" and "thee", one-hit killing giant dinos, and making you intrigued to find out how they're all connected.

[@Heeroneko]

@@SianaGearz Agree. oOo

[@BeatEmUps]

Your reviews get better and better buddy :) keep it up!

[@corytanksley7909]

It's kinda of strange watching an old video, and seeing a comment like this from Wood only having 12 likes and no replies... from 6 years ago.

[@Alizardwithdaftideas]

Probably my favourite game of all time.

[@AzrielPSX]

its up there

[@awesomieRee123]

Azriel PSX you think so? I just started this game. Should I see it through? I play a lot of jrpgs, and have been looking for the next title to sink my teeth into.

[@AzrielPSX]

Ofc,it has a great setting ,big world to explore ,awesome music and graphics. Story is a bit slow to start to unfold but its worth the wait. Main villain is one of the best imo ,plus you can play as him at certain points of the game and see story from his perspective. Definitely give this game a go

[@bradydavis5791]

Why?

[@jacobbrotbeck8652]

The only thing that kept this from being my favorite over BoF3, was the annoying artificial game extention 'filler' in the last stretch of the game. It felt like a massive grind for me, something i never felt with Bof3

[@Gxyz222]

Love your review of this masterpiece, Derek! This BOF is my favorite of all time and one of my favorite RPGs ever! From music, to the animation, to the gameplay to the story, in which I thought the was beautifully told. It's a time of great uncertainty where people are divided;the ones that have power and crave more, and the ones that are just meagerly trying to survive and live life the way it should be. Ryu and the gang end up fighting for the greater good of the world, though they didn't expect to and probably didn't want to at first. And so many other things happen in between, but never bombarding the story or made it less interesting, which is good! I rate this slightly behind Final Fantasy 4 in terms of everything, and then some!

[@angelochavez-lozano4688]

Pls. Make a review for Legend of Legaia about your thoughts and advice. Its one of my favorite PSN classic games. Besides BOF series. Btw. I recently subscribed to your channel. I really love the way you speak it's like I'm listening to someone reading kids fairy tale. Keep up the Good work 😁

[@Caspicum]

I DIDN'T GET THIS IN MY SUB BOX A MONTH AGO! SO NOW I AM HERE! COMMENTING! Breath of Fire IV is one of my favourite games, and I'm fairly blind to the faults because of nostalgia, and all those good thangs. Despite that, I found myself agreeing with your issues, and I'm glad that you addressed them. I think so much has already been said about BoF4, and most games over 10 years old, so the brief nature of the video works to your advantage. I also really love indulging contrary opinions, so I'm glad we didn't agree 100%. TIME TO WATCH DRAGON QUARTER!

[@SuperDerek]

You didn't watch for over a month?! Unsubbing. ;)

[@noteptp]

Thanks for ID'ing this game in your Aidyn Chronicles video! The sprites looked great in that brief clip you showed.

[@Caspicum]

No worries, mate. Always happy to direct people to an amazing game. Also this channel's pretty good too! My boy SuperDerek is an absolute JRPG chad. If you end up giving it a go, you gotta let me know what you thought!

[@noteptp]

@@Caspicum I'll let you know! It'll take me some time to track down a copy, but I'd like to play it eventually

[@AvalancheReviews]

Great video, I'm loving these BoF reviews! I see we have the same opinions about Bof 4's sprites, so amazing. I see some scanlines in there, what are you using?

[@SuperDerek]

Avalanche Reviews I went back and re-added them in post, similar to what I did in Breath of Fire 2, but I tweaked the settings more until I was satisfied. Hopefully they look more convincing this time! ;)

[@AvalancheReviews]

You had me fooled. They looked damn authentic.

[@petersoncheng990]

Is he playing the same game as I did? BOF 4 has the best story in the series specially in the fou-lu parts.

[@SuperDerek]

Yeah, I seem to be in the minority with my opinion on the game. IMO the Fou-Lu parts seemed to really break the flow of the story. I loved the tone of the story, just not the pacing.

[@renyuuzu]

The guy was just transformed into a dragon, then he falls into the desert NACKED, crashes Nina's boat and have no ways to get out of the desert, he only have a girl who finds him, and he also have no idea who he is.... i think is self explained why he joins her...

[@bbb111-jr9ny]

I beat this game for the first time recently. Loved the music and pixel art -- totally agree w/ you on the sprites. I found the camera to be INSANELY frustrating. It wasn't as annoying as the game went on (maybe I just got used to it a little), but that first city and the first few dungeon-y areas were infuriating to navigate with those really narrow corridors and the 90 degree camera rotations.

[@xCorzo650x]

@@bbb111-jr9ny i hear you; i played ff tactics before this so i was really used to it but it definitely takes up time spinning the angles around to find ur way ha

[@popcorn82b]

The sound track in this game is what pulled me in. This was the first BoF I ever played and finished.

[@brianwalsh288]

you sound like you should have a job reading audiobooks. soothing. good review btw.

[@ricemenarq6230]

This is one of those games that you have a lot of fun with as a kid but realize when you grow up that it's considerably heavy. Like FF3, there are a lot of tragedies that happen in this game enough to make grown men cry.

[@Fvandermolen]

Well said. Those concepts about Gods and mankind goes really deep for those who think. I recognized subjects such as misanthropy in this game and that's a big deal.

[@stonerdemon]

Breath Of Fire III, Chrono Cross and the almighty, absolutely masterful Vagrant Story. My 3 favorite RPGs from the PS1 era.

[@andrependleton7242]

Awesome!Imo,this is practically my favorite game in the series.

[@waveycrockett94]

I honestly loved the ever living crap out of BOF 4 more than I ever did 3, legit BOF 4 is the definitive version of the serious, it legit shined where 3 completely lacked, art style, story, gameplay. BOF 3 felt like such a chore, grinding was ridiculously tedious, enemy gave out little to no Exp, 20-30 hr tutorial epilogue basically till you got into the real story, very little character development half the time I had no clue what purpose the character served or their background story for that matter.

[@waveycrockett94]

Series****

[@oldytron7840]

+william crippington 1300 I agree BoF4 is the best the series has to offer. The 2D sprites are top notch and the 3D environments where awesome too.

[@jacobyne]

+william crippington 1300 Bof 4 is waaaaaay more polished in everything. The story in 3 might be better but not that much better than 4.

[@fujiwuji891]

There was an exp glitch in one of the dungeons against the robot monsters i believe and using the skill to give the exp to one party member was a great way of leveling.

[@capcom23]

it's indeed tedious, but each level up felt rewarding to me. You just love it or hate it. I don't have much patience lately and it's hard to play this game

[@texasfossilguy]

A man was alone and lost in the middle of the desert surrounded by monsters This guy: DeRrrrr ThErEs No MoTiVaTiOn FoR hIm To FoLlOw.... bro... they got attacked by a giant dragon five seconds ago. He is alone in a desert. Why in the hell wouldnt he follow? 0_o

[@SuperDerek]

Boy meets girl in a desert, boy and girl make their way back to civilization, boy saves girl from an angry dude and they run away, boy agrees to help the girl topple the government.. wait what?

[@Noslack412]

Just found your channel. Being almost 30, these kind of games are my fondest memories of gaming. You could be on the radio with a voice like that, Lol.

[@okoyehenry577]

Just completed this game and it was satisfactory all the way through. I somewhat avoided certain side quests like finding all the masters and mini games such as fishing for the most parts but it was good overall.

[@toolman4745]

I've never actually beaten this game. I got really far and then life stopped me from finishing and I need to pick it back up. I thoroughly enjoyed it although I'm with you, BoF3 is probably my favorite.

[@TheGalard]

I agreed with you opinion about the breath of fire IV's music, It is the amazing and memorable. My favorite is Bastard sword and the normal battle. I dislike the stage and town desings, sometime I can't stand to explore the town with the camera position. But I aplogize them because the battle system is amazing!

[@AwlrightProductions]

Hey Derek, thanks for this video man. I know about the PSN sale going on right now, and although I've only wanted 2 games, Sony's "forcing" me to add at least $5 to my e-wallet. So I guess I'm gonna be picking up BoFIV as well. Cool review too. You just spoke, calmly, and very informative and didn't spout any memes like a lot of crappy channels today do. cheers man!

[@StopHim]

Hey man, found your channel from Dark Pixel. I enjoyed your guest appearance over there and, sure enough, really dig your own videos. Keep up the good work! Permanently subscribed.

[@midnightmayor5460]

I’m in the camp that this is the best breath of fire game. Good review man

[@RPGtourguide]

I love the style of BoF4. The graphic style and the music are awesome. :) The battle system was great too. I like being able to shuffle my party around when I need to. Kinda reminds me of FFX. I didn't mind the graphical difference (polygonal look) to boss battles, but I can see how they'd stick out like a sore thumb for some people. I thought the camera could have been done a lot better. Yeah, you can rotate it completely around, but there are still areas where you can't completely see what's going on no matter what camera angle you switch to. Great video!

[@atwentyshow9979]

What TV are you using and what would you recommend for playing on a PS2?

[@SuperDerek]

The TV I used back then was a Toshiba WGA TV, I've since swapped it out for a Sony Trinitron WGA. Either brand are excellent, and affordable in my opinion. :)

[@Mat23]

Well Ryu joined because he had amnesia and Nina was helping him get his shit together. Eventually he gets caught up in the Elena subplot... Then the Yorae Dragon main plot after Cray is rescued after the trial. Nice video though!

[@awesomieRee123]

Mr. Martian 5 is horrible.

[@TheDaoOfLatino]

Another great video. I can't wait to hear your opinions on Dragon Quater: a game most people dislike but I do.

[@SuperDerek]

YourPalSal I actually just finished Dragon Quarter the other day. (This review was delayed due to some technical problems and illness,) and... well, let's just say that there's a lot to say about DQ. ;)

[@TheDaoOfLatino]

I agree. And I will be there with comments at the ready after I see your points.

[@rhyanbrandt3807]

Everyone wish Super Derek a Happy birthday!!!

[@nescomkid2612]

Nice reviews! Its a "breath of fresh air" for a calm, collective and smart review, there's too many others who scream profanities or try WAY too hard to insert some inappropriate and distastefully forced humor, also you're clearly objectionable with your tinge of disappointment with this title's storyline and character development, keep up the great work SuperDerek!

[@madcapper6]

Concerning sprite-based games, do you prefer the graphics of this game over that of Legend of Mana? Haven't played either game yet but from what I've seen of the latter, it looks pretty good too.

[@Chelaxim]

madcapper6 SaGa Frontier II and Tales of Eternia also have great sprite work on the PlayStation.

[@dj3854]

Get Derek I have a question for you, I'm starting to collect old systems and games but being that technology has gotten more innovative, it kinda hard. like how to you pic what games to collect or not. like breathe of fire for example, do I buy download on PSP or buy the actual disc? IDK this is a dilemma I keep running into with retro games.

[@lezard2102]

Dunno if you finished the game, but the story takes a little bit to pick up, but once it does...oh boy. The only part that I admit was completely pointless was the whole traveling back to the western continent segment, which was padded to hell and back, but even then we get some really nice character interaction and development scenes when they are stranded on the islands. I'd just cut the rest of that segment out. But the whole plot with Fou-Lu and Mami, and the resolution to the Elina quest are simply heartbreaking.

[@DefiantNature14]

Pretty nice review! The way u did it is awesome with the game playing through a tv( a tv we used back during that time to lol). I would want u to talk a little with more fun energy . This game is the first RPG game my brother got after getting the ps1. We never rly got to finish it after a few years coz we didnt have a memory card at first. Its like playing a speedrun everytime lol and that i didnt get to figure things out in some quest ( one example would be looking for crays mom. I didnt get to understand their instructions specially coz i was rly young lol). Anyway! Imma go ahead on ur dragon quarter review! since im interested abt wat u think abt it :D

[@ssjmatt8424]

You say the story is the weakest point? Interesting, because I felt the story was really good. I also agree with gundamzerostrike that it is logical for Ryu to go, he lost his memory and needs to find out. It wasn't even about Ryu caring about her situation. Then they get chased off by the Imperial Army. So....I don't know how you missed those points. Otherwise, pretty agreed with this.

[@LeftoverCultureReview]

You forgot to plug the controller in at the start! Though you always put together a good review, I really have a soft spot for turn-based RPG's and this is still one series I've overlooked for a long time :P

[@SuperDerek]

Leftover Culture Review You man you have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!

[@LeftoverCultureReview]

No way dude, babies use their mouth for everything. From determining how something feels and tastes, to playing BOF4... Hands is like, crawler stage development

[@LeftoverCultureReview]

Super Derek Woah dude, 1000 subs too. Knew it wouldn't take you long! Congrats, it's a good feeling.

[@SuperDerek]

Leftover Culture Review Yeah! I really need to think of something special to do. I don't suppose you want to impersonate me for a few minutes? ;)

[@LeftoverCultureReview]

If you want to collaborate on something, I'm taking 'some' time off work next week for filming.. That's the point you know you're addicted :P

[@AzureZero20XX]

Im going to finally start playing this next month! Watching your review again to get hyped ^_^

[@driftingswordsmanzer]

Fantastic review man! I couldn't agree more on all the points reviewed here very spot on! I thought of meeting this Ryuu was always weird I always preferred the other dual protagonist Fou Lu more anyway. :)

[@VGDocs]

Got it for $0.96 :D

[@Lambosupidcaw]

Trogdor8freebird flash sales woohoo :D

[@zionsully]

Me too!

[@stevebrisk1670]

ZionSully Me 3!

[@orbasm5]

that flash sale is STRONG this weekend, Katamari PS2 classic and Noby Noby Boy for like 90 cents each!??!!? Fuck yeah!

[@XenofluxRaiden]

Dino crisis,Megamanx5,gravityrush, and breath of fire $4.00 total

[@lekanraposte6732]

That soft way you are speaking... Man, have you tought about doing some children book recordings? Read Snow White or Peter Pan this way, record that, and let's send some children to the Lands of Dreams! Seriously. Think about it.

[@livnatkris]

compared to 3 yes, story was not as good, but I still think the story of 4 was really deep on it's own. Regarding the place of Breath of fire 4 in the series: I always considered it as a stand-alone title, a setting where there are the known parts of the breath of fire world, but still something that is not fully related. I also enjoyed the fishing in this game better than the third. I also want to add that there are known issue with translation regarding this game, that I know changed few parts, and chars for the worse. One that tops my mind is the part where Nina confess her feeling for Cray. it was very not like that in the original version, and she actually hinted she started to change her feelings from him to Ryu, another part are the missing scenes, where Fou-Lu kills the king and chops off his head.

[@ishmaelforester9825]

I like that crazy cannon in IV, like a nuke sort of super weapon they were bombing the shit out of the continent with.

[@vitinho298]

Replaying this masterpiece on my psp,I just love this game so much!!!capcom needs to revive the franchise,at least a reboot of the whole frachise or a remake of bof4 could be awesome and bring new players!! Turn based rpgs are not dead,they should hear fans and we must show them that we still want a sequel or whatever from BOF,so that they could that is a good investment.CAPCOM PLEASE BRING BREATH OF FIRE BACK !!!

[@martinsmith5520]

wow, great review. not flashy, well put together, to the point. awesome.

[@zborgerd]

I've wanted this game for years and just found it for a decent price after watching several sites for months. Coincidentally, I just ordered this game today only 3 hours before you posted this review. Crazy! I must need a tinfoil hat because Super Derek is reading my mind. It will be interesting to see how your review of Dragon Quarter turns out. That one seems to be the most polarizing game in the series. Still really worried about BoF VI, but it's always possible that they could turn around the series in spite of the skepticism. For a mobile game, they sure have spent a lot of time on it; Almost like they went back to the drawing board after some of the negative reactions in 2013.

[@SuperDerek]

Zach B Get ready to have a great time! Let me know what you think! :)

[@MudithaMaths]

I loved BoF II and IV. But IV is my absolute favourite in the series. The only games I play again and again are Chronotrigger, Chronocross, Nocturne and BoF IV. You are so precise and accurate about all the little details. Awesome review. Will we ever see BoF VII on the switch?

[@SuperDerek]

I don't know. If it does happen, I hope Capcom gets their act together first!

[@magistered]

I mostly agree with everything you've said except on its Story being its weakest point. They may have not fully explained at the very beginning on how or why Ryu, Nina and the rest got intertwined together, but as you progressed through the game, the game will eventually explain how the Dragons/Gods/Ryu will affect anyone or anything by pulling them into its destiny.. As for the story itself, its pretty goshdarn Good! having two main protagonist/antagonist, both having their own perspectives and worldview is just refreshing!

[@super_samus]

i dont really agree that BoF4 was a step backwards because there were so many more fun and cool things that you could do like the combat combo system. i do agree that BoF3 is a classic and the best of the 5 games. but i think 3 and 4 both have their own flavor that makes them good in different ways. i think the master system was much better in 4, the penalties were too steep in 3... i also suggest that you play with the dragon gene system a little more because there are several very useful dragon combinations and some of them are just freaking awesome! that is one thing that 4 lacked was more dragons but you CAN upgrade your dragons by mastering all of the mini games and earning max mini game points! the major thing i always hated about 3 was the fact that you only have 2 healers and one of them is ryu so it forces you to make him more of a "healer/caster" than a melee beast...

[@ronsilk6212]

I am playing Breath of fire 3 right now and yes it looks so good. I will definitely play 4 as well. Thank you derek for the review.

[@davidsterling7570]

This video's shorter than the other ones, and I think it's because you may have forgotten to do some contrasts with 3? You mention multiple times that it's a "step backward", but I only noticed this come up regarding the camera.

[@KaiserAfini]

I remember how tough the final boss was, it suitably a level above the others. The music, boss variety, enemies and music were pretty good, the soundtrack especially is one of the best in the series. The fishing system and the dragon evolution system were very weak, but the revamped master system was great. Not all skills were that useful and the dragon transformations were cool, but had less utility and variety than BoF 3.

[@slipkon_offline1811]

"it's weakest point is it's story"... for reals?! That's one of the most epic storytelling i've experienced so far in a game!

[@TerminallyNerdy]

I enjoyed BOF4 but I prefer 3. 3 was my first PSOne RPG and it will always hold a place in my heart because of that.

[@djangofett5357]

I really like the work you put into your videos man, you just got a new sub. Keep the work up

[@ClassicContagious]

Absolutely great review man. I need to sit down and play through the series.

[@SuperDerek]

Classic Contagious Gaming Thanks! The series is absolutely worth the time I've put put into it. :)

[@ZidaneSteiner]

I love the look of sprites with scanlines. Nostalgia aside, just aesthetically looks really cool to me.

[@TheSilentOne666]

I do agree that the music is great in this game; however, that's only true for when it's actually playing. There were a lot of times where it was just silent and it felt awkward to run around a dungeon with no music playing. But I did enjoy how the battle music was different, depending on what continent you were on. It adds to the atmosphere of the battles.

[@gurerozdil3203]

Breath of Fire IV has a special place in my heart since it was the last PS one JRPG to come to Europe, so for me it became the last game to be played on the PS one.

[@thegameoverclub]

Excellent review Derek! Never got a chance to play BoF IV or Dragon Quarter (so looking forward to the next installment. Lol which do you prefer to play, BoF IV or Dragon Quarter? ^>^ (Retro Matt)

[@SuperDerek]

GameOver Club Hmm... I really want to keep my cards close to my chest on that one for just a little longer. My next review should be out early next week, I think. ;)

[@thegameoverclub]

All good! look forward to it Derek! : D

[@TheAshevillian]

I enjoy your review's on classic RPG's.

[@zeldatreasury6519]

Love your relaxed style . Good review

[@DukeofHell]

Your opinion is very close to mine. When I finished breath of fire III I wanted more, so I naturally got breath of fire IV and the experience was not the same and I always wondered what do other TRU breath of fire fans think of this. Then when it came out I got breath of fire Dragon Quarter becuase no matter what I wanted more Breath of Fire, so with that being said, time to watch Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter Review

[@MrTomemac]

Loved this back in the day. It was my first in the series so I just took it in for what it was.

[@seawind930]

This game had the best spritework, the gameplay was vastly improved over the older games, however they forgot to put in a story. There just isn't much character development in the game and the story crawls along at a snails pace. The game tries to stretch the story out by putting in fetch quests and mini games anytime you get close to making any progress. Which makes me furious because the game has so much to like in it. The combo system, the masters, the different dragon system, even the fishing game, but it all falls flat. Not to mention how they added Fou-lou as a playable character and didn't really do much with him other make him a generic villain.

[@47ravenlord]

Glad i decided to look at the comment section to find out that it apparently clearly explains why Ryu decides to go with Nina. Not even going to finish this video because you're obviously lacking what is needed for an accurate review.

[@SuperDerek]

+47ravenlord I was vague to avoid spoilers, and it seems some people misunderstand what I meant so allow me to elaborate. Nina accompanies Ryu to town to help him out. Sure. But why does he stick around and fight against an entire empire with her? He doesn't have a horse in that race, and he's never given a personal stake in the events that play out. Nina cares because she's looking for her sister. Cray is a friend of Nina and her sister. Ryu feels like a third wheel throughout the game, and it bugged me.

[@mariere5933]

you should work for a radio station or something, your voice is so soothing :D

[@SuperNintendoZach]

Very in depth, and entertaining.

[@johnray527]

Never played the game but got it in a PSN sale. Great review. Way above average for youtube.

[@leonardceres9061]

Ok the beginning of the story you kinda missed the mark in your assessment. Ryu is found by Nina as he was basically forcefully summoned into being the moment his other half Fou Lu awakens into the world. He has no memory of anything because he has no history. He is basically the light half of Fou Lu’s dark dragon nature. However It’s no so simple as light vs dark. That aside since he has no history he is a blank slate. This sort of inserts the player into his shoes since each of us in this world would be just as alien as Ryu. This also explains why he is silent most of the time. He feels however drawn to his other half and seeks to understand his purpose in this new world to him. So he follows Nina and Cray because he can sense their aura. Fate likely drew them all together in the first place. Also you said the story is it’s weakest point. But gameplay was masterful. Seriously did we play the same game ? The story is amazing and quite tragic when you think about it. Ninas older sister is on a diplomatic mission of peace when she disappears. Before her disappearance she was to be wed in a sort of political marriage that would have strengthen ties between two nations. Secretly however cray was in love with Elina. But I didn’t want to say anything because he knew the marriage was necessary however once she went missing he couldn’t just sit there and be idle. You spend large amounts of time seeking Ninas sister out. Always seemingly one step behind. Meanwhile The first emperor was awakened and seeking to retake the world which was once his alone. But little did he know he was awakened by those who only sought to steal his powers and make themselves gods. As part of this scheme a terrible weapon was created that could turn a living host into a sacrifice to then be used as a living hex bomb to be fired upon a city. The closer the sacrifice was emotionally to the targeted location the stronger the hex. But to bring about this hex The subject needed to first be conditioned E.g. tortured. Those feelings and emotions that they experienced during the torture would become the base for the hex bomb their body would become. Hence why Elina was captured. Then when you actually find out her fate it’s on a whole other level. All the while inching towards the inevitable confluence which would occur as the two halves were drawn ever closer. Meanwhile you get a glimpse of princess Elina’s whereabouts early on in a dream…

[@zakuguriin4521]

I actually always thought of this title as the finale, just because of the desert. If you look at the progession of the habitat of the world across 1 to 3, the desert is slowly taking over. In 4 the majority is overrun with the desert. Also the Dragons story in III if yoy hink about it makes the Dragons in this game make sense.

[@maziku4749]

i wish i knew of a channel that covered crpgs as well as you cover jrpgs.

[@idnintel]

+maziku Try Matt Chat channel "Matt Barton" or "90sgamer92"

[@maziku4749]

hehe subbed to both already. ive even got matt barton's book too.

[@electricgigolo]

The reason why Ryu followed Nina is because he wanted to poke her. That's it. Just like the kind gentleman that goes out of his way to drive a fine young lady 300 miles to her home because she missed the last train on Christmas Eve.

[@RJinthematrix]

the art and soundtrack for this game is just flawless i preferrred the gameplay and characters of bof2 and 3 but i just love having bof4 running

[@emaldonado187]

Nice Review! I've been wanting to play BoF 4. Big fan of 1,2 & 3.

[@180223]

Happy Birthday man.

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks! :)

[@jctroncoso90]

just bought this in the flash sale for my vita. going to have so much fun :D

[@LaughingSeeJack]

bof 4 was pretty good. didnt mind the story too much. cant wait for ur bof5. i never finish it on the account that it is not what i expected. wish they put these games up in the playstation network in oz.

[@MrBacchus18]

Just found this channel, it is awesome. Great job. Sub

[@SuperDerek]

+MrBacchus18 Thanks! :)

[@Jorge-wj9bv]

The beat RPG I have ever played. I differ about tour comments regarding the history, I got involved so much I'm it that's I have played it at least 4 times

[@tiborrigo5667]

started this game today, so far i love it

[@Danielsmff]

Man, i really liked your review, thank you. But i want to give you some tips, the game imsge was too dark for me, and i yhink it would be really good if you stop talking sometimes between "sections" of the review, and put some scenes of the game, so we can see better the art of a specific area, or the music. But anyway, good job!

[@SuperDerek]

Hey thanks Daniel! I think you might be right. Kinda give the game some room to breath and speak for itself a bit. Hmm... :)

[@francisianmedina4543]

honestly... even I am not sure if i enjoy this game or not. I cleared it once before but never played it again. it doesn't have the charm breath of fire 3 has...it does have better graphics, but thats just it.

[@Psychodegu]

You said that this is your comparison for sprite based games, but I think the stuff made by Vanillaware is a much better example of the vibrancy animation and crisp visuals that sprite graphics can bring. But maybe you were talking about the games released on the original ps.

[@retroprogamer7009]

I wish they had brought this to the PSP like they did with 3. And now maybe release a BoF Collection for Switch with the first 4 Games

[@Kusanagikaiser999]

I loved this game, have nothing weak for me, love the story and characters, and the great gameplay and battle system, so I agree on all the good you said about the game, and disagree totally on all the bad you could found on the story, maybe not the best story of all BoF games, but still amazing and memorable, specially the arc of Fou-Lu.

[@otherdrummer5409]

Ryu joins because she said she will help him find out who he is.

[@balmungkai]

Ryu had memory loss and was seeking answers how did you not get that O.o

[@SuperDerek]

Oh I caught that, it just seemed weak. It went from, "Oh you have memory loss, maybe we'll find someone who knows you," to "We didn't find anyone, so you might as well tag along as we infiltrate another country to try to save my sister." It escalated too quickly to feel like a natural progression, to me. Whereas with it's predecessors it always felt like he was properly motivated.

[@zakuguriin4521]

Sorry for the typos.

[@AvSias]

Is that a DC behind you? :D Subbed. Not cause of the DC, though that helped, but cause I liked the review.

[@leadbones]

The characters in this game are peak pixel art. BOF 4 is easily my favorite in the series.

[@milkweedreflections]

1 of my all time favorite games. In my top 10 for sure.

[@reirei4510]

I think Breath of fire 4 has worst story in whole series. I never really cared about Fo-Lu story even though he always reminded me of adult Teepo. The constant switching between Ryu and Fo-Lu's story didn't help. I don't know how they could have improved the story. Maybe playing through Fo-Lu whole story at once would have helped but maybe it was just bad writing after all. Also, the graphics from bof 3 are way better. They should have just improved the graphics from breath of fire 3 instead of doing something completely different.

[@SuperShrooms]

Is it possible to play this on PS4??

[@justletmesigninokthx]

I bought a jailbroken PS3 for that ! I don't think sony will let that happen on PS4.