Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter Review! [PS2] The Game Collection

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

You are positively the calmest person reviewing games I know. Even you get fired up you're still calm.

[@SuperDerek]

Heh, I know this is overused but all I can think now is "Keep Calm and Review RPGs"

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

SuperDerek RPGs Good :D.

[@jamesrussell2936]

"Well, this is rather a bother, isn't it? I say."

[@igroteka90]

Breath of Fire 5: Dragon Quater is the best game in the series! The masterpiece of all time. And BoF 1-4 are just boring mediocre fantasy JRPGs.

[@kitelanford]

Игротека 90-х honestly that’s why I feel worse... I just kinda wished people gave it a chance, give it a PSN port or Steam or hell eShop

[@6lu5ky86]

It's one of my favorite RPGs. I didn't feel alienated at all. It in my opinion was a pleasant surprise. I can understand the reservations some have for it but for me it's amazing.

[@ArcticSlicer]

This is pretty much one of my favorite games of all time. I actually bought this game on pre-order when it was first released because I had been a long time fan of the series and had the first 4 games. It's definitely different and took a bit of time to get into and figure out but once I understood the game mechanics, it became one of my favorite games of all time. I have cleared the game 11 different times now.

[@kolpik3708]

Preach the word, brother.

[@Ponaru]

Am I the only person on the planet who realizes Dragon Quarter is a Rougelike and should be played as such?

[@zissler1]

But muh rpg

[@orangelimesky]

Rogue likes should be quick to play and not have tons of boring cutscenes

[@StoneMonkWisdom]

My Gaming Story: I played this game a long time ago, and the first time I tried this game, I didn't even make it to the point where Ryu first transforms, though i was close to that part. I didn't like it at all. One year later, I picked up the game again and ended up loving it. I couldn't believe my disposition toward it had changed so drastically. I enjoyed the challenge and desperation the game gives. My first real playthough, I made it fairly far into the game, but lost when I was in this strange area with several tough mini-boss like monsters as I was running out of items / supplies. When it finally ended and my last character feinted, I felt a rush of many different emotions, I felt both defeated, and a little badass for making it that far. Mildy upset that my journey ended, but stoked and excited to try again and get further! Filled with resolve and enthusiasm, I beat the game on my second run with the knowledge and information I now had and had appropriate healing items, actually had more found spells for Nina, etc which was a great boon to the second run. The survival RPG aspect was before it's time. People passed up the game because it was to different or more often, too hard. After Dark Souls became popular, a lot of people now enjoy challenging games. True it is pretty different from the other BoF games but in it's own right, it has it's unique appeal to certain people. It's very different from a vast majority of games on the market which gives it bonus points in my book. A Game Over is like going back to the days of the NES, experiencing something of frustration to encourage and make you want to do better on your next run and survive till the end. Ten dollars or less? Dang, I need to find a few copies and horde them for myself, or maybe share some of them with friends seeking a challenging RPG. I'm a Breath of Fire fan and I like all the Breath of Fire games, including Dragon Quarter.

[@SuperDerek]

Yeah that sounds pretty similar to my first attempt. I got up to a room full of bats, and was like, "Bats? P'shaw, I'll take care of these guys!" and ran in headlong, and was scrapped after a drawn out battle where my health was nickle-and-dimed away by the large horde... "Welcome to Dragon Quarter!" I didn't play again for about a week, but when I came back to it, I was at least familiar enough with the system to start enjoying it. I also saw a speedrun of the game, and borrowed a couple battle tips from that guy which also helped me out a lot during boss battles, I think. Survival RPGs are kind of an interesting genre that surprisingly, started quite a while ago, and have a very unique feel. I think I'll get into that a bit more next month. :)

[@rodiro5305]

I liked your comment so much my fingers are bleeding haha! I loved this game and wish I could play it again. Although I didn't like the dragon system I just never used it or much of the dash and beat the game. Very satisfying!

[@graysonbrown9778]

Survival RPGs were ahead of their time in the early 2000s because they made you actually think and feel gameplay on a cerebral level more than being a stimulating simulation. BoF5 is pretty much a magnificent game that gets a bad rap for not being a narratively obvious and lifeless retelling of the same motifs as it’s ancestors... The previous games do their niche well, but that’s all they are, a niche that repeats the same themes (Gods vs Dragons, journey to defeat a God and or Dragon, winged people, ancient races, political moral strife, etc.) and mechanics (JRPG basic ATB) through their incarnations with either better graphics/ visuals or a more fleshed out narrative. One could even argue that BoF 1-4 are the same game... with 1-2 being chapters and 3-4 being epics...controversially BoF 5 could be both. BoF 5 was before it’s time, it’s a focused game with a challenge... something absent from 80% of games today as most games are mere tv shows or senseless multiplayer platformers and guns simulations... BoF 5 with a bit more hours of gameplay including more backstory and improved battle mechanics, (no I don’t want the dragon system reworked) could potentially make it the best of all of them. The environment and thrust narrative of BoF5 established an emotional weight and resonance that the others lack imo. The cinematography and narrative along with an underrated soundtrack, make you feel for the characters and their situation. The battle system was tactical and innovate unlike most games at that time, it strove for balance between dynamic and turn based action. The story felt more dystopian and like something I could read in a graphic novel or watch on film.... this game is severely underrated and suffers from being forced to not be a BoF game because it’s not like it’s ancestors, yet hypocritically lambasted for using similar motifs in a new way... from the Regents, to the twin Dragon friendship and rivalry motifs, to the return to a better world... BoF 5 is BoF just more sophisticated and more realistic... the same motifs and themes are there, but maybe they are challenging to to see at first. They are pervasive and following us like a mystery that needs to be unraveled... it’s a challenge in every way, yet like Vagrant Story the most rewarding experiences and things in life are not easily obtained.

[@ArcticSlicer]

I bought the game on pre-order, played like 10 or so hours, and shelved for like 6 months before picking it up again. It's the best game in the series by far. It takes some time to get into but it truly is one of the masterpieces of the ps2 era.

[@unnamed_protagonist]

In my first playthrough, i was 8, and an idiot. I thought the cover looked cool and dragon was in the title. I never got past the first monster room that locks you in. Like 2 Years later i found the game again in my mess of a room and decided to give it another chance. I was finally able to get past that room and finally saw the then mind blowing scene (at least to my 10 year old kid brain) of bosch stabbing ryu through the throat and ryu transforming. That more mature event piqued my interest, since up until that point the most gory thing i had seen was cartoony violence, and i ended up skipping a few days of school to complete it.

[@AvalancheReviews]

Holy shit! At first I was all like "ok we beefin now" but you pulled it together and made a dead serious argument for it. I have been a fan of the series since the very first game, and still Dragon Quarter is one of my favorite ps2 RPGs hands down. It's good to see someone show this game some love, warts and all. Even the guy who runs my KZbin partnership (the rpg fanatic) made a super negative review about it. No joke, this was your best yet.

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Jared, that means a lot coming from you. :)

[@TheDaoOfLatino]

I always had a feeling you liked Dragon Quarter. Maybe we'll see it as a Trashed Classic somewhere down the pipeline?

[@AvalancheReviews]

You can bet on that!

[@AvalancheReviews]

If I remember correctly, sales for Dragon Quarter were right up there with BoF 4. I don't think, it ruined the series.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

@@AvalancheReviews . You remember wrong, and not only it ruined it, it also killed it.

[@LFFL381]

I always thought the SOL system stood for "S**t Outta Luck"

[@kitelanford]

Daniel Carroll well a common use I suppose if you feel too weak, once you understand rules like the Locker and the fact some skills are potent even at level 1 and such... it’s basically Action Effeincy and learning it in the end

[@KyeEnzoden]

Damn Right! @@kitelanford I agree. Learning to abuse such systems as SOL Restore and Restart? You can farm Stat Items and Payphone Coins. Not to mention Party XP each checkpoint you virtually made for yourself.

[@Xshinobi2k8]

BoF 5 feels like a roguelike.

[@Metalliumzer0]

Great review, Derek! But I'm shocked you didn't mention the great music in this game! Personally, my favorite thing about the game is the music. It was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, whose music you might still know from such games as Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII. Just have a listen to this masterpiece for instance: Best VGM 161 - Breath of Fire V - Electric Power Building

[@ArcticSlicer]

Honestly, I think it's one of Sakimoto's best works. I remember being really disappointed with the Soundtrack to Final Fantasy XII because it wasn't as memorable as some of his previous works.

[@lgmcbentube]

This is Sakimoto's best work imo

[@lgmcbentube]

yeah this is Sakimoto's best work imo too

[@kolpik3708]

9:17

[@rriggs6547]

I loved Dragon Quarter. However, I look at it as a different game entirely from the Breath of Fire series.

[@johann296]

Thank you amen.

[@leoallan2225]

Well, I hate it the most out of the series, and its hardly a Bof game.

[@rriggs6547]

@@leoallan2225 This is one of my points. Because it has the BoF label attached people judge it based on the other games. But it really is completely different. As a stand along game I love it. As a BoF game I think it doesn't work at all.

[@TheRpgFanatic]

Good review dude. I like the production values of your videos as well.

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks! :-)

[@SylarDean]

With this game, Capcom destroyed this franchise, I am an avid BoF fan and YET again Capcom has destroyed my hopes of getting another great fantastic BoF game by releasing BoF 6 for ANDROID phones >.

[@SylarDean]

SkyRifter LizardGirl oh please, dont get me started on Enix.. lol, but i agree bout the DQ games, i luv them all, just hoping we are going to get an english release of DQX.

[@Soultrigger]

Super Derek Props for being openminded, unlike RPG Fanatic who basically crushed it for not following tradition. lol

[@TheDaoOfLatino]

Told you I'd be here. This went in a direction I didn't think you'd go, comparing similar aspects between Dragon Quarter and other more well liked games, but you made it work. I still think you could have fit in more concrete review segments into the video but I think the uniqueness of it makes it probably the best review of this game yet that I've seen on youtube. This has been a great series of videos overall. Pat yourself on the back Derek. I must also say you have an immaculate looking game collection, and I am not even talking about content. I hope when I move soon my looks even half as nice as yours does. Really gotta get on those custom game cases for my SNES games.

[@SuperDerek]

YourPalSal Yep, you sure did! I'm glad that everything came together like it did. I decided to try a different approach because, not only is it the finale, but because I knew people are passionate on both sides of the game. If I just said the game was good, or if I just said what was bad, I don't think it would have been as effective. Plus, it was fun to actually get a little worked up fora change! :)I love my Universal Game Cases, but they sure do take up a lot of space. If and when you make the jump, make sure you set aside plenty of room!

[@TheDaoOfLatino]

Yeah I know how big they are but my SNES collection is pretty slim (under 60 games) so I just might be able to fit them in after I see everything else.

[@AlbedoAtoned]

I guess I could see why somebody might compare Dragon Quarter to Majora's mask, but really, the comparison would be more superficial imo. In Majora's mask, these things reset when you go back in time:the time (obviously), money you haven't deposited, bombs, arrows, deku nuts, deku sticks, powder kegs, your bottles empty, your camera is emptied, and you lose certain key items (of which there are only a few of like the room key or the title deeds). The flow of time is also changed back to it's normal speed if you slowed it. If you play it correctly, you aren't actually repeating much if anything. You keep all of your equipment, you can get back all of your bombs and other items right outside of town or buy it if you want. You don't even have to repeat dungeons, though you may need to (though you can if you want) repeat the boss battle if there was something you didn't do after doing so the first time. What the time resets are there for is so they can make everybody have a more busy schedule, to make them feel more alive. It wouldn't have worked nearly as well if they just made their schedules more generic. To keep the game from becoming too repetitive, it is only 3 in-game days long whereas it was originally going to be 7-days long. You can also skip ahead in time. I'm planning to give this game a try though. I haven't played it yet but wanted to give my opinions. A newer game that also gets compared to Majora's mask is Lightning Returns. A problem I had with it was that unlike Majora's Mask, it's cycles last up to 13 days compared to Majora's Mask. A game like Majora's mask works on smaller scales imo, with larger scales bringing fatigue. I'll see how Dragon Quarter works out.

[@SuperDerek]

+Melody I mostly brought up Majora's Mask because many people hated the mechanic of starting over after failed attempts, that sort of thing. It's definitely a superficial comparison though, to point out that the idea wasn't terrible, just different. MM is far superior to Dragon Quarter IMO, so don't get your hopes up too high. ;)

[@Caspicum]

I still don't know how I feel about Dragon Quarter. I really need to make some time to play it again, finish it (because that'll be fucking fun), and then sit on it for a while. Great video though. I loved the constant back-and-forth comparisons to good games. Really cemented how Dragon Quarter had the right idea, but royally fucked up the execution.

[@Bliced]

this game made the same mistake that the recent final fantasy games did. Attaching the series name to a completely different game thus alienating the fan base and turning off potential new consumers who may not have been interested in the previous games in said series. SMT played it smart by making persona and DDS a different series and making it clear to consumers that its a spin off. Had Persona 3/4 been called SMT 3/4 instead it would have been a different history in gaming.

[@SuperDerek]

Bliced Awesome Misaki avatar! :D Oh, and I agree on your points as well. :)

[@arutv]

Bliced your comparison is so on point that I wanna marry you.

[@GuitarJester89]

The Final Fantasy fan base was alienated as early as FF7 if not sooner. Every fan has their "own" favorite title. And hates others, Cause they are diff. I like them all. :p

[@jamesglox6238]

***** and yet you know nothing about it jaded much grow up

[@Christopher-eq1rn]

+Justin “Shinzilla” Shin you have played final Fantasy 15? Well I guess we got a time traveller. Tell me how did humanity start, surely you can do that

[@Riceking10]

Proved once again that you deserve to be making content. You're a great sub and I get excited when I see your updates

[@musiciohann]

hahahaha apparently I missed this episode for years!! And it is awesome!! Perhaps, one of my favorites. Very good review. Congrats, Derek.

[@UnknownFox]

The issue I did have with this game was mostly the dragon power, I didn't mind the rewinding but getting punished for using the one thing that made the other games amazing was a turn off for me.

[@zachz1018]

You missed the point then.The Dragon Form was only really there to get you XP. it was the trump card that the timing of using was everything.

[@ArcticSlicer]

There is more than enough dragon power to use it against every boss and still complete the game. If you know how to make use of D-charge and then attack, you should be able to complete most battles only adding 3-4% to the D-counter. It's really not that bad. D-Breath should only be used in Kokon Horay. It's very useful against the armored dukes.

[@Shuda87]

Wow, I really thought you were gonna fan rage on this one, but you really turned this into a cool and fair review with different perspectives. Great work! I love this game and think of it as one of the best RPGs on the PS2, but I never played a BoF game before so I didn't know what to expect. Sure is a game to cause polarized opinions though. Every friend I've recommended this to has either completely loved it or truly detested it.

[@CrossKnights]

I did like this game but there is no way I would have finished it as an adult. The first time I played I reset very early which unlocked a bunch of extra story and I'm sure that helped push me on, wanting to see more. But on this new run I got VERY far before needing to restart, like, close to the end of the game far. I'm pretty sure I would have quit if a game did that to me today unless I was having an amazingly good time with it. I do appreciate them doing something different but would the game really have been worst if you didn't need to restart and got all of the story the first time?

[@thegameoverclub]

Excellent review of the whole BoF Series Derek! you've smashed another one out of the park! I was always hesitant on the last entry to this amazing series. But now I think I'm going to give it a shot (got a friend who actually has this in his PS2 collection). Anyways keep up the stellar work of videos! -Cheers buddy! ^>^ (Retro Matt)

[@Burnie_96]

See I never played or even heard of breath of fire when I played this game. ( I was a very little kid) and I remember this game very fondly. It was fun! So I looked it up to see what the internet had to say about it and EVERYTHING I saw about it was negative I'm glad that Derek tried to look at what the game well instead of just jumping on the band wagon

[@capcom23]

That's because you grew up with the other one, but this game is not traditional Breath of Fire game. That was the letdown for most of us. They should've used a different game for their ideas and didn't have to touch breath of fire elements. But hey each his own

[@ArcticSlicer]

@@capcom23 I actually had all 4 of the previous games when I pre-ordered this one. Took me a bit of time to get into, but it's by far my favorite game in the series.

[@Drachenhannes]

The timeline Question is quite difficult this time around. Technically it could play anytime after BoF2 in the main universe. Remember the people of the Dragonclan that moved underground? This could be their decendants. And the ruined world above is likely the ruined world that happened sometime between 2 and 3. When they had a very modern technologic age that got pretty much destroyed. You see ruins of that "modern" world when ou get close to the surface. That would technically explain the "somehow got dragon powers" and the D-Rank as everyone is a decendant of the Dragonclan. But as to how a reborn Ryu got down there? Well either re-incarnations don't care in which location they happen or They pulled a Zelda witht splitting the timelines sometime after BoF2.

[@mattrondeau2]

6:10 uh oh! Super Derek's D meter is getting close to 100%! fantastic review as always! Speaking of turn based RPGs, what's your opinion on the Arc the Lad series? I've only really played Twilight of the Spirits, and am curious if I should go into the others.

[@SuperDerek]

Matt Rondeau Sadly, the only real opinion I have of Arc the Lad series is that I really want it! I've never played it though, but I hear good things. :)

[@mattrondeau2]

I think you'd like Twilight of the Spirits. There's parts that drag a little bit, but it's one of those few games that I played in my childhood that still holds up to the nostalgia. An easy place to get some of the Arc the Lad games is here: Got my copy there :) www.lukiegames.com/

[@Jordan1000]

Just found your great channel on KZbin. Really enjoying your videos, keep up the good work. Subscribed.

[@TheOmen04]

I do not like this game, but I love this review! Awesome how you draw all these cool comparisons game by game

[@livnatkris]

That odd moment when even the rage moment of yours is the calmest I've seen XD I love the fact you are so calm! it's awesome! As for the game. I admit, I had trouble with it at first. There are a lot of things I expected from a breath of fire game that to see them not returning were very upsetting to me. But it is a good game. Once you get the drill it's very fun. Again, I do consider it as a stand-alone title, that takes a while (long while) to get into, but it is not a bad game. I just think, as many pointed out, it doesn't feel very "breath of fire" like The fact the game is hard, takes a lot from it, I agree. What's more, I will agree that the chars are not as developed as the other titles in the series. Personally I think it will be a great game if it was not bearing the title of "breath of fire", which I think they kinda did, by calling it "dragon quarter" and time and time again, pushed the breath of fire title to be second to it. tl;dr- give it a chance, it may take a little while to get used to, mainly if you are returning fan from the series (like myself) and have certain ideas of what you want to see in this game, but it is not a bad game, and it can actually be fun and enjoyable.

[@SuperDerek]

LOL! Yeah, I'm definitely not a very good actor! It was tough even to just keep a straight face doing that scene. I'm glad you got a kick out of it though! :)

[@MP2066]

I've been wondering what are your thoughts on BoF6 with the Trailers that have been shown on it Japanese site it looks promising but I'm still holding my opinion until I can play it. I want to know what you think of it does it look promising and if does come to America will you play it and review it. Also REALLY hope I get to Play BoF5 one day as well while the gameplay is questionable I love the story and the writing in it is like the other BoF imo but It might be awhile being BoF3 still not on PsN and neither are really easy to come by

[@ZaXo00]

Subbed. I very much appreciate the fact that you were fair and honest about this game. Far too many people criticize it based on nothing other than personal expectations, as if their biases are the only thing that should matter to anyone else. I love that this game took the risks it did. But I also love that it's well made and well thought out. I personally don't put any stock in the "This would've been a good/better game if it didn't have X title." idea. Arguably misusing a name is a business mistake; it has no bearing on the actual quality of the product. The game one plays doesn't actually get any better or worse because the name changes... it's the same game regardless. It's the same issue the car world has. Americans in the mid 90's loved to trash cars like the Mitsubishi Eclipse because they were Japanese 'junk', while supporting American cars like the Eagle Talon. What they didn't know was that the Talon is literally just a rebadged Eclipse. It's an argument based entirely in fallacy, and it's no different in games. I understand it when people have these expectations for games that are sequential. It would be pretty strange if such drastic changes happened during the Mass Effect trilogy for example. That would hurt the experience, because you're expected to be able to follow the singular story all the way through. But when each game - common elements or not - is supposed to be an independent title, I honestly don't get why anyone would complain about innovation. These same people complaining that BoF V, or recent FF titles are 'far too removed from what the series is "supposed to be"' (according to them), are also often the first people to criticize something like CoD for being the 'same game every year'. They'll attack the lack of innovation in something they don't enjoy (despite the actually fairly high quality of the CoD series overall), but they'll stifle that same innovation in any series they hold dear. They can't have it both ways, and I'll personally always value innovation - even if it ends in failure... which BoF V does not - over artificial brand consistency any day of the week. This is an awesome game, with a few notable flaws, and deserves to be recognized as such. This game didn't kill Breath of Fire. The decline of the J-RPG and the BoF series was caused by the venomous disdain for new concepts in the genre/series that limited sales. So I greatly appreciate that - while we disagree on what the name of the series stands for - you still gave this game a fair review :)

[@SuperDerek]

+ZaXo00 Howdy! Yeah, the spirit of what I was trying to say wasn't that a change in title would change the quality of the game, but rather that the title of the game set an expectation that the game was then measured against. All the title did was set the game up for poor reception which is what I tried to comment on with this review. But otherwise it sounds like we're on the same page. :)

[@ZaXo00]

SuperDerek RPGs Oh, apologies. Looking back at my post, I didn't make clear enough that my rant wasn't geared toward your stance in the video, so much as it was geared toward the same unfair 'critiques' you yourself were attempting to dispel :) I totally agree with you that a name sets up expectations in consumers. I was more attempting to expand on that thought by making clear that such an issue is a problem with the business end of things, and less with the product. People tend to conflate the two, leading to them sapping their own potential enjoyment out of the game when they play it. Again, apologies for the misunderstanding :)

[@SuperDerek]

+ZaXo00 lol, no worries!

[@jus4000kicks]

+ZaXo00 I agree that a lot of people do this. My biggest issue with this game though is the whole replay the start of the game lots of times in order to get stronger and the whole game over at using your dragon powers too much. No game that I've played before does these things for good reason. It makes an already grindy game much more grindy. It misunderstands why people play rpgs similar to Dawn of Mana which resets your level at different sections of the game. One of the biggest reasons why people like rpgs is the progression/advancement/growth of your characters abilities. But how much people want to replay the start of a game multiple times in order to reach that goal. If it's an open world game or a story game that has multiple story paths thats better. The problem with some of these innovative games is they misunderstand the reasons why people play these games in the first place.

[@ZaXo00]

Mimic Warrior Artist Media But that's not really a fair assessment. People play RPGs for all sorts of reasons. I for one love the restarting system in Dragon Quarter. It's similar to something like Dead Rising, although a lot more balanced (Dead Rising gives you random perks each time you level up, often leading to an imbalanced character that isn't well prepared for upcoming situations). I like that it gives me a way to boost my characters to make things easier when I do restart. I like that it allows me to do a 'hardcore' run where things are more challenging, by not resetting at all. In that sense, it reminds me of Dark Souls, which is an amazingly balanced game. But we also can't forget that it's designed around this concept. The game is only like ten hours long, so that you don't have to retread 30 hours of content if you decide to reset. It limits the amount of exhaustion you get from restarting, and allows the game to tell a more concise story. And since you get access to new content when you reset, it also keeps restarts from just being boring retreads of old content. This game is designed to be replayed. As far as the possibility of failure from using Dragon Powers too much, I think that's an interesting change as well. Obviously it's not something for everyone, but it creates an interesting dynamic. It reminds me of old beat 'em ups, where using your special attack would take some of your health. It's a risk/reward system that means the game requires strategy, while also giving you a way out in emergency situations. Once you get used to the mechanics, it's treated more as a timer than a death clock, which gives the game some urgency. If there was one way I'd improve it, it'd be to give some approximation of how far you can go before you will die; that way people won't spend five extra hours playing, before they realize they could have never made it to the end. The reality is, the game isn't grindy at all. It gives players ways to grind to ease the difficulty, but it doesn't force any grinding. You can complete the game in a single playthrough using strategy. Again, it's similar to Dark Souls in this way. Leveling in DS will make things easier for players. But if you're skilled enough, you can beat the game at level one, with nothing but your fists. That to me is RPG design at its best, because it expects players to get better at the game, rather than expecting them to "get higher numbers" to win. The game's design isn't for everyone. But that doesn't mean that it made mistakes. What matters is whether the decisions they made in designing the game compliment each other; a good game is one where the mechanics fit together well, not simply one that caters to genre expectations.

[@joeg2132]

I love how positive you were in all your BoF reviews... as a classic fan I was brewing to wait for the ultimate diss to 5 at the end, but you gently let it down with a sarcastic compliment. Looking forward to your reviews on other games I like!

[@silentfanatic]

Thanks for going to bat for this severely underrated game!

[@RavenousSpectre]

couldnt get into this because of the time limit either. i tried, but it wasnt working.

[@Teknoman]

Is pretty much a roguelike (lite?) before they took off worldwide I'm thinking it'll be on hidden gem lists sooner or later

[@driftingswordsmanzer]

This review was superb very informative and entertaining all the way to the end! Great job. Hopefully a true breath of fire game can be announced maybe someday lol.

[@sergeyv9071]

I watched the entire Breath of Fire series in a row. I LOVE it when you jump the couch in your intro. Looks so cool. Keep it up man!

[@TheOriginalGankstar]

What an immense channel... You'll probably say no to this request because perhaps it just doesn't count as an RPG, but any chance of a Castlevania: Symphony of the Night review? I ask because it has some rpg elements with all the different gear and the leveling up. Have you played it? I'm playing it right now (about 120% through the game currently). It's been a revelation to me. I was looking for other 'Metroidvania' games since playing La-Mulana.

[@SuperDerek]

I played bits of it a long time ago, and I'd definitely review it. Just gotta grab a copy. It's been on my want-list for a while now. :)

[@MiamiSunrise]

Derek, at the time you did this review in 2014, as you mentioned in the video, Breath of Fire 6 had yet to come out. As I understand it, it was only released mobile in Japan. Despite this, were you somehow able to try it out? I still have not talked to anyone that ever had and though thats not surprising, I'm curious nonetheless. This a solid review of BOF.....ahem Dragon Quarter. Since Suikoden is getting a spiritual successor, this would be my next favorite series to make a comeback. The sound of the title "Breath of Fire 7" just sounds great.

[@sharebear421]

Can you do grandia 3 and xtreme?

[@claytonbenignus4688]

BOF5 is the most Logistical RPG I‘ve played. Emphasis is on Resource Management instead of choosing your battles(strategy) or winning your battles ( tactics). True, beating the big boss is important as it is in any games, but it is planning your campaign to increase your D-rating until you get the coveted 1/4. You shepherd your resources to gradually improve your equipment, increase your bank account, hoard healing items, allocate experience points, and finally prepare for that big Dragon Fight in Kokun-Horray. It took me 10 play throughs to get the Dragon Quarter.

[@tigaron02]

I think the main reason I had issues was the inability to use your dragon form without punishment. It sorta felt like it was gimping you when in the past the system was there to give you a boost in a boss fight or possibly allow you to have fun decimating enemies who gave you trouble before. Having it restricted so harshly sorta took the fun out of it for me, but that doesn't make it a bad game. I find it a trial to play it but some folks like those kinda games, so I'm glad they enjoy it.

[@mohammedboudoubaz7584]

Man that's a hell of great intro Bravo,chapeau

[@guywhomstvepostgood]

I've never understood the argument that a game would be better if it had a different name on the front.

[@SeafoamSmiles]

I just wanted to take the time to say how impressed I am with your videos. I recently purchased Breath of Fire 2 (Virtual Console) on a whim, and stumbled across your review of it. I found your level headed approach and subtle humour both refreshing and endearing. I pretty much insta-subbed, and spent the majority of my flu-ravaged weekend working through your backlog. I really think you're doing a great job here in terms of quality, and I can't wait to see more. =D

[@SuperDerek]

Wow thanks *****, I hope you get to feeling better! I can't wait to put some more out! I've got a couple special ones in the queue, so I hope to see you around! :)

[@SeafoamSmiles]

Super Derek For sure! =D

[@emaldonado187]

I have to agree with Sea. After i saw this first review, I insta-subbed! I'm glad that you don't just hang on the negatives in this game but I just couldn't get into this game. I didn't like that it flew away from all the traditions that made the BoF series so great.

[@chriscall]

IMO this game is an absolute masterpiece. One of the most under rated games of all time.

[@philipjohnson4094]

You have a really great channel here. Keep up the good work!

[@RPGtourguide]

BoF 5 Dragon Quarter - I have just barely played this game at all. My brother has my copy of it currently. I need to get this from him and try playing it sometime. Not playing much of it makes it hard to comment on, but with the SOL system, I think comparing it to Majora's Mask's time system is a bit off. If I understand it right, you are forced to play the exact same steps each restart in Dragon Quarter. In Majora's Mask, you might "restart", but you are actually moving on to a different area of the world and different dungeon. And if you wanted to go back to previous areas, the game usually gives you some sort of shortcuts to avoid redoing everything you already did. Anyway, I do still plan on playing this myself to create my own opinion, but thanks for giving a more positive spin on the game than most reviews I've seen for it. While I'm interested in BoF6, I really wish we were getting another "regular" Breath of Fire game. I am not an MMO player, I don't have time to really keep up with that style of game for it to be worthwhile to me. But like I said, I'm interested in seeing what they come up with and I am glad that the series isn't completely abandoned. Maybe we'll get a BoF7 for PS4/XB1? Who knows. Great review series! Awesome look back on some awesome RPG's. ;)

[@allhailthelegs]

so which one is the best? which should I play? :(

[@Gamescook]

I like that you covered the series, but I felt your delivery could have been a little more relaxed, and less scripted and dry. Not typing this for fun, just hoping your videos can be that much better in the future.

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks man, my delivery is still definitely still a work in progress. I've been working on doing more of the reviews off-the-cuff, and I think it's getting at least a little bit better. :)

[@seankennedy2561]

The Dragon ability’s power and deadly limitation on the player shapes the whole game. Without it you’d be able to mindlessly plow through the game. I actually believe it’s quite genius, and although flawed, BoF 5 is not a fail, but a unique experience. I applaud Capcom for aiming high and shaking things up. Why they don’t have the confidence to make a true BoF 6 is beyond me. The market is still there.

[@Heroinedown]

I really enjoyed this episode with the comparisons, I thought about most of them at the same time too. Mainstream reviewers/journalists definitely were responsible for killing most great franchises with their silly comments on the stagnant nature of Jrpg. Most of those games are still awesome to this day but the same thing cannot be said about most occidental Rpgs.

[@graey24601]

If Breath of Fire as a series had kept each system intact as it perfected them the 5th game could've been a masterpiece. Dragon gene and master systems from 3 with the battle system and sprites from 4, harnessing the power of the ps2 and DVD storage space. Could've been a huge world with massive detail and depth.

[@KlonoaDream]

Wow... Pretty compelling argument you have here. The main problem for me was the SOL system. I'm not too keen with Majora's Mask 3 day system, so that's probably why. Oh quick correction though! There is a Nina in Breath of Fire 6. You actually showed ber in the video in fact! If you watch the trailer, you can see her white wings appear at one point. bof.wikia.com/wiki/Nina_(Breath_of_Fire_6) Aside from that, good review! Really got me thinking, and that is a good thing!

[@BraveFencerLinkMakenshi]

Growing up I played BoF 2 on GBA and it was pretty darn good. A few years later I got BoF 5 on Ps2 and I was like "what......what is this? What happend?" Then it sat on the shelf for many years collecting dust until about 4 years ago when I tried playing it again and......Nope. Still did not like it. Not at all. Now fast forward to present day, and after watching your video and reading threw the comment section, Im begining to wonder, did I acctually miss out on a good game? Now I'm half tempted to give it yet another try.

[@ArcticSlicer]

It's my favorite game in the series.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

@@ArcticSlicer . Good for you, want a cookie?

[@sonarmass]

Why is the Breath of Fire III PSP version in line with the originals dear friend?

[@SuperDerek]

Because that's the only version I have, sadly. Not that it's a terrible version, but it's got some issues.

[@CorvinoDan]

11 minutes in with your recap for the games is spot on.

[@DBTGAMER]

This video is hilarious all the different comparisons you keep making it's almost as if you like the game.🐉😆🎮

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

if this didnt exist we wouldnt have gurren lagann

[@6kine6tic67]

I gotta say this is my favorite review from you yet. Such drama lol its funny.

[@DefiantNature14]

Nice review lol. I think the reason why most breath of fire fans wer not so welcoming abt this this game is coz its way different from the previous installments( that includes me). I was so excited to play this game that when i played it during 2003... its just seems off. Im not so into the way it looks but sure is interesting. Lots of people i know didnt like the idea its a breath of fire game lol. I guess most of us r expecting something different compare to the way they did it. But im open to playing this again ONLY if i got the time to do it. Im trying to beat BOF 3 now though coz from the start i rly am interested on the story and how it differs to BOF4. PS: U did rly good on editing this video but to give u a constructive criticism... u need to work on ur delivery. :D

[@Allplussomeminus]

The SOL System reminds me very much like climbing out of a hole: repeatedly falling then climbing back up.

[@TheShepherd82]

even if it is not as good as the rest of the series, the storie of this game is really good. played it through just because of that story about nina and ryu. first good video about the game is yours :)

[@fujiwuji891]

Loved the Breath of Fire series but i felt this was the one that killed the franchise.

[@TheShepherd82]

Fuji Wuji don`t think was really killed by anything, cause if you do a game that is not that good you can release a better one with next release.and you must confess, the story of dragon quarter is epic, beautiful and absolutely breah of fire like :)

[@OmegaChase1002]

When you rewind time in Majora's Mask, you aren't forced to replay the same dungeons all over again. that's how it's different.

[@kamron_thurmond]

Dragon quarter is a strong RPG. And has one of the better ending sequences I've seen. SPOILER... When you get to see all that greenery at the end when the entire game you've been underground and I its just amazing and the characters add to the emotional context of the reveal.

[@ArcticSlicer]

One of the best endings of any RPG ever.

[@johnathanmartin1504]

The thing is nobody got to the ending, at least none of the people I knew who played it when it came out (including me). The story was depressing, the scenery before the ending was awful and claustrophobic, and you were punished for using your dragon form (in a game series about turning into a dragon). I still HATE this game so much. I felt so ripped off when I played it as a teenager.

[@panterxbeats]

This game looks really unique, I'll have to give it a try. I like your reviews too - subscribed!

[@RoboBoddicker]

Dragon Quarter is the most underrated game of all time.

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

Final Fantasy Lightning Returns also put in a time limit system. Before the world ends and what not.

[@andrependleton7242]

You're 100% right about this game.It had such potential...yet,it was all wasted due to poor decisions.Where did they go wrong?A time limit for using dragon powers is just stupid!

[@michaelarbygames]

Just finished this yesterday. Really enjoyed it!

[@aaronbraegen8651]

I appreciated your take on this. I was startled to discover that many BoF fans don't enjoy this title as while it was startlingly different from it's forebears, I loved it nevertheless. Your approach was amusing and balanced. Much appreciated.

[@RetroPowerUp]

It sounds so much like Lightning Returns. Which was a game I enjoyed, but the "time limit" stressed me out so much. That's a reason for why I couldn't ever get into Majora's Mask either. Solid review! I just snagged this game fairly recently from a friend for pretty cheap.

[@shodai69]

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter may not have had the best idea with the SOL system and while their were ways to exploit it to your advantage it was a bit underhanded and took a high learning curve to fully understand it. That aside it was a great game with an awesome story and a great setting. I love the breath of fire series, especially the third one, but I can put that aside and still enjoy Dragon Quarter with reservation. Everybody needs to chill out and quit hating on everything. Derek, you did make a good point here in your review.

[@deadlywork]

After having beaten this game just now I can honestly say it is one of the best-designed JRPG's I've ever played. i understand why people didn't react well to it but...at the end of the day, BoF was always just a b-list franchise to me. solid, but not exceptional. if it wasn't for the high-quality spritework of BoFIV I probably wouldn't be playing that game right now at all. Dragon Quarter on the other hand is a unique title, with an excellent atmosphere, excellent strategic gameplay, the best soundtrack in the entire series, etc etc. I could go on. Basically everything about it is done for a reason, nothing about it feels bloated or unnecessary, while there are obviously flaws none of that changes the game's amazing design. while it's mostly the gameplay and atmosphere that are innovative, the plot is also kind of unique. not only because of the SOL system, but because it is not an "epic story". Most JRPG's are about saving the world and boy has it become overdone. DQ is not like that. It has three party members, and none of them are interested in "saving the world". The goal of the game is to save a little girl's life and reach the surface to escape from the horrible society the characters live in. It is an intimate, small, personal story, the game had a mission statement and stuck to it all the way to the end. While the plot is not excellent, it is decently told and serves the game, as opposed to the game serving the plot and suffering for it, as is common in many games back then and today. Also, to my understanding, Breath of Fire had been selling less and less with every installment, almost to the point of each installment selling half of the previous. I'm not sure what Capcom's ultimate intentions or expectations were, but basically the say you could see DQ is "we're going to do something completely different; it'll either stick and we can make more games, or it'll fail and we'll go out with a bang". So to say that DQ killed the franchise is not really accurate in the way most people imply, it most likely would have petered off with or without DQ.

[@iceking1887]

DW inc. have to have played the first 4 in order to hate this one the 1st 4 were Amazing!!!

[@manydelmal]

back to 11 years ago I completed bof1 and 4, and my sister bof3. we thought that dragon quarter was so ugly that didn't made a effort to get it. just a couple of days ago we discovered the composer sakimoto, after watching this great review I must play this

[@Johnny_Nitro]

Good but not BOF I have beaten this game several times and it is a great survival distopia experience, but it isn't Breath of Fire. The reason it failed was that it broke from established formula. Innovation is good, but when a series has a beloved fantasy turn based style attached to the brand, don't give me a tactical survival game. This game should have been called something else and I think history would have been much different. As it stands today the game is still considered a fail. Not because it is a bad game but because it was and is not the BoF5 we all hoped and waited for.

[@arutv]

I miss turn-based battles so much. Now RPGs are just about smashing buttons...

[@jacobyne]

arutv You said it. We used to plan things on a battle, you knew that 2500 damage was cutting it, depending of the level you were, things were basically in control, if you fucked it up, you knew why, either you planned it badly, your characters needed more exp or you hadn't the right equipment, nowadays you smash buttons around, just to see you did 5 attacks that made 2000 +1300+300+1500+500 damage and you don't know that the fuck is going on, if it was good or bad, it just gets too confusing and boring to look at, worse even is that you don't control other characters and have no idea what they are doing if you don't pan the camera to see them. Even turn based combat meant you knew how to act before and after, you could plan your strategy accordingly, dish out damage, buff up or defend, with mashing buttons you don't even know when the attacks are coming and there's no way to defend, making you heal at every fucking minute.

[@Komory]

+Cristiano Have you played Enchanted Arms? It's one of the best RPG in the last years and it really wants you to plan things, its one of those games that didn't have a def-stat, so you know exactly how much damage you do before attacking. If you haven't you should try it out. And if you want to play a RPG that gives all the modern games the middle finger, get used to love Disgaea.

[@ElBribri]

Hey I've been watching your vids, they are cool, you know what? you should try to review OZ: Sword of Etheria for the ps2

[@SuperDerek]

I'll look into this. Might be hard though since it's another game that was only released in PAL and Japan territories though. :)

[@ElBribri]

ya, sadly it is hard, i use my ps2 fat model with a HDD so i can play it just fine. Maybe with an emulator? idk, id be really cool to see a nice review of it, it is a very underlooked game, it has innovative battle mechanics that actually work, its one of those hidden gems that deserve more praise than what they got.

[@johnanth]

Along with Undertale and mainline Shin Megami Tensei and to some extent, STALKER, I think Breath of Fire V is kind of the Metal Gear Solid 2 of RPGs. It deconstructs and actively goes against the player's expectations, in particular by depowering them and rejecting the notion of the power fantasy. It is partially reflected in its game mechanics... and that's why RPG fans hate it.

[@proudtobeme1ashkente]

Let's say most RPG fans. I love RPGs and I quite enjoyed this game, even though I haven't played it through for some reason.

[@EdmundAlynJones]

Great game. Loved your objective point of view. You’ve won a new subscriber.

[@rld14344]

Remember this game literally let me up til dawn because of limited saving and have used up all save coins, not knowing I was almost at the end before I got to save. This is challenging, and yet fulfilling.

[@WorthlessWinner]

I hated this when it came out but grew to like it, mainly because of the lack of cell shading and changes from the series I loved. Can't believe it's been 12 years. I'm glad it tried to be original, I don't like when game series release the same game over and over again with only the slightest changes. Some of their experiments failed but at least they experimented.

[@sladey21]

Completely destroyed the bof series for me, I hated the restrictive use of dragon power and the repeat game nonsense.

[@andchaos1]

Well Breath of Fire 4 Breaks Tradition too with the transformations from Ryu, they look very similar to the one in BOF:Dragon Quarter

[@TheBlackAntagonist]

Finally! Someone who doesn't bash this game cause it was hard and stuff, you are really right, the game is good, but not a breath of fire game. It was my first and my favorite.

[@MrRickstopher]

I got this game when it came out and loved it. I was genuinely surprised that BOF fans overwhelmingly didn’t like it.

[@francisianmedina4543]

played it before... first fight in the game, got disappointed... turned it off instantly..everything about it destroyed what i love about the previous breath of fire games, specially 3..

[@ASELittleK]

First part of the video, good, second part? It felt like you were trying to mimic Gajin Goomba with the multiple 'characters' that had varying opinions. Instead of creating 'characters' just say the other opinions normally or give more distinction of your characters voice wise. Still interested, still subscribing. :)

[@phoshigs]

Loving your vids. On piece of constructive criticism i would have though is to go a little less in depth on the story of each game. Whenever i hear reviewers start doing a detailed plot synopsis i find myself zoning out. Just got done watching a bunch of your vids and as a fellow seattleite i just wanted to say rock on.

[@YogiDestruct]

You greatly exaggerate the new game plus system and make it sound dire. You can easily finish the game without using it, there is no point in which you are forced to restart.

[@claytonbenignus4688]

The challenge of Dragon Quarter fo me was to get that 1/4 rating in as few play through as soon as possible. Par is 12 play throughs. It is logistical, not tactical. The top rating is available if you review the point system for advancement and plan for it in your final play through where you beat the ultimate dragon in the fairy dungeon and finish the game at the highest possible level.

[@ArcticSlicer]

It took me 10 tries. I remember when I first got it too, my clear saved had a time of exactly 250:00 played. I remember seeing it with "Congratulations" in the background. Was a memorable moment. I wished I had a way to screen shot my CRT tv back then. 35mm film really didn't work...

[@GameDefiency]

Super Derek is super rad! Seriously though, these reviews are so effin good.

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks man, I really appreciate it. I've still got a ways to go from where I want to be, but I'm glad to hear I'm making some progress. :)

[@GuitarJester89]

I beat the main story in 1 run without starting over... However beating it more and lowering your rank or whatever it was grants access to new side areas making new playthroughs a little more fun. Lol.

[@MlautheFilthy]

I think it had a great sense of mystery and the timer gave the game a sense of urgency.I only had to restart once, but I'd probably abuse it on a new playthrough to max my D-ratio. Amazing game.

[@matsujonen]

My head Canon is that the dragon quarter Ryu is the progenitor dragon and Nina is the first of the winged people. While Lin is the first of the beast tribe. This is why unlike the other Breath of Fire games this Ryu is fighting his way to the surface instead of fighting his way down.

[@Jon-Mark_W]

Lol!!!!! Those comparisons that were popping up were hilarious man!!! Lol!!!!

[@VikingDrummerRob]

BoF 5 is a prime example of the consequences of not heeding the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

[@azureflame1566]

Oh wow the mc design and the idea of being underground is just like a popular anime called Gurren Lagann lol.

[@doomraven0]

I love the BoF series. Every last game. But Dragon Quarter is my favorite. Of all the forgotten JRPG series, Breath of Fire is second only to the Chrono games for needing a new installment. i generally hate roguelikes, but i still adore BoF V. One of the most underappreciated RPGs of all time.

[@wschippr1]

Wow, the flicker in dark Cloud was real :P

[@juancastillo621]

You're the freakin' man Derek!! Love this review. You fine sir, are ahead of your time 💯💯

[@michaelsabirlar5955]

I just headcanon that Dragon Quarter is somewhere near the city of Caer Xhan after Peco has restored a portion of the land around the mine entrance. Anyway, the game is short, I disliked the first playtroughs but after enough restarts the game picks itself up. I don't understand what Capcoms vision of this series is. I should not think about it.