I finished Final Fantasy VII back in 1999, and it left a huge, JRPG-shaped hole in my life. I desperately needed another game to play that could hit that same vibe, scratch that same itch. But then I was only 12 years old, and guns were cool.
So I bought Rainbow Six and, while it was an awesome game, it didn’t come close to relieving my itch. It was only a couple of years later, when I discovered Breath of Fire VI, that I had relief for a few glorious weeks.
Remembering my fondest JRPG experience
Don’t get me wrong, Final Fantasy VII is still my all-time favorite game, but it still doesn’t feel like a JRPG to me. At least, not in the traditional sense. From the second you boot up Breath of Fire IV, there can be no doubt. You’ve officially entered JRPG territory.
The intro is actually one of the very best in all of gaming. I just watched it myself, and I’m hyped to play all over again. Luckily, in April of this year, we got an exquisite PC port—but I’m getting ahead of myself here.
I digress. The point is, back then, BoF 4 felt like my first true JRPG experience, and it’s been my fondest to date.
In a nutshell, you play as a newborn dragon who must eventually go out and defeat an entire empire. Only a slight challenge, then. That said, you are human; you just have the ability to transform into a dragon at will.
That idea alone is enough to pique my interest, but the game as a whole is just fantastic. Every aspect of the world perfectly matches the theme, and everything feels coherent and interconnected. This could just be nostalgia talking, but the world design truly is an example to the rest of the industry.
Every character is vibrant and beautifully written, too. There’s even one character that ends up being two characters, but in a single body. A unique concept that sounds a little out-there, but BoF 4 pulls it off effortlessly. One random memory still rattling around my head is this room where you have to solve a puzzle, and there’s this parrot that yells at you and gives you terrible hints. At least, the sound effect made me believe it was yelling. Memorable scenes like this, even with very minor characters, is what this game’s made of.
Then there’s Fou-Lu, an ancient dragon that you also sporadically play as, and boy, is he cool. He is a total badass, allowing us to take a break from the struggles Ryu faces and have a little power fantasy.
The story itself isn’t mindblowing. It’s fairly predictable and mostly sticks to common themes. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. There are plenty of twists and shocks along the way, and it’s well worth paying attention to.
A remake isn’t even necessary
Many PS1-era games aren’t exactly strong in the graphics department. Most of them wouldn’t be anywhere near award-worthy by modern standards. Breath of Fire 4 is different. It’s still a stunning game, with a distinct and appealing style.
Fully rendered 3D environments are overlaid with 2D character sprites, and the effect is actually stunning, and could compete in the stylistic department even in modern times. The animations are also stunningly done, and are some of the smoothest you’ll ever see.
The gameplay itself is also great. The turn-based combat doesn’t feel particularly slow, and the variety of mini-games and environments all lend themselves to a fantastically paced game overall. There’s also a lot of contrast in this pacing, allowing you to go from frantic stretches of battles to caring for a peaceful fairy village. From a tense, narrow escape from the empire to fishing in a gentle stream.
It’s all enough to make this game a fine experience even today. And if you want, it’s been available since April on the Good Old Games website for PC.
So why do I even want a remake?
Why a remake would be amazing
I may just be selfish here, but I really want to see the legendary Fou-Lu (the ancient dragon) in HD, with his clothes billowing in the wind and his katana glinting in the sun. I want to see him transform into a legendary dragon in real time.
I want to see general Rhun get his ass kicked in full 3D. I want to see the cities and the world as a whole, stylized to fit the original, but in greater detail. I want to hear Ryu and Nina’s voices—both running characters in the series, and we’ve never gotten to hear their voices at all.
But most of all, I want to see the story fleshed out a little bit more. I would not hesitate to spend way more time than necessary in this world chasing down subplots, meeting residents in need, and fighting the empire on various additional fronts. The story is strong enough to warrant expansion without making it feel watered down.
That said, you’re already in for a 36-60 hour playtime, so it’s no minnow. But I’d easily spend over a hundred hours in a world this interesting and not get bored. So I, for one, really want a remake, even if just to experience its beautiful, thematic, sometimes insane world all over again.
What do you think? Is the original good enough, or is it about time we got a full remake of Breath of Fire IV?
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