Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - IGN (2025)

The fifth installment of the semi-popular fantasy franchise from the minds of Capcom Japan, Dragon Quarter is the first PlayStation 2 installment of a series that has seen a number of incarnations and styles. From its simple 16-bit debut several years ago on the Super Nintendo system to the latest polygon mini-game beast that appeared on the PSOne, Breath of Fire has never been afraid to take chances and move in new directions. Dragon Quarter is obviously no different and offers a plethora of new gameplay mechanics and visual enhancements that the series has never seen before. And while it may not rank among the elite games of all time within its genre, it's no pushover either.

Gameplay
Normally when approaching RPGs we'd precede the gameplay section with a brief story synopsis, but it isn't really necessary here. Rather straightforward and vague by most of today's standards (the recent Bandai release .hack runs circles around this game in terms of plot complexity), Dragon Quarter still manages to pull off an intelligible story, but nothing that's going to keep you talking for a long time afterwards. All you really need to know is that the shape-shifting dragon-man Ryu and his eventual teammates bind up to stop the advancing forces of a deadly rival organization to his own. Plot twists ensue, alliances are formed and broken, and the usual RPG belongings are wrapped up all nice and tidy-like.

But wait! The strategizing doesn't end there! Since each monster and their position are predetermined before you face them (you'll see them onscreen, there are no random battles), you can actually prepare for a fight before switching into battle mode. Approach the creature and swing your weapon before it can bump into you, and you'll gain a bonus turn to have the opportunity to strike first. This also plays into the trap system that Capcom has devised which allows you to alter your odds even further. Controlled with the Square key while walking around, you can throw one of eight different traps at your enemies to confuse or destroy them. Dropping a piece of meat will force your foes to wander off and try to eat it and thereby give you an opportunity to attack first, while tossing dynamite into a large group will damage a bunch of the monsters before the battle commences. What makes all this really cool, however, is that not all types of traps work on all types of enemies. The combat strategy in this game is enormous.

Another feature that's sure to please fans of games like Chrono Trigger is the replay option you receive once BOF has been beaten. As you fulfill special goals throughout your adventure (open a certain amount of treasure chests, win the game in an allotted amount of time, save a few times as possible, etc), your D-Rank will continue to rise each time you start the story again (if you're unfamiliar with what D-Rank is, it's a marker that tells the game how advanced your character is, or rather, a societal calling card to the NPCs around you). As your D-Rank rises in value, the people around you change and new areas of the game are opened up and available that weren't previously there. Plot notes and additional sub quests can now be explored, and a game that appeared to be over expands into something much greater. How cool is that?

Sadly, there are quite a few negatives working against Breath of Fire as well. The most prominent of which is what we discussed at the beginning of our essay: the overall length of the game. Now if you're good, you can beat this sucker in under 10 hours your first time through (counting cut scenes), and perhaps even quicker with each subsequent trip since you can keep equipment, skills, and other such bonuses from earlier spelunking. It's a double-edged sword really: as it's great to be able to continue to rise in rank and discover new things every time you play, but not so cool that each time through is so terribly short.

Other notable quandaries is the lack of playable characters (you only get three permanent ones for the entire adventure), enemies that don't re-spawn after you've killed them (no level building here, partly the reason that the game ends so quickly), and only one dragon form to change into. A usually important aspect of each Breath of Fire title, the dragon transformation system is a big part of the series' signature. With only that one form and a gameplay setup that actually promotes the player not to use the beast (doing so too much can actually kill your character and eliminate your save permanently), it's going to be a tough pill to swallow for returning fans. In context of the story it's pretty cool really, (as the main hero Ryu is constantly struggling with the dragon inside his conscious), but as gaming device it doesn't quite work as it should.

Speaking of style, the Steam Punk ideal that's been attached to BOF is a perfect match for the storyline. Gritty and grainy filters overlay the camera for most of the cut scenes and the metallic underground tunnels and "painted" skies in town give a distinct look to a game whose setting could otherwise become visually repetitive (re: Grandia Xtreme). Almost every section of Dragon Quarter is entirely unique from the rest of the game, and when traveling between an underground network of portals, it can go a long way.

It's just too bad that the adjustable camera isn't as responsive as it should be. More of an option than a necessity, the usually smart-follow lens that accompanies your party can infrequently get caught behind walls or objects, requiring you to switch to manual. When that need arises, the analog stick can manipulate the camera in any direction to help you out, but its axis' are inverted and its reaction times somewhat slower than the speeds you input into it. The whole process is definitely not on the intuitive side and should have been more flexible, but fortunately the need to use it won't be as frequent as it is in other games.

Sound
Musically Dragon Quarter is pure genius. Assembled by Hitoshi Sakamoto and Yasunori Mitsuda (two of the biggest names in the business) it rarely gets better than this. For the unfamiliar, Sakamoto is the same artist responsible for such amazing works as Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story while Mitsuda is world famous for his efforts on games like Xenogears, Shadow Hearts, Chrono Trigger, and Tobal No. 1. The pedigree for these two runs deep, and it shines though in Breath of Fire as well.

Epic in every sense of the word, the score hits all manner of notes and medleys. Best described as classic-industrial, the piano and drum heavy tunes change their guise with nearly every explored area, and offer up a healthy selection of options for those of you interested in buying the soundtrack. The number of songs in comparison to the length of the game itself is actually pretty impressive.

Vocally, there's almost nothing to speak of at all. With a scant mention of dialogue during a few cut scenes in their original Japanese language (don't worry fair Gaijin; they're subtitled), and the sound effects are pretty average. Unfortunately, there isn't any type of high-tech surround sound programming going on, and your speaker set will have to settle for standard stereo.