Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter Review! [PS2] The Game Collection
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- In the conclusion of this 5 part retrospective and review of the Breath of Fire series, SuperDerek takes on the most controversial installment, Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter.
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I don't know what I was expecting, but surely, it wasn't this. What did I get? Well... what DID I get?
Breath of Fire is a series that has a certain set of recurring themes, and styles. Its home to the best pixel based artwork that I've ever seen. Epic stories that are LITERALLY epic. Battle systems that are traditional and turn-based but with innovations that keep it feeling new. Characters that feel like people, with culture and histories of their own. And heroes that move and shape world and can change the direction the world turns.
And what if I told you that Dragon Quarter breaks tradition shared by each game in almost as many ways as there are traditions? That is what I got. That is what we got, in 2003.
Dragon Quarter takes place on a separate timeline according to Capcom Humanity seems to have dug itself into a hole, both literally and metaphorically. In order to escape the desolated world above, humanity fled the surface and now live a kilometer deep into the earth. Society is a technological dystopia governed by an oppressive caste system where people are no better than their potential, determined genetically at birth.
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#breathoffire5
#dragonquarter
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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.
Preach the word, brother.
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.
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. :)
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
BoF 5 feels like a roguelike.
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
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.
This is Sakimoto's best work imo
yeah this is Sakimoto's best work imo too
9:17
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 TH-cam partnership (the rpg fanatic) made a super negative review about it. No joke, this was your best yet.
Thanks Jared, that means a lot coming from you. :)
I always had a feeling you liked Dragon Quarter. Maybe we'll see it as a Trashed Classic somewhere down the pipeline?
You can bet on that!
If I remember correctly, sales for Dragon Quarter were right up there with BoF 4. I don't think, it ruined the series.
@@AvalancheReviews . You remember wrong, and not only it ruined it, it also killed it.
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.
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.
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 :)
+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. :)
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 :)
+ZaXo00 lol, no worries!
+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.
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.
hahahaha apparently I missed this episode for years!! And it is awesome!! Perhaps, one of my favorites. Very good review. Congrats, Derek.
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)
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.
+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. ;)
Thanks for going to bat for this severely underrated game!
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.
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.
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.
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.
The SOL System reminds me very much like climbing out of a hole: repeatedly falling then climbing back up.
This video is hilarious all the different comparisons you keep making it's almost as if you like the game.🐉😆🎮
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. ;)
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
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! :)
Super Derek For sure! =D
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.
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.
DW inc. have to have played the first 4 in order to hate this one the 1st 4 were Amazing!!!
Just finished this yesterday. Really enjoyed it!
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.
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
11 minutes in with your recap for the games is spot on.
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.
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.
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!
You could say BoF DQ is a breath of fresh air
More like a claustrophobic romp through a brown hellscape.
I've never understood the argument that a game would be better if it had a different name on the front.
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?
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.
Bliced Awesome Misaki avatar! :D
Oh, and I agree on your points as well. :)
Bliced your comparison is so on point that I wanna marry you.
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
***** and yet you know nothing about it jaded much grow up
+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
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.
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. :)
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/
BoFV is my favorite PS2 game, and I have like 80 games for the PS2.
Also if you know how to play game or take your time, you can easily clear the game without using SOL. although its worth it to play the game a few times through.
Yeah I've never really used the SoL system to exp grind. Last time I played it on a new save I was able to get 1/64 on my first clear. Completed Kokon Horay and everything. Now that was a fun run.
I remember it was VERY hard and I had to try very hard to finish the game beating this weird dragon thing : I didnt get it was meant to repeat, I took the hard road and finished with maybe 99% firt run. But misses probably the whole thing actually... I knew my stuff back then , I finished dozens of RPG on Nintendo/Plastation, so I guess i didn't realize it was a die and retry (I got it then, you have a beter ELO and you can open doors, i did maybe another run got a few additional cutscenes and items but never went further)
I was too busy selling all my prepper gear on Ebay when Y2K didn't pan out, so between that and work I didn't have a lot of time for gaming in the early 2000s. Because of that I missed BoF 4 and thought BoF:DQ was the fourth installment. I was beginning to feel the series was getting too predictable, but this game was so different I fell in love with it as soon as Bosch left the party. This game is on a list of items I wish to be buried with when I die. 🙃
Just found your great channel on TH-cam. Really enjoying your videos, keep up the good work. Subscribed.
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.
I love this game it’s one of my favorite ps2 rpgs it’s super unique and has a great setting
Well Breath of Fire 4 Breaks Tradition too with the transformations from Ryu, they look very similar to the one in BOF:Dragon Quarter
You're the freakin' man Derek!! Love this review. You fine sir, are ahead of your time 💯💯
Oh wow the mc design and the idea of being underground is just like a popular anime called Gurren Lagann lol.
Definitely loved the cell shaded graphics. And the battle system was cool and unique. The main problem with this game was that it was called Breath of Fire. I think as a stand alone game it's pretty good but as a Breath of Fire game...yeah, no thanks. So different from the rest of the series.
I really enjoyed this game dude. Such good acting. Fantastic.
Haha seeing you talk about the mobile game coming out and wanting to reserve judgement. from what I hear it was absolutely terrible.
couldnt get into this because of the time limit either. i tried, but it wasnt working.
IMO, Dragon Quarter failed because it had the title *"Breath of Fire"* in it. If it had a different title, without Ryu & Nina, it might've been a decent (but frustrating) game with a good story. But one thing I hate ... those dreaded Save Coins.....
My list from favorite BoF game to least favorite: Bof3 > BoF1 > BoF2 > BoF4 > ........................................................................... DQ
(BoF1 & 2 are close to even to me, for different reasons).
Breath of fire 5 was so far ahead of its time. I love the entire breath of fire series and 5 is one of my favorites. Top 3. Also i like to think that bof 5 was the actual prequel to all the other bofs.
I hated it so much I couldn't finish it once. It's so not what I wanted in a Breath of Fire game. You just get one dragon form which you are discouraged from even using once. I HATE time limits, and the entire game was based around a stupid time limit. The bait and trap system was annoying. There was no fishing. The fairy village was turned into an ant minigame. Above all though, it was SOOOO grindy. Playing it was painful and Breath of Fire deserved better than this.
Still the only breath of fire game I played and still one of my favorite RPGs ever
I miss turn-based battles so much. Now RPGs are just about smashing buttons...
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.
+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.
Monster and character design is terrible , the fact that you're stuck in a dungeon for 100% of the game, too dark, too grim, too g ritty. Fuck this game.
This game is a guilty pleasure of mine. I acknowledge all its faults but I still enjoy playing it, my 200+ hrs of game time might prove it. Seriously though, If they remove all BoF aspects from the game, make it original then simply call it Dragon Quarters and call it a spin-off of the series, all the negative comments "might" alleviate a little.
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.
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
never played the game but i love the music. same composer from FFT
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.
You almost made this game kinda for a second sound okay.
Plastic cases for Bof1 and 2? They look good! But i am happy with my normal boxes :)
Saw all your BoF reviews...you should be called The Mellow Videogame Nerd in contrast to that other Angry dude.
So Capcom has been doing these time limit/start over games long before Dead Rising.
BoF 5 is a prime example of the consequences of not heeding the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
This is the only BoF game I've ever played. I should really fix that.
You really should. dragon quarter is not a BoF game in the spirit of the series.
i love this game
Fantastic review, as always, and probably one of your best.
I'm still not sure what I think about this game, so I still haven't picked it up. Every time I come close to buying it, I hesitate because of the way that it forces you to restart. Not sure that I can deal with that. Since I don't have much time to play games anymore, it would just seem like a chore to have to repeat anything. I'm so sick of Radiant Historia (I'm at the last few hours of the game), which has this element. It's highly rated, but I've found it to be one of the most boring game experiences in years. I prefer RPGs these days that get right to the point, have average to minimal grinding requirements, and do very little to prevent you from finishing the game, can be finished in 30-50 hours or less, yet still offer a great challenge. There are simply very few that can fit the bill anymore.
But, who knows? I tend to enjoy RPGs that normally aren't popular, so perhaps I would like Dragon Quarter if I gave it a shot.
Eager to see what's on your playlist next. Maybe explore some new platform like mainline Phantasy Star games? I've picked the whole series on Genesis recently and have a Master System on the way to play the first game. You did your SEGA retrospective a year ago, so it would be a cool diversion.
Zach B The way you described your situation, I would advise that you really don't owe this game anything. Like someone else mentioned, it can be beaten on your first play through if you're careful, or maybe if you use a guide. If you're going to get this game, get it for the battle system which was the most enjoyable part, for me. It's like a tactical RPG that doesn't use a grid, which made me actually want to start trying some TRPGs.
I would love to get into some of the Sega RPGs. As it just so happens, I'll be coming into possession of a nice working designs title for the Sega CD... But my to-play queue is massive. It's daunting, but I'm looking forward to each one... Except for maybe one. :)
Super Derek
Looking forward to seeing some Sega CD after all this Nintendo/BOF (totally aware this last one was PS2)
Leftover Culture Review Well you'll be happy to hear that I've been slowly but surely beefing up my Sega collection! I'd really love to get my hands on Pier Solar too, but I don't know if I'll be able to for a while yet. :)
Breath of fire V
why would they even make STARTING THE GAME OVER a mechanic?
it really killed the game for me, it's like a half a new game+, a nightmare that killed any and all progression constantly and just made me sad on many levels.
it had a pretty promising story, but my frustration at having been killed for abusing my dragon meter without noticing for the SEVENTH TIME and having to start the game ALL OVER AGAIN-
yeah, it's like salt x 100.
The only BOF game I never played. I only heard it was rough around the edges..... and now I got a ehhhhh I dodged a bullet feel lol
Yeessss! I totally loved the way you brought up other games lol.
Dragon quarter V was fun. I loved it 😍.
I played through it several times.
I guess because it was the first dragon quarter I ever played.
the game is super awesome i beat it and basically you just use your power on boss battles to get a ridiculous amount of party xp
this game is one of my gulty pleasures, i mean im bof fan i started with 3 played and beaten every game, but im a firm beliver of that this game would havbe been better recieved if they called it something else entirely (well i think you conveyed that messege very good in this video) so yeah this game it's not bad but it's not a bof game and that is the biggest problem this game has (for me)
I never played any Breath of Fire or Resident Evil, but I knew they were great series. I played first the fifth entries in both series, which happened to be the worst ones.....
Yo no eh jugado ningún breath of fire solo el 5 y es una obra maestra de verdad quien no aprecie este juego es que no sabe apreciar los grandes puntos que tiene
I purchased it as a kid didn't really give it a chance. Maybe i need to dig it up
I played this one...I didn't like it, but I liked the cel-shaded graphics.
I love this game. It has some pretty glaring flaws gameplaywise, but I just absolutely love the atmosphere of it.
The game...is more of a cult classic rather than a decent game. It is straight out difficult and is designed to played like your typical RPG elements because this game is unforgiving. The replay value here is because its hard its "supposed" to be played on multiple new game playthroughs as some of your progress are carried over on your next new game attempt making you improve gradually. Also some cutscenes are are played out if you have new gamed multiple times. Playing this on one new game attempt is hard but manageable if you plan your moves carefully.
FF13 lighting return does that to
lightning returns says hi
This sums it up
Dragon Quarter is the most underrated game of all time.
The Mellow Videogame Nerd
As a BoF Fan just talk to yourself "This is not a BoF game". Then you may even enjoy it.
So much weird in this review.
For one, there's no time-limit in this game. The counter only rises if you use the dragon skill, so you're not really under a ticking clock like in Majora's mask.
Secondly, you're not really required to restart the game all the time either. There's another method which resets you to the previous save, and reseting can used to your advantage at any time should you so choose.
Yeah I'm honestly not a huge fan of this review anymore to be honest. It's meant to be a review in defense of Dragon Quarter, but it's paced poorly and a lot of people who love the game stop watching before the tone-shift. It was an experiment that didn't fully pay off. Not unlike the game itself. :-P
@@SuperDerek
Nah, I got that. I just started playing the game myself and was looking for opinions and I was just really confused.
I know the EU version didn't have the softsave feature so I was like "wait, am I playing a different version or something".
*Starting the game over & over again, well don't you do that anyway on RPG's when you're leveling up in battles? whats makes this any different.*
It actually affects what you get from the story and how you explore the game. It also adds the tension and desperation of being a character trying to climb up from the bottom.
I see many ppl like this game "after beat it years later but hated it the first time". U see, that's what made this game as fucking bad. U disliked it at first. N many gamers hated it n left it to dust without the chance to play it again to love it.
Also, many gamers r just casual gamers who just want to have fun, some might want some challenges but not like what dragon quarter was offering (time bomb attached to ur main character and limited save token for fuck sake). Those casual gamers ofc don't want to restart the game n wasting their time just for this game. Also, fans of the series love to turn the character into dragon hybrid shit but apparently u can't do that in this game if u wanna survive. Smhf
Almost bought this game today, now i'm kinda glad i didn't!
well after seeing 3-5 reviews of this game on youtube it's obvious all the guys who search for a game like previous one and nothing else trashtalk the game
gamer who start the series whith this one are :
1) (like me) happy to play an hardcore rpg where all your moves count and where its possible to succed with planning everything 1 turn before it happens and tears because rng goddess can be a bitch
2)not in the trip at all
don't planned anything and face death in the first dongeon because ryu is on the frontline and his douche partner who can tank like a boss is behind
that game is just an hardcore adventure where mistake cost and nice plannind paid well
peace
your voice is fucking awesome
thanks! :-D
My cousin and I, as well as several of our friends are avid Breath of Fire fans. Specifically III for my cousin (He even goes by Rei) , and IV for myself. Everyone I've personally met that has played Dragon Quarter was let down by the game. There was even a two or three year running joke in which one of us would intentionally leave the game at someone else's house. Upon discovering it, disgust and contempt would rear it's head and we would have to leave it at someone else's place. It was hilarious until you ended up with Dragon Quarter.
Additionally, I don't know if the premise of the channel is that you play console and handheld games exclusively, but if that is not the case, would you be willing to review a single player RPG from which I've derived my avatar icon? It's from the late Troika studios called Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines. You've probably heard of it or White Wolf, the table-top RPG developer that spawned the original source material.
Hey +Mr Rats! That's hilarious! I do tend to stick to mostly console and handhelds, but I've got a good buddy, +AvalancheReviews who does excellent work, and actually reviewed the game a couple years back! :) th-cam.com/video/BcIphVxl_CM/w-d-xo.html
Thanks, SuperDerek, I'll be sure to check that out, sir.
Am I the only person on the planet who realizes Dragon Quarter is a Rougelike and should be played as such?
But muh rpg
You are positively the calmest person reviewing games I know.
Even you get fired up you're still calm.
Heh, I know this is overused but all I can think now is "Keep Calm and Review RPGs"
SuperDerek RPGs
Good :D.
"Well, this is rather a bother, isn't it? I say."
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.
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
I always thought the SOL system stood for "S**t Outta Luck"
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
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.
I loved Dragon Quarter. However, I look at it as a different game entirely from the Breath of Fire series.
Thank you amen.
Well, I hate it the most out of the series, and its hardly a Bof game.
@@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.
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
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
@@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.
Good review dude. I like the production values of your videos as well.
Thanks! :-)
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 >.
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.
Super Derek Props for being openminded, unlike RPG Fanatic who basically crushed it for not following tradition. lol
I do not like this game, but I love this review! Awesome how you draw all these cool comparisons game by game
Is pretty much a roguelike (lite?) before they took off worldwide
I'm thinking it'll be on hidden gem lists sooner or later
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!
Dragon Quarter is what i considered to be the best of the entire series, it has hitoshi sakimoto running the music, challenging rewarding exploration and gameplay, a heart felt story, large stakes at risk, it really makes you feel imersed with the experience lol
i dont know why derek harps on this game so much
when i hear him complain about "restarting the game because i cant clear a roadblock" All i can think is "git gud" The game is beatable in the first playthough if you just utilize strategy, items and the D gauge at correct times....
i realise this is a 7 year old review, maybe derek has evolved or matured since this, but wow i hope his views have improved since then, but just saying somthing is a departure from its series as a flaw and strike against the game is invalid.
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.
It's my favorite game in the series.
@@ArcticSlicer . Good for you, want a cookie?
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..
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.
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.
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.
if this didnt exist we wouldnt have gurren lagann
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.