The Shrine

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>I'm a bit behind but I finally started playing the Breath of Fire series with a used copy of BoF3. And I must say it rules - though does anyone know how and why they completely ripped off the forest music from Chrono Trigger?</div>

<div style='font: 12pt "Courier New"; text-align: left; '>Hehe... that's everybodys first comment about the game.</div>

<div style='font: italic bold 14pt ; text-align: center; '>BOF2 was the best.....then a very very close choice between 1 and 4 and 3 was ok.....blah blah blah blah blah blah blah</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I liked it at first too. It became the first RPG I've never finished. (I think the only other one is Saga Frontier 2). I've played BoF and BoF2, and it's definitely better, but it's the same over and over. I've viewed the BoF series as being ambitiously mediocre.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>3 sucks. Badly.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Well, the thing about the BoF series is that they run in Chronilogical order, it's better to play part 1 before playing part 3 because those two are directly linked. Overall, I really liked the game too, there's only 2 or 3 PSX RPG's I liked better.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>So does the first two.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Garamond; text-align: left; '>I actually started to like 3 more the second time I played it...it was a lot deeper than I thought. I even liked it more than 4.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>Breath of Fire 4 looked really pretty. Was there anyting besides that that set it apart from the rest of the series?</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>For their time, I thought they just average, with the second being better. The WORST aspect of 1 & 2 was that he walked so - s - l - o - w - to the point that it was frustrating.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>My experience with BoF2 was starting out in the church. The music was soooo fucking bad that we just turned the music off. After that, the game just got boring so I turned off the game.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Garamond; text-align: left; '>Not really...the story was stronger, more focused if not more interesting and I thought the dungeons were more varied and challenging...but it was really the same gameplay with some minor tweaks on the existing formula</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Breath of Fire III was great, until the last boss, she talked for about 40 minutes and then went on to possibly the most repetetive battle in RPG history, pretty much ruined the oh so climactic ending for me. Is there anything like that in part 4?</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>What did you think of the first one?</div>

<div style='font: bold 9pt ; text-align: left; '>at least that I played all the way through. I played Dragon Warrior(free copy with 2 years of Nintendo Power, baby !) but I didn't even know what I was doing. :)</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Dragon Warrior III was quite possibly the most revolutionary RPG in history, it defined what all Adventure RPG's would be from then on.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>That's just Capcom in general, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Baby steps...</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Garamond; text-align: left; '>Still a lot of talking, but good talking that closes up a lot of things, and the battle was much better and more satisfying. The villain in 4 is the best part of the game.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>But is he as good as Kefka? He was my ultimate fav villian in any RPG</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>They do? Don't they all have the same 2 main characters? I thought the sequels were more like a "What if...?" thing, rather than actual continuations</div>

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>I need to find and purchase a copy of BoF4 solely for the samurai-dog factor : )</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>No, I don't really see how they're related to each other other than there's always a guy name Ryu who can turn into dragons and a girl named Nina.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I've never known of any direct connections. There's always a Ryu who has something to do with dragons, there's a Nina, and sometimes there are other cameos.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Garamond; text-align: left; '>I consider Kefka one of the lamest, most one-dimensional villains of all time...so yes, I think he's better than Kefka</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Still the best Square could come up with, personally I thought the lamest were Kuja and Sephiroth, Square should quit with the androgenous Villains</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I like Sephiroth. He was a bad ass, and he had actual motivation, bit of a back story, and an interesting relaiton to Cloud. Kuja did nothing for me.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Yeah, but they could have done better. If they put as about as much development in a villian as one of their badass characters (like Auron from FFX). Of course, I don't even remember FF7 anymore.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>All he ever does is appear cool with the sword. He's no different than Cloud and in fact probably worse than Cloud. I don't deny he's a cool character but to say he's got a good character development... no way. Toward the end we find out he used to suck, like no one saw that coming. Yawn.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>I didn't want to end Sephiroth's life every time he came on screen. Hell, I forgot I was chasing him for a while. Kefka, on the other hand, what a prick! I wanted to fuck him up every time I saw him. That's what makes him good IMO</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>And you're better off for that. I wish I could say the same thing</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>It can always be done better - but I never thought Sephiroth was lacking as a character.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>What was it that you hate so much about FF7? I think you've gone over it before, but I forgot. You didn't like everything past Midgar?</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>That was rather the point. You were supposed to sympathize with him. I thought that made him a better villain. Kefka - while I adore FF6 - was too comical for me to take seriously.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>I thought Sephiroth seamed kind of queer, not quite as bad as Kuja though, they did this to make people hate him, they do that in a lot of Japanese anime.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>... You think they made Sephiroth look homosexual so people would hate him?</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Arial; text-align: left; '>I think so many people liked Kefka because he was one dimensional. He was pretty much the FF series' Joker: insane, remorseless, and flamboyant. The only problem is that they were probably too similar.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>There wasn't anything queer about Seph. And Japan has alot of flaming homosexuals, therefore I don't know if there's a fair analysis.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Maybe I phrased that wrong. Let's just say that Sephiroth just wasn't badass enough. He was just too silent for his role, at least from what I remember.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>I don't even remember, but I don't think I played that very long, either.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>If only Fabio wasn't on the cover.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Yeah, but Kekfa was too comical to be realistic. In a game which was mostly dramatic, it didn't fit all that well. Now, the dude from FF2 was badass, at least better than Kefka.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Sympathy? No chance, not in any way, not from me. He was the guy I wanted to crush.......until I didn't see him for like 15 hours and forgot I was even after him</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Let me start off by saying FF7 wasn't a bad game. I consider it to be a slightly above average RPG. What made me dislike it was that it was the next game in the FF series, particularly after the first 3 we got here we so amazing, particularly FF6. Maybe my expectations were so high that there was no way I would like it, but that didn't happen with other games that I was anticipating as much as FF7, like Mario 64, Zelda 64, Metal Gear Solid (I loved the first one since the late 80's), Symphony (I played every Castlevania near release since the first on the NES), and Chrono Cross (CT, FF6, and Panzer Saga were my 3 fav RPGs of all time up to that point; now CC is with that group). Now for specifics....

First off, up until you left Midgar, the game ruled ass. I really didn't find much wrong, aside from maybe average music (we'll discuss music later). Then you leave Midgar. The game, like every FF before it, just expands in scope big time. But in this one, it seemed to lose focus. The sidequests end up taking over the game and you almost forget what you were doing in the first place: chasing Sephy. Of course, it doesn't help that you don't see him for LONG stretches. Also, a lot of these sidequests that pop up are just dull. The one that sticks out in my mind (it's been 5 years now) is the skateboarding one. That had absolutely no use, it was just dumb in every way. It controls bad and just shouldn't be there. The mini tactical battle (can't remember the name) was kinda stupid too.

One of the other big issues was the characters. I just didn't care for any of them. Where in FF4 and FF6 they spend a good amount of time on each character developing them and doing some neat sidequests for each (a true ensemble cast), FF7 just did enough to make them different but that's it. They just became more faceless members of your party. Even Cid, who's just cool, is just there.

Then there's the music. Seriously, among the worst. There are a few good songs (like One-Winged Angel), but it PALES in comparison to FF4 or FF6. And considering the game was on 3 CDs, we shoulda had symphonic stuff, not midi. That wouldn't be an issue if the music ruled, but it didn't...at all.

It all boils down to the fact that the game just didn't live up to the standards set by the prequels. They ruled so damned much and all we get is a pretty, average sequel. I haven't played a FF since because after FF7, I just don't hold the series up to the prestige of Chrono Trigger/Cross (I'm getting Chrono Break right away) or Phantasy Star (yes, I liked PS3; don't care for online games, I'm just referring to the first 4). Of course, if Sega EVER makes a PDS sequel, I'm there right away.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt ; text-align: left; '>Golbez? Personally I think if the execution is right an insane/comical villian can be deadly, The Joker from Batman for example, watch the UnCut Version of Batman Beyond:Return of the Joker.</div>

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>It's amazing how I disagree with almost everything you said. You should give FF9 and FFX a shot. (I liked FF8, but it's spell system was annoying.)</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Ever See Ninja Scroll or that episode in the Tenchi OAV? =P</div>

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>Also I'm not talking about Homosexuals in general, just the androgenous kind =P</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Garamond; text-align: left; '>Just for the hell of it...I totally disagree with everything you've said...but you knew that already ;)</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>I argee with the music argument.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>And if I'm not mistaken, The Joker is the most popular Batman villian</div>