Capcom's Breath of Fire series was always a solid performer, but it played second fiddle to Square and Enix's JRPGs throughout the '90s. The fourth instalment – released on PS1 after Final Fantasies VII-IX had redefined the genre, and attention was turning to PS2 – was never going to buck the trend. Yet those who gave it a chance found a compelling adventure with new tricks of its own.
Breath of Fire 4 is still a traditional JRPG, and while not a direct continuation of previous games, it retains their recurring motifs. As ever, the main character is a boy named Ryu, who discovers he can turn into a dragon. And it should surprise no JRPG veteran to learn that Ryu is an amnesiac, whose destiny intertwines with that of a godlike being recently awakened from a long slumber. Naturally, before the two meet in a final showdown, Ryu assembles a gang of fight-happy friends and gets embroiled in the political shenanigans between two warring continents.
