Review
Release Date: 04.18.2002
Platform:
Game Boy AdvanceDeveloper:
Capcom Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Capcom USA, Inc.Reviewed by
Christian Kontul on 4.28.2003
| Review Rating: 3/10 | User Rating: 8.3/10 |
Some games are known for their awe-inspiring graphics; others, for their revolutionary gameplay. Breath of Fire II is remembered for its translation … but not because it’s good. When Capcom released BoFII on the Super Nintendo in 1994, people were flabbergasted by what was easily the worst translation in years. Even for its time, Breath of Fire II reached grammatical depths that even the most faithful RPG fans refused to spelunk. It’s a shame, too, because Capcom’s sequel was one of the first games in North America to question the motives of organized religion. What could have been a classic role-playing experience became nothing more than a disappointment.
But wait, what’s this? Breath of Fire II is getting a second chance on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance? With a little effort, the game could be to the portable gaming scene what it should have been on the SNES ten years ago: a great RPG. If Capcom would just take the time to update the graphics and sound, tweak the balance, and fix the terrible dialogue, they’d have a bona fide hit on their hands. Or, they could quickly port the game with no changes and cash-in on misguided nostalgia!
Yeah, that sounds about right. … Goddamnit.
More than anything else, Breath of Fire II is an insult. Somewhere, someone at Capcom thinks that it’s okay to publish a game that is so obviously filled with errors. They think it’s okay to sell you a Game Boy Advance RPG at full price, even though very little work went into its creation; even though it didn’t meet quality standards ten years ago. Nearly every single line of dialogue has at least one blunder. That might seem impossible, but it’s the sad truth. A majority of sentences don’t have any ending punctuation at all; there just aren’t any periods. When they are present, they’re used incorrectly (Ex. – “!.”). If the player’s not too confused by the lack of coherent statements, the rampant misspellings and misleading directions will likely bewilder them. At one point, a character actually tells the protagonist to search the wrong town. It isn’t supposed to be that way, but it is.
And they didn’t even go back and fix it. Thanks, Capcom.
Obviously, these problems have adverse effects on the story, which is actually rather good if not poorly paced. Breath of Fire II takes place about 500 years after the original game. Everyone has forgotten about the Dragon Clans, and the battle against the evil goddess, Miria (formerly Tyr), is nothing more than a frightening children’s tale. The plot focuses on a young, blue-haired man named Ryu who, with his childhood friend, Bow, is a Ranger; in other words, he’s a mercenary that’ll do anything, whether it’s stealing an artifact or cooking dinner. The pair met about ten years earlier after Ryu was orphaned under mysterious circumstances; since, they’ve stuck together through thick and thin. So, when Bow is accused of stealing from the wealthiest person in Hometown and forced to live life on the lam, it’s up to Ryu to clear his amigo’s name. However, as he’s on the trail of the real thief, Ryu discovers that there’s some bad stuff going on in the world. His personal quest takes on some massive implications.
The most annoying part about Breath of Fire II (besides the translation; that’s a given) is its tendency to drag on. The game doesn’t actually get to the more interesting parts until the final five hours. It relies way too much on tedious fetch quests and big dungeons to increase playtime. If there were some revealing scenes along the way, the frequent random battles and ever-present backtracking would be more bearable. Also, characters with a little more personality would go a long way towards making this a great role-playing game. To give credit where credit’s due, the creators did try to provide some history for a few people but the incompetent accompanying text manages to affectively eliminate any understanding the player might acquire or emotional attachment an event might elicit. The same can be said for the story as a whole; the localization just makes everything seem much less entertaining than it is.
Bad grammar can’t be faulted for the problems with Breath of Fire II’s gameplay; that can be chalked up to inept planning and redundancy. A few of this game’s mechanics were very original when it landed, and they’re still pretty cool. One of the biggest features is the ability to build your own town, named Township. It’s possible to choose from one of three carpenters for different house architecture and then select a few citizens from a pretty big group. The builders and occupants also bring different things to the project; for instance, one might cook items for you that can improve some characters’ statistics; another might open an armory or an item shop; a third might show you his favorite fishing spot. Trying to figure out the best combination of people for your establishment is an enticing concept, but it’s not executed particularly well. There isn’t ever anything that explains what exactly is possible when it comes to the town and moving between places to pick up new inhabitants is a pain, thanks to monotonous overworld travel.
It’s not because there are too many battles. That’s only part of the problem. Capcom even included a little monster that indicates how many enemies there are nearby by dancing a jig with varying zeal. There’s just no quick way to trek across the various lands for the first half of the game. Having to return to check on the status of Township can be a pain when you’re halfway across the planet. It is discouraging to find that fights aren’t particularly original or engrossing; they’re rather similar to those in the original Breath of Fire. They take place from an isometric perspective. They’re turn-based, and Ryu can turn himself into a dragon. Thankfully, the developers made sure that it doesn’t give as unfair an advantage this time. BoFII even revisits the ability to fuse characters, but in a different and better manner. Throughout the game’s universe are Shamans, people that are in tune with specific elements. It’s possible for the player to experiment with different Shamans and playable characters by “joining” them. Up to two Shamans can be attached to one party member, and abilities and physical appearances can change dependent on whether the witch’s alliance matches that of the person they’re joining with. There are six Shamans, yet half of them don’t show up until the latter portion of Breath of Fire II; you won’t find the last one until you’re playing through the last dungeon! It’s no fun experimenting with assorted transformations when the ending is near.
Why? Well, frustration levels run high near the conclusion. Dungeons can be pretty large, and the player will often meet a group of monsters every other two steps. There’s an auto-battle function that prevents rapid mashing of the “A” button, but it doesn’t alleviate the anger that comes from constant interruption. A few of the levels are kind of creative (eliminate all the fat from a cursed Queen’s body), but they’re too few and far between. When you’re in the last dungeon, you’re going to want to be done with the game. It’s unlikely that anyone will want to play through again. Capcom, knowing this, has made battles worth three times as much experience and gold so that players don’t have to spend as much time raising levels. Turning down the encounter rate would’ve been more appreciated.
And while Breath of Fire II isn’t an ugly game, it would’ve been nice to see Capcom update the graphics a bit. Unfortunately, only some screen cropping was done to ensure that the game fit on the GBA’s screen. Backgrounds and character sprites look decent enough, with smooth animation in battles, but it won’t knock your socks off. The music, on the other hand, is great. Whether in towns, while exploring, or during a key cutscene, each respective theme manages to capture the mood very well. The soundtrack is by no means a “must-own,” but it’s decent nonetheless.
Breath of Fire II has a strong foundation, but the developers never really take advantage of its potential. If Capcom had spent just an ounce of energy fixing the game’s troubles, it would be hard not to recommend it. Instead, they’ll likely earn the ire of many people when those who have purchased it learn how slipshod this port is. If BoFII hit with a reduced pricing point, it would be easier to swallow. But Capcom is selling this as a “new” game that should, by definition, take advantage, to some degree, of the Game Boy Advance hardware. There’s an average game buried somewhere in here, but it’s not worth the time or money to find it.
