Overall score on pook's 100-point system (TM): 82 or just 8. A good, standard RPG.
Graphics (24/30, judged by system)- As a standard SNES port with very few differences, the graphics are definitely passable GBA. Beyond being passable, there is a lot of variety in the game, which helps make up for a certain lack of flair. There are a decent number of player characters and enemies, a nice and large overworld and many dungeons in many types of environments. Spell effects are present, but rarely impressive.
Sound: Fx/Voice (6/10)- Functional sound, not particularly needed at most times, but there nevertheless.
Sound: Music (10/10)- A fantastic soundtrack, one of the game's highlights. It stands toe-to-toe with many games of the era or since with a lot of tracks, often of decent length, that go a good way in helping establish the mood and keep the pace.
Gameplay: Length (15/15)- There's no time gauge but I'd estimate this was a 30 hour game. It's plenty long, and moves along at a brisk pace. Generally you know what you're supposed to be doing, but if you forget a hint, power down, and don't return for a week you can easily forget what you were supposed to do next, and be completely lost until you remember or consult an FAQ. As the game progresses a lot of backtracking is encouraged and in some cases required as you revisit areas to acquire previously unreachable items and upgrades. That a few of these item hunts are required to finish the game is disappointing, but pads the game. Not a lot of training is needed, which is appreciated.
Gameplay: Story (3/5)- A fairly typical story of good and evil, but one that does interact with the gameplay itself, as dungeons take place, for instance, in a person's consciousness at times,
Gameplay: Game Design (24/30)- Taking off from the Final Fantasy / Dragon Warrior template, Breath of Fire is a generally well-balanced RPG with some nice twists. There are a total of 8 player characters usable through the game, and 2 of them can be powered up to assume different forms, which is a very nice aspect of the game. The variety of spells and items is good, as are the enemies and their general difficulty. Random encounters are frequent and annoying, but no more so than in, say, early Phantasy Star games. And most battles are pretty fast. An item allows you to avoid random encounters, Dragon Warrior style. Stocking up on this stops most of the battle frustration. And even though I used this item quite a lot, I wasn't punished by needing to train much to finish the game. There are a few points where you are practically without context regarding what to do next, and there are a few blind item hunts that are very annoying (i.e., you are not told where in the world to find certain items, but only know you must find them to move on). One of the better things is that the pace of the game is well designed, and battles can be quite fun, particularly the longer boss battles.
Final Thoughts: Despite some creakiness in the graphical presentation, this game has aged decently and comes recommended. It isn't as clunky as some other classic RPGs like the aforementioned Phantasy Stars, or the first couple of Dragon Warriors.
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