![Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Capcom) video game collectible [Barcode 5055060922767] - Main Image 1](https://www.icollecteverything.com/images/videogame/main/96/962996_1.jpg)
Title:
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Genre:
Fantasy
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IGN Score:
8.2
Release Date:
2003-11-28
Date Added:
2018-07-03 12:22:11
Game Summary:
Konrad’s game
Missing manual
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, known in Japan as Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter (ブレス オブ ファイアV ドラゴンクォーター Buresu obu Faia Faibu Doragon Kwōtā), is a PlayStation 2 (PS2) game originally released on November 14, 2002. It is the fifth role-playing game (RPG) in the Breath of Fire series.
Gameplay
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is a role-playing video game that takes drastic deviations from previous games in the series, and is the first to be presented using fully three-dimensional graphics for both characters and environments. Players control their characters from a third-person perspective as they navigate through a number of different environments including dangerous areas such as dungeons and towns were they may interact with non-player characters. While previous Breath of Fire games took place in fantasy environments containing open areas, Dragon Quarter features a distinct science fiction motif that sets the game in a series of underground bunkers 1000m below the surface in an industrialized, post-apocalyptic environment. As players progress through the game, they must travel upward through a network of tunnels while battling enemies and collecting keys in order to advance. The game uses a map system that alerts players to the location of nearby doors, treasures, and enemies to aid them in navigation.
Gameplay screen of Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Rather than experiencing the entire game in a single play-through, Dragon Quarter is designed to encourage the player to play through the title multiple times in order to experience the whole story. Using the Scenario Overlay (SOL) System, certain plot points and areas of the game are only accessible if the player’s D-Ratio number is high enough. When players begin the game, their D-Ratio is represented as the fraction 1/8192, and can only be lowered by continually re-starting the game and using the SOL: Restore function, which allows them to begin a brand-new game while carrying over all accumulated items, equipment, and skills found up until that point. Progress is saved to the PlayStation 2’s memory card using limited Save Tokens found during gameplay. Players may also suspend their game as many times as they wish by creating a temporary save at certain areas in the game, which are deleted as soon as they are loaded.
When a player reaches a certain point in the game, they obtain the ability to use powerful dragon abilities and receive a D-Counter at the top of the screen represented as a percentage. When the D-Counter reaches 100 percent, the game ends and the player is sent back to their last permanent save. The meter raises continually as the player uses these abilities in or out of battle and can only be lowered by re-starting using SOL: Restore.
Battles in Dragon Quarter use the Positive Encounter and Tactics System (PETS), which is described by Capcom as a "combined real-time and turn-based combat”. A battle begins when a character comes in contact with an on-screen enemy creature, with the player gaining a pre-emptive strike advantage if they strike the enemy with their weapon beforehand. Players may also avoid combat by setting traps to slow down or stop enemies from approaching, or by leaving food to attract them to it. While in the battle screen, each character and enemy present take action by order of their "agility” statistic, with each participant allowed free movement around the battle area during their turn. Characters are given an allocation of Active Points (AP) at the start of each turn, with the number decreasing with each step and attack they make. Attacks are divided into three levels, with higher level attacks costing more AP to use but dealing more damage, and may be strung together into combination attacks. A character may learn new attacks by equipping new weapons and by finding Attack Skills scattered throughout the game. A battle is won either when all enemies are defeated or have fled the battle area, with victories earning the player experience points that allow characters to gain levels and become stronger, along bonus Party Experience awarded based on combat performance.
Reception
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter was the top-selling game in Japan during the week of its release in November 2002 at 80,059 copies.It would go on to sell a total of 140,073 copies by the end of that year,enough to qualify the title for a re-release in July 2003 under Sony’s "PlayStation the Best” label at a lower price. The game was given a 8.5 out of 10 average by Japanese Hyper PlayStation 2 magazine, and a 32 out of 40 score by Weekly Famitsu, earning it the magazine’s silver award.
Many North American reviewers would comment on the drastic changes made between Dragon Quarter and earlier games in the Breath of Fire series, with Game Informer claiming that "If anything, Dragon Quarter will likely tear the Breath of Fire fan base apart...it’s unlike anything you’ve experienced before” and IGN calling it "a tough pill to swallow for returning fans.” IGN would praise the title’s "enormous” combat strategy, steam punk atmosphere, and soundtrack, calling the game’s musical score "pure genius”, but found its playtime of roughly ten hours to be low, calling it the "perfect RPG rental."GameSpot conversely felt that, while Dragon Quarter’s combat system was enjoyable at first, it became less tactical as the game progressed, and that it "devolves into the sorts of slugfests typical of RPGs.” The website would commend the title’s graphics, however, calling the character designs "inspired” and that the characters themselves "express realistic emotions” which accentuate the game’s serious tone. Electronic Gaming Monthly would also call attention to the game’s new battle system, stating that "[we] don’t think [we]’ve ever had as much fun with RPG battles before,” but felt that the game’s pacing hindered its story. GamePro called the game "an RPG sequel that couldn’t be more different if it tried”, commending its new "astonishing” combat, but felt that the forced repetition of the Scenario Overlay system and likely having the play through the game several times to see all the content was its biggest downfall. TechTV similarly felt that the game’s restart mechanics will either "inspire you or drive you mad”, but found its "unique combat” and "attractive visuals” to all be positive factors.
European reviewers would similarly comment on the game’s deviation from role-playing game standards. Play magazine found most of the changes to be beneficial, stating that "[we] wanted something different too, but what [we] got instead is marvelous.” Others such as Edge, however, found its innovations to be mixed, but overall good, saying "Such bastard generic cross-pollination will be of keen interest to those who have pigeonholed the console RPG as yesterday’s bread, as Dragon Quarter variously succeeds in its misfit marriage.” The title would ultimately receive mostly positive reviews, with a 78% average score from the aggregate review websites Game Rankings and Metacritic. Dragon Quarter would later be nominated for "Best Original Music in a Game” during GameSpot’s Best and Worst of 2003 awards, and in 2004, IGN ranked the game 6th on its list of the "Top 12 Hidden Gems for the PlayStation 2”, which included games that sold less than 135,000 copies in North America, or less than half of one percent of the console’s user base, stating that "For one of the most popular role-playing franchises in the entire 32-bit era, the lackluster performance of Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is nothing short of surprising.”.
Missing manual
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter, known in Japan as Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter (ブレス オブ ファイアV ドラゴンクォーター Buresu obu Faia Faibu Doragon Kwōtā), is a PlayStation 2 (PS2) game originally released on November 14, 2002. It is the fifth role-playing game (RPG) in the Breath of Fire series.
Gameplay
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is a role-playing video game that takes drastic deviations from previous games in the series, and is the first to be presented using fully three-dimensional graphics for both characters and environments. Players control their characters from a third-person perspective as they navigate through a number of different environments including dangerous areas such as dungeons and towns were they may interact with non-player characters. While previous Breath of Fire games took place in fantasy environments containing open areas, Dragon Quarter features a distinct science fiction motif that sets the game in a series of underground bunkers 1000m below the surface in an industrialized, post-apocalyptic environment. As players progress through the game, they must travel upward through a network of tunnels while battling enemies and collecting keys in order to advance. The game uses a map system that alerts players to the location of nearby doors, treasures, and enemies to aid them in navigation.
Gameplay screen of Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Rather than experiencing the entire game in a single play-through, Dragon Quarter is designed to encourage the player to play through the title multiple times in order to experience the whole story. Using the Scenario Overlay (SOL) System, certain plot points and areas of the game are only accessible if the player’s D-Ratio number is high enough. When players begin the game, their D-Ratio is represented as the fraction 1/8192, and can only be lowered by continually re-starting the game and using the SOL: Restore function, which allows them to begin a brand-new game while carrying over all accumulated items, equipment, and skills found up until that point. Progress is saved to the PlayStation 2’s memory card using limited Save Tokens found during gameplay. Players may also suspend their game as many times as they wish by creating a temporary save at certain areas in the game, which are deleted as soon as they are loaded.
When a player reaches a certain point in the game, they obtain the ability to use powerful dragon abilities and receive a D-Counter at the top of the screen represented as a percentage. When the D-Counter reaches 100 percent, the game ends and the player is sent back to their last permanent save. The meter raises continually as the player uses these abilities in or out of battle and can only be lowered by re-starting using SOL: Restore.
Battles in Dragon Quarter use the Positive Encounter and Tactics System (PETS), which is described by Capcom as a "combined real-time and turn-based combat”. A battle begins when a character comes in contact with an on-screen enemy creature, with the player gaining a pre-emptive strike advantage if they strike the enemy with their weapon beforehand. Players may also avoid combat by setting traps to slow down or stop enemies from approaching, or by leaving food to attract them to it. While in the battle screen, each character and enemy present take action by order of their "agility” statistic, with each participant allowed free movement around the battle area during their turn. Characters are given an allocation of Active Points (AP) at the start of each turn, with the number decreasing with each step and attack they make. Attacks are divided into three levels, with higher level attacks costing more AP to use but dealing more damage, and may be strung together into combination attacks. A character may learn new attacks by equipping new weapons and by finding Attack Skills scattered throughout the game. A battle is won either when all enemies are defeated or have fled the battle area, with victories earning the player experience points that allow characters to gain levels and become stronger, along bonus Party Experience awarded based on combat performance.
Reception
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter was the top-selling game in Japan during the week of its release in November 2002 at 80,059 copies.It would go on to sell a total of 140,073 copies by the end of that year,enough to qualify the title for a re-release in July 2003 under Sony’s "PlayStation the Best” label at a lower price. The game was given a 8.5 out of 10 average by Japanese Hyper PlayStation 2 magazine, and a 32 out of 40 score by Weekly Famitsu, earning it the magazine’s silver award.
Many North American reviewers would comment on the drastic changes made between Dragon Quarter and earlier games in the Breath of Fire series, with Game Informer claiming that "If anything, Dragon Quarter will likely tear the Breath of Fire fan base apart...it’s unlike anything you’ve experienced before” and IGN calling it "a tough pill to swallow for returning fans.” IGN would praise the title’s "enormous” combat strategy, steam punk atmosphere, and soundtrack, calling the game’s musical score "pure genius”, but found its playtime of roughly ten hours to be low, calling it the "perfect RPG rental."GameSpot conversely felt that, while Dragon Quarter’s combat system was enjoyable at first, it became less tactical as the game progressed, and that it "devolves into the sorts of slugfests typical of RPGs.” The website would commend the title’s graphics, however, calling the character designs "inspired” and that the characters themselves "express realistic emotions” which accentuate the game’s serious tone. Electronic Gaming Monthly would also call attention to the game’s new battle system, stating that "[we] don’t think [we]’ve ever had as much fun with RPG battles before,” but felt that the game’s pacing hindered its story. GamePro called the game "an RPG sequel that couldn’t be more different if it tried”, commending its new "astonishing” combat, but felt that the forced repetition of the Scenario Overlay system and likely having the play through the game several times to see all the content was its biggest downfall. TechTV similarly felt that the game’s restart mechanics will either "inspire you or drive you mad”, but found its "unique combat” and "attractive visuals” to all be positive factors.
European reviewers would similarly comment on the game’s deviation from role-playing game standards. Play magazine found most of the changes to be beneficial, stating that "[we] wanted something different too, but what [we] got instead is marvelous.” Others such as Edge, however, found its innovations to be mixed, but overall good, saying "Such bastard generic cross-pollination will be of keen interest to those who have pigeonholed the console RPG as yesterday’s bread, as Dragon Quarter variously succeeds in its misfit marriage.” The title would ultimately receive mostly positive reviews, with a 78% average score from the aggregate review websites Game Rankings and Metacritic. Dragon Quarter would later be nominated for "Best Original Music in a Game” during GameSpot’s Best and Worst of 2003 awards, and in 2004, IGN ranked the game 6th on its list of the "Top 12 Hidden Gems for the PlayStation 2”, which included games that sold less than 135,000 copies in North America, or less than half of one percent of the console’s user base, stating that "For one of the most popular role-playing franchises in the entire 32-bit era, the lackluster performance of Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is nothing short of surprising.”.
Platform:
Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Publisher:
Capcom
Barcode:
5055060922767
Developers:
Capcom
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Input Devices:
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Date Added:
2018-07-03 12:22:11
