Bought this to support the GOG Preservation Program. It is still playable in Windows 11 (onboard graphics laptop).
Breath of Fire 4 isn't my first JRPG but this is the first JRPG that I explored to 100% and enjoyed learning and playing al the way. The game is simple but there are side mechanics and gameplay that make it refreshing and enjoyable to play. Additionally the storyline is really good. Give it a try. It is amazing what people back then could put together with limited resources and technology. And I would like to thank GOG to bring this game alive and accessible for people of this time. Please keep up the preservation program.
To celebrate the next installment of Solasta, I would like to introduce to you my party of heroes: Green the Lowlife Halfling Mountaineer, Piotr the Spy Cleric of Arun, Gertrud the dwarven academic Darkweaver and Eila the greenmage mercenary. With them, I start the adventure from the base game all the way to end of Palace of Ice. Here is my my verdict. This is one of the simplest CRPG I have played. It is not a bad thing. The gameplay and story are very easy to understand. There is no complicated game mechanics because the UI is designed so cleverly that player can learn what each class and item can offer as the game progresses. Because buffing is limited due to "concentration" spell mechanics but consequently you are forced to think tactically. Sometimes it is not about higher number or dice roll. This edition of DnD rules is all about giving yourself advantage and your enemy disadvantage. The enemy is forgiving enough which allows you to get to know their weaknesses and prepare for next time when the encounter is harder. Sure it is better if you know the DnD prior to understand the spells, feats and other mechanics but this game makes it very exciting to learn and discover the synergy. The Palace of Ice itself is great addition to the base game by having new classes and environment mechanics. The environment is also more varied which is always a good thing to see. The story is not that great but it ties up the previous plot nicely. The game stopped being challenging when my party reached the level 14 in authentic mode. If you like the base game, you will like this one too. The whole playthrough is not long at all and you definitely can try different party the next time around.
So here each faction impacts a lot more in your playthrough and ending and you learn different agenda they have and in return, they will give you access to resources to make you stronger. Some faction quests overlaps with each other and you can't complete everything and make everyone happy. There is a lot of roleplaying here and replayability. Encounters and environment are much more varied especially when you have the other DLCs (except the Palace of Ice). It is very intriguing to follow each factions and learn about the valley. I played it with my nature themed party: The Tree Warlock, Path of Claw Barbarian, Swift Blade Ranger and Circle of Balance Druid. It is a blast! The only downside is that the interconnectedness among the faction quests are not very polished. Thus, there could be bug which may cause unintended consequences and some interaction don't make sense. Still I recommend this DLC. There is really no reason to skip this one if you enjoy the gameplay from the main campaign and this is on sale.
The game mechanics are very simple and explained cleary. The calculation is displayed using mouse over tooltip so that you know what is happening. More importantly, it is very fun to create a team of 4 and imagine what each one can do or have done in their life as well as their personality. Granted the dialogue can be somehow janky but it gives enough charm to the character. The graphics performance is somehow improved since launch but it still performs badly in the few areas.
I played the modern XCOM EW and I love it. I can't say the same for this game. The game is indeed challenging and provides room for the player to improvise. It is also quick to load. However the game suffers from the steep learning curve, bad UI and map design. For example there is no information on what each role do and which stats it needs, On the battlefield there is no information on how to use each item and what it does on hover, making memorization of tutorials on the very first mission extremely tedious. More importantly the line of sights mechanics is really inconsistent and counter inuitive plus the high cost of each action. These are not big issues on normal difficulty but it is no fun to play on higher difficulties.
I gave one extra star because I got it for free. That being said, this isn't a good game. Sure you can customise your character but since every mission requires a Decker to enable more looting and exploration, you are forced to have certain set of skill and fix choices of companions. Variation doesn't mean a thing since the first mission and things are worse in higher difficulty because whatever your strategy is you are guaranteed to have a bad time hitting your enemy if you don't have a accuracy improving skill or a companion with that skill with you. The story and choices is alright but they don't matter because all the endings are badly presented. I just have to commend the programing of this game because I rarely got error and everything runs smoothly. There are better RPG and Turn based tactics game out there so buy this only if you have money to spare.
I was an errand girl of the Nord. First I met a few lords. Then went from villages to villages hunting bounty and collectings taxes. Sometimes I need to go to castles after castles delivering messages and asking for debts. I began small but during my travel I gathered as many volunteers and mates as possible to guard me throughout my errands. There were a lot of sea people here so we need numbers to survive. Overtime my crew and I got stronger and more famous as result of battle. As I was prepared for next errand, a lord from Swadia asked me to join his campaign but I refused. I wanted to be part of the Nord. So I asked a lord of a nearby Nord Castle if there was another errand. Instead I was invited to lead a band of mercenaries against Swadia. Yes was my answer. Dutifully I carried out the tasks. One by one. Eventually my service was recognized. One day the king Ragnar himself summoned me. He asked me to join him and the other lords for siege. My first task is to scout the towns ahead. However as I travelled back to the capital I was pursued by the larger, faster Swadian army. My party and I annihilated the first wave of 1:3 ratio. When Swadian reinforcement came, I knew I would lose. They captured me and my party and I lost a lot of my spoils. After a few days I managed to escape topless. Situation worsened when one of them decided to leave me along the way. I returned to king Ragnar to give him the scout info. With no equipment and crews, I head back to the market for recruits and some armor. Then I joined the other lords for siege and helped one of them during combat. We were outnumbered but together we overwhelmed the Swadia. We showed the no mercy. We took the prisoners and augmented them in our ranks. I got my old crew back. And I demmand a payback. I have played Sid Meier's Pirates! and after few hours I got bored because even though it is a sandbox it was just bland and mundane. That isn't the case with Mount & Blade as you can see.
