Breath of Fire III
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Breath of Fire III is the third RPG in the Breath of Fire series. It was originally released for the PlayStation in Japan in 1997 by Capcom, and was later brought to North America and Europe in 1998. It was ported to the PSP and was released in Japan in August 2005 and in Europe in February 2006.
Summary
The game follows the adventures of Ryu (the protagonist) who is the sole survivor of the Dragon Clan, as he struggles to discover why his clan was wiped out. The adventure takes him to many places, on journeys thought impossible, and in the end he will discover power in the ability to choose his own future.As the last survivor of the Dragon Clan, Ryu must continue his struggle against the evil goddess Myria, who has taken over the world and now controls it.
To fill in the timeline, this occurs after Breath of Fire II. In a large fresco in a secret Brood (Dragon Clan) stronghold, portrays the Breath of Fire I characters battle with a woman with snake like tentacles (Tyr/Myria). The battle with Deathevan is not mentioned, so it can be assumed that Deathevan never reappeared or is ever going to become a recurring villain.
Playable Characters
- Ryu is related to the Dragon Clan, or Brood, and has natural blue hair. The main protagonist of the game.
- Nina is the main supporting character as a princess of Wyndia with a mastery of the magical arts. In this game, as in Breath of Fire II, she specializes in attack magic. Unlike in the other games however, her clan has lost their wings due to the passage of time and now she wears ornaments that resemble wings attached to her back.
- Rei is a Woren (originally Furen in Japan), or tiger-person, that finds Ryu and takes care of him as a child. He's a talented thief who wields two large daggers. After he rejoins in Ryu's adulthood, he gains the ability to transform into a Weretiger, who is always berserk and thus prone to attacking his own party members. He can be controlled by the special skill, Influence.
- Teepo, a young thief and friend to Ryu and Rei that wields powerful magic; one of the less-addressed aspects of the game is his duality with Ryu. He was revealed near the end of the game as one of the surviving members of the Brood as well.
- Momo, a Grassrunner, specifically rabbit-person, scientist who carries a large bazooka armed with magical shells, and is a genius of machines. Honey, who is a machine soldier, is her companion
- Peco (originally Pecoros in Japan) is a walking, gibberish-talking onion plant. Revealed to be the remains of the tree Yggdrasil.
- Garr (originally Garland in Japan) is a Guardian (who looks the same as the demons of Breath of Fire II) whose purpose is initially unknown. He is the champion of the Tournament of Champions, has massive strength, a dedicated disposition, and wields a powerful spear. It is revealed that he is created by Myria. As Myria is destroyed, he says his goodbyes and turns to stone.
Other characters
- Deis (known as Bleu in the first two games in the Breath of Fire series) returns as a non-playable character.
- Myria (known as Tyr in Breath of Fire) is the Goddess of Destruction, and is the antagonist and final boss. In this game, she acts as an overprotective mother of all the world's creatures, "protecting" them from the "dangers" of technology. This misguided matron complex is what steers her actions and decisions. And to this end, she orders the destruction of the Brood, deeming them too dangerous to be allowed to live. At the end, it is revealed that Myria is Deis' sister.
- Geist is one of Myria's guardians, just like Garr. His main role is as a boss at about halfway of the game.
- Balio is one of the assassins that are hired by McNeil to assassinate Ryu, Rei, and Teepo after the trio steals McNeil's tax money. He is Sunder's brother.
- Sunder is one of the assassins that are hired by McNeil to assassinate Ryu, Rei, and Teepo after the trio steals McNeil's tax money. He is Balio's brother.
- Mikba is the boss of Balio and Sunder.
- McNeil is the greedy mayor of the town of McNeil.
- Bunyan (known as Babaderu in Japan) is a lumberjack that resides at Cedar Woods. He finds Ryu after nearly being assassinated by Balio and Sunder.
- Doctor Palet is the head of Plant. He worked with Momo's father, Repsol. He is revealed to be somewhat of a mad scientist later in the game.
- Ladon : is the American name of the Dragon God. In Japan he has no name.
- Yggdrasil is the tree of life. Peco is a Yggdrasil sapling.
PSP Version
Although the PSP version is only a re-release and not a remake where changes would be made to the graphics and gameplay in order to include new features introduced in more recent releases as some of the fans had hoped for, there will be a few changes in it; some of them are Fishing Mode, Game Sharing, and Gallery Mode.Fishing Mode: There is a Time Attack mode.
Game Sharing: Able to share items.
Gallery Mode: Artwork of the Characters, Dragons etc.
Story
The game begins with two men, Gary and Mogu, working in Duana Mine, setting up explosives in order to harvest a large chunk of Chrysm, a crystal-like magical material usually created from the body of a powerful or magical being. Chrysm is used as an energy source to operate machinery found in the mine. The resulting blast reveals a young dragon that was apparently sealed in the middle of the Chrysm, still very much alive. The men confront the dragon, but are soon burned alive by the little dragon. Here, the player takes control. The dragon, very confused, starts wandering the mine, killing all that get in its way with its fire breath, or Whelp Breath as the game dubs it. It is impossible for the player to actually lose any of these fights as the little dragon counter-attacks with Whelp Breath even if the player takes no offensive actions. Eventually, the little dragon encounters an ox-like man and gets into a fight with him, a crane and its operator to his side. Right before the little dragon attacks the man with his Whelp Breath, a voice that says, "No! Stop!" stops the little dragon from attacking, resulting in the crane bashing against his head, knocking him out.It can then be seen that the little dragon is put into a cage and transported by train to an undisclosed location.
While hunting in a forest known as Cedar Woods, a local thief named Rei loses his prey because of some loud noises. Upon investigating, he finds an unconscious nude child with blue hair being attacked by several wild animals. After taking care of the animals, Rei struggles with an internal debate as to what to do with the child. Despite the lack of food from the bad harvest of the year, he takes the child back to his hideout where he confers with his companion Teepo. Teepo is a child about the size of Ryu with long purple hair. At first Teepo thinks this boy, Ryu, is dinner. Rei informs him of the actual situation, and Teepo draws a parallel to how he was found by Rei. Teepo is already cast as a clear foil to Ryu's character. Ryu is placed upstairs where he sleeps in a bed while Rei and Teepo head to town in an attempt to steal food. While sleeping, Ryu encounters an angelic figure (later found to be Myria, the goddess Ryu seeks in the second half of the game) who speaks to him as though he were her child. He also encounters a man with long purple hair (later revealed to be an older Teepo) who tells him that Ryu is different from humans.
Ryu awakens from his dream to find the house empty, so he ventures into the local village in the hopes of finding anything. After reaching the small farming village, McNeil Village, he encounters Rei and Teepo, who are currently attempting to pillage different people's houses. Upon seeing him, Teepo calls Ryu by his name although they have never spoken. This foreshadows the deep relationship between Teepo and Ryu as they are both part of the nearly extinct dragon race known as the Brood. Seeing as Ryu is dressed in nothing more than a sheet, Rei quickly runs into the weapon store and steals some clothes and a sword for Ryu. After Ryu gets dressed, Rei and Teepo decide to head to Yrall Road in an attempt to mug people and procure food for the night. Once there, a humorous scene ensues where Teepo shoves Ryu into the next person coming down the road despite Ryu's silent protests. He runs into a woodsman, Bunyan who suspects that Rei and Teepo have something to do with this, but he continues on his way. Rei and Teepo then decide to go to Bunyan's house since he is clearly not home in the attempt to find food. After exploring the house, Bunyan returns and manages to tie up all three companions after knocking each one out. Despite his actions, it is clear from his words that he wants to help the boys, so he puts them to work. He first sends Rei up to Mt. Glauss to deal with a monster known as the nue, which has been terrorizing the villagers in its attempts to find food as well. He has Teepo and Ryu stay behind and chop wood, but as soon as they finish they hurry off to Mt. Glauss to help Rei.
After climbing the mountain, they find a small cottage at the top where Rei is resting. Teepo updates Rei on the situation with Bunyan. Rei is glad to see them, but he alludes to something he can no longer do because Teepo and Ryu are now with him (this is his ability to turn into a weretiger, which is revealed later in the story). Together the three fight the nue, which they badly injure, chasing it into the caverns of the mountain. After following the blood trail, they jump into the subterranean river and find the nue defending a cave. They finish it off, and discover what it was protecting. The dead bodies of its children are strewn across the ground; they had died from starvation a long time ago. The three solemnly reflect over what has happened. The nue's situation is a clear reflection of their own predicament. Both the nue and the boys were faced with the struggle of finding food to survive. In killing the nue, they symbolically cast off their roles as outcasts, and kill that aspect of themselves which steals and the part of them the villagers hate. Once at the base of the mountain, they encounter Bunyan. Rei accuses him of knowing that he knew the nue was only looking after its young. Bunyan responds with a question, asking that if they knew that, would they not have killed it anyway.
After this encounter, time passes and spring comes to the land, and the villagers once again have plentiful amounts of food. One morning Teepo askes Rei if they could go into town. While Rei doesn't want to appear boastful over slaying the nue, he agrees to Teepo's proposition with some skepticism. As the three make their way into town, they are confronted by the entire village. As Rei had thought, Teepo had told the people they were coming, but instead of being greeted with scorn they are welcomed into society. They are told that they will no longer have to steal for food. After the scene has ended, they are approached by a cagey looking man named Loki, who is covered in his green robe so they cannot see his face. He tells them to meet him in a barn down the road to discuss something with him. Clearly, the name Loki is borrowed from Norse mythology, as he was the God of mischief. Once in the barn, Loki discusses the mayor with the three. He accuses the mayor of being too greedy, having taken too much money from the villagers. He proposes to Rei, Teepo, and Ryu that they go to the mayor's mansion and steal back the money he took from the villagers. The boys agree to this plan, since they believe it will make them even more popular with the townspeople.
Later that night, they sneak into the mansion's grounds after knocking over a part of the wall which had not been fully repaired. While in the grounds, they encounter a series of lax guards who are mostly bought off with bribes in exchange for not revealing Rei, Teepo and Ryu. Through a series of clever actions to distract different guards and appease others, they manage to find an entrance to the mansion. In order to gain entry, Rei distracts the guards so they chase after him while Ryu and Teepo sneak in. While in the mansion, the boys encounter the ghosts of past McNeils as they battle their way to the roof. After all of the ghosts are defeated, they discuss their losses and decide that the current McNeil is not up to the task of defeating the boys. Meanwhile, Ryu and Teepo find Rei relaxing on the roof, and Teepo chides Rei for being lazy while he and Ryu were fighting their way through all different types of enemies. Rei apologizes, and the boys continue on. They find the rope Rei had brought and use it to form a path across the different rooftops. After another humorous scene, the boys descend to find the mayor, McNeil chasing a prostitute around his room. The boys announce their plans to McNeil, and the ghosts of the former McNeils come in. After forming a ghost (must larger than the sum of its parts) the boys fight it, and manage to destroy the spirits. The humor continues as the prostitute admonishes McNeil for being a coward and runs out. The boys take the money back and distribute it throughout the village by leaving the money on the villagers' doorsteps.
The following morning, Teepo suggests that they go into the village again to see how the people liked getting all their money back. However, the villagers are quite shocked at what has happened. Most are angry and have returned their money for fear of reprisal from the mayor. The boys don't understand this reaction so they confront Loki, who does his best to dodge them. He tells them to meet him in the same barn in a couple minutes, but he doesn't show. Instead, Bunyan comes in with a cow he plans to milk. He then indirectly begins to fill Rei in about what has happened by prefacing what he says as just him speaking to the cow. He tells the boys that McNeil was actually involved with a pretty serious gang that would take revenge on whoever took the money. Rei realizes that it is time for him, Teepo, and Ryu to leave or their lives could be in danger. They decide to head back to the house once more before setting off. However, when they arrive the house is engulfed in flames. Standing outside are two horsemen, Balio and Sunder. They have come to take vengeance on the punk kids who stole from their gang.
The battle that ensues is both very pivotal and highly controversial. The fight is pivotal because it shows the absolute breakdown of the trio. They have lost their home, and after the fight they have lost each other. Each is once again alone in the world. Their diverging paths however eventually do meet again, with each of the characters changed greatly. The fight itself is also highly controversial. The official strategy guide for the game says that it is possible to win this very difficult fight, but all attempts to do so have failed. It is believed that the caption that states this was mistakenly placed in the wrong area because there is a fight later in which it is possible to win against the two, but you don't have to win. The attempts to actually win the fight have been well documented, and the total damage administered to the horse Balio has reached into the millions before the console was turned off in frustration. Furthermore, if one looks at the actual coding of the game, Balio and Sunder are just sprites that your characters can attack; their HP levels cannot be changed through attacks.
When Ryu awakens, he is Bunyan's care. Bunyan tells him that Ryu was the only one he found, as Rei and Teepo are presumed dead. Ryu wastes no time preparing to go off in an attempt to find them. He remembers that Rei had always planned to go to Wyndia when they had made a big enough name for themselves. One of the main themes of friendship is demonstrated strongly in the camping scenes. Up until now, Ryu had friends to talk to, but now that he is alone, the silence is tangible. The idea of friendship is one of the most integral parts of the story.
The first step towards Wyndia requires that Ryu traverses the Myrneg mountain. Once he reaches the summit, he encounters Balio and Sunder once more. After a short scene where Sunder is convinced that Ryu is a ghost, Balio arrives on the scene and runs a sword through Ryu. As he lays there on the ground, Ryu once again transforms into the whelp dragon form. Balio and Sunder realize the value of finding a dragon, since they were thought to be a long extinct race. They decide to deliver the dragon to the king of Wyndia in the hopes of receiving a reward. After caging and covering the dragon, they go to the castle of Wyndia to deliver their treasure to the court. However, once the cover has been drawn back all that sits in the cage is a boy with blue hair. Despite their efforts, the boy does not retransform. The king is disgusted by what he sees as a vicious prank and throws all three of the criminals into the castle jail. The princess, Nina, takes note of what has happened and feels bad for the boy.
When he awakens, Ryu is in a cell, with Balio and Sunder a few cells down. The girl Nina comes to visit Ryu to see if he is alright. While there, Balio and Sunder convince her they are very sorry for what they had done. She lets them out, and immediately they knock her out. A ransomed princess will certainly yield a lot of money. Upon hearing of what is going on, Ryu manages to break free of his cell by ramming the door repeatedly. After chasing after the fleeing Balio and Sunder, he fights them once more (this fight is the fight that is possible to win). Whether the player wins or not, the result is the same. The princess manages to escape while you distract them, and they flee the castle. In order to get you out of the castle, Nina elects to sneak you through the underground catacombs of the castle. After making their way through the caves, the pair emerges in the burial ground of the Wyndian royal family. Ryu explains that he is looking for his friends Rei and Teepo and Nina wants to help, so they explore the town of Wyndia together. After talking to other kids and playing them in hide and seek, Ryu is no closer to finding his friends. He moves the search to Eygnock Road. There is one house on this road, and as Ryu enters he hears Nina scream outside. Talking to the elderly couple that lives there, they vaguely refer to a child who stopped there (the boy being Teepo). Once Ryu goes outside, Balio and Sunder are there to knock him out.
The pair is taken to the city of Genmel and the story continues.
External link
- [Dragon-tear.net] English Breath of Fire fansite with indepth character information, high-quality artwork, and forums.
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