Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Feb 18, 2003
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
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  1. Yahoo!
    70
    It's designed to be played through multiple times, and won't show anywhere near the whole of its plot or locations first time out.
  2. PSX Nation
    70
    Good-looking stuff even if what most gamers will recall from their time with Dragon Quarter is being blinded by the darkness and a PSOne-sponsored shade of the color brown.
  3. Edge Magazine
    70
    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 suceeds in its misfit marriage. [June 2003, p.98]
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  5. GameCritics
    70
    A slightly better than average game that coasts along on the fact that it tweaks the traditional RPG formula. The innovations in the title are a hit-and-miss affair that generally obfuscate the fact that the game is little more than a traditional dungeon crawler with a few new wrinkles.
  6. PSM Magazine
    70
    Its slow pace keeps it from really taking off. [Apr 2003, p.37]
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  7. Gaming Age
    67
    But to start an RPG from the beginning just to save your experience is overly tedious. And starting from a save points at a loss of your stats is equally lame.
  8. GamerWeb Sony
    55
    It's solid and has a ton of dungeon crawling. But don't expect the story to still be percolating in your mind six months after you finish.

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best PS2 Game of 2003
97
#97 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
35
#35 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003

User Reviews

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User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 51
  3. Negative: 12 out of 51
  1. PsychoG
    Dec 29, 2014
    8
    One of my personal favorite RPG's of all time, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter has an engaging story and extremely fun combat. It was a boldOne of my personal favorite RPG's of all time, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter has an engaging story and extremely fun combat. It was a bold decision to have the game step away from the formula of it's predecessors and take the series in a different direction and while many loyal fans of the series were disappointed by the changes, it'd be fair to say that had the game not been labelled a Breath of Fire game most of them wouldn't have had an issue.

    This is most definitely a game intended to be played over and over again. Partly because unless you are extremely skilled, you aren't going to be able to get through the story on your first attempt due to certain boss battles being extremely difficult on the first play through and starting from the beginning or from your last save with some extra party exp to spread around can make all the difference and secondly in order to unlock all of the cut scenes to learn the entire story behind the events of the game.

    The limiting of Ryu to a single dragon form when traditionally he had access to many different forms was a risky one but in my opinion it worked. Instead of having 50 or more forms of which you'd possibly use 5 or 6 throughout the entire game. DQ gives you a single extremely powerful, almost invulnerable form with the catch being that you can only use it so much until you die from it and have to start over from the beginning. It forces you to be strategic about using the form only for tough fights you wouldn't be able to beat otherwise rather than being cheap and using your dragon form for every fight.

    Overall Dragon Quarter is a unique experience that changes up an old formula and adds an engaging story and likable characters to a new combat system like nothing any game had offered before it.

    + Great combat system
    + Engaging story
    + Excellent replay value
    + A bold step in a new direction for the series, it's different but by no means bad

    - The holding back of certain story elements can leave the player confused as to why certain things happen until later runs through the game
    - Environments are very repetitive, especially through the middle part of the game    … Full Review »
  2. VendonJura
    Sep 27, 2018
    2
    I do love Breath of Fire games but Dragon Quarter had an totally annoying mechanic. There was a counter when it reached 100 you died and thereI do love Breath of Fire games but Dragon Quarter had an totally annoying mechanic. There was a counter when it reached 100 you died and there was no way going back. If you did not reach the end boss then you could never finish the game. If this death clock would not be in the game it would be one of the best Breath of Fire games ever. But this mechanic made me sell the game. Wish there would be an HD Remaster of this game but WITHOUT that death counter nonesense.… Full Review »
  3. theNILE
    Jun 13, 2013
    1
    One of the most disappointing RPGs I've ever played... You don't really feel anything for the characters, there is a reason to like or hateOne of the most disappointing RPGs I've ever played... You don't really feel anything for the characters, there is a reason to like or hate them but they are so lackluster in their detail and personality that you just don't want to get attached to a character from the start. The dialogue is almost as bad, nearly every conversation is irrelevant, terribly short or doesn't contribute to the story. The music is also very mediocre. Pivotal emotional moments fail terribly due to all I've stated so far. The pacing of the game is very irritating, some parts are drawn out way too far and having a turn-based battle system with tedious encounters you cannot avoid doesn't help, you just want to rush to the end of the game. Events occur and you just get thrown into action, the way the events occur are clearly not thought out well. There is little sense of direction in the game underground, it's just "we have to reach the surface".… Full Review »
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