* AnticlimaxBoss: Chetyre. One wonders if the real FinalBoss was actually [[spoiler: Dragon-[[HalfHumanHybrid hybrid]] Bosch]] before it. Really, you can't actually lose against Chetyre, unless you don't realize [[spoiler: you're supposed to push your D-ratio to 100%.]]
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The soundtrack, composed by Creator/HitoshiSakimoto, is one of the few things about the game most people like. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xzf_Ey5th8 Electric Power Building]] has an amazing soundscape, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5C8JIYmlE Calling from a Distance]] is one of Sakimoto's more unique compositions, with amazing organ and lovely synthed vocals.
* ContestedSequel: The game was very controversial on release and remains polarizing; while some people have warmed up to it with time, there's still a split between people who dislike it for radically changing the franchise (including how they handled the dragon mechanic, which is now a dangerous SuperMode that discourages players from using it), and accuse it of being a FranchiseKiller, while others praise it for those same reasons. [[TakeaThirdOption Some think it's a great, interesting game on its own merits but shouldn't have been called Breath of Fire.]]
* CriticalDissonance: Critics generally enjoyed the game and gave it positive reviews. Fan reception, as noted above, was MUCH more mixed, albeit the game's reputation has improved over time.
* CultClassic: Despite the controversy the game has managed to win itself a small following of fans who consider it to be an amazing, tightly designed game that really doesn't deserve its backlash.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Zeno was beloved among the fanbase for her DarkActionGirl credentials, cool looking design, and completely awesome "Violet Death" skill linked to her sword.
* FauxSymbolism: Most of the symbolism is from the Kabbalah, including a mockup of the sephirot in its official art with appropriate placements. Elyon's own name also fits in this imagery set. There's also extensive Christian imagery with several of the regents' names, the name of the org Trinity as well as some other hidden references.
* GameBreaker: [[GameBreaker/BreathOfFire Has its own page.]]
* HoYay: Elyon with Cupid, whom he is implied to have a relationship with. This was the victim of {{Bowdlerization}}, as [[ShesAManInJapan Cupid's sex has been changed.]]
* JerkassWoobie: Yeah, Bosch's an entitled jerk, but anyone who's seen all his cutscenes knows this kid is ''severely'' messed up. A particularly disturbing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHZNUG3BjSg SOL sequence]] shows Bosch killing a Genic five times his size at his father Vexacion's demand - ''before his voice broke.''
* NightmareFuel: [[NightmareFuel/BreathOfFireDragonQuarter Has its own page.]]
* TearJerker: Throughout the game, Ryu is forced into confrontations with people he respected, people who were fighting to protect the system that governs the world, and ultimately, all of those deaths are ultimately meaningless. They are fighting to preserve a system that, in many cases, oppresses them and marginalizes them for no other reason than a number they are assigned at birth, a number assigned on criteria that end up being utterly meaningless, as Ryu, by forming a connection with a dragon despite his abysmally low D-Ratio, is proof that the very system that the world operates isn't just deeply flawed, but utterly and completely wrong. However, despite all of this, there is no talking these people down. The only way out is through them, and they will throw their lives away fully believing that by supporting this flawed, broken, and ultimately bogus system, they are saving the world. And worse, many will die in despair, fully believing that their failure may doom the world.
* ThatOneBoss: The game is designed around the tension of the D-Counter and how it moves up, and so a lot of the game's bosses and even some of the regular enemies are very challenging specifically to tempt you to use it. Below are a few examples:
** There's a boss gauntlet that happens after you get through the Ice Caverns; you are ambushed by Ryu's former boss Zeno, and then have to fight a grueling boss gauntlet. The first fight has you up against '''8''' soldiers (an extremely large amount that can very easily become overwhelming). The second has you fighting a MightyGlacier of a machine that spawns smaller machines that can cast spells on you, and then finally the third one is a battle with Zeno herself and two more soldiers. Zeno is no pushover and can easily drain half of a complete life bar and more with her combos or just outright kill you if she has enough AP. She also becomes much more powerful upon getting close to dying, making her even more overwhelming. Getting through this entire gauntlet without using the Wyrm powers at least once requires a LOT of healing items and careful play.
** The second fight with Bosch is the first to introduce a new mechanic that prevents you from simply damaging the boss as you please; Bosch will heal 1/4 of his HP at the end of every turn, meaning you need to outdamage his heals, something the player might not have an easy time doing without having the right abilities and equipment. It doesn't help that Bosch is quite vicious besides, being able to easily one-shot any of your party members should he go for the right combo. This makes coming into the fight with a multitude of healing items paramount as the fight can drag for a long time depending on how much you can damage Bosch per turn.
* VindicatedByHistory: Reception to the game has warmed up a bit over the years, with people praising its oppressive atmosphere, small-scale plot, innovative NewGamePlus mechanic, memorable soundtrack, and challenging strategic gameplay. Some fans argue that the game was actually too ahead of its time in terms of its creative mechanics, so it took a while for people to appreciate what it was going for.
** This game was basically a {{Roguelike}} before the term had attained mainstream recognition. Reviews at the time didn't seem to know how to describe it, but if it came out today it might be described as a kind of primitive precursor to the likes of ''VideoGame/RogueLegacy'' or ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}''
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