Breath of Fire IV

Now let me tell you about my absolute favorite system in the game, that is a part of storytelling. For those who know, one name will suffice – Fou-lu.

For those of you who never played Breath of Fire IV, let me explain. And warn you about spoilers. Although I think after 25 years, it’s past the statute of limitations.

I remember my absolute confusion when first playing Final Fantasy VIII, and suddenly my party went to slee,p and I started playing totally different people, with random points of time, weird locations, weird weapons. I had no idea what was going on. Of course, many of you instantly know I am talking about Laguna flashbacks. It was an amazing storytelling tool that, by the end of the game, painted a whole picture with the rest of the story. Only at the end could you fully understand everything.

Breath of Fire IV goes a step further. The element of playing someone else is present here, but cranked to 11, because as it turns out – you’re suddenly playing Fou-lu, an emperor, and the main villain in the story. And it’s not just a flash to his greatest deeds, but you see him struggle, fail, and battle monsters. At some point you start to even like him. It’s a weird feeling when you’ve played and bonded with a character when later you find out you have to battle him.

But this whole segment serves one more purpose in the story, and it’s again connected to the player’s subconscious.

You see, when you play as Fou-lu, there is a noticeable difference in two main areas – first of all the power level of monsters and attack damage are way higher, showing Fou-lu’s prowess. Second of all, the battle music is totally different from your normal one when you play the main cast.

Now imagine the feeling, when after hours of hearing that music when YOU slay powerful enemies as Fou-lu, suddenly you hear that same music when engaging Fou-lu as a final boss. Suddenly, all those flashes of Fou-lu’s power flood your brain, and you know a hard battle is coming. Now this is what I call “boss music”.