Breath of Fire 6
Breath of Fire 6: Hakuryū no Shugosha-tachi (Japanese: ブレスオブファイア6 白竜の守護者たち, Hepburn: Buresu obu Faia 6: Hakuryū no Shugosha-tachi, lit.: Breath of Fire 6: Guardians of the White Dragon) was a free-to-play online, web-based multiplayer role-playing video game with microtransactions developed and published by Capcom as the sixth main installment of its Breath of Fire series. The game was released in Japan on February 24, 2016 for Microsoft Windows computers and Android devices, with an iOS release following on July 12, 2016.[3][4] Online operations for the title officially ceased on September 27, 2017.[5]
Breath of Fire 6 | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Capcom |
Publisher(s) | Capcom |
Producer(s) | Kazunori Sugiura |
Composer(s) | Tamiya Terashima |
Series | Breath of Fire |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS |
Release | Microsoft Windows & AndroidiOS |
Genre(s) | Role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Gameplay
Breath of Fire 6 was an online action-based roleplaying game where players created a hero character whom they could customize in appearance, gender, and skills. Both characters and environments were presented using two-dimensional graphics, with the player traveling across several environments battling enemies and taking part in the story. They were accompanied by AI-controlled partners called "Fellows" who make up their party to help complete missions, while multiplayer missions allowed up to four players to team up together.[6] The hero's class could be customized depending on their weapon specialization, which could branch into other, more specialized classes with more powerful abilities as they progressed.[7]
Both the player's hero and their Fellows could utilize rechargeable skills and spells which enabled the player to create timed combo chains, such as combining two spells into a larger one. Eventually players could unlock the ability to build up a meter that allows the hero to temporarily transform into a dragon form called "D-Trance Mode" and cause bigger damage to enemies. Players could connect to a hub village that allowed them to shop for items and equipment, chat and team up to accomplish co-operative missions. Like previous entries in the series, players could customize their own village as the game progresses.[6]
Plot
Characters
Players assumed the role of a male or female hero who is the sibling of Ryu (voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi), the young mayor of the town of Dragnier who goes missing following an attack by the villainous Insidia Empire.[8] The player was assisted by a number of support characters including Nina (voiced by Kyōko Hikami), a descendant of a race of humans who could once transform into giant birds and who was searching the world for her lost sister. Other denizens of Dragnier and its surroundings included Gilliam (voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto), a blue-furred, wolf-like Wolba beastman who was striven to protect his forest home; Amelia (voiced by Mai Nakahara), an aloof but intelligent magic-user of the Algar sheep-horned tribe; Jubei (voiced by Hiroshi Naka), an older, weasel-like Kamaitachi beastman archer who acted as a distributor of advice; Masamune (voiced by Takehito Koyasu), a Kamaitachi swordsman and old friend of Jubei; and Peridot (voiced by Haruka Tomatsu), a traveling female musician who seemed to lack emotion but was otherwise kind.[9]
The central antagonists were members of the Insidia Empire, led by Emperor Steinberg, which intended to use the powers of the Dark Dragons to take over the world and create lasting peace through oppression.[10] Their chief knight was Klaus (voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa), the strongest swordsman in the Empire, who was joined by Elise (voiced by Hitomi Nabatame), a woman who wielded a similar dark power,[11] and Elena (voiced by Chiaki Takahashi), a mysterious woman with vast knowledge of the dragon clans.[12]
Story
The game takes place 1,000 years after an apocalyptic battle between the Light and Dark Dragon clans, humans with the ability to transform into powerful dragons with immense destructive power, that ended thanks to the actions of a mysterious young man. The resulting fallout caused planet-wide gradual desertification, and over the years the people of the world have created new communities, paving the way for a peaceful new era. However, behind the scenes, the powerful Insidia Empire covertly disrupted that peace, overtaking the world slowly and dominating smaller countries, one by one.
One of the lands that fell under the Empire's strength was the town of Dragnier, home to the hero and their brother, Ryu, which was razed by the Empire who destroyed all in their path. Peridot, a traveling bard who just happened to come by the ruins, found the hero in trouble and saves them. Together with the surviving citizens of their hometown, the hero and his companions needed to rebuild their lost land and strike back at the Empire while discovering the secrets of the dragon clans.[13]
Development
Breath of Fire 6 was first announced in August 2013 during Capcom's Network Game Conference in Japan, where it was given a tentative release date in the region for the following year.[4] It is the first installment in the series to not debut on a home console, and was created specifically for touch-based PCs, smart phones and tablets.[14] Capcom designed the game as an "easy touch type online RPG" with simple controls and "exhilarating combat", and it was the first main series title released since Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter in 2002.[14] The title supported online play as well as a cross-platform save feature that allowed players to resume their progress on separate devices.[15] On March 31, 2016 a statement was issued by the Breath of Fire 6 development team announcing the delay of the iOS version of the game to summer 2016.
The game's official theme song was "In Our Hands" by Haruka Tomatsu, which was released in Japan as the B-side to her single "Fantastic Soda!!" on July 30, 2014.[16] A soundtrack album for the game was released in two volumes: the first, the Breath of Fire 6 Original Soundtrack -Myakudou-, was made available on February 24, 2016;[17] and the second, Breath of Fire 6 Original Soundtrack -Ryuushou- followed on July 27, 2016.[18]
Reception
As of June 2017, the game holds a 1.7 out of 5 rating on Japan's Google Play Store.[19]
Service closure
On September 27, 2017 all Breath of Fire 6 services officially came to a close.[5]
References
- Dotson, Carter (February 22, 2016). "'Breath of Fire 6' MMORPG Launching This Week in Japan". Touch Arcade. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "ブレス オブ ファイア6 白竜の守護者たち まとめ [iPhone/iPod]" (in Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- Kubba, Sinan (August 2, 2013). "Capcom announces Breath of Fire 6 amid slew of online games". Joystiq. Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- Phillips, Tom (August 1, 2013). "Breath of Fire 6 announced for PC, tablet and smartphones". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- "ブレス オブ ファイア 6" (in Japanese). Capcom. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- Sato (March 20, 2015). "Breath of Fire 6 Shows Off Multiplayer Missions, Class Changing, And Costumes". Siliconera. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- Rad, Chloi (March 23, 2015). "Breath of Fire 6 Details Revealed: Classes, Multiplayer, and More". IGN. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- Sato (August 14, 2015). "Breath of Fire 6 Introduces Its Series Recurring Character Ryu". Siliconera. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "『ブレス オブ ファイア 6 白竜の守護者たち』アニメPV&先行テストなど最新ゲーム情報を公開!" (in Japanese). Famitsu. July 30, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "『ブレス オブ ファイア 6』でも"竜変身"は健在!" (in Japanese). Dengeki Online. March 20, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "『ブレス オブ ファイア6』子安武人さん、生天目仁美さんほか豪華声優陣が出演決定! 主人公ほかメインキャラのサンプルボイスも公開!" (in Japanese). Famitsu. February 12, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "【ブレスオブファイア6(BOF6)】キャラクター紹介「エレナ」" (in Japanese). Breath of Fire 6.com. September 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- Sato (March 20, 2015). "Breath of Fire 6 Tells A Tale Of Warring Dragon Clans". Siliconera. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- Sato, Kazuya (August 1, 2013). "カプコン、「ブレスオブファイア6」をスマホやPC向けに配信へ" (in Japanese). CNET Japan. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- Ishaan (August 1, 2013). "Breath of Fire 6 Announced For Phones, Tablets, And Browsers". Siliconera. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- "Discography |戸松 遥 Official Website" (in Japanese). Haruka Tomatsu Official Website. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "BREATH OF FIRE 6 Original Soundtrack -Myakudou-" (CPCA-10391). vgmdb. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- "BREATH OF FIRE 6 Original Soundtrack -Ryuushou-" (CPCA-10424). vgmdb. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.capcom.bof6.android&hl=en
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)