Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/107300/
Source: Youtube Channel zeboydgames
Developer: Zeboyd Games
Publisher: Zeboyd Games
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Release Date: Jul 13, 2011 (Steam)
Genre: RPG
Pros:
-Reminiscent of classic turn-based RPGs
-Fast-based combat (I wish Pokémon battles were this fast)
-Not too long of a game, even for an RPG
Cons:
-Although a parody, the game wasn't exactly a laughing riot
-Doesn't have much in dynamics, but at least the game's consistent
-Geared towards a very specific demographic
Breath of Death VII is a straight-up, turn-based, RPG that parodies many games, old-school RPGs and itself. It's definitely for those who are tolerant of classic RPGs and grew up with it as it doesn't really derive itself from being to different or innovative. The combat is fast to get in and out of so random encounters aren't as painful to get through as they are in classic RPGs. The branching level-up system changes the way the player wants to build their party and can really determine how successful they are in the harder difficulty levels. The game isn't very long, and it does have some entertainment value out of it; however, it got boring after a while and wasn't particularly memorable. It was a fun distraction while it lasted and those who grew up with classic RPGs will able to appreciate it more than those who didn't.
Aesthetics
Some of the design choices are those prior to Dragon Quest/Warrior such as having no background in battles and is seen from a first-person perspective. A lot of the sprites and moving screens are more influenced by 8-bit games than 16-bit ones. The characters aren't particularly interesting, but they each have their moments. The whole game felt like it was made in RPG Maker 2000, and so the maps and level designs aren't very complex. A lot of the tile sets are reused throughout the game and enemies will have color changes to show that they're a higher level version of the same type. Everything seems to be used effectively in the game for its purpose of showcasing an old-school game, and the main complaint would have to be that the level designs made it a bit confusing to navigate through in the last part of the game. It's because it's "not" complex that it was easy to get lost since a lot of places looked the same. The music were taken from newgrounds with permission by various composers and in some way has made a somewhat cohesive soundtrack for the game. The game's graphics and audio weren't bad, but they weren't incredible either even though it's a parody game. I guess I felt like more could've been done with it, yet leaving how it is now is fine too. Aesthtics: 6/10
Buttons
If you've played ANY RPG before, this game should be fairly easy. Go from one place to another, buy better gear, farm and grind if the next area is too hard, and optimize your party's abilities/equipment. Navigating through the game is pretty easy when you're not lost and the ability to run in the map makes trekking through it less painful when they're so big. Combat was very easy and figuring out the best course of action didn't take too long. Controls were extremely simple: movement, confirm, cancel. There really isn't much to talk about the controls as they are what they were in the retro RPGs and that simplicity is what set RPGs apart from cRPGs (computer RPGs that required drafting out maps and memorizing spells) and made it more mainstream. Buttons: 10/10
Concept & Content
The concept is very simple: its own take on classic RPG. There isn't much in terms of content aside from higher difficulty levels and a score attack which is pretty much playing the entire game over again. The one aspect I really liked about the game that more turn-based games should do is how quickly the player gets in and out of battle. I don't need a 5-10 second transition in and out of battle every time I have to fight an enemy as it wastes a lot of time. The branching level-up system was interesting, but it probably affects higher difficulty levels more than the lower level ones. There were a few videogame references from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Gauntlet, and Final Fantasy, but they were mere nods to those games rather than a full blown joke. There were a few moments where it did make me laugh and some of the character dialogues were commendable, but there weren't that many considering the game was only 4 hours worth of gameplay. The game didn't have too much to offer, but it stayed true to the classic RPG taste. Concept and Content: 6/10
Duration
The length of the game is debatable. I was actually happy with the 4 hours I got out of it because any longer than that would have felt dragged out. RPG fans might not like how short the game is considering it's an RPG. The overall progress was variable as some parts felt just right for the game flow while other parts very slow. The replay value is through its harder difficulty levels and score attack. Aside from that, there isn't much to the game. It was meant as a short parody. Duration: 6/10
Fun
I didn't have high expectations from the game and kind of knew what I was getting into. Despite the game being so short, it did take me a while before I completed it. It was hard playing through the game for long durations. It wasn't particularly captivating, but there were moments when I really enjoyed the game. After completing the game once, I really didn't have the motivation to play through it again. I liked the fast-paced combat and the silly quips the characters had, but exploration was boring and finding my way out was kind of a bother when a lot of branch points led to a dead end or back to the beginning of the map. It was fun while it lasted. Fun: 7/10
Overall
It wasn't that bad of a game, but I didn't get much out of the experience either. If anything, it was a great distraction from all the First-Person shooters I've been playing. The retro-style graphics were a nice touch, but the lack of battle backgrounds felt kind of empty. The game is so familiar that it doesn't really spark much intrigue past the interest in playing something retro. Those who grew up with old school RPGs or is looking for a simple game to play may enjoy Breath of Death VII, but I feel most other gamers will lost interest after the first town. Overall: 7/10
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