GOG and Capcom have released the PC version of Breath of Fire IV via GOG for $9.99, the companies announced.
Breath of Fire IV first launched for PlayStation on April 27, 2000, followed by PC on May 30, 2003.
Here is an overview of the game, via GOG:
Story
In a far-away world, two continents float, separated by a vast swamp-land. For eons, no contact existed between the two continents because ships couldn’t sail across the expanse. At last, when the historic first contact was made between the two powers, war erupted!
After long and costly fighting between the Fou Empire in the west and an alliance of countries in the east, both sides exhausted all their strength and resources. With no other alternative, the two powers agreed to an armistice.
One year later, Princess Elena vanished. She had been traveling in the east from town to town, exploring battlegrounds and visiting war veterans. Her trail vanished in a small town near the front line. Nobody knew her whereabouts!
The Eastern Alliance wanted to avoid sending a large army to the front. Such a move would be a political blunder, breaking the armistice and stirring up hostilities. It became impossible to carry out a large-scale search for Elena. Time passed… with no sign of the princess.
Elena’s sister, Princess Nina, finally makes up her mind. She leaves on a journey in search of her sister—by herself.
Characters
- Ryu – Ryu meets Nina while he is lying unconscious on a street in a desert town in the eastern continent. His race and native land are unknown. Ryu has a Dragon’s Eye, which empowers him with the amazing abilities to transform into a dragon and summon dragons.
- Nina – The princess of Wyndia, a town of the Fae tribe (winged folk). Nina meets Ryu on her journey to seek her lost sister Elena. Though somewhat naïve, Nina is skilled in Healing magic.
- Scias – A mercenary soldier, Scias was hired by the eastern side during the war. Scias becomes the party’s watcher. He is very quiet and aloof from the world. Scias can perform a powerful double attack with his sword.
- Cray – A young leader of the Woren tribe (cat people) in the eastern alliance, Cray joins Nina to search for Princess Elena, his childhood friend. He has a strong sense of responsibility and acts as the leader of the party. His high offensive and defensive abilities are very dependable.
- Ershin – Ershin wears completely sealed armor to protect her from any kind of curse. Since she wears the armor all the time, no one knows her real face or background. She meets the party in a mysterious place polluted by a curse and decides to join them.
- Ursula – Ursula is a middle-class leader of the Fou Empire. She came to the eastern continent in search of dragons, and meets up with Ryu and his companions. Ursula was brought up in the military, and knows very little about worldly concerns. She is excellent at attacking with both magic and weapons.
- Fou-Lu – Fou-lu unified the western continent single-handedly with his paranormal powers. He became the first emperor of the Fou Empire several hundred years ago. Despite his youthful look, he has mystic dignity. It is said that he predicted his own resurrection as he passed away.
Improvements
Here’s how we ensured that this masterpiece is better than ever and what you can expect with GOG’s version of the game:
- Full compatibility with Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Both two localizations of the game included (English and Japanese)
- Improved DirectX game renderer
- New rendering options (windowed mode, vertical synchronization control, gamma correction, integer scaling, anti-aliasing, and more)
- Improved audio engine (restored missing environmental sounds and audio configuration)
- Improved keyboard and mouse support
- Improved Warehouse and Crane minigames
- Improved F9 exit screen
- Issue-free battle and combo system (all crashes have been fixed)
- Issue-free cutscene scripting
- Issue-free task switching
- Full support for modern controllers (DualSense, DualShock4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Logitech F series, and many more) with optimal button binding, vibration, hotplugging, and wireless mode
Let’s go back in time to the PlayStation 1 era and reminisce about how Breath of Fire IV was presented to gamers back in 2000:
After centuries of war, the two lands bordering an impenetrable swampland have finally reached an armistice. Mysteriously, the noble Princess Elena disappears somewhere near the war-ravaged front lines. Distraught, her sister Nina goes in search of the Princess alone and on her journey, meets a mysterious young warrior named Ryu. Their destinies soon entwine. The next chapter in the epic tale of magic and mystery now unfolds. The fate of what lies ahead rests in your control.
Key Features
Watch a trailer below.