Several people asked about posting reviews. Feel free to post here!
Breath of Fire Awakening: Version 4.1b · By
I was messing around earlier and did a playthrough where I rejected everyone except Lin. In retrospect declining to save Mina was a bit dark, and also does not bode well for the future plot due to bird requirement. Eventually I did manage to get stuck as after getting back to Bow with Yua we go to Trouts mansion but the guard wont let us in...
Since you made it so that we are not required to recruit characters, im curious what do you have planned for the story after trout anyway?
After you get Yua, you should speak to Bosch at Viree. It should automatically teleport you and trigger the Trout's mansion part.
*Spoilers*
Failing to save Mina is a major plot point that will affect the game and lock you out of parts of the story but is a requirement to get the 4th ending where you recruit no one. It will just be you, Bosch, and Yua against the world. Basically you will take a boat from the rebel hideout to Evarai, but will not be able to fly at all in the game.
I think you should add a feature where you can save and recruit Ray after your fight at Evrai. After the fight between Ryu and Ray he was able to ask for forgiveness and redeem himself since he was from the black dragon clan. Since in the original BOF2 the black dragon clan doesn't get enough attention. Also it would be more fun if we can recruit Bo and Karn since they are still on their house on an island.You're great game developer btw, keep up the good work, sending support from Philippines
I appreciate your kind words and suggestions.
I think there are several other people that feel the same way you do about Ray; I have gotten several requests regarding him. Right now he is either hostile or friendly to you depending on if you saved the villagers in the well. I think a redemption arc for him wouldn't be a bad thing.
My only worry about Bo and Karn is creating their spell kit to add something to your party and not be a duplicate of Bosch or Sten.
I finished BOF2 several times before. During my playthrough , I always feel that Ray is such a wasted character because he always wanted to help others and there are several missions from Ray where he ask you to help some people. I think that in the original game the black dragon clan doesn't get enough explanation of their clan and relevance to the story. Adding an option to recruit Ray can help you to make the story more interesting and give more details on his clan. Recruiting him will also make the black dragon clan relevant to the story. That's why I really wanted Ray to join Ryu's group.
If the option to be able to recruit Ray on your party becomes available. I can suggest a story for his background, just in case you wanted to pursue on Ray joining your party. So here's what I come up for his background story.
Ray's village was attacked by demons and he is the only survivor. After that Habaruku/Father Haulk found him and decided to kill but a demon suggest that he can use Ray, since he belongs to a powerful dragon clan. (it would be perfect if the demon that erase memories that you fight on great wise tree's mind "Aruhamel" will the one to suggest that Ray can be easily manipulated because he is still a child they think that they can put him on a great use) . Then after the demon who erase memories suggested that he can erase his memories and put a curse to make Ray a loyal pawn to Habaruku.
After the fight between Ray and Ryu in Evrai. His curse has been broken because in order to lift Ray's curse a more powerful member can break curse of Ray, since Ryu is that guy it makes the story more interesting again. In main story line after Ray's has been defeated he will give you a powerful dragon spell. After a short dialogue he realize that he did so many bad things in his life, so he decided to join his group. In this story he will still give you the dragon spell and ask to join your group to avenge his clan and redeem himself.
Also, he will get his revenge on Habaruku if he was able to join the group before the fight in Gate. It will give a more engaging part of the story because you can have a dialogue on every dragon clan members. (Ryu, Yua and Ray)
Again, Bro! You're doing a great job for accepting other peoples suggestions. You're such a great game developer.
I greatly appreciate your kind words. Hearing that people are enjoying the game really makes it worth while. I agree with you that Ray is an untapped vein I need to look into, especially now that you can choose between light and dark dragon tree. I will use what you wrote for some inspiration on next patch for Ray. Thank you for all your feedback and suggestions!
Thank you so much bro! Seeing a game developer that accepts his fans suggestions. I am really happy that you consider my idea on Ray on your next patch. I'm looking forward to help you on giving more ideas in the future in your game. Again Bro, keep up the good work and hoping you the best. Goodluck!
If you ever have a page I am willing to help you endorsing your works :)
First Impressions
I was awestruck by how faithfully this game captured the sprites and art style of the original BoFII. I was introduced to the GBA version of the game, yet I still felt a strangely-nostalgic sensation upon seeing the accurate SNES color palette. The changes in dimensions (larger cities and house interiors) made the locations I saw feel bigger and more immersive. The overworld map appears to be structured differently than the original game, but that only excited me-- I could explore this world all over again. This made it feel more fresh and worth playing! My personal favorite was the incentive to find more dragon god statues; a very nice surprise. (My first perk was Lightning Welp.)
The additions to gameplay were a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a straight port, but the inclusion of Ryu's skill tree and possibly recruiting more characters gives this game a nigh-infinite replay value. I am trembling with excitement merely thinking about it! I can't wait to see more.
Some Suggestions
-The sidequest system is fun, but easily exploitable. I could do the "get revenge on cheating husband" quest two times without noticeable penalty.
-The hunting minigame terrifies and confounds me. The Duck Hunt aspect is a fun callout considering that Bosch is a dog, but I also do not know what I am doing. A tutorial or some clarity would be nice.
-Adding more customization to the Options screen would be appreciated, such as the ability to change the controls.
Current Thoughts
I am excited to play more of this game! It is clear that a lot of love was put into this project and I can't wait to watch it develop further.