holoz0r's A-Z of Steam: Breath of Death VII

Breath of Death VII isn't actually the seventh game in any epic, long series. It is more of a parody on long-running J-RPG franchises, with 8bit graphics, grinding, basic combat (yet, with lots of tactical depth) - and a challenging balance between remembering to save your game and getting smashed to pieces by progressively stronger enemies each turn you let them live.

At least you can save in any location, and this becomes very useful as you progress through the game. This title managed to captivate me for several hours; however, it did not captivate me through to the completion of the title.

Why?

There's one overarching reason - the plot doesn't hook you as deeply as what it should in a role playing game. The levels are like mazes, and while you can get all your fighting / grinding out of the way as soon as you enter an area by choosing "Fight" from the main menu, the navigation through these environments are hindered by impassable objects that force you to just not run in a straight line, without adding any real context as to why there's a random stone blocking your path in a dungeon.

There's a fair amount of hidden bits and pieces that exist off the beaten track, too; which is very nice for those who want to explore seemingly endless mazes and the endurance of the party's MP.

Killing foes efficiently and using as little MP as possible is the key to success in Breath of Death combat strategy; as there's nothing along the way that replenishes your MP as well as a save point (which are scarce, but again, you can save anywhere - but this doesn't restore your MP) - or an inn, found in the rudimentary towns you'll encounter along your way.

The game is well balanced, it is just... annoying; without solid characters or incentives to each and every area you're in - you just want to keep driving forward to get to the end of the road, then the loop begins again, new enemies, new challenges, and level-up challenge!

There are bits of character customisation, where you can choose an A, or B level up option, with some arguably superior to the others. At the end of the day, it is all numbers, mechanics, and grinding, which is what most RPGs are.

Breath of Death VII is slightly better than the typical RPG Maker inspired title, as it doesn't take itself too seriously.