Breath of Fire 4 is Now on GOG

GOG has been working for a while to preserve classic games. As someone who really values preservation, especially for games that are no longer in circulation, I find this to be very important. A classic RPG is part of GOG’s latest wave of preserving classic games, and I am very excited.

Capcom’s Breath of Fire 4 is now available on GOG for $9.99 USD or £8.99. This release is the first time that Breath of Fire 4 has been playable on PC in over 20 years. For reference, Breath of Fire 4 follows the adventures of Ryu as he attempts to stop an immortal emperor from destroying the world.

This year is Breath of Fire 4’s 25^th anniversary, as it originally launched for PlayStation in Japan and the US back in 2000. Fittingly, GOG is marking the occasion by bringing it to PC for the first time since 2003.

GOG’s Preservation Program aims to offer “the best [versions of classic games] you can buy on any PC platform,” and each features a range of enhancements intended to “guarantee convenience and compatibility with modern systems”. In terms of Breath of Fire 4, GOG promises Windows 10 and 11 compatibility, “improved graphics powered by an upgraded DirectX renderer”, as well as new visual options including anti-aliasing, V-sync, windowed mode, and “refined” gamma correction.

This new version has restored missing environmental sounds. There are also new configuration options as part of an upgrade to the game’s audio engine. For people who are interested, players can also choose between English and Japanese localization options.

The Preservation Program’s additions don’t stop there. GOG has also released Gremlin Interactive’s Realms of the Haunting, which is a mix between a first-person shooter and an FMV adventure game. Eight other games have been added as well, all upgraded versions of – Ultima Underworld 1+2, Ultima 9: Ascension, Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire, Ultima Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams, Worms: Armageddon, Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood, Stonekeep, and cult classic point-and-click FMV adventure Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon.

Since November, over 100 games have been added to the GOG Preservation Program. I hope we see this initiative continue, since the gaming industry (as new as it is in the grand scheme) needs to preserve its creations as we move to bigger and more elaborate hardware. Yes, we can have remasters and remakes, but there is nothing like preserving the creations as they were originally crafted…with a few compatibility and quality-of-life upgrades here and there.