So which one's the better game, GAF?
BoF4 or BoF3?
I've never played a BoF game before and I'm considering one of these two which I hear are the better ones. And from what I've seen the art style of 4 is gorgeous.
I say 3 is the smoother experience. It's more colorful, the characters are much more expressive (Ershin is the only character from 4 that really stood out while I remember Rei, Garr, Teepo, and Momo much more), maps are easier to navigate, 3's Dragon Gene system is infinitely more enjoyable to 4's dragon system because you can mix and match genes to create forms to your liking (although everyone goes to Myrmidon as soon as they can), enemies aren't as obnoxious as 4's, fishing system is MUCH better as you can see the shadow of the particular fish you want and it's easier to reel them in, I think the music is better, and I thought the story ended on a more satisfying note.
4's pretty good as well. It has a more engaging battle system as you use all 6 characters and the spell chains, music is stylized and intense, and the story is much more compelling and dramatic.
Both are really good games but I enjoy 3 more as a relaxed experience with easier gameplay in a more colorful world. The flaws that stick out to me are few but sadly big enough that it can actually turn me away from playing it for a time.
3 has training Beyd around the 40-45% point in the game and that just kills all momentum. It's obnoxious, time consuming, and it builds to a fight that is handled by the AI. The Desert of Death is also a pain but it's easy when you learn the trick to navigating it so it just becomes boring rather than difficult.
4, and this is really a personal issue, the last boss is super hard for me if I don't prepare for it extensively. I spend a large portion of my time throughout the entire game preparing for it and the easiest solution I've had is to fish...A LOT. Lots of full party healing and magic recovery items make it easier to keep piling on damage while recovering from all its damaging attacks.
Go 3 if you want a fun, colorful world full of character and charm. 3 still has some hard parts but they're nothing overbearing. Like grinding will never seem like an issue.
Go 4 if you want a dramatic story with a stylized setting and intense combat that utilizes multiple characters.