Soundtrack Special Box, containing music from every game in the series. Reception Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter was the top-selling game in Japan during the week of its release in November 2002 at 80,059 copies. It went on to sell 140,073 copies by the end of that year, qualifying it for a re-release in July 2003 under Sony's "PlayStation the Best" label at a lower price. The game was given an 8.5 out of 10 average by Japanese Hyper PlayStation 2 magazine, and a 32 out of 40 score by Weekly Famitsu, earning it the magazine's silver award. Many North American reviewers commented on the changes made between Dragon Quarter and earlier games in the Breath of Fire series, with Game Informer claiming that "If anything, Dragon Quarter will likely tear the Breath of Fire fan base apart...it's unlike anything you've experienced before" and IGN calling it "a tough pill to swallow for returning fans." IGN praised the title's "enormous" combat strategy, steam punk atmosphere, and soundtrack, calling the game's musical score "pure genius", but found its playtime of around ten hours to be low, calling it the "perfect RPG rental." GameSpot felt that, while Dragon Quarter combat system was enjoyable at first, it became less tactical as the game progressed, and that it "devolves into the sorts of slugfests typical of RPGs." The website commended the "inspired" character designs and their "realistic emotions" accentuating the game's serious tone. Electronic Gaming Monthly stated of the new battle system "[we] don't think [we]'ve ever had as much fun with RPG battles before," but felt the pacing hindered the story. GamePro said "an RPG sequel that couldn't be more different if it tried", commending its "astonishing" combat, but felt the forced repetition of the Scenario Overlay system and having to play through several times to see all the content was its biggest downfall. TechTV similarly felt the game's restart mechanics will either "inspire you or drive you mad", but found the "unique combat" and "attractive visuals" to be positive. European reviewers similarly commented on the deviation from role-playing game standards. Play magazine found most of the changes beneficial, stating "[we] wanted something different too, but what [we] got instead is marvelous." Edge found its innovations to be mixed, but overall good, saying "Such bastard generic cross-pollination will be of keen interest to those who have pigeonholed the console RPG as yesterday's bread,