The game's English release in North America and Europe met with a similarly good response, with "GamePro Magazine" awarding it a 5 out of 5 and an Editor's Choice award, claiming "If you believe "Final Fantasy IX" is the last word in RPGs this year, think again," citing the game's "well-illustrated" graphics and "beautiful score" as its high points. Eurogamer conversely stated that "It may not have the looks and sheen of Final Fantasy, and it certainly doesn't equal it in tale," calling attention to the game's "predictable" plot, but concludes that "Breath of Fire IV" "remains an extremely compelling and often rewarding RPG". GameSpot called the title "as solid of a game as any of its predecessors" but found it to be lacking in innovation, claiming that "though it doesn't improve upon the standard RPG formula, it's hard to fault in any specific way." IGN found the game's graphics to be "colorful and cute, but something like to see improved upon if and when a fifth game comes out", and faulted the game for its "irritating" camera system. The game placed 6th in ""s "Best Games of 2000" awards feature, with the editors claiming that "[We've always been fans of the "Breath of Fire" series, and part IV might be the best one yet."