About six hours into BoFIV. At the Golden Plains, which is reminding me of the Desert of Death from III, and if you know what that is, you know that it is NOT a good thing. I don't understand Capcom's obsession with mini-games. III had enough to be bothersome, but they are just everywhere in IV. Mostly I don't like them because I'm no good at them... I'm the kind of person that has to do it over and over, or otherwise take forever, to do it right. And even then, sometimes I get frustrated and have to enlist someone with a better sense of timing (like my brother) to do it for me. ^_^;

I think it's kind of interesting how the Fou Empire is basically what we think of as being Eastern, but it's the Western part of the world (whereas Nina and them are from the Eastern part, which, while not being typically Western, certainly lacks the Chinese influence evident in the Fou Empire). I just love playing as Fou-lu. n_n I like all the characters (well, all that I've met... I haven't gotten to Ursula yet), but in terms of interesting-ness and originality I would have to say Ershin... I wonder if they ever explain her? Like I said, it seems like she has a split personality of some sort, or something of that nature.