Quite possibly the most underrated Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy IV was a great foray into storytelling for the fledgling series at the time. It does some pretty surprising story beats, especially late in the game, at least in terms of where the party goes - iykyk.
More importantly, though, Final Fantasy IV is simply engaging to play throughout. It never feels like it's dragging, it never feels like it's holding your hand too much, and it keeps you on your toes as well with how many instances of party swapping it does through the plot. You probably won't have a truly consistent party until you're getting ready for the final dungeon, at least beyond Cecil, and I appreciate that it does that.
I'd definitely recommend the PSP version - not only does the spritework look nicer imo, it also includes The After Years and the Interlude episode if you liked this game enough. However, the Pixel Remaster is a good way to go as well. Final Fantasy IV just has an ungodly amount of ports so it can be overwhelming to decide. Regardless, I highly recommend it.
Score: 91
More importantly, though, Final Fantasy IV is simply engaging to play throughout. It never feels like it's dragging, it never feels like it's holding your hand too much, and it keeps you on your toes as well with how many instances of party swapping it does through the plot. You probably won't have a truly consistent party until you're getting ready for the final dungeon, at least beyond Cecil, and I appreciate that it does that.
I'd definitely recommend the PSP version - not only does the spritework look nicer imo, it also includes The After Years and the Interlude episode if you liked this game enough. However, the Pixel Remaster is a good way to go as well. Final Fantasy IV just has an ungodly amount of ports so it can be overwhelming to decide. Regardless, I highly recommend it.
Score: 91