Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is unequivocally one of the worst games I have ever played in my entire life. You'd think that's hyperbole and yet it isn't. I get that the game was designed for a bite-sized FF experience for mobile, but that kind of cope is reserved for before a title gets a release on other platforms. The PSP version inside the FFIV Complete Collection treats this game like a game on the same level as FFIV proper, and if that's how it is then this game gets the bullet. There is so little content in this game that I would call original because 99% of it is just FFIV but again. It even steps further and has the entire final dungeon completely waste my time, reusing boss fights from across all pixel-based FF games in an overly long, monotonous, and shitty final act.
Let's start with gameplay changes because boy are the ones here fucking awful. The two big things are Bands and Moon Phases. Bands are interesting in concept and maybe could've been cool but unfortunately, it is ruined by being locked behind specific character interactions. If two characters can work together, they can use a Band, which requires them to both have ATB and a good amount of MP to deal massive damage together. However, since it can only be used on specific characters between other specific characters, finding a Band between characters is a complete waste of time. The only part of the game where the system is remotely fleshed out is in the final tale where you are basically thrown Bands like they are potions. Though in the end you won't end up using most of them. Next is Moon Phases, the worst mechanic someone has ever come up with. Whether it's from performing a specific amount of actions or by resting in an inn/tent, the moon phase will change, which will change how specific core mechanics perform in battle. For instance, one moon phase will up the damage on black magic but worsen the damage of regular melee attacks. There are four different moon phases the game rotates through and each affects only two types of mechanics at a time between melee, black magic, white magic, and...throwables? I think? One will be upped, the other will be destroyed. It completely sucks to play around because it either requires hoping for the moon to randomly change or wasting precious items so you can have the correct moon phase for specific fights. And I say correct instead of best because a lot of fights are built around extremely specific fighting conditions to an obscene degree that many times over I wanted to rip my eyes out.
Oh yeah, remember all of the cool characters and story beats that FFIV went over? Ever wonder what it would be like if they were ripped away and spit on? No? WELL HAVE FUN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED! Not a single character was spared from this shitstaining system. It's not funny. At all. The combined ballbusting talents of the writing, storyline, and game design combine together to ruin characters that had been finalized and had their story told. I can't even begin to explain why it is so bad, just know that it is not worth giving a single shit about any of this game's characters. Even the new ones aren't really that interesting or great. If I had to pick maybe ONE character who I think had a glow-up it would be Palom. Seriously, that's it.
While I'm at it let's talk about the tale system. Awful. I get that the game was released in chunks for mobile but in retrospect, they shouldn't have been ok with it back then either. NOTHING about this system is good in any way. For seven of the first eight tales you are basically repeating the entire same chunk of story but from a differing perspective each time. This does nothing but lead to the most abhorrent and unenjoyable slog through what is essentially "recap: the video game" for over fourteen hours. The ninth tale is also basically completely pointless and explains exactly one tiny thing for the final tale. And the main issue with the final tale is well, now that you have all of the previous tales done, use your save data in this last tale to progress the story. Bad news though, if you are under-leveled, KILL YOURSELF! And oh yeah, there are like twenty fucking characters to make a party from and oh yeah, you probably need to get at the very least six to seven of these characters OVER THIRTY LEVELS HIGHER THEN WHERE THEY MIGHT START. My characters started the final tale at around 20-25 for most of them. From what I could gather, the required level to start the final dungeon is around FOURTY. AND TO FINISH THE FUCKING TALE YOU NEED TO BE OVER SEVENTY!?! Like I said, KILL YOURSELF.
The antagonist sucks. Like I literally have nothing else to say, they are just fucking terrible. They have zero presence and all of the endgame reveals feel completely vapid and soulless like they just needed some justification to wrap shit up. Throughout the game, the antagonist just mocks the player for wanting to give a shit, and then in the ending, it mocks you even more for giving any shits because the whole thing flips on its head to reveal that nothing fucking mattered in the end. That this whole story was pointless.
For the third official sequel to a Final Fantasy title, but the first in terms of game chronology, this was such a complete step backward from anything and everything that made Final Fantasy IV even remotely decent as a video game. Instead of getting a helping of new characters and a unique and interesting plot, all I got was over thirty-five hours of hoping and praying that someone would give me a goddamn out so I could stop playing. Nothing happens, nothing is worth any fucks, and clearly, the developers didn't give any either. As of writing, I have never played a video game as blatantly fucking terrible as this, even within this series of games. I hope every person who worked to make this colossal fucking failure wakes up every night in a cold sweat crying to themselves and begging for forgiveness. Fuck you. Fuck me. Fuck this game. and fuck Final Fantasy.
Let's start with gameplay changes because boy are the ones here fucking awful. The two big things are Bands and Moon Phases. Bands are interesting in concept and maybe could've been cool but unfortunately, it is ruined by being locked behind specific character interactions. If two characters can work together, they can use a Band, which requires them to both have ATB and a good amount of MP to deal massive damage together. However, since it can only be used on specific characters between other specific characters, finding a Band between characters is a complete waste of time. The only part of the game where the system is remotely fleshed out is in the final tale where you are basically thrown Bands like they are potions. Though in the end you won't end up using most of them. Next is Moon Phases, the worst mechanic someone has ever come up with. Whether it's from performing a specific amount of actions or by resting in an inn/tent, the moon phase will change, which will change how specific core mechanics perform in battle. For instance, one moon phase will up the damage on black magic but worsen the damage of regular melee attacks. There are four different moon phases the game rotates through and each affects only two types of mechanics at a time between melee, black magic, white magic, and...throwables? I think? One will be upped, the other will be destroyed. It completely sucks to play around because it either requires hoping for the moon to randomly change or wasting precious items so you can have the correct moon phase for specific fights. And I say correct instead of best because a lot of fights are built around extremely specific fighting conditions to an obscene degree that many times over I wanted to rip my eyes out.
Oh yeah, remember all of the cool characters and story beats that FFIV went over? Ever wonder what it would be like if they were ripped away and spit on? No? WELL HAVE FUN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED! Not a single character was spared from this shitstaining system. It's not funny. At all. The combined ballbusting talents of the writing, storyline, and game design combine together to ruin characters that had been finalized and had their story told. I can't even begin to explain why it is so bad, just know that it is not worth giving a single shit about any of this game's characters. Even the new ones aren't really that interesting or great. If I had to pick maybe ONE character who I think had a glow-up it would be Palom. Seriously, that's it.
While I'm at it let's talk about the tale system. Awful. I get that the game was released in chunks for mobile but in retrospect, they shouldn't have been ok with it back then either. NOTHING about this system is good in any way. For seven of the first eight tales you are basically repeating the entire same chunk of story but from a differing perspective each time. This does nothing but lead to the most abhorrent and unenjoyable slog through what is essentially "recap: the video game" for over fourteen hours. The ninth tale is also basically completely pointless and explains exactly one tiny thing for the final tale. And the main issue with the final tale is well, now that you have all of the previous tales done, use your save data in this last tale to progress the story. Bad news though, if you are under-leveled, KILL YOURSELF! And oh yeah, there are like twenty fucking characters to make a party from and oh yeah, you probably need to get at the very least six to seven of these characters OVER THIRTY LEVELS HIGHER THEN WHERE THEY MIGHT START. My characters started the final tale at around 20-25 for most of them. From what I could gather, the required level to start the final dungeon is around FOURTY. AND TO FINISH THE FUCKING TALE YOU NEED TO BE OVER SEVENTY!?! Like I said, KILL YOURSELF.
The antagonist sucks. Like I literally have nothing else to say, they are just fucking terrible. They have zero presence and all of the endgame reveals feel completely vapid and soulless like they just needed some justification to wrap shit up. Throughout the game, the antagonist just mocks the player for wanting to give a shit, and then in the ending, it mocks you even more for giving any shits because the whole thing flips on its head to reveal that nothing fucking mattered in the end. That this whole story was pointless.
For the third official sequel to a Final Fantasy title, but the first in terms of game chronology, this was such a complete step backward from anything and everything that made Final Fantasy IV even remotely decent as a video game. Instead of getting a helping of new characters and a unique and interesting plot, all I got was over thirty-five hours of hoping and praying that someone would give me a goddamn out so I could stop playing. Nothing happens, nothing is worth any fucks, and clearly, the developers didn't give any either. As of writing, I have never played a video game as blatantly fucking terrible as this, even within this series of games. I hope every person who worked to make this colossal fucking failure wakes up every night in a cold sweat crying to themselves and begging for forgiveness. Fuck you. Fuck me. Fuck this game. and fuck Final Fantasy.