GREETINGS GAMERS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND FINAL FANTASY ENJOYERS
Very minor spoilers ahead: character names, song names, ambiguous scene descriptions
Finally having dealt with the embodiment of darkness (which was pretty hot, not gonna lie) in FF3, it was nigh time for me to embark on the journey that is FF4.
Similarly to previous installments, this game is a standalone entry and self contained story in the series with recurring themes typical of a Final Fantasy game: that one guy named Cid that has something to do with airships, chocobos, Black & White magic, elemental Crystals, Dragoons and the list goes on.
This time around, the cast is named yet again, thus more in the vein of FF2, rather than FF1 and FF3. Our main protagonist is Cecil, a Dark Knight serving the kingdom of Baron and the game opens with a mission gone rather not as expected. As far as the plot goes, it's definitely a Final Fantasy-esque story, full of twists and turns for you and your companions where you eventually beat up the big bad guy and emerge victorious, thus saving the world! Compared to FF3s rather whimsical and wacky tone, FF4 turns in for a more serious, heartfelt story, although not completely devoid of comedic moments (such as when Cid hangs out with you). Overall the story was enjoyable and I preferred this plot more than FF3s.
The cast is full of endearing and interesting characters (such as Cid with his very upbeat attitude or the flippant Edge) and our main character, Cecil, proves to be rather complex as well, making him very compelling from the very start of the game.
The game retains the typical FF mechanics until now with one single major change: the introduction of the Active Time Battle system, known to some by its acronym the ATB. This is a massive game changer, as now all characters have to charge up their turn before making an action and unfortunately for the player, the enemies can attack as you decide your next move, even multiple times! As such, a much more hectic and engaged approach to combat is required. Thankfully, the pixel remaster edition will let you to slightly tweak the system by activating the wait option: all combat pauses as per a typical turn based game when selecting spells and items. As far as difficulty goes, this was more in line with FF3, with no particular cheese strategies but not ballbusting or gimmicky aside from the final boss requiring me to grind an additional 5 levels for my party members in order to take it down. A rather streamlined and balanced experience with segments that range from easy to challenging for a casual gamer like me.
Visuals! Similarly to the previous Pixel Remaster entries, FF4 PR has a beautiful pixel art style, with great backgrounds and spritework. I've looked online comparing the original, mobile and this versions sprites and I have to say these are the prettiest, with a similar feel to the original game. Similarly to FF2, our main cast even have portraits in the main menu, which is a neat feature I appreciate. As usual, the spell & battle effects take the main slice of take with their flashy and over the top visuals (meteor & Bahamut in particular are very cool).
Music is as usual, phenomenal. I gave the original soundtrack from the SNES a listen and I can confidently say that they managed to capture the same feels with this new soundtrack. In some story segments, the tunes absolutely enhance the entire scene, making some of them unforgettable. Favourite tracks: Overworld theme, love song, sad song, land of summons theme.
Overall, I think FF4 is a strong entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. The story is great, a very interesting tale of betrayal, forgiveness, faith and ones mission. To think such a great story was in video game format 30 years ago is very impressive. In my opinion, if you want an "og final fantasy experience" this would be the first game I'd recommend as it encompasses everything that I think makes Final Fantasy well, Final Fantasy.
I wholeheartedly recommend this game both to people looking for their first entry to FF series and to people on the edge on whether to continue playing the series after finishing (or dropping) FF3.
So long and see you in Final Fantasy V my fellow JRPG aficionados and Final Fantasy enjoyers, thank you for reading.
Very minor spoilers ahead: character names, song names, ambiguous scene descriptions
Finally having dealt with the embodiment of darkness (which was pretty hot, not gonna lie) in FF3, it was nigh time for me to embark on the journey that is FF4.
Similarly to previous installments, this game is a standalone entry and self contained story in the series with recurring themes typical of a Final Fantasy game: that one guy named Cid that has something to do with airships, chocobos, Black & White magic, elemental Crystals, Dragoons and the list goes on.
This time around, the cast is named yet again, thus more in the vein of FF2, rather than FF1 and FF3. Our main protagonist is Cecil, a Dark Knight serving the kingdom of Baron and the game opens with a mission gone rather not as expected. As far as the plot goes, it's definitely a Final Fantasy-esque story, full of twists and turns for you and your companions where you eventually beat up the big bad guy and emerge victorious, thus saving the world! Compared to FF3s rather whimsical and wacky tone, FF4 turns in for a more serious, heartfelt story, although not completely devoid of comedic moments (such as when Cid hangs out with you). Overall the story was enjoyable and I preferred this plot more than FF3s.
The cast is full of endearing and interesting characters (such as Cid with his very upbeat attitude or the flippant Edge) and our main character, Cecil, proves to be rather complex as well, making him very compelling from the very start of the game.
The game retains the typical FF mechanics until now with one single major change: the introduction of the Active Time Battle system, known to some by its acronym the ATB. This is a massive game changer, as now all characters have to charge up their turn before making an action and unfortunately for the player, the enemies can attack as you decide your next move, even multiple times! As such, a much more hectic and engaged approach to combat is required. Thankfully, the pixel remaster edition will let you to slightly tweak the system by activating the wait option: all combat pauses as per a typical turn based game when selecting spells and items. As far as difficulty goes, this was more in line with FF3, with no particular cheese strategies but not ballbusting or gimmicky aside from the final boss requiring me to grind an additional 5 levels for my party members in order to take it down. A rather streamlined and balanced experience with segments that range from easy to challenging for a casual gamer like me.
Visuals! Similarly to the previous Pixel Remaster entries, FF4 PR has a beautiful pixel art style, with great backgrounds and spritework. I've looked online comparing the original, mobile and this versions sprites and I have to say these are the prettiest, with a similar feel to the original game. Similarly to FF2, our main cast even have portraits in the main menu, which is a neat feature I appreciate. As usual, the spell & battle effects take the main slice of take with their flashy and over the top visuals (meteor & Bahamut in particular are very cool).
Music is as usual, phenomenal. I gave the original soundtrack from the SNES a listen and I can confidently say that they managed to capture the same feels with this new soundtrack. In some story segments, the tunes absolutely enhance the entire scene, making some of them unforgettable. Favourite tracks: Overworld theme, love song, sad song, land of summons theme.
Overall, I think FF4 is a strong entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. The story is great, a very interesting tale of betrayal, forgiveness, faith and ones mission. To think such a great story was in video game format 30 years ago is very impressive. In my opinion, if you want an "og final fantasy experience" this would be the first game I'd recommend as it encompasses everything that I think makes Final Fantasy well, Final Fantasy.
I wholeheartedly recommend this game both to people looking for their first entry to FF series and to people on the edge on whether to continue playing the series after finishing (or dropping) FF3.
So long and see you in Final Fantasy V my fellow JRPG aficionados and Final Fantasy enjoyers, thank you for reading.