Final Fantasy IV (DS) Review

Posted by Natalie Shoemaker on 08.04.2008

While it has only been 3 years after Final Fantasy IV’s first remake, will this new and improved version wow the fans and the newcomers?



The original Final Fantasy IV for the Super NES is now 18 years old. Since the game’s first release it has reappeared on the PlayStation, the Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS. You might be confused as to why SquareEnix would re-release a game for the DS that is already out for the Game Boy Advanced, since the DS can play GBA games. But this release isn’t just a port to draw in the new DS owners; this game has had a complete makeover.

Graphics

When someone thinks of the Nintendo DS, no one ever brags about stunning graphics. Leave that to the PSP and their UMDs. But despite the knocks against the DS’s graphic capability, it appears that Final Fantasy IV has pushed this little system to its limits.

Everything has been redesigned in 3-D, the characters resemble their concept art, the levels look smoother, and the game has a more vibrant feel. With all the touch-up work that has gone into the visuals, there are some problems with all the new additions, most noticeably frame-rate issues.

When the story takes a turn and a cut scene begins, you may notice some pixels lagging. It’s a minor issue at best, but something that should have been taken into consideration during development.

Gameplay

You play as the main character Cecil, a dark knight under the King of Baron. However, Cecil has recently become suspicious of his King’s wishes to attack and steal other country’s crystals, each representing various elements. Choosing his morals over his loyalty Cecil becomes a traitor to his kingdom and begins a journey to find out why the King intends to have all the crystals in his possession. Alongside his companions he meets along the way Cecil finds that the king may only be the figurehead of someone else’s master plot to corrupt the world.

The battle system is similar to all the other Final Fantasy games. It’s a turn-based sequence where you can choose for your characters to attack, defend, or use a special skill that a particular character may possess. These skills can range from magic spells to different fighting moves.




This game doesn’t go off the beaten path of previous and future games of the Final Fantasy series. While questing though the wilderness, there will be random encounters to help level up and gain experience for your characters. This may annoy you at times when in a hurry to get somewhere, but is necessary evil in order to build character stats.

As every RPG goes, the player is part of a predetermined story and has to get to certain check points to make the next part of the story unfold. Usually, in most RPG’s, there is some form of customization, such as choosing the looks of your character to modifying the spells they have. Final Fantasy IV on the other hand, makes the player walk a narrower path in terms of choice. You can choose what armor they wear, but there isn’t much choice between the new upgraded armor and the old one. In terms of magic, there are no options at all. For example, Rosa, a white mage, will always be a white mage and can’t learn any black magic spells. For some, this isn’t a problem. Having a pre-made strategy may work for some, but for others who enjoy the variety of other RPGs, it can feel a bit linear.

Also, the player has no choice as to who can be in their party, the story either calls for someone being sick, dead, dying, or entombed in stone, so whoever you want can’t necessarily join you when you want them.


Sound

The music for all the Final Fantasy games has always been classic enough to listen to at cheese and wine parties, and to give to your grandparents to show them how cultured you are. But some of the music coming from the DS will sound a bit grainy a times, especially when the violins hit that high E Sharp. Unfortunately that’s the cost of playing classical music with MIDI.

But don’t keep the volume down the whole game; SquareEnix added voice acting during the cut scenes.

Lasting Appeal

This game has limited replay-ability. It’s long enough to keep anyone occupied while on a plane to another country. The length of the game is determined by how much effort you want to put into the game by completing side quests, completing maps, and finding treasures. After completion you’ll want to sit down and digest the epic quest completed and then maybe bring it back out of retirement after a year or two.


Fun Factor

Final Fantasy IV has a fun medieval-fantasy story, character development, and a strategic battle system to keep most occupied. The Final Fantasy series has been built around their ability to tell a story and, yes, it may always be about a man who wants to destroy the world, but the interesting part is how he’s going to do it and how you’re going to stop him.

This game is a clash between good and evil and will keep anyone playing for more of the story to unfold.

The 411

This game wasn’t just given a makeover for the fans; it’s a re-release for the next generation to experience the old school games in a visual quality that they have come to expect. It’s nice to see something old become something new, although some of the concepts haven’t aged in the best way it still adds up to be good old fashion fun.

Final Fantasy is something I would suggest any fan of the series to buy and anyone new to the concept of a turn-based RPG to try on.

Graphics	9.0	Great graphics coming from the DS, but the frame-rate issues might distract some
Gameplay	7.5	It’s solid turn-based system, but it’s nothing new
Sound	9.0	Wonderful classical soundtrack and good voice acting.
Lasting Appeal	6.0	It has zero replay value, but it’ll keep anyone occupied for hours
Fun Factor	8.0	Good story, plot, characters, but frustration can set in when you need to get somewhere and you don’t know where to go.
Overall	8.0   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 19 Final Fantasy IV Screenshots