Final Fantasy IV Review - 9/10
Final Fantasy IV was originally released in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy Series, the incredibly successful franchise created by Square Enix.
In '07, Square decided to spice it up a bit and release it for the Nintendo DS. The story follows Cecil, a dark knight who was adopted by the king when only a baby. 20 years later, his king forces him to kill and steal from unarmed people. Something suss there, don't you think? Cecil questions his king about his actions resulting in him being stripped of his rank and sent on an errand to a far away village with his best friend, Kain. And so the story begins...
Graphics:
I must say that the graphics in this game are rather excellent. Beginning with the amazing quality CGI opening sequence, your eyes are assaulted by clear, amazing quality images. Everything in this game is incredibly realistic - not so much the pictures in actual game play, but the way it seems as if the characters are in a world with factors such as wind. -, when a character takes a step, their clothing actually moves. Throughout most of the game everything cleanly defined and entirely 3D. I admit that on the world map that graphics could be a little better, especially on the moon. But on the whole the graphics in this game have been done well.
Game play and controls:
FFIV is essentially a classic Dungeon Crawler RPG. It runs on a time based battle system. When in a dungeon or on the world map there are 'random encounters', where anywhere between 1 and 5 (or is it 6) monsters can appear. And fighting then commences. Basically, you wait until a little bar fills up, then choose what ever you want to do, such as: Just regular attacking, defending, using items, and using a number of abilities like black and white magic. Seems pretty simple? Yes, it is. Using the 'R' button allows you to flee from battle. At the end of a dungeon there is usually a boss battle, winning this allows you to proceed in the game. Some are more difficult than others, but shouldn't be much of a problem. Once a battle has ended a 'victory scene' will show, in which you gain EXP, items and gil (the game's currency). Unlike in other FF games, there isn't a job system - you get a character with a certain class. Some good, and others completely and utterly useless (Yes, I am talking about you, Edward). Controls are extremely simple, around only 4 buttons are used frequently. A new feature added in the game revolves around a little white block shaped thing called 'Whyt' - how original. You can play mini games in order to raise Whyt's statistics, give him a makeover (which reminds me of drawn to life), and battle your friends using DS Wireless connections. Gameplay is easy to catch on to and can leave you playing for hours.
Sound:
Like in all Final Fantasy games, IV has an amazing (and long) soundtrack. It is composed by Nobuo Uematsu, and has a different theme for practically everything. The music is entertaining and catchy, and matches the theme very well for the majority of the time. Although I prefer not to actually have sound playing when playing my DS, the music in this game is very nice.
Another new feature in the game is that a full voice acting cast was added for the cut scenes (most of them, at least). It makes the game very engaging, as most scenes are done very well. This feature can be turned off, if you choose to do so. It makes the game even more realistic, and I quite enjoy this feature.
Value:
This game is well worth the 50 or 60 dollars to buy. It will take you around 40 hours or more to finish, and even then you can play it over and over again. A great game, truly.
I, personally, love this game. It is my favourite, actually. Incredibly addicting and fun. I highly recommend it. If the critics think that it is one of the greatest games of all time, it must be, right? I think so, but you might have to decide that by yourself (:
Scores:
Graphics: 9/10
Game play and controls: 9/10
Sound: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
Not bad for a first review?
Submitted by Hiyatsuki
14/06/2009
233
22
Join MyDS to vote for your favourite story!
More Info:
Final Fantasy IV
Other Reviews: