The best Final Fantasy IV out there

by Pramath Parijat

Fun factor: Fun

Worth to: Buy

This iteration might be the hardest one on the market, but it’s also the most polished and complete experience you can find.

By this time, Final Fantasy IV has probably been released for more platforms than any other game. Square Enix have a thing for milking their most successful titles, and in this game’s relatively short eighteen year lifespan, we’ve seen it re-released so many times that the fond nostalgia with which the game would have been regarded otherwise has been replaced by a growing sense of weariness, and a nagging feeling that the game is now very long in the tooth.

The fact that every single one of those re-releases, save the rather excellent one on the GBA, have been mediocre does not exactly help the game’s case, and it causes many, after repeated playthroughs, to actually wonder what was so great about it, and whether it wasn’t merely their fond memories that were blinding them from the impervious truth: the game was never as good as it was made out to be.

The best… period

Today, no one can deny this fact. Final Fantasy IV has always been overhyped. The SNES version was revolutionary for what all it brought to the market, but it was plagued by a number of bugs, poor translation, and baffling censorship decisions. The subsequent reissues were positively archaic by the standards of their times, and it was only when the GBA version, Final Fantasy IV Advance, was released that the game actually managed to achieve in some part the greatness that had always been hinted at by the SNES original.



Now, less than three years later, Square Enix brings us yet another release of the same title. Final Fantasy IV DS represents the largest sprucing up of the game, accompanied by a thorough cleaning up, a (finally and long overdue) proper translation and a complete overhaul in terms of graphics and sound, which are now 3D and orchestral respectively. But the question is, after the game has suffered so many re-releases, is it still worth it for someone who lost interest long ago? For someone who may have already finished this game countless times in one of its numerous iterations? Or for one who already has the GBA version?

The answer to all those questions is yes, yes and yes. Final Fantasy IV DS represents the best version of the quintessential classic so far, and it symbolizes the coming of age of a title that had always bordered on perfection, but due to many issues, had never quite managed to achieve it.

Production galore

The most obvious change immediately apparent upon booting the game is the graphics, which have been redone in glorious 3D. The visuals are pleasing to the eye; they are sufficiently detailed, and they lend more than enough depth and character to the environments, thus making the world that much more involving and believable.

Cutscenes largely take place within the limits placed by the in-game engine. However, every now and then, the game comes out all guns blazing, and switches over to pre-rendered cutscenes in proper 3D done in CGI, churning out graphics on par with the best on the PSP. Seriously, this is no exaggeration -- while I am aware that as CGI, it is easier for the DS to process 3D, which cannot be used for gameplay anyway, it still is worth seeing how the developers have ingeniously blended the CGI within the actual game, lending the overall title with a feeling of awe.

In fact, nowhere is this more apparent than in the intro movie, which sets the stage and tone for the epic events to come admirably well. The intro movie is almost like a love letter to the game and the story that we have all come to know, recreating all our favorite portions from the game’s memorable story in eye popping 3D. These gorgeous visuals are accompanied by the classic FF IV theme redone orchestrally, and the overall impression that the intro movie leaves on the player is one of rekindled excitement.



The developers follow this through immediately by springing upon us one of this game’s biggest surprises -- the addition of voice acting to all our age old favorite characters. It seriously is gratifying to hear Cecil, Kain, Rosa and Golbez actually talk, and even better when we realize that the cutscenes themselves are meticulously directed, with the production quality being on par with the best of the lot in the genre.

What adds to the sense of sheer epicness that the game reeks of first the game’s soundtrack most of all, which has been redone completely in full orchestra, so that we can finally listen to the classic themes as the developers might have originally envisaged way back in the early 90s. The soundtrack is so good that it really is worth getting yourself a pair of headphones for the DS if you don’t already have one, just so you can soak in the sheer awesomeness of the redone music.

Extra steps taken to tell the story

The music itself, though, takes a backseat to the game’s story, which, in its fresh new avatar, is better than it ever was. For those of you who didn’t know, assuming such a breed of people actually exists, Final Fantasy IV is an epic tale dealing with recurring motifs such as love, betrayal, loyalty, friendship, courage, and most of all, redemption. This last is the one that the game emphasizes most on, and with three characters most of all: Cecil, the game’s primary protagonist, who gives up his arms to take up a path of peace and healing, so that he may atone for his past sins; Kain, who is shown to be a conflicted soul repeatedly struggling to overcome his dark side; and most of all Golbez, the main villain.

The way the game handles these issues, whilst simultaneously weaving a memorable yarn that is sure to stick in our memories forever, and the way it develops each individual character, is what has always lent Final fantasy IV the greatness that it had. This version, however, takes it all a step further, by providing us with some new, hitherto unseen glimpses into the lives of many of the main characters, which gives their personality that much more depth.



The developers even implemented a neat new feature: every time the menu is pulled up, the active character’s thoughts are shown in a speech bubble, thus providing us with an interesting insight into the character’s mind. Again, it adds unprecedented depth to a story that was already so full and rich, and it ensures that the story of this game is actually better than the story for most games released on any of the home consoles.

Oh, fff… inal fantasy!

The story is complemented very well by the gameplay, which by now is archaic, being nearly two decades old. However, it serves this game’s purpose really well. Its active turn-based combat system, coupled with the random monster battles and the dungeon crawling that are today characteristic of any RPG (but which all, in fact, find their roots in this particular title), gives the gameplay a sense of urgency, whilst also at the same time providing us with enough time to plan our next move.

And plan, we shall have to. Final Fantasy IV DS is the toughest iteration of the game so far. It isn’t the easier, toned down version that was originally released for western audiences… rather, in fact, this is the single toughest game to be found on the market today. Hardcore gamers, veterans of games such as Gears of War or Ninja Gaiden, I’ll be damned if any of you can actually clear the game in a single attempt.

In fact, every player shall find himself stuck for months at end because of a particular dungeon, which is simply too long, or a boss that absolutely pulverizes our team. Speaking of which, the developers have also designed the bosses in a way such that they cannot be defeated by brute force -- simply levelling up and then facing off against the bosses will not be much help here, as each boss has one single strategy to him, which is left to the player to discover for him or herself.



In fact, by the end, the difficulty of the game starts to get to you, as even at the high level of 60s, your team is not able to overcome the final boss. It doesn’t help that by this point, the story feels like a flogged horse as well, because each twist and turn has already happened, or is predictable enough that it won’t surprise anybody. This, in fact, is the only blemish upon an otherwise perfect hardcore gaming experience, and possibly the best that is to be found on the DS, and it is quite sad, because it often causes players to swear off the game, and abandon it without ever completing it.

Summary

Be all of that as it may, there is simply no denying that Final Fantasy IV on the DS is a sublime experience, and represents the peak of gaming on any platform. Because, as we all know, Final Fantasy IV had always bordered on perfection. With this DS version, it finally manages to achieve the greatness that it had struggled to attain for eighteen years, but had never managed to reach. Simply put, for anybody who considers him or herself a hardcore gamer, Final Fantasy IV on the DS is a must have. Just play this game if you haven’t already, and experience one of the finest and most quintessential experiences that gaming has to offer.