Review – Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

  • June 24, 2009
  • Is it worth returning to the Moon?
  • by: Psychphan
  • available on: WiiWare

Ff4tay_02 I loved Final Fantasy IV. It was one of the first role-playing games I played. But the main reason I have such a soft spot for it is because it was one of the first plots I started to understand. I know every aspect of the game, with new little details becoming apparent each time I play. Each little aspect of the game is a piece of comfort for me. It was with that excitement in mind that I quickly downloaded Final Fantasy IV: The After Years onto my Wii.

As I began playing, the sense of nostalgia slowly overtook me. The overwhelming awesome music initially assaulted my senses. Ah! Bliss! Nobuo Uematsu is one of the best composers of this generation. And a lot of the great music from the original appears in this game. Some are the original tunes; others are remixed versions. It’s still great after all these years. Plus, the classic gameplay is intact.

However, this time around, there are a few “refinements.” The phase of the moon influences the strength of an attack. For example, a full moon empowers black magic while attack power is halved, while a new moon will have the opposite effect. If you ever forget, you can find the phase by opening the menu screen and pressing the B button on the Wii-mote. Another addition is the fact that the spells are now more “in tune” with the rest of the Final Fantasy mythos. “Cure, Cura and Curaga” and the like are there in all their glory. The downside? Only two spells can be listed per row instead of three (like the original).

Ff4tay_05 This game shows classic storytelling. The characters slowly come to life as you progress. The game takes place about 15 years after the original. It mostly follows Ceodore, Rosa and Cecil’s son. For whatever reason, he has some self-esteem issues. It also doesn’t help that Baron Castle has been conquered, and the crystals are being collected once again. And what’s with the mysterious girl from the Moon? It’s an interesting plot. However, there is one major problem: I constantly feel like old ground is constantly being re-treaded. Crystals? Really? And Kain’s helping the enemy re-gather the crystals. Plus, the same maps have been recycled over and over again. Yeah, I remember the layout of the towns and dungeons. Yeah, I remember where the secrets are. Thankfully, there are a few new maps added to the original mix. For example, you actually get to explore the Devil’s Road (remember, that’s how Cecil and friends got back to Baron from Mysida) and the mountain next to Mist.

But in no way whatsoever think this game is easy. It is RARE to have a full party. Monsters hit hard, and having the best equipment is mandatory. Most of the time, you’ll control two characters. Unfortunately, Ceodore is not the best fighter, nor does he truly excel at white magic like Rosa. So he has the feeling of dead weight. It also doesn’t help that (magical) item usage is mandatory and is downright weak. Plus, random encounters occur far too frequently as it feels like every other step causes you run into an encounter. THANKFULLY, experience and money are plentiful. So obtaining the necessary equipment is not difficult.

So the question in mind is this: Is it worth the blocks and hard-earned Wii Points? That depends on how you feel about the original. If you have never played the original, you will be able to follow along. However, it won’t mean as much to you as someone like me who has played the game several times over the years. Plus, the cost is much higher than the average WiiWare game. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years costs 800 Wii Points. Then you have to pay 300 more for each additional story. (Want to know what happens to Rydia, Yang, Edward and the rest of the crew?) PLUS 800 points for the concluding story. I think that this would have been better as a DS game. Save spots are frequent, and it looks like something that belongs on that system. And all the content would be there.

Ff4tay_04 Thus, I cannot help but feel extorted. The main scenario only last four to five hours at most. And the game cuts when just started to get interesting. The exorbitant cost doesn’t help. But I cannot help but feel Square-Enix knows that gamers like me will download the upcoming chapters as they become available over the next few months. I’ve always wanted to know what happened following Cecil and his friends. Now I get to know. But most people probably won’t give it a second thought. And I won’t blame them. Maybe Square-Enix will fix this one day. Until then, feel free to ignore it. That’s a darn shame since it has everything the original has and a few things more.

Other Articles By This Author

About the Author, Evan Csir (A.K.A Psychphan)

Hi, my name is Evan. I’m an RPGaholic and hard core gamer. I graduated from college in 2007 with a BA in English (Gasp!) and psychology. I’ve been playing video games since the age of three. My first game, ever, was Super Mario Bros. So yeah, I’m pretty darn good at this video game stuff. And persistant. I like RPGs the best because I can look at it as literature. This is especially true for the Shin Megami Tensei games and The Digital Devil Saga. I enjoy horror games due to their psychological nature, like Silent Hill 3. I don’t like FPS or anything that relies too much on the first-person perspective; they make me dizzy and nauseous. Ironically, I love Metroid Prime and Half-Life 2. Hmm... Where’s Alanis Morissette when you need her? I really like it when games are creative and technically pull everything off. In this case, my favorite game is Ico. I loved it due to the presentation and the way the characters interacted with each other. Yorda and Ico didn’t speak the same language, so they had to rely on gestures and other forms of communication. I also occasionally enjoy bouts of Mario Kart: Double Dash and Smash Bros. Melee. Overall, I’m rather boring. I stay home, read my homework, occasionally write, fool around on the computer, eat, and sleep. Except for those days that I travel to school. I sometimes am inspired to write poetry (if you really want to read it, just ask). I play piano from time to time. And my favorite book genres are psychology books, occasionally poetry, and most of all, mysteries. And I’m “addicted” to herbal teas and Starbucks coffee.