I was in first grade in 1996. I had recently moved, but I stayed in the same school district, so it didn't matter. What did change was my new next door neighbor was a year younger than me and had a gaming dad and/or was a gamer himself. One of those games he had was Final Fantasy IV (II) for the SNES. I vaguely recall it being the only JRPG he had. From the first time I played, I was hooked. I was six years old, so I had some problems. I struggled to defeat the Myst Dragon because I sucked at reading. I had no understanding of elemental weaknesses, and I was terribly underleveled because I just wanted to open chests. Despite that, it's a memory and event that made me who I am today. I have mixed emotions about that statement, but thanks anyway, Rich!
Final Fantasy IV was the first FF game on the SNES, and it shows. The plot and character growth is a major upbeat from the older NES games in that it actually exists. FFII tries to have a good story, and it hits that for a 1989 box, but it's hardly anything to point at now. FFI and III were just vague inferences towards stuff. In all of the games, characters didn't grow, change, or learn anything. There's no moral to the story obvious to people who aren't looking into it. But in IV, everything changed. Some people change appearance, some change their loyalty, and others remain relevant even after they've left the team. Can you believe a few even have backstories?! I know! But let's look at it from the eyes of 2021. Does it hold up? Is it worth playing? Is it actually good?
As I always do, what sucks?
Ignoring the scene where Cecil becomes a sexist, there's nothing that sticks out at me. A lot of people like to point at the death tropes of, well, everyone. Out of the twelve characters, seven of them die. Not all of them stay dead, though. To make things worse is that they come in droves. Three "die" in the same scene, and there's a string where more people die about sixty percent through the game. It never gives us time to grieve as it's on the following death instantly. Often still, is we can find them very much alive shortly afterwardsl. Hell, two of them should have been an easy fix and had no plot weight, to begin with.
Is Cecil important to the plot? I feel like he doesn't really do much to save the world. It's always something going on around him that pulls him towards the next thing. Every time we get close to our mission, we fail. The dwarves, Epopts, Eblan, and Fabul should all hate us. We not only fail all the time, but we lead the enemy right to his goal. Our only advancement is tertiary stuff. Killing the Archfiends is nice, but it's Golbez we need to stop. Cecil becoming a Paladin and leading the way to using the Crystal at the final boss fight is the only thing he actually does to help out. We're just a bit part in this theater of Golbez. Hell, we watch two old dudes beat up the final boss we give a try.
Before I continue, I just want to say that drop rates are terrible and need a buff. I want to get the Onion Equipment, but I don't want to go bankrupt getting Sirens to summon all the mobs with a .8% chance of getting them. But with those excretions, FFIV does a great job at everything it sets out to.
First of all, I knew they suck at doing them, but everyone has clear goals in the game. To stop Baron from ruling the world, saving the crystals, protecting Cecil, revenge, jealousy; everyone has a reason for doing what they do. No one is just wandering around and opts to join the team for no reason. I want my characters to feel important in this world. Bartz, half the cast of FFVI, Yuffie and Vincent, Amarant, Penelo, and others add no value to the overall plot of their game. Everyone in FFIV, with the slight consideration of Edge, has a purpose. And not just to story, but to combat. Everyone has their niche, and they fill it perfectly. Looking at the characters should instantly tell you what they do. Cecil, the knightly Paladin, is a tank. Rosa is draped in light white clothing: healer. Edge has a face mask (and doesn't whine about it), so he's a ninja. Rydia is clearly a mage of some sort, and that's good enough. Yang doesn't wear a shirt or have weapons: monk. Kain is another knight, but, honestly... Look, Dragoons are the coolest class in Final Fantasy, but their teamwork skills are a little lacking. You'd think they'd be perfect tanks, but they like to be untargetable which means your mages get hit more. I love 'em, but they fill a strange role, especially to someone who doesn't know what a Dragoon is. They're a very FF-specific thing. I know I'm asking for a lot when I say I want my characters to a part of the world and story while having a presence in combat (Kimarhi, Relm), but I like jobs. Call me a capitalist because I just want everyone to have a job!
The world is great! Every location feels unique and has its own theme. Damcyan is a desert kingdom, and Fabul is filled with monks. Mysidia is run by an elder, and eight women are in charge of Troia. It falls off a bit in the Underworld, where there's not much to explore, but there's something that sets every kingdom apart. Sometimes it's location, and others are about the troops they train. It makes FFV, VI, and VIII feel bland and boring.
The music was spectacular in 1991, and it's just as good thirty years later. The Overworld theme is one of the best in the franchise, and the town theme is one of my go-to when I want to relax. And the battle theme is the quintessential song for slaying monsters. Judging by the number of remixes, re-arrangements, and orchestral pieces Square has officially released, I think they know it. If you trust capitalism, then the people know it, too. Whether it's the SNES 16-bit tracks or the remastered versions on Steam, it all holds up against the best. And the remaster on the Steam version makes a few songs pop even more. There's something about how they redid the Moon's Theme and the Underworld that made me realize how good they are.
But, the story itself, does it hold up? I say yes! It's not gonna blow your socks off like something modern anymore. It may not hold your attention like a classic, but it's yeoman enough to get you through to the finish. In a world that needs a great evil, this was amazing for the time. There's plenty of twists and turns about who the real evil is, and the locations and dungeons aid that. The character's actions provide a moving force even if you don't see them at the time or become tropey. Hot take: Golbez is one of the best villains in any JRPG. No, not just one of the best but THE best. Ex-death is a tree. Kefka is evil because he's a boring nihilist. Sephiroth is alright, but Golbez did the "I'm brainwashed" thing first. Kuja was programmed, and Sin is interesting but lacks personality. Vayne had potential but lost it late. XIII is a terriblegame. There, I said it, and I'm taking it back!
The turn-based, ATB battle system started here in FFIV. The fact I'm typing this now shows how terrible of a writer I am. How many other games looked at FFIV and thought, "I'll just steal or borrow from this"? Being the first means it's not flashy or intricate, but it's of vital importance to the genre and cannot be overlooked. It works great, gives enough strategy, and is smooth enough to work today. This alone should make the game worth your time for any game historians out there.
For the DS/Steam version. I'm gonna get more flak for saying this, but I think it's the best version to play. I'm not one to point at graphics, but these models hold up against the SNES sprites. I doubt I'll be saying that in ten years' time, but it is what it is. I loved how cool the battle backgrounds look compared to the dull SNES ones. The voice acting is top notch, and Liam O'Brien needs more work. The augment system seems small but can change how characters act, opening up more entertaining playthroughs. Want to make Kain a debuffer on your second go around? I think it's doable. Try making Cecil a Black Mage with all the Archfiend Augments? Give it a try! I don't know how good these strategies will work, but it gives me an idea for a challenge run down the line. Dungeons have a map, which I'm told is essential to people these days. And to top it off, several new scenes add much needed story. They're small, but they show more about baby Cecil, how he became a knight, his relationship with Kain and Rosa, and makes our not-so-great-evil more human. This version is most accessible to newcomers and has a lot in store for veterans.
Final Fantasy IV was one of those games that I've been thinking about declaring the best Final Fantasy. I don't know if that's the case anymore, but that's not because it failed anything. FFIV is the structure from which the entire franchise grew. It's the blueprint. It's just such an important historical pin that it deserves all the respect and love it gets. Without the Blue Planet, I wonder who I am today? As I said, I have mixed feelings about this, of course, but it's nice to know where I am now instead of where I could be. What else could I be writing about in these blogs? What other games could I be playing, if any? Had I not had a basis in high fantasy, would that game I'm trying to write for be for me? I like video games because of Final Fantasy IV. I like JRPGs because of Final Fantasy IV. I like high fantasy because of Final Fantasy IV. I don't know how to end this, but Final Fantasy IV is good.
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