Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

So this was a trip. A sequel to one of my favorite and most important games came out seventeen years after it was released with a chapter system. And it was originally released on the phone. 2008 was a crazy time. PS: This means I beat it sixteen years after TaY came out.

Now, here's the thing, TAY is usually referenced because most players think it sucks. They're not wrong, but TAY isn't all bad. I'm always down to experience the alleged happily ever after in a game. And the music of FFIV is top tier, and I want more of it. Yes, it's repetitive, and the encounter rate is too high. Maybe more new dungeons and music would have helped to keep it from being a slog, and they should have made the new characters worthwhile, but I actually enjoyed the game.

But only because I didn't hesitate to cheat. I cheated to reach the level cap as soon as I got bored and had the rare items chest active at all times. There are significantly worse games to waste your time on than FFIV: The After Years. That being said, I'm ready to move on and want to make this review quick.

Plot: much of the same. It's the same characters we know and love from 1991. Not much has changed. The new characters don't bring much to the table outside the kingdom heirs. But they could have done so much more. Is Kain still into Rosa? Why not give Golbez his redemption? But the things that happened before mean something. At least the bosses are a lot more interesting than Zemus. 7/10

Gameplay: much of the same. FFIV didn't have mini games, and its sequel doesn't either. Nothing new was added besides the band system, which I kept forgetting existed. What they did with enemy spawns killed any semblance of dungeon design its predecessor might have had. There's a reason so many people called the game repetitive. Also, the moon phase system slowed the game down. 4/10

Music: much of the same. Every song is in the same place as before. They added a few new ones, but those only play at the end. But I love me some Overworld. 10/10

Art: you know. See above. 8/10

Charm: see above. I enjoyed the call back to previous Final Fantasies, though  7/10

Negatives: tedium. With the high encounter rate and a battle system that hasn't evolved since before QoL adjustments existed, the constant retreading of dungeons (looking at your Ed), and the excessively long final dungeon, this game feels too tedious unless you cheat through it. -5

Final score: 31/50

If you love Final Fantasy IV, you'll get a kick out of The After Years. It's the same philosophy that X-2 had, so go look at what I posted there. I think I enjoyed my time here, but I'm unsure. I'm pretty sure I'm glad I played it at least. It didn't make me hate IV, so I'll take it.