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Final Fantasy IV Review
Written by Gracie Leach on Monday, August 11, 2008
Augments let you share abilities, quick save is a godsend, Eidolon customization lets you draw on his face, mini-games are actually challenging, completed map rewards give you the goods.
Fat Chocobo hogs the bestiary, no auto-save, towns are few and far between.
Reaching back into its archive, Square Enix recreated Final Fantasy IV on the Nintendo DS for a new generation of players. This gaming legend stole the show in Japan after its 1991 release on the Super Famicon. After a name change, the newly dubbed Final Fantasy II shipped to North America where critics and gamers alike fell in love with the enchanting storyline and captivating gameplay.
Fast forward 17 years or so and Final Fantasy IV is once again bewitching the fingers of players everywhere. Reuniting with Cecil, our story begins just as we remember: the betrayal of a wayward king and a conscientious rebellion. Cecil travels the landscape on foot, either alone or with a group of allies. The rag-tag party moves about on a map filled with mountain barriers, deserts, oceans and woods.
Guided through the story by quests related to the narrative, Cecil and his party are constantly barraged by a long list of creatures. As you meet and defeat each new foe, they get added to a type of enemy yearbook called a bestiary. It is a great place to see the stats of slain enemies, but doesn't offer much help in times of need.
Triggering a fight transports the party to the battle screen. Here you can see what you're facing and who is fighting on your side. As time passes, a gauge fills. When the gauge is full, you can attack your enemies with magic and weapons, or give your friends a boost. Once the battle begins, there isn't much time for strategizing aside from the pause between turns. This fast action means keeping close watch on your characters and their gear.
Final Fantasy IV's difficulty is higher than in previous releases, and the lack of towns and certain potions make relying on the health and abilities of your characters a must. Stock up on supplies when you can as there will be moments in the field when those extra reserves become your best friends. The game doesn't include an auto-save option, but you can save manually when you're adventuring above ground. However, things are not so easy when you're knee-deep in dungeon muck.
Save points are glowing blue circles in the floor of dungeons where characters can rest and fill their various health meters. This is the only permanent saving option inside a dungeon. Quick-save is an emergency brake of sorts for Final Fantasy IV. If you need to end your session ASAP you can select quick-save, shut off the DS and then return to your adventure later on. However, it automatically ends the game and you must restart if you want to continue. Once you return, the temporarily saved data is deleted.
Although exploring each and every crevice in a dungeon can seriously deplete the health of your party, there are rewards for completing the self-writing maps. Useful bonuses include a handful of tents or a nice helping of potions when you need them most. Help is also found in unlikely old friends.
Rydia's companion, a marshmallow-shaped Eidolon named Whyt, was used in the first iteration of Final Fantasy IV as an item dump. In the DS version, this magical being is available for far more interesting uses including battle. After a bit of training with the Fat Chocobo via some brain-busting mini-games, Whyt can replace Rydia on the field. Fat Chocobo's pad is also where you can customize Whyt's face and connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi network.
The last notable update includes augment. Augments are abilities left behind by characters or found during the game. Traditionally, role-playing games include well-endowed career paths complete with specific gear and abilities. Characters could sometimes swap job titles, but never could they share their professionally earned abilities with party members. By locating augments, you can share the skills of one character with another and break that glass ceiling once and for all.
Regardless of your experience with the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS should not be missed. The basics that solidified the original in gaming history are all still intact, and there are several new treats for everyone to enjoy. Bottom line; get your over-worked, underpaid thumbs on this game.
