Throughout the ages games have been released that instantly captivated gamers and reserved their place in history for years to come. Final Fantasy IV may just be one of those games. From the time the screen focuses in on the primary character to the time the threat has been isolated in an epic battle, the gamer is glued to the television screen. Playing along with the little sprites in the game, becoming lost in the moment and feeling as if the game was a part of reality. Such perfection is rarely achieved. But of course, perfection is a very relative term. One gamer may click the power on and instantly be disgusted by the graphics and bored by the game play, while another may see the same boring game as the epitome of RPG creations. That's always the problem with surveying reviews and developing a preliminary opinion before a purchase. Here today I hope to assist you in discovering what is truly enjoyable about this game, and maybe even give you a push towards buying this great game.
Perhaps the best aspect of this game is the story. Many years ago there was a medieval world filled with castles and kingdoms, seemingly peaceful. The most prominent of these kingdoms is the kingdom of Baron. Spearheaded by it's mighty Red Wings airship, the Baron forces dominate the land around it. The captain of the Red Wings is Cecil, a mighty and loyal warrior. One day the Red Wings was sent out on a mission to retrieve a crystal, no matter what the cost. Although Cecil thought it may be immoral, he obeyed his king and retrieved the crystal through whatever means he needed. But when he returned he learned of some ulterior motives to the retrieval of the crystals. When ordered to embark on another mission to destroy and retrieve, Cecil refused to go. His insolence eventually got him exiled from the kingdom. Cecil then makes it his personal mission to find out what happened to his king, and to restore peace to his land. Such a mission takes him places he never expected, and he gets involved in an epic battle which could change the face of the world forever.
The game play for FFIV is typical for RPGs of the time, which for me was an asset. It runs on a random battle system with four party members. As you explore various lands a battle may commence, this happens randomly. There was a problem with how often the battles came up at times though. Often I found myself getting into two or three battles in a span of only a couple of minutes. When you enter a battle you have various options, some are mandates, like attack or goods, while others are character-specific, like magic. Nothing is too difficult either. While some battles may give you a challenge, you won't be crushed at random. The regular battles are very uniform to your expected skill level at any given dungeon, and they're challenging enough to be fun, while not excessively so. When you reach a boss in a dungeon, it will be much harder that the regular battles you may have encountered earlier, but again, the programmers kept in mind how strong you should be, and you usually don't have to worry about redoing a battle multiple times. While there were some small flaws in the game play, it was overall very enjoyable.
The graphics were well done for their time. If you are reading this review as a prerequisite to buying the game now, you will not see graphics that are up to the level of the PSX or N64, but one should try to put his or herself in the time of creation so the full experience can be achieved. If you are expecting another Final Fantasy IX, you will be setting yourself up for a disappointment. I tried this game on an emulator and discovered that the game runs on a standard three layer format. The first layer is used for sprites and other active objects. The second for fixed objects like structures. Finally, the third layer is used for 3D objects and corners, giving the game the best three-dimensional effect that could be achieved. The colour palette also helps the graphics. Most objects on screen, like trees for example, use multiple shades in order to create a proper true-colour format. While they're nothing shocking, the graphics don't set the game back, and suffice for an enjoyable game playing experience.
The sound team, headed by famous composer Nobou Uematsu, created many different orchestral pieces to guide you through the game. While the Super Nintendo's sound system doesn't do the compositions proper justice, they are produced with a considerable amount of accuracy and precision. Multiple instruments and implements were utilized in order to create a mood-specific experience. Nobou and his team created many different kinds of pieces for the game, so if something sad happens, you don't have to worry about the same cheery music being played. Sound is always the final piece of the puzzle in creating a game, and if not executed properly, the sound can ruin an otherwise beautiful game. That's definitely not the case here. Very well done, and very suiting.
