The Final Fantasy series has changed a great deal over the years, sometimes for the better and other times for the worse. My favorite game in the series happens to be one near the beginning, one that's relatively simple yet well-done fun that established some of the best parts of the series.
The plot begins with Cecil, a knight of Baron, beginning to question his kingdom's quest for control of the world's crystals, and feel guilt over his actions furthering that quest. After unwittingly destroying a village, he sets out on a quest to gain personal redemption and stop Baron. The story isn't anything particularly special, mainly involving a race to find the crystals before your enemies do, but it's well-told and has a good amount of Character Development involved.
The game is in many ways a step up from its predecessors. The Active Time Battle system- a turn-based combat mode with a gauge that fills over time before your party members can act- provides an interesting amount of strategic depth, forcing you to think on your feet, and decide when biding your time might be the best option. It also provides a sense of urgency when you make your decisions, which helps prevent random encounters from becoming dull, and also eliminates the quirks of some turn-based systems, such as worrying about which characters go first.
Characters not only have various strengths and weaknesses, but also unique abilities, such as the ability to sacrifice their health to deal a powerful attack, or jump into the air and avoid attacks before crashing down on an enemy. The same goes for your foes, which means that bosses require a good amount of thought in order to defeat, as opposed to merely keeping your party members healed while whittling down their health (although you will have to do that, too).
As with other Final Fantasy titles, the music is excellent and sets the mood, from emotional scenes to boss battles. The graphics aren't especially high-quality, but they're decent, helping to show the world and those who inhabit it without being ugly to the point of detracting from the gameplay.
Over the years, there have been many versions and rereleases of this game, and my favorite is the Game Boy Advance version. It has an entirely new dungeon with various subsections and floors that have their unique challenges and the translation is a step up from the original without seeming like Purple Prose, as the Nintendo DS Version does.
Perhaps FF IV may not seem original by today's standards, but it's a highly well-made title in its own right, and a large part of why Final Fantasy became the game it is, so you should definitely give it a try if you enjoy Final Fantasy
A classic RPG
The Final Fantasy series has changed a great deal over the years, sometimes for the better and other times for the worse. My favorite game in the series happens to be one near the beginning, one that's relatively simple yet well-done fun that established some of the best parts of the series.
The plot begins with Cecil, a knight of Baron, beginning to question his kingdom's quest for control of the world's crystals, and feel guilt over his actions furthering that quest. After unwittingly destroying a village, he sets out on a quest to gain personal redemption and stop Baron. The story isn't anything particularly special, mainly involving a race to find the crystals before your enemies do, but it's well-told and has a good amount of Character Development involved.
The game is in many ways a step up from its predecessors. The Active Time Battle system- a turn-based combat mode with a gauge that fills over time before your party members can act- provides an interesting amount of strategic depth, forcing you to think on your feet, and decide when biding your time might be the best option. It also provides a sense of urgency when you make your decisions, which helps prevent random encounters from becoming dull, and also eliminates the quirks of some turn-based systems, such as worrying about which characters go first.
Characters not only have various strengths and weaknesses, but also unique abilities, such as the ability to sacrifice their health to deal a powerful attack, or jump into the air and avoid attacks before crashing down on an enemy. The same goes for your foes, which means that bosses require a good amount of thought in order to defeat, as opposed to merely keeping your party members healed while whittling down their health (although you will have to do that, too).
As with other Final Fantasy titles, the music is excellent and sets the mood, from emotional scenes to boss battles. The graphics aren't especially high-quality, but they're decent, helping to show the world and those who inhabit it without being ugly to the point of detracting from the gameplay.
Over the years, there have been many versions and rereleases of this game, and my favorite is the Game Boy Advance version. It has an entirely new dungeon with various subsections and floors that have their unique challenges and the translation is a step up from the original without seeming like Purple Prose, as the Nintendo DS Version does.
Perhaps FF IV may not seem original by today's standards, but it's a highly well-made title in its own right, and a large part of why Final Fantasy became the game it is, so you should definitely give it a try if you enjoy Final Fantasy