Sora96's FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS Review

[Sora96 17,256]

FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is a sequel to FINAL FANTASY IV, set seventeen years later. It was originally developed for Japanese mobile phones before being ported to WiiWare and then the PlayStation Portable before last year receiving a full 3D remake by Matrix Software for iOS & Android. Matrix Software developed the full 3D remakes of FINAL FANTASY III and FINAL FANTASY IV along with the first two versions of THE AFTER YEARS. They also developed the HD remasters of FINAL FANTASY III, IV, V and VI.

 

But now back to the actual game. The full 3D remake uses an updated version of the engine used for FINAL FANTASY III and IV, and as result looks nearly identical to FFIV. You'll be going back to the same old areas, and while some characters have different outfits and/or are bigger as a result of the time jump and they throw in a couple of new characters including Cecil and Rosa's son and Yang's daughter and some more but it still relies too much on nostalgia. The gameplay is exactly the same as well, a few minor additions do little to excite but it's still a very good combat system for this sort of game.

 

As with most RPGs it can take a little while to get into, but once you do you have to start a new tale. Yes, this game still doesn't have a normal storyline you have to play through a ton of tales that'll take a few hours to complete. It's quite annoying, by the end of it I started to really enjoy Edge's tale with his four apprentices but then I'm swung into another tale all over again. And the tales can get quite repetitive and even can feel like filler at times. And when I say it's repetitive I'm not taking account everything that's carried over from IV including a ton of enemies including bosses, and there's like a million bosses in this game.

 

The graphics and sound are very nice, but then again they were very nice in IV so it would be hard for them not to be. And I honestly think there's only one new music track in the whole game and it's played a million times. There's also no voice acting, there's only one event that is similar to the voiced events/cutscenes in IV and despite lips moving clearly there is no voice acting.

 

Don't get me wrong though, the actual remake side of things is very good. Matrix Software are pros at FINAL FANTASY remakes and this is a faithful remake of the original version and is consistent with FFIV's remake, this is just a bad game in general.

 

I really liked FINAL FANTASY IV, I gave it an 8.9. And despite being a fan of literally every other sequel in the main series, I am literally unable say this is anywhere near as good as IV. I'm up to the final tale, and I find myself bored. At the end of the day, THE AFTER YEARS is more an After Thought and should be renamed The Boring Years or The do everything for the 100th time Years.

 

I'll still say people should play this game if they're a big FINAL FANTASY fan, just don't go expecting a very good game.

 

6.6

[Soravids 1,056]

FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is a sequel to FINAL FANTASY IV, set seventeen years later. It was originally developed for Japanese mobile phones before being ported to WiiWare and then the PlayStation Portable before last year receiving a full 3D remake by Matrix Software for iOS & Android. Matrix Software developed the full 3D remakes of FINAL FANTASY III and FINAL FANTASY IV along with the first two versions of THE AFTER YEARS. They also developed the HD remasters of FINAL FANTASY III, IV, V and VI.

 

But now back to the actual game. The full 3D remake uses an updated version of the engine used for FINAL FANTASY III and IV, and as result looks nearly identical to FFIV. You'll be going back to the same old areas, and while some characters have different outfits and/or are bigger as a result of the time jump and they throw in a couple of new characters including Cecil and Rosa's son and Yang's daughter and some more but it still relies too much on nostalgia. The gameplay is exactly the same as well, a few minor additions do little to excite but it's still a very good combat system for this sort of game.

 

As with most RPGs it can take a little while to get into, but once you do you have to start a new tale. Yes, this game still doesn't have a normal storyline you have to play through a ton of tales that'll take a few hours to complete. It's quite annoying, by the end of it I started to really enjoy Edge's tale with his four apprentices but then I'm swung into another tale all over again. And the tales can get quite repetitive and even can feel like filler at times. And when I say it's repetitive I'm not taking account everything that's carried over from IV including a ton of enemies including bosses, and there's like a million bosses in this game.

 

The graphics and sound are very nice, but then again they were very nice in IV so it would be hard for them not to be. And I honestly think there's only one new music track in the whole game and it's played a million times. There's also no voice acting, there's only one event that is similar to the voiced events/cutscenes in IV and despite lips moving clearly there is no voice acting.

 

Don't get me wrong though, the actual remake side of things is very good. Matrix Software are pros at FINAL FANTASY remakes and this is a faithful remake of the original version and is consistent with FFIV's remake, this is just a bad game in general.

 

I really liked FINAL FANTASY IV, I gave it an 8.9. And despite being a fan of literally every other sequel in the main series, I am literally unable say this is anywhere near as good as IV. I'm up to the final tale, and I find myself bored. I'll update this review and provide a score once I've finally finished this game but at the end of the day, THE AFTER YEARS is more an After Thought and should be renamed The Boring Years or The do everything for the 100th time Years.

 

I'll still say people should play this game if they're a big FINAL FANTASY fan, just don't go expecting a very good game.

Those names you came up with made me fall off my computer chair laughing!! :)

[Sora96 17,256]

I haven't finished this game yet sadly but I'll wrap this review up now. See my review now for the final version.