3 Responses to "Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection"

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  J. Cummings "Somewhere in PS2 land" says:

  December 26, 2011 at 9:21 pm

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  58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

  
  The definitive FFIV experience, April 21, 2011

  By 

  J. Cummings “Somewhere in PS2 land” (San Antonio TX) –
  
    

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  This review is from: Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection (Video Game)

  FFIV (or, FFII in the US SNES release) redefined how gamers saw RPG’s. The first appearance of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, a deep but easily followable story, hilarious translations (who can forget seeing “You spoony Bard” the first time and being like WTF? and deep gameplay made this the first of many FF’s that gamers have played, and indeed many things that appeared in FFIV have appeared in many other games since.

  This all being said, this is no less than the 4th remake of this game (it has also been rereleased/refreshed on the PS1, GBA and DS). Since the DS game took the gameplay in a much different direction (MUCH harder difficulty, the “augment” system, 3D graphics, etc) it’s more than a little unfair to compare the two games, they play drastically different. So for the purpose of this review I’ll stick to comparisons between the SNES/PS1/GBA games.

  For those that have played FFIV in one of those other releases, you’re not getting much more here. The game has the same individual weapon challenges (each players “ultimate” weapon) as the GBA release did. The difficuly also is around the same (however, for me at least, it sure SEEMS like the enemy isn’t attacking nearly as quick as they should compared to the others). This probably has the best translation of the Japanese text as well vs. the other versions.

  What really makes this a must buy are the two add-ons: Interlude (which connects FFIV and FFIV: The After Years, and then The After Years itself, which was only previously released as a Japanese phone game and on WiiWare.

  Interlude is BRUTALLY tough compared to the other 2 parts of this package (your first clue should be Cecil starting out at level 30). If you don’t grind you’re going to die, a lot of times in 1 hit. It’s also very, very short (around 4-6 hours). Still…it’s a NEW addition to the FFIV world, and for a game that is 20 years old, that’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment.

  As far as FFIV: The After Years, it’s a whole new story but it pretty much takes place in the same locations. There are some new “tweaks” made (the moon’s phase affects your attacks, positively or negatively, and you also have special “Band” attacks you can perform only with certain groups of characters). For most this game will clock in at 20-30 hours, which combined with the 20-40 hours you can put into FFIV makes this a very, very great RPG package for $30.

  If you have NEVER played FFIV before, this is a MUST BUY, period.
  If you HAVE played one of the other versions, it really comes down to personal preference and whether you think Interlude and FFIV: The After Years are worth your $30. I think they are and so that’s why I made the purchase.

  Pros:
  - The definitive edition of FFIV
  - Graphics, sound and translation are the best in all the releases
  - First chance for non-Wii owners to play FFIV: The After Years
  - 40-70 hours+ of gameplay for $40
  - Deep, engrossing story

  Cons:
  - Game does show its age against recent RPG’s
  - Siginificant number of random battles and level grinding are required
  - Little room for party customization except near the very end of the game
  - Core FFIV game is very similar to other releases

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  T. G. Wier says:

  December 26, 2011 at 10:02 pm

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  11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

  
  A Solid Final Fantasy IV Experience, June 1, 2011

  By 

  T. G. Wier –
  
    

  = Fun: 

  This review is from: Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection (Video Game)

  I won’t bother wasting time with a summary of the game, styles of gameplay, or any other typical nuance. I mean, this is Final Fantasy IV, and chances are, if you are buying this game, then you have played it before. If you have not, all I will say is that you are in for a treat: FFIV remains one of the best games in the Final Fantasy series. For everyone else, though, a few thoughts on why this is a good buy:

  1) The original experience of the game (ie all abilities, items, equipment, etc) are all here, in similar fashion to the DS remake

  2) Dissimilar to the DS remake, this version of the game follows the SFAM JP release difficulty; for those who have played through the DS version, this will mean a significant downgrade in terms of challenge. Then again, for long-time fans, you may not end up caring one way or another. Your mileage may definitely vary on this point.

  3) Graphically, the game is a mixed bag, but mostly people should be pleased with the results. It adopts the greater level of detail that originated with The After Years and runs with it…no slick 3D cut scenes, but it does have a polished feel to it that reminds me more of the original game than any other version as of late.

  4) Depending on who you ask, this will either be a let-down or an improvement, but there are certain scenes (not cut scenes, though those were omitted, as well) which do not appear in this version – they were a couple of places in the DS version that were added in to give depth to a “certain” character. Those familiar with the FFIV GBA release will recognize a lot of that game’s added content had remained, however.

  5) The Interlude is a decent diversion, but it does not add a great deal to the experience. Other than retreading a few well-worn paths, you won’t find anything here that the After Years does not already deliver. Still, it was nice of them to give us the addition; free game play is still free gameplay, after all!

  6) I could not go back to the WiiWare version of the After Years after playing through the PSP remake; what a difference! Graphically, it is just that much better of a game. if you have both, hold up the PSP menu screen against your tv monitor with the Wii version and just gawk at how the menu portraits contrast one another. For that matter, the battle sprites are infinitely superior to the original…I would go so far as to say that they are more of an improvement than even the original game’s remake.

  7) One of the sore spots that I have with S-E is their laziness when it comes to syncing the ending themes of their remakes with the action on-screen. This happened with the PSX remakes of FFV and VI, and even, for whatever inexplicable reason, with the RAM cart-based FFIV GBA. That problem, thankfully, has been cleared up here, and will not end up ruining the drama of your triumph when finally the credits roll.

  I definitely recommend this version of Final Fantasy IV; if not for simply having the entire experience on one UMD, then simply because it is a translation that long-time fans can appreciate while still seeming familiar.

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  B. J. Riffe "beej79" says:

  December 26, 2011 at 10:52 pm

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  1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

  
  Final Fantasy II(IV) REVIVED!, October 9, 2011

  By 

  B. J. Riffe “beej79″ –
  
    

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  Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

  This review is from: Final Fantasy IV The Complete Collection (Video Game)

  Fantastic remake of a fantastic game. The game has always been one of my favorite Final Fantasy games. The story the action the mystery! It’s awesome and now with updated graphics and all the add-on games it gets even better! Now if they would just make a high-def version of FF7…

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