The international release of Final Fantasy 4, formerly known as Final Fantasy 2, pioneered many storytelling and gameplay concepts in a time when most RPGs were more focused around role play. This game told the story of Cecil Harvey and his friends on a journey to discover themselves and save their world, much unlike the blank slate adventurers Final Fantasy 1 used. In the arena of favorite Final Fantasy’s and influential Final Fantasy’s, Final Fantasy 4 is often left behind in favor of more popular titles like Final Fantasy 7 or 14. Still, it did a lot for the franchise, and it’s still worth taking notice of today.
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Final Fantasy 4 Introduced a Strong, Distinct Roster
One of the biggest innovations Final Fantasy 4 brought to the table was its characters. Final Fantasy had set up a named and speaking party before in the Japanese Final Fantasy 2, but these characters were written lightly. There were enough established motives and some talents and flaws, but not much beyond that. The Dissidia games have done a lot of the leg work writing for FF2’s party, and many of the guest party members had stronger and more memorable personas. This held true in Final Fantasy 3, where the initial release had various charismatic guests, and the DS remake actually took after FF2 and added personalities for its party.
While a group of customizable adventurers totally defined by the player has their place, people tend to react a lot stronger to characters that emote and develop. Final Fantasy 4 was the first game in the series where the playable roster could not be considered interchangeable, as everyone had their own abilities and story. Some of these tales were stronger than others, but the fact remains that it was the first strongly-written cast that a Final Fantasy had seen. Even though some arcs ended too quickly and could be seen as simple by today’s standards, they still give players a reason to care about these characters, and about the tragedies that often struck them. If nothing else, Cecil’s journey from Dark Knight to Paladin is an iconic moment in the Final Fantasy franchise and deserves praise for accomplishing what it did early in the SNES’ life.
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FF4 Experimented With Character Roles in Battles
With more unique characters comes potential for a more unique battle system, and Final Fantasy 4 delivers on it with gusto. FF4 is the first game in the franchise that defined what Job every party member is. In fact, not only is it the first game to remove most player customization, but it may be the most restrictive title in the series next to FF1. There is no magicite, materia, or sphere grid to alter character parameters and bestow different abilities. Characters get the stat growths they are programmed with, the equipment that they’re able to use, the one or two unique abilities that they come bundled with, and whatever they get through leveling up.
This sounds like an attack on everything roleplaying is, and it does highlight an emphasis on narrative over gameplay. The player is following a group through their various trials and is overcoming challenges on their behalf. Seeing the end of their story, as well as the experience of overcoming those trials alongside the characters, are the rewards for skilled play. This actually adds to Final Fantasy 4’s variety instead of restricting it. Everyone is built around their Job, and those Jobs support a lot of versatility. Most significantly, characters are dropping in and out of the party all the time, so the player is constantly learning new abilities and strategies while fighting increasingly stronger enemies. Scenarios can be designed for particular setups and play styles, allowing for a tight experience that enhances the fledgling Active-Time Battle system and encourages the examination of every tool to suss out solutions.
A Strong Legacy Is Built Around Final Fantasy 4
There are plenty of other reasons why Final Fantasy 4 is so memorable and worthy of praise, including its excellent character and enemy designs, and a score that rises above the Final Fantasy’s that came before it. Dungeon maps were improved beyond the nonsensical hallways and trap rooms of prior entries, and even if they weren’t perfect, the difference is still noticeable. These comparisons can now be made thanks to the Pixel Remasters putting all the classic Final Fantasy’s in one place, but FF4 has more to offer than just what’s in that version.
The Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 needs little introduction, being a web of multimedia projects that fall outside the scope of the original FF7. However, it was not the only numbered FF to receive direct sequels and remakes, with Final Fantasy 4 obtaining both. Its DS remake, which is available on Steam, made the game 3D and added voice acting to major cutscenes. It also rebalanced fights to trip players up, which will give veterans a fresh challenge. Some re-releases like the Game Boy Advance port allowed for every surviving party member to be gathered during the endgame for more party variety, and a full sequel called Final Fantasy 4: The After Years has also been released and remade. Final Fantasy 4 already stood on its own as a testament to what even a relatively basic JRPG could do, and its legacy has stretched far beyond that. Those looking to experience Final Fantasy’s greatest hits should definitely consider making a stop at FF4.
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