Full FeedGamertell Review: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years for Wii
Title: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Price: $8 (800 Wii Points)
System(s): Wii (WiiWare)
Release Date: June 1, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Square Enix (Matrix Software)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Alcohol Reference and Mild Fantasy Violence
Pros: Controls work well. The characterizations and story work well and maintain the same feeling created by the original FFIV. You’re able to see everyone’s viewpoint.
Cons: Expensive (when you figure all the add-ons) and very short. major cliffhanger, short and very structured.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 80/100; B-; * * * out of 5.
Back in 1991, Final Fantasy II/Final Fantasy IV was released for the SNES. So, it is only fitting that 18 years later Final Fantasy IV: The After Years be released as a WiiWare game. For those who remember playing the original game back on their SNES systems, it resurrects fond memories of those days and experiences.
At the same time, it’s also a wonderful game for new fans who discovered Final Fantasy IV through the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance or DS remakes of the game. The only thing is, the first portion is only a sampling. The initial 800 point purchase includes Ceodore, Cecil and Kain’s stories, known as “Return of the Moon,” “The Last of the Red Wings” and “Return of the Dragoon.”
A second moon reappears, bringing with it monsters and mystery.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years begins with Ceodore training with the Red Wings. The prince of Baron is going to undertake a test to become a full member, and isn’t all that sure of himself, as everyone expects great things because he’s the son of Cecil and Rosa and thinks he’ll become a paladin. Meanwhile the two moons have appeared again in the sky, Baron is under attack by monsters and Kain is still training on the Mount of Ordeals.
There are two new interesting innovations in the game. The first is the concept of time, reflected by the moon phases. Different abilities are stronger or weaker based on the moon, which means that some characters could end up practically useless if you don’t rest at inns and pay attention. At times, it’s more of a hassle than a means of promoting strategic battling.
The second innovation are bands, combination attacks that can be triggered when characters with strong relationships team up. They’re an interesting way to deal massive damage.
A short, structured continuation of a legendary story.
The After Years has two things against it. It is both incredibly short and incredibly structured. This introductory portion of the game, which focuses on Ceodore, Cecil and Kain’s vignettes, can be completed easily within three days. Two if you don’t bother leveling and rush. Even worse, there’s practically no freedom. The player’s hand is guided and forced through the whole game. You can’t get to control airships. You only get to visit a handful of villages. For the most part, your party will consist of one or two characters.
On the other hand, it does successfully deliver everything Final Fantasy fans expect. The battles and dungeons are challenging. Familiar characters all return, in character. The story is appropriately epic in scale, despite the fact that only a small segment is delivered in this initial installment. The first segment of The After Years also ends on quite a cliffhanger, ensuring players will, at the very least, purchase the final 800 point add-on chapter.
It’s also good to see how quickly Square Enix will be delivering the chapters of this story. Both the main game and the 300 point “Rydia’s Tale” were made available at launch. In July, all six of the other characters’ chapters. “Yang’s Tale,” “Palom’s Tale,” “Edge’s Tale,” “Porom’s Tale,” “Edward’s Tale” and “The Lunarian’s Tale,” are scheduled to be released at 300 points each. Then, in August the final 800 point chapter, called “The Crystals,” will be released.
If you’re going to go in, invest in all the add-ons.
If you’re going to play Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, go all the way. The game will cost $37 if you go for the main game and every add on, but if you don’t invest in every part, you’ll end up missing out on important portions of the storyline. It’s vicious, but Final Fantasy fans will likely purchase it all. It’s a enjoyable, nostalgic romp that makes you appreciate the original story and want to find out more about what’s happened in that world. I’m not sure if I’m personally going to invest in all the extra tales, but I’ll probably splurge on my favorite characters’ tales and the final installment.
In a way, I’d almost recommend waiting to play until every chapter is released. Think of it like this: imagine if Final Fantasy VI had been released in chapters, with one chapter for each character in the story. Would you be satisfied playing it broken apart? I wish I’d been able to wait and play everything all at once, that way the flow and pace of the game wouldn’t have been disrupted.
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I enjoy reading your reviews. Probably a reason why I registered so I can give here-there feedback. :)
While the episodic content may work well for other genres, I really don’t think it works well for RPGs. It seems an odd notion to me to only buy the more interesting parts instead of having the whole thing ready at once. Good RPGs are all about the build-up, characters and the world they inhabit and effect. If it’s episodic, it loses that sense of flow and starts to feel disjointed when one has to wait for the next installment. If you got to the end of a RPG, would you be happy that you had to wait to buy the end? I certainly wouldn’t. :P
On a random tangent, I’m not sure if I can say current-gen RPGs are about the ‘journey’ anymore, everything seems to be about graphics vs. story/character development. It’s not true for all, but it’s becoming more and more of a problem.
I used to be a big fan of Squaresoft. I never had to second guess my purchases back during that golden age, but I can’t say that anymore. While I would love to jump on The After Years, I can’t bring myself to do it. I love Final Fantasy IV, but I’m tired of Square-Enix doing things like this. Like My Life as a King, I would be more than willing if it was compiled on one disc for retail purchase.
Argh, Square-Enix!
on June 11, 2009 at 05:35 PM - LINKThank you so much! I’m glad you enjoy the reviews.
I agree with you as well. If I wasn’t reviewing the game (and Rydia’s DLC), I’d have bought them all at once when it all came out. Personally, I’ll likely splurge on all of the DLC add-on stories, mainly because I don’t want to miss anything.
It really does feel inconsistant, playing bits and pieces at once.
I’ve noticed that too. For some reason, I saw the fourth Star Ocean as almost being more about the graphics than the story. (I still wish I could play it though!) I sort of admire Namco’s Tales of series, because it seems fairly consistant, graphics wise. It isn’t all about flash. The DS versions of Tales of Hearts kind of proved that, since the company offered a version with animated cutscenes and one with CG cutscenes. If I remember right, the animated cutscenes, similar to the classic Tales of games, was the bigger seller.
I totally wish this and My Life as a King was on a CD. I went for My Life as a King anyways, but I’d have loved it more on a CD. I’m a little disappointed in the Square Enix tax that never seems to fade away.
Know what I’d love to see? Nameless Game or Sigma Harmonics NA releases. Square Enix has some interesting new properties, and it’d be great to see those get a worldwide release.
on June 11, 2009 at 11:13 PM - LINKthanks for the review! I don’t have a Wii and probably never will but I just finished the DS remake of FFIV last week so reading this was interesting but I gotta say that as a SquareEnix fan I would have second thoughts about buying this for $37 in total :| It’s cheap how they’ve split it into so many parts and I think it’s sorta sneaky too… and I agree I would much rather buy it as a retail purchase even it was more expensive… I love the disc feeling XD
on June 12, 2009 at 07:26 AM - LINKI like the game, and I’m glad that it is appearing on a console outside of Japan rather than being a cell phone exclusive, but I too can’t help thinking that a disc would be a better medium for the game. :D Perhaps a $29.99 disc.
on June 12, 2009 at 11:57 AM - LINK