Final Fantasy IV

The Good
The major change in this yet-another-remake of Final Fantasy IV is definitely the 3D aspect. Since all other incarnations of the game were in 2D, this new rendition comes as a welcome surprise, looking awesomely detailed while maintaining the same cutesy look the original had, both regarding playable characters and regular enemies / bosses. The remastered sound is also very well thought out, trying not to deviate a whole lot from the original soundtrack (which is in itself a masterpiece), but still managing to portray an interesting modern feel. The gameplay is very well executed, with nice additions suited for the DS (such as the use of the touchscreen for some interesting mini-games). Regarding the plot, which is arguably Final Fantasy IV’s strongest suit, it obviously hasn’t changed, though the use of voices might change the experience somewhat.

The Bad
The inclusion of voice acting was actually a bit rushed – it lacks depth, and just feels out of place sometimes. It’s not Resident Evil level by any means, but still, the game could have steered clear from that. Aside from that, the only negative point of the game could be its sometimes unforgiving difficulty, surpassing the original. And while this may be a downside for many, it could also be a plus for others.

The Bottom Line
To put it bluntly, Final Fantasy IV for the DS is, first and foremost, a true Final Fantasy game. And by that I mean it still has that impacting feel all the good Final Fantasy games have – this is NOT one of the…lesser ones (I’m looking at you, Final Fantasy XIII). Seriously though, considering all the revamped looks, swiftly altered sounds, somewhat passable voice acting and maintaining the original plot (which made whole generations of gamers appreciate a wonderful love story in a game for the first time), Final Fantasy IV for the DS is a title every fan should dig right in.