There’s a lot to be said aboutFinal Fantasyand its impact on the RPG genre. On a global stage, theFinal Fantasyfranchise could be considered the leader of JRPGs, having established itself and a number of genre conventions before moving on to other experiments in modern times. It’s difficult to understate the impact of the franchise’s early years, withFinal Fantasy 1introducing many playersto an interactive fantasy world and the internationalFinal Fantasy 2andFinal Fantasy 3showing what stories could be told in these creative settings.
The international release ofFinal Fantasy 4, formerly known asFinal 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 adventurersFinal Fantasy 1used. In the arena of favoriteFinal Fantasy’s and influentialFinal Fantasy’s,Final Fantasy 4is often left behind in favor of more popular titles likeFinal Fantasy 7or14. 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 innovationsFinal Fantasy 4brought to the table was its characters.Final Fantasyhad set up a named and speaking party before in the JapaneseFinal Fantasy 2, but these characters were written lightly. There were enough established motives and some talents and flaws, but not much beyond that.TheDissidiagames have done a lotof the leg work writing forFF2’s party, and many of the guest party members had stronger and more memorable personas. This held true inFinal Fantasy 3, where the initial release had various charismatic guests, and the DS remake actually took afterFF2and 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 4was 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 firststrongly-written cast that aFinal Fantasyhad 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 theFinal Fantasyfranchise 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, andFinal Fantasy 4delivers on it with gusto.FF4is 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 toFF1. There is nomagicite, materia, or sphere gridto 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 toFinal 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 whyFinal Fantasy 4is so memorable and worthy of praise, including its excellent character and enemy designs, and a score that rises above theFinal 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 thePixel Remastersputting all the classicFinal Fantasy’sin one place, butFF4has more to offer than just what’s in that version.
TheCompilation of Final Fantasy 7needs little introduction, being a web of multimedia projects that fall outside the scope of the originalFF7. However, it was not the only numberedFFto receive direct sequels and remakes, withFinal Fantasy 4obtaining 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 afull sequel calledFinal Fantasy 4: The After Yearshas also been released and remade.Final Fantasy 4already 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 experienceFinal Fantasy’s greatest hits should definitely consider making a stop atFF4.
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