  |
Sections | Darkness lies not in the night, but in the hearts of men: Final Fantasy IV
The series has indeed matured after 3 years since the previous game in 1988. Both physically and emotionally, Final Fantasy IV represents the first game by which SquareEnix decidedly took a more “worldly” perspective in both the storyline and its characters. The many individuals now boast traits that gamers can relate to easily and internal conflicts that suddenly seem all too real. All these, while keeping in mind the heart of the series: A fantasy. The Story
|
 |
From here on, the plot thickens as Cecil struggles to shed his inner, darker nature that has been a part of him for so long, and former alliances are broken as his one-time friend turns against him at the behest of the evil king. Learning of the crystals' importance, Cecil goes on a journey to rid himself of corruption before setting out to thwart the king's plans.
Along the way, Cecil learns to embrace those he used to persecute and together, they travel underground in vain to intercept the king's minions. However, they stumble upon the Big Whale, an airship, which transports them deep into the Lunar Core to battle the age-old evil – Zemus.
The Heroes
The first in the series to feature a host of characters with innately differently personalities, the characters in Final Fantasy IV rank among some of the most unforgettable and charming individuals in any RPGs today. Cecil, whom we just read about, plays the lead, who after many trials and through sheer will, overcomes his evil nature as he rises against the covetous king.
 |
Rosa Farrel, Cecil's love interest falls into the role of a white mage with her gentle disposition. Like any good love triangle, Kain Highwind is Cecil's best friend who turns against him both because of his fondness for Rosa and the king's command. He is however, easily swayed and returns to join Cecil's endeavour at the end.
Secondary characters include Cid, an old, tough-looking engineer whose straightforward nature often draws trouble to himself; Edge, a spoilt and rebellious prince whose parents went missing after the collapse of his kingdom; Edward Van Muir, the prince of Damcyan and a coward who wouldn't think twice about running away from battle.
Series Traditions What is Final Fantasy without all the traditions? Though each new game brings forth a whole slew of new characters and game play, the series faithfully keeps the traditions that gamers have all come to love… The Chocobos
|
The powerful sage, FuSoYa aids the party with his wisdom while Rydia of Mist starts off as a young, vulnerable girl who matures into a powerful sorceress. Tellah is an anxious father looking for his daughter who eloped with a certain prince of Damcyan, alongside Palom & Poron, twins from Mysidian who provide comic relief for the gang. The last in this motley squad is disciplined and refined Yang; he joins Cecil after his country of Fabul was attacked.
The Villains
The greatest evil under the moon's surface is of course, Zemus, who is behind the mayhem caused by the gathering of the crystals. His minions include Golbez, who takes over from Cecil the king's quest to find the 4 crystals and the 4 elemental fiends respectively.
System Mechanics
Adding the element of luck into the game play, SquareEnix first integrated a fair bit of randomness into the battle system. Tellah for example, possess the skill “Remember” which gives players a chance to cast a random spell when selected, from the most powerful to obviously, the weakest.
Release Notes
Final Fantasy IV was thought to be the second game in the series by the American market since they missed out on the second and third instalment. Launched on a new system – the Super Nintendo (SNES), Final Fantasy IV took the world by storm with its superb graphics and its deep, engaging storyline.
SquareEnix goes environmental: Final Fantasy V
Or...bring me to