We all have that one game we consider to be the best game of all time. It can be a retro classic or something recent. For me, it was the first Final Fantasy game I played. I got it when it came to the Super Nintendo and when it was known by another name. As it has been re-released for different platforms through the years, I have bought every copy. Square Enix brought me to a world of Moogles and Chocobos with Final Fantasy IV.
The kingdom of Baron is the most powerful in all the land. For Cecil, a member of the elite Red Wings, things have started to go wrong. The King has ordered him to start collecting the mystical crystals from the neighboring kingdom. Cecil is returning after getting one which required the use of force. He voices his objections and is stripped of his title. Along with his best friend Kane, he is ordered to deliver a package to a small town. This will start him and his friends on a journey in which he will discover that a mysterious force has been controlling events. He will learn what the crystals are and that their fate is intertwined with the fate of the world.
Final Fantasy IV is the basic turn based game. You encounter monsters and have to select what type of attack your party will do. You must talk to people and complete quests in order to advance. Standard stuff in the RPG genre, but this game shinned through with it’s story. Characters have depth and they seem like people with their own stories. Edward, the bard who is secretly a prince and who fell in love. Cid, the engineer whose joking personality hides a strong devotion to his friends. Rydia, the young girl who might be the most powerful person in this world. The characters who come in to your party add something more then just magic and healing.
The game also had one of the most interesting and infuriating mechanics. At different times, party members would leave (sometimes because they had their own quest and sometimes because well, they just don’t make it) When they left, any items they had would be lost. This would not be as much of a problem since Cecil never leaves, but most of the time, Cecil is not your strongest member. The departures usually happen after a boss battle, but it goes right into a scripted scene and you can not remove the items. The worst instance is when you have been building your party and in one step, Cecil is left alone and the world is full of dangerous monsters.
In the time when games were not known for the best graphics, Final Fantasy IV decided to focus on the story. There is romance, betrayal, comedy and tragedy. The main plot is what makes us who we are? Cecil had done terrible things and is looking for redemption. When he learns that everything he has done has been built on a lie, he believes that he is not worth saving. Fate has decreed that he is the savior and Cecil has to become what the legend says he is. This is but one character, as the others have to grapple with that same question.
As I wrote above, I have bought Final Fantasy IV in every form available. Super NES, DS, Playstation, mobile and Steam? Got them all. I even have the sequel. 10 years ago, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years was released. It deals with the children and main characters of the original game. I bought it, downloaded it, and it sits in my library. Unplayed. I’m terrified, wondering if it will kill some of my love for the original game. Perhaps the time has come. Should play the original again before I do. The only question is: which version?
