A203D said:
I think your being a bit harsh. yes i agree FF6 was better, but FF4 came before that, and FF6 had the gift of heinsight and thus better game development. story wise i think its good, definitly not as boring as something like FF13. the characters are actully quite deep imo. yes Cecil is a bit bland, but characters like Kain and Edge breath life into game.and much better than the god awful cast of FF13. and FF4's battle system was okay imo, it was fast, easy and accessible. really good formula for the early days of the SNES. still holds up well imo. |
IV outclasses VI in several regards, namely in theme. It is the most thematically tight game in the entire series, among the best written (behind perhaps only XII) and features some of the best music that can be found in the industry.
Starting with the theme. The writters' ideas in this game coalesced together unlike any other FF before or after it. Each character was motivated by the common theme of redemption but had their own unique story and way of overcoming that struggle. In particular, it's fascinating to watch Kain's consistent struggle to redeem himself. The pacing, the dialogue, and its continual focus is what makes this among the best written games. One of the stongest points of FFIV in terms of its writing staff was that they knew when dialogue was not necessary. Both Kain and Rydia come to mind here. Their situations could have lent themselves to some awful dialogue in less capable hands.
The music. Oh, the music. This is some of Uematsu's finest work. Not his best perhaps, but certainly some of his most apt and engaging. "Battle With the Four Fiends" reamins as of the the best battles there is. The sense of urgency, panic and difficulty is further instilled in the player when fighting them. The character themes "Rydia" and "Boss Cid" are well suited to their personalities and story. Rydia's is of someone who has been through much tragedy and speaks of sadness but yet retains innocence. Cid's speaks of someone always forward-looking, marching. The overworld theme is adverturous in melody but is at a pace that reminds the player that it is going to be arduous(I'm comepltely out of my element in terms of music, but I believe I'm correctly using the terms). "Theme of Love" is among my favourites in the series as well. Incredibly simple and effective.
I'd also like to touch on the battle system. Sure, it's the most simplistic in design since, well, IV, but that does not mean that it isn't good. I'd argue that it the most engaging and demanding system through IV - X. Elements and, especially, status effects are essential in this game. Strategy and active thinking are a requirement. Sure, you could power-level your way through the game, but that defeats the purpose. No other game in the series, within 10 years of its release, fairly requires as much from you as FFIV. Many of the boss battles are incredibly difficult to beat on reaction time, equipment and learned spells alone.
Another thing that I like about the game is that in addition to each character's unique motivation they have have their own individual skill sets.
It's no wonder why the game is still held in such high regard. It wasn't just revolutionary for the time; it's an amazing game. Timeless.
