Final Fantasy IV

 DS
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 325 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 265 out of 325
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 325
  3. Negative: 33 out of 325
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  1. OwtDaft
    May 10, 2018
    5
    + The game has had some great voice acting added to it.
    - The game has aged badly.
    - The story isn't anything to write home about. - The game play is extremely grind heavy, though has it's moments. - Difficultly spikes feel like a trap to get you killed and a boring point to grind at. - I preferred the PS1 version and I should of gone back and played that again instead. - PS1 western    + The game has had some great voice acting added to it.
    - The game has aged badly.
    - The story isn't anything to write home about.
    - The game play is extremely grind heavy, though has it's moments.
    - Difficultly spikes feel like a trap to get you killed and a boring point to grind at.
    - I preferred the PS1 version and I should of gone back and played that again instead.
    - PS1 western version isn't as overly difficult like this one.    … Expand
  2. Sephiroth_X
    Oct 25, 2014
    7
    The 7 goes for the DS version and thats being generous, i dont need one of my fav rpgs of all time getting ruined by ugly blocky dated 3D polygons. Get the psp version instead, i own both, and while i prefer the 2d psp one, the DS has some merits for the hardcore fans who wanna play several combinations of their beloved game. This one has voices and some cinematic sequences that aren'tThe 7 goes for the DS version and thats being generous, i dont need one of my fav rpgs of all time getting ruined by ugly blocky dated 3D polygons. Get the psp version instead, i own both, and while i prefer the 2d psp one, the DS has some merits for the hardcore fans who wanna play several combinations of their beloved game. This one has voices and some cinematic sequences that aren't needed to enjoy the beautiful tale that ff4 delivers.… Expand
  3. Cale
    Apr 9, 2011
    6
    This game is a true classic, one of the quintessential games of the genre. Anyone that's played the original SNES title and liked it will be able to go on and on about how they liked it. The bard is still spoony, and hang it all I cracked up all over again once I hit that line. The graphics are good, and on the whole the game stays true to the original. So why the 6 rating? BecauseThis game is a true classic, one of the quintessential games of the genre. Anyone that's played the original SNES title and liked it will be able to go on and on about how they liked it. The bard is still spoony, and hang it all I cracked up all over again once I hit that line. The graphics are good, and on the whole the game stays true to the original. So why the 6 rating? Because the %^*#!$* thing after a point becomes as hard as trying to solo an original Everquest character to the level cap while pretending the bazaar doesn't exist. While the high level of customization helped mitigate this somewhat, I found myself grinding far more than I felt was fun. By the end of the game, I simply felt overwhelmed as the difficulty combined with an overly complex skill system. Sure, I felt rewarded after I beat it, but the next time I play through this game, I'll replace the memory battery in the original cart and play it on my SNES.… Expand
  4. Carlitoxic
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    The best RPG of Nintendo DS. It is a very beautiful Final Fantasy, with an interesting and unforgettable history and a few prominent figures. New and powerful graphs, great game play, spectacular intro, precious music and little more that to ask.
  5. Jlk874
    Jun 11, 2012
    2
    I absolutely hate this game! What some may call "challenge" i call extremely poor enemy design. At no point in time was this game ever what i would call difficult. What it is, is cheap and tedious. After the two thirds mark, every area is packed with super cheap super enemies that can not only wipe out half your group in a single attack but it opens with said super attack and you face themI absolutely hate this game! What some may call "challenge" i call extremely poor enemy design. At no point in time was this game ever what i would call difficult. What it is, is cheap and tedious. After the two thirds mark, every area is packed with super cheap super enemies that can not only wipe out half your group in a single attack but it opens with said super attack and you face them in groups. As soon as i got to the moon i simply gave up because i had realized that the game was no longer fun. In order to progress you are forced to grind for HOURS upon HOURS ( i tend to grind a bit naturally playing RPGs and even i wasnt even close to where the game required me to be ). Then again from what ive seen even grinding does close to nothing to counter cheap mobs, for instance a cave in the underworld has some sort of chimera monster with an attack called "Blaze" that does average 1.7k damage to everybody in your group (and yes it opens with this attack before you can respond). At level 40 it was kicking my ass left and right to the point where i had to run from it every time or face death, at lv 57 i went back and STILL a single blaze killed 2 members and sent one other into yellow. If you love challenge then you are looking in the wrong place, if you want a game that is only challenging because enemies are so poorly designed then this is the game for you… Expand
  6. HarshCritic
    Feb 20, 2009
    1
    This has to be one of the crappiest games i've ever played, the start is incredibly boring and it gets extremely tedious f you keep running into monsters. pathetic attempt of an RPG
  7. RIchC
    Oct 22, 2008
    9
    I had only played III on DS in the series before this and this is much much better. Only fault is that the last boss is too easy, and the battle system can be little slow early on in the game, apart from that an absolute great game.
  8. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    10
    Not the best RPG on the Nintendo DS, but Final Fantasy IV is an incredible experience that withstands the test of time. Excellent story and characters, decent gameplay, great graphics, and amazing soundtrack.
  9. Tubie
    Oct 23, 2010
    8
    A real good example on how to remake a great game up to modern standards. This game is a good reflection of the original while improving on new areas of the game.
  10. BasilZero
    Dec 29, 2018
    9
    Game: Final Fantasy IV
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Squareenix Publisher: Squareenix System: Nintendo DS (DS) Year of Release: 2008 Length of Playthrough: 32 Hours Total Score: 92/100 Value Score: 9.2/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 9/10 • Length: 8/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value: 9/10 Pros +3D Remake    Game: Final Fantasy IV
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Squareenix
    Publisher: Squareenix
    System: Nintendo DS (DS)
    Year of Release: 2008
    Length of Playthrough: 32 Hours

    Total Score: 92/100
    Value Score: 9.2/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 9/10
    • Length: 8/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 9/10

    Pros
    +3D Remake of the SNES FF4
    +Voice acting scenes
    +Additional story cutscenes added
    +Enemy difficulty and AI changed to make it more challenging
    +New Bosses and secret battles
    +Augment system which allows you to change the flow of battle with new abilities
    +Ability to do a interruption save (temporary save) to turn off the game in return will allow player to load the temporary save file once after reloading the game

    Cons
    -Online system is defunct now and impossible to fight secret bosses unless you use cheat codes
    -Difficulty can make the game tedious and grindy    … Expand
  11. Kirisoul
    Feb 23, 2012
    10
    The best RPG experience on the DS, it's simply great. The graphics are excellent for the DS, there are full VA cutscenes weaved into the story, lots of customization and everything that FFIII missed. Active time battle system is still great after all these years and the difficulty keeps you on your toes. A game you don't want to miss on the DS.
  12. HeroinePandora
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    While this is a remake of a game with many commonly spoiled details, it's easy to see why it was a classic. The characters are mostly well developed (except the twins for me.) and easy to attach to. And it was interesting for me to play with a party of 5 rather than the standard 4. The graphics are beautiful, if outdated now, as the story can be, but it's a very fun game. My onlyWhile this is a remake of a game with many commonly spoiled details, it's easy to see why it was a classic. The characters are mostly well developed (except the twins for me.) and easy to attach to. And it was interesting for me to play with a party of 5 rather than the standard 4. The graphics are beautiful, if outdated now, as the story can be, but it's a very fun game. My only gripe is that some bosses had no way for me to figure out a weakness or strategy on my own.
    Art: 8
    Music: 6
    Story: 8
    Gameplay: 8    … Expand
  13. Antares_A
    Oct 31, 2018
    8
    Way better than the Advance Version, good soundtrack, challenging and non-beginer friendly It has tons of Worlds to explore.
    The story is 10/10 and the characters are good-written but it has too many Encounters and gets frustating sometimes.
  14. DomMonadoBoi
    May 13, 2021
    0
    I think this might just be the worst game I've ever played. And it's a shame too, I like the characters, music, battle system, and story, for what it was. But this game was so absolutely sickeningly terrible in terms of dungeon design and difficulty that I dropped it on the final dungeon. I'm shocked at how poorly a game could age, and how terribly the developers did with this, being aI think this might just be the worst game I've ever played. And it's a shame too, I like the characters, music, battle system, and story, for what it was. But this game was so absolutely sickeningly terrible in terms of dungeon design and difficulty that I dropped it on the final dungeon. I'm shocked at how poorly a game could age, and how terribly the developers did with this, being a literal remake.… Expand
  15. JackH
    Aug 19, 2008
    7
    Great game. Much better than the awful Final Fantasy III iteration that had absolutely NO redeemable qualities (basic good vs. evil plot with NO character development).
    I digress, this game has what makes an rpg great...but my one big nag (CON) is the battle speed. GRUELINGLY slooooowww. Even with battle speed set to max it still takes forever to do anything. seriously, was near 20    Great game. Much better than the awful Final Fantasy III iteration that had absolutely NO redeemable qualities (basic good vs. evil plot with NO character development).
    I digress, this game has what makes an rpg great...but my one big nag (CON) is the battle speed. GRUELINGLY slooooowww. Even with battle speed set to max it still takes forever to do anything. seriously, was near 20 seconds of waiting b/w attack turns. To make matters worse still...an enemy had cast SLOW on me...i already felt as though i had omega slow cast on me without any enemy help :P. but when slow is cast on you it's 2x worse (>_<). This is the only thing that hinders this game imo. but it is so annoying that it hurts it by 3 points...sorry but i don't have all day to wait to fight mobs in an rpg.    … Expand
  16. JackH
    Jul 29, 2008
    10
    A fantastic remake that's great for people new to the game and old-schoolers alike! Perfectly tweaked difficulty, and the augment system surprised me with its enjoyable diversity. It's fun to see all the cut scenes more fleshed out, the dialogue is much more well-written throughout, and there are a couple significant additions to the story (one part, in particular).
  17. TroyP.
    Jul 28, 2008
    10
    This is the greatest RPG of all time. Amazing story, great characters, and challenging gameplay.
  18. MikeG
    Dec 2, 2009
    6
    It's kind of hard for me to get excited about a game that was released just a few years ago on GBA. Sure it looks nice, but that really doesn't justify it.
  19. ThomasW
    Feb 8, 2009
    10
    Nostalgic perfection - I cannot have asked for a more faithful and gorgeous reimagining of this landmark game. Definitely a 10!
  20. AnonymousMC
    Dec 24, 2008
    10
    I love Final Fantasy 4 DS! Whenever I have nothing to do, I always play it. It's enough to warm gamer's hearts from the 1991 SNES Version.
  21. FouadM
    Sep 29, 2008
    10
    Great game, almost better than the original! Certainly a better version for the modern generation.
  22. Caestus
    Mar 4, 2013
    5
    Personally I liked the FF III Remake more. I dont know why but i could not get warm with this remake of Final Fantasy IV. Was almost at the end but did not have the motivation to play it trough.
  23. DinoBeam
    Jul 24, 2020
    2
    Wayyy overly oppressively dark story [you start out coming back from a village full of innocent people you just slaughtered, and children sacrifice themselves later], and it seems to hold on gameplay wise until the grind wall comes. Really disappointing

    I highly highly recommend Dragon Quest 4 on the DS as an alternative
  24. porcodidio
    Dec 26, 2015
    8
    there is a strong nostalgia factor for me, no doubt about that.
    Story is good (nothing exceptional), it is challenging and complex game to a point that fine tuning your party could bring give an huge amount of hours. Replay value is great. The augment addition is awesome.
    3d was one of the points of this game, so it obviously aged quickly, and pretty badly. I took 2 points off for 2    there is a strong nostalgia factor for me, no doubt about that.
    Story is good (nothing exceptional), it is challenging and complex game to a point that fine tuning your party could bring give an huge amount of hours. Replay value is great. The augment addition is awesome.

    3d was one of the points of this game, so it obviously aged quickly, and pretty badly.

    I took 2 points off for 2 reasons:
    - lazy ds port. When a game uses the touchscreen only to display maps and info, you know that's a lazy port.
    - while the sound effects are good, the music is pretty disappointing. Only 1, maybe 2 tunes worth remembering and they play over and over. Was it really that hard to give us a couple dungeon music more?
    Ended up muting the game after 15 hours (played 35, 1 playthrough). Disappoint effort from Mr Uematsu.
    I still recommend this game anyway.    … Expand
  25. Dom007
    Mar 5, 2021
    10
    This game is so underrated. The characters and story are fantastic. The music is incredible and the atmosphere of the game is really good. The combat takes some time to get use to but once you master it, the game becomes much easier.
  26. SuperClaudio64
    Feb 28, 2021
    9
    Stupendo e brutale allo stesso tempo. Final Fantasy 4 è un ottima favola classica raccontata benissimo e allo stesso tempo uno dei Final Fantasy più difficili. Adoro quanto la semplicità della trama di questo gioco sia stata gestita così bene e abbia un ottimo cast di personaggi. Uno dei miei preferiti, gran bel Final Fantasy!
  27. dankmeow
    Mar 16, 2022
    9
    A great facelift bringing a 2D classic into a 3D realm. One of the greatest RPG's of the 16 bit era... and its portable!
  28. Kekunz255
    Mar 22, 2022
    6
    They changed/added too much from the original. It wasn't what I was looking for in the game. Though I can see why others would enjoy it.
  29. sarahaj
    Jul 2, 2022
    7
    Final Fantasy 4 is a fantastic story. This ground up remake exclusive for the DS is wonderfully optimized for the system. In general, I believe that the visuals have held up well, though if you are a fan of 16 bit graphics, going with the Final Fantasy 4 release on the PSP because boy oh boy is this version WAY harder for some reason. As this was my first traditional turn based JRPG, I wasFinal Fantasy 4 is a fantastic story. This ground up remake exclusive for the DS is wonderfully optimized for the system. In general, I believe that the visuals have held up well, though if you are a fan of 16 bit graphics, going with the Final Fantasy 4 release on the PSP because boy oh boy is this version WAY harder for some reason. As this was my first traditional turn based JRPG, I was a very frustrated kid trying to figure out how to get past some of these bosses. As I got older, this was something I was able to get past but I do have to knock this title for turning me off of classic turn based JRPGs for a number of years.… Expand
  30. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 3, 2023
    8
    Another enjoyable update of a timeless 16BIT RPG with some nicely spruced up visuals embellishing the otherwise intact classic gameplay. A must for retro-adventurers.
  31. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this fourth game in the series.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best DS Game of 2008
9
#9 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
6
#6 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. RPG Fan
    73
    If you are a big fan, then I can't see you being disappointed with the game unless you really hate the graphical style or the voices.
    Read full review
  2. GamePro
    95
    Ultimately, Final Fantasy IV remains the same epic experience it was 17 years ago, and improvements on the DS are a welcome treat for fans of the series and newcomers to the franchise. [Aug 2008, p.80]
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Power
    90
    The developers have done everything they needed to do to win over a new generation of Final Fantasy IV fans, but they've done disappointingly little to appeal to the existing ones. [Aug 2008, p.86]
See all critic reviews »