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. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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

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 »