FINAL FANTASY IV: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (PSP)
|
Publisher: Square Enix.
Developer: Square Enix. Released: April 2011 (Europe). Genre: JRPG. Posted 5th July 2015. By Tom Clare © 2015 |
|
The subject of remastering and reimagining Final Fantasy games has become an especially pertinent one in recent times. Surprisingly though, you don’t have to go back all that far to find a prime example of how it’s done. Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection ghosted on to the PSP with little fanfare in 2011, though for once, its bold name proved an appropriate one as Square Enix treated the celebrated 16-bit adventure with exemplary care.
Let’s get one thing straight: if you love JRPGs, then experiencing FFIV is still an absolute must, it really is that simple. But where does this anthology stand, and what does it have to offer those who’ve already experienced the game? For starters, you get a polished up version of the 1991 SNES classic, followed by a complete version of The After Years (an episodic sequel from 2009) and an Interlude that acts as a bridge between the two, exclusive to this PSP version. Everything's been scaled to fit right at home on the portable’s widescreen dimensions.
FFIV itself remains the main draw here. It introduced the series’ revered Active Time Battle (ATB) feature, infusing turn-based combat with an energetic pacing, and a pleasant sense of impetus. It’s a considerable challenge to begin with, though in marked contrast to its more recent successors, menus and systems are intuitively projected and without any unnecessary clutter. This sprightliness and accessibility, combined with a relative lack of long grind sessions have seen it age gracefully, but there’s more besides that modern role-playing games could learn from.
Let’s get one thing straight: if you love JRPGs, then experiencing FFIV is still an absolute must, it really is that simple. But where does this anthology stand, and what does it have to offer those who’ve already experienced the game? For starters, you get a polished up version of the 1991 SNES classic, followed by a complete version of The After Years (an episodic sequel from 2009) and an Interlude that acts as a bridge between the two, exclusive to this PSP version. Everything's been scaled to fit right at home on the portable’s widescreen dimensions.
FFIV itself remains the main draw here. It introduced the series’ revered Active Time Battle (ATB) feature, infusing turn-based combat with an energetic pacing, and a pleasant sense of impetus. It’s a considerable challenge to begin with, though in marked contrast to its more recent successors, menus and systems are intuitively projected and without any unnecessary clutter. This sprightliness and accessibility, combined with a relative lack of long grind sessions have seen it age gracefully, but there’s more besides that modern role-playing games could learn from.
I like the name Ceodore, even if I'm not entirely sure how it's pronounced
|
This is what a World Map should look like if you're doing it right
|
Whilst storylines have been tailored to accommodate spectacle and cinematic licence in recent years, Final Fantasy IV offers a timely reminder that memorable characters, relatable figures whose fates you care about, are the cornerstone of an absorbing tale. To this day, it has one of the best character line-ups in a game of this type. A dark, often sombre mood lends FFIV an uncommonly weighty tone for an early nineties role-playing game. Its storytelling is simple yet refined, and rather than appearing outmoded, its lack of theatricality marks a nice counterpoint to the garishness of the modern JRPG. Heroes struggle to come to terms with the roles they played in atrocities carried out under the banner of a tyrannical ruler, whilst villains are portrayed as pawns in the swell of greater dark powers. They’re contemplative figures, as much desperate for their own moral freedom as a genuine want for destruction. It’s this moral blur that has always made FFIV such a fascinating draw, and it’s a facet The After Years wisely nurtures.
Whilst the Interlude proves unmemorable and lacking in substance, The After Years is an altogether more interesting proposition. Set some seventeen years after the main game, TAY sees the world slipping into disarray once more, with history seemingly doomed to repeat itself. The story centres on the cast of the original and their progeny, and is delivered in episodic form with each character getting a few hours run out, before they all come together for the second half of the journey. Some episodes are great, some a little superfluous, and though it’s a mammoth quest, finer details can be hard to recall purely because there are so many strands and, until late on, no specific sequence to events.
Nevertheless, it’s a really cool nostalgia trip. Everything from the locations, to the sprites and the dialogue, all fits snuggly into the FFIV canon, and there’s zero sense of discontinuity. The story is articulated in a strong, straightforward manner, even if there’s a propensity for laziness that sees characters expressing the name of the person they’re chatting with, followed by an ellipsis, as an all-too-frequent means of implying “deep understanding”. Still, the good easily outweighs the bad. For starters, not only does it convincingly imitate the appearance of a 16-bit RPG, it’s no less challenging either. There are some stonking bosses that demand quick thinking and a true appreciation of turn-based tactics in order to triumph, and if anything, the subterranean dungeons on the moon are even more formidable than those of the original game. The changing phases of the moon is great touch as well, eliciting new monsters in certain locations, as well as altering the balance of abilities; magic becomes stronger as physical attacks weaken, and vice-versa.
Whilst the Interlude proves unmemorable and lacking in substance, The After Years is an altogether more interesting proposition. Set some seventeen years after the main game, TAY sees the world slipping into disarray once more, with history seemingly doomed to repeat itself. The story centres on the cast of the original and their progeny, and is delivered in episodic form with each character getting a few hours run out, before they all come together for the second half of the journey. Some episodes are great, some a little superfluous, and though it’s a mammoth quest, finer details can be hard to recall purely because there are so many strands and, until late on, no specific sequence to events.
Nevertheless, it’s a really cool nostalgia trip. Everything from the locations, to the sprites and the dialogue, all fits snuggly into the FFIV canon, and there’s zero sense of discontinuity. The story is articulated in a strong, straightforward manner, even if there’s a propensity for laziness that sees characters expressing the name of the person they’re chatting with, followed by an ellipsis, as an all-too-frequent means of implying “deep understanding”. Still, the good easily outweighs the bad. For starters, not only does it convincingly imitate the appearance of a 16-bit RPG, it’s no less challenging either. There are some stonking bosses that demand quick thinking and a true appreciation of turn-based tactics in order to triumph, and if anything, the subterranean dungeons on the moon are even more formidable than those of the original game. The changing phases of the moon is great touch as well, eliciting new monsters in certain locations, as well as altering the balance of abilities; magic becomes stronger as physical attacks weaken, and vice-versa.
Early screens of Assassin's Creed: Chocobo Edition look promising
|
Always one who turns up in the wrong fancy dress
|
TCC plays the part and looks wonderful too. It looks old, yet not dated. A lot of painstaking, clever work from Square Enix has resulted in a package that looks radiant, without ever breaking the retro illusion. Whilst the SNES original is starting to show its age here and there, the PSP edition looks enchanting, like something out of your favourite children’s book. It’s the sum-total of a raft of peripheral touches; smoother character drawings, marginally tidier menus and text boxes, improved environment animations such as the flickering fire lanterns and reflections in shiny surfaces, plus a subtler colour palette that makes for some incredibly rich, vivid settings. It all adds up.
The presentation as a whole is fantastic, with beautiful, clean menus and gallery screens. Excellent FMVs also mark a vast improvement on the woeful sequences that tarnished the PSone port a few years previous. In the case of its unforgettable soundtrack, the developers have once again handled existing material with real care. For those unfamiliar, it delivers a remarkably diverse repertoire that’s articulates the shifting sense of anxiety (“Into the Darkness”) and militaristic oppression (“The Kingdom of Baron”) that characterise large parts of the story. From the gorgeously melodious harp-lead main theme, to the jarring warps of “Another Moon” that perfectly express the stark isolation of the Luna landscape, it’s supreme stuff. Not only are the songs added for The After Years a perfect fit, there’s the option to play with original or arrange versions, with the newer ones sticking close to the originals with small alterations to make everything sound a touch crisper. So again, fans get something new, without it being out of kilter with the original content.
TCC is just the ticket for fans and those who’ve yet to experience this excellent piece of gaming history. As a collection, the PSP-specific Interlude could have offered more, though it’s hard to grumble when it gets everything else so spot-on. All this extra content turns what was a fairly modestly sized RPG of twenty-five hours into a collection that’s good for more than sixty. Challenging, accessible, fun and absorbing – all things Final Fantasy IV was upon its release. It’s all of that now, too, and thanks to The Complete Collection, you can add gorgeous, immaculately presented and enduring to the list of superlatives.
The presentation as a whole is fantastic, with beautiful, clean menus and gallery screens. Excellent FMVs also mark a vast improvement on the woeful sequences that tarnished the PSone port a few years previous. In the case of its unforgettable soundtrack, the developers have once again handled existing material with real care. For those unfamiliar, it delivers a remarkably diverse repertoire that’s articulates the shifting sense of anxiety (“Into the Darkness”) and militaristic oppression (“The Kingdom of Baron”) that characterise large parts of the story. From the gorgeously melodious harp-lead main theme, to the jarring warps of “Another Moon” that perfectly express the stark isolation of the Luna landscape, it’s supreme stuff. Not only are the songs added for The After Years a perfect fit, there’s the option to play with original or arrange versions, with the newer ones sticking close to the originals with small alterations to make everything sound a touch crisper. So again, fans get something new, without it being out of kilter with the original content.
TCC is just the ticket for fans and those who’ve yet to experience this excellent piece of gaming history. As a collection, the PSP-specific Interlude could have offered more, though it’s hard to grumble when it gets everything else so spot-on. All this extra content turns what was a fairly modestly sized RPG of twenty-five hours into a collection that’s good for more than sixty. Challenging, accessible, fun and absorbing – all things Final Fantasy IV was upon its release. It’s all of that now, too, and thanks to The Complete Collection, you can add gorgeous, immaculately presented and enduring to the list of superlatives.
|
VERDICT
Visual: 9/10
Audio: 9/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 9/10 OVERALL: 9/10 |