Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
Encyclopedia
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is a compilation consisting of enhanced ports of the role-playing video game
s Final Fantasy IV
and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. It was published by Square Enix
for the PlayStation Portable
in Japan on March 24, 2011, in North America on April 19, 2011, in Europe on April 21, 2011 and in Australia on April 28, 2011. It was also released as digital download.
While at the celebration, a guard enters and tells Yang that some monks were brutally attacked at Mt. Hobbs. Hearing this, Yang plans to leave but Cecil and Rosa decide to go with him. Once they get to the summit of Mt. Hobbs, they find two injured monks, Rosa heals. Soon after they are attacked by the Dad Bomb. When they defeat the Dad Bomb they head to Fabul where Yang's wife Sheila is about to give birth to Ursula. Yang asks Cecil to be Ursula's god father, which he gladly accepts.
When Cecil and Rosa are about to leave they find Cid, Luca, Palom and Porom, who tell Cecil that there is a swarm of monsters coming out of the Sealed Cave. As they are about to take off Cecil tells Yang to stay with his family. Cid notices that Rosa looks pale and Cecil asks Yang to take care of her while he is away. Once they get to the Sealed Cave, they notice the Tower of Babel pulse with light. Edge notices this as well and goes off to enter the Tower of Babel through the underground passage way. Once Cecil and the others reach the Crystal Chamber they are attacked by the Demon Wall and narrowly dispatch it. In the Crystal Chamber they find Rydia there. She cannot remember where she was, but she says that "they" were calling her. While everyone wonders exactly who "they" are, the party decides that they should go to the Tower of Babel and investigate.
While they are scaling the tower, Rydia begins regaining her summons and acts more strangely. As they pass the cannon control room Rydia enters it and three guards come out to stop Cecil and the others from getting to Rydia. The three guards merge into the Deus Ex Mechina, where Edge finally arrives to lend a hand in defeating it. After the sentry is taken care of, they go into the control room only to find that Rydia is nowhere to be found. They decide to keep going up the tower in hopes that they will find her, only to learn that she is an impostor as she attacks the party with the Eidolons she obtained. When the fake Rydia summons Bahamut, the real Rydia shows up and talks sense into him. Though they defeat her, the fake Rydia escapes and reports to her creator, who is in the True Moon, that the Eidolon project is complete before vanishing. Back on earth, in Cecil's bed chamber, Rosa lies in bed and Cecil asks if she is alright. At Damcyan, Cecil reveals that Rosa is pregnant. Everyone is overjoyed with the news, and they tell Cecil that he should start coming up with some names. Meanwhile, on Mt. Ordeals, Kain is still training when a voice calls out to him.
. It includes a new playable chapter which bridges the gap between Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. The compilation features 16:9
high-resolution graphics, the computer generated imagery (CG) movies from the Nintendo DS
remake of Final Fantasy IV, a new CG opening for Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, a new soundtrack arrangement, and a gallery mode for viewing CG movies and Yoshitaka Amano
's artwork.
In Japan, a collector's bundle
dubbed "Ultimate Pack" was also released, featuring a game guide, an art book called Final Fantasy IV Complete Arts, and a 17-track CD called Final Fantasy IV The After Years Sounds Plus, whose final five tracks were selected by polling the members of the Japanese Square Enix community website.
gave the game scores of 8, 7, 7, and 8. IGN
gave the game a score of 9 out of 10, concluding that if "you haven’t played Final Fantasy IV, are a fan of RPGs, and don’t find yourself utterly impressed with the game, I will be surprised." 1UP.com
rated the collection a B-, describing the original game as a "masterpiece" but referring to its follow-ups as "a pale imitation."
GameZone
, however, gave the collection a 4.5 out of 10, stating that "this Complete Collection is a hard one to recommend" as a package and that its selling point
The After Years "isn’t any great shakes as a story, and the high-res makeover gives it some of the same visual hang-ups as the central quest."
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. It was published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
in Japan on March 24, 2011, in North America on April 19, 2011, in Europe on April 21, 2011 and in Australia on April 28, 2011. It was also released as digital download.
Plot
Interlude is set roughly a year after the original game, and players take control of Cecil again. The story begins at Baron after Cecil has a dream about one of the Crystal Chambers, where he sees Rydia and hears a voice which says "Finally, it has a new form." As soon as the voice is just about to reveal itself, Rosa wakes him. Cecil and Rosa set off on one of the Red Wings airships for Damcyan. Meanwhile, at the Feymarch, Rydia is about to leave and is confronted by Asura, who asks her where she is going. Rydia tells her she is headed for Damcyan for its reconstruction celebration, and Asura lets her pass.While at the celebration, a guard enters and tells Yang that some monks were brutally attacked at Mt. Hobbs. Hearing this, Yang plans to leave but Cecil and Rosa decide to go with him. Once they get to the summit of Mt. Hobbs, they find two injured monks, Rosa heals. Soon after they are attacked by the Dad Bomb. When they defeat the Dad Bomb they head to Fabul where Yang's wife Sheila is about to give birth to Ursula. Yang asks Cecil to be Ursula's god father, which he gladly accepts.
When Cecil and Rosa are about to leave they find Cid, Luca, Palom and Porom, who tell Cecil that there is a swarm of monsters coming out of the Sealed Cave. As they are about to take off Cecil tells Yang to stay with his family. Cid notices that Rosa looks pale and Cecil asks Yang to take care of her while he is away. Once they get to the Sealed Cave, they notice the Tower of Babel pulse with light. Edge notices this as well and goes off to enter the Tower of Babel through the underground passage way. Once Cecil and the others reach the Crystal Chamber they are attacked by the Demon Wall and narrowly dispatch it. In the Crystal Chamber they find Rydia there. She cannot remember where she was, but she says that "they" were calling her. While everyone wonders exactly who "they" are, the party decides that they should go to the Tower of Babel and investigate.
While they are scaling the tower, Rydia begins regaining her summons and acts more strangely. As they pass the cannon control room Rydia enters it and three guards come out to stop Cecil and the others from getting to Rydia. The three guards merge into the Deus Ex Mechina, where Edge finally arrives to lend a hand in defeating it. After the sentry is taken care of, they go into the control room only to find that Rydia is nowhere to be found. They decide to keep going up the tower in hopes that they will find her, only to learn that she is an impostor as she attacks the party with the Eidolons she obtained. When the fake Rydia summons Bahamut, the real Rydia shows up and talks sense into him. Though they defeat her, the fake Rydia escapes and reports to her creator, who is in the True Moon, that the Eidolon project is complete before vanishing. Back on earth, in Cecil's bed chamber, Rosa lies in bed and Cecil asks if she is alright. At Damcyan, Cecil reveals that Rosa is pregnant. Everyone is overjoyed with the news, and they tell Cecil that he should start coming up with some names. Meanwhile, on Mt. Ordeals, Kain is still training when a voice calls out to him.
Features
The compilation was supervised by Takashi TokitaTakashi Tokita
is a Japanese video game developer working for Square Enix. He has worked there since 1985, and has worked as the lead designer for Final Fantasy IV as well as the director of Parasite Eve and Chrono Trigger.-Biography:...
. It includes a new playable chapter which bridges the gap between Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. The compilation features 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
high-resolution graphics, the computer generated imagery (CG) movies from the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
remake of Final Fantasy IV, a new CG opening for Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, a new soundtrack arrangement, and a gallery mode for viewing CG movies and Yoshitaka Amano
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese artist. He began his career as an animator and has become known for his illustrations for the anime Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs, image illustrations and title logo designs for the Final Fantasy video game series developed by Square Enix . His influences include...
's artwork.
In Japan, a collector's bundle
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
dubbed "Ultimate Pack" was also released, featuring a game guide, an art book called Final Fantasy IV Complete Arts, and a 17-track CD called Final Fantasy IV The After Years Sounds Plus, whose final five tracks were selected by polling the members of the Japanese Square Enix community website.
Reception
The game has received mostly positive reviews. FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
gave the game scores of 8, 7, 7, and 8. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a score of 9 out of 10, concluding that if "you haven’t played Final Fantasy IV, are a fan of RPGs, and don’t find yourself utterly impressed with the game, I will be surprised." 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
rated the collection a B-, describing the original game as a "masterpiece" but referring to its follow-ups as "a pale imitation."
GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
, however, gave the collection a 4.5 out of 10, stating that "this Complete Collection is a hard one to recommend" as a package and that its selling point
Unique selling proposition
The Unique Selling Proposition is a marketing concept that was first proposed as a theory to explain a pattern among successful advertising campaigns of the early 1940s. It states that such campaigns made unique propositions to the customer and that this convinced them to switch brands...
The After Years "isn’t any great shakes as a story, and the high-res makeover gives it some of the same visual hang-ups as the central quest."