Games Happy

With the current console releases of the Last Fantasy Pixel Remaster sequence final month, Sq. Enix has offered greater than two million copies of the primary six Last Fantasy titles on Steam, cellular, and now on PlayStation 4 and Change consoles over the past two years. When you have an inkling to take a look at a Last Fantasy sport, it’s now extremely handy to take a look at these traditional titles. They boast a refreshed presentation and high quality of life enhancements – even when the jury remains to be out on whether or not these can really be thought-about “definitive.”

All through the dialogue of content material lacking from these titles, I’m reminded of a complete sport that was seemingly left behind: Last Fantasy IV: The After Years. The direct sequel to Last Fantasy IV,  this mobile-title-turned-Wiiware-release was forward of its time when it comes to the presentation, storytelling, and gameplay methods that ought to be available to players on trendy consoles. 

Designed as an episodic cellular title, Last Fantasy IV: The After Years was first launched in Japan in 2008 earlier than being ported to the Wii in North America in 2009. The title was remade for the PlayStation Moveable in 2011, bundled with Last Fantasy IV and one other new title to function a bridge between the video games, the aptly named Last Fantasy IV: Interlude. The After Years can be remade once more a number of years later, this time for cellular and PC through Steam in 2015. This model featured a visible fashion much like the DS remake of Last Fantasy IV launched practically a decade prior. In whole, the sport has basically three variations with distinct visible types: Wii (2009), then PSP (2011) and Steam/Cellular (2015). 

Set seventeen years after the unique sport, the story facilities round Ceodore, the teenaged son of Cecil, the King of Baron and protagonist from the unique sport. Through the first chapter, Ceodore embarks on a quest to show his value to develop into a member of the Pink Wings, the dominion’s aerial fleet. Whereas he’s away on his journey, a mysterious drive descends upon Baron and different places all through the sport world. Heralded by the reappearance of the second moon, Ceodore takes on a quest to search out his father. 

The title was initially launched in episodic installments in Japan, with gamers checking in on the unique forged, seeing how they’ve grown and matured over time. Every particular person chapter contributes to the bigger narrative, and sees the forged of each titles converging in direction of the tip to tackle the alien drive inflicting the disturbance on the planet. Frankly talking, the story is definitely the weakest side of the sport. Whereas the arc of the narrative hits some emotional beats fairly effectively, all too typically the sequence of occasions and a few character reveals really feel extra like fanfiction than a continuation of one of many strongest tales produced by the franchise. 

Sure, it’s nice to see our favourite characters – particularly with some of all of them grown up, however the narrative is a tricky promote. It merely feels an excessive amount of like a retread of story beats and places from the unique sport. Whereas the final chapter is considerably redemptive, it requires loads of slogging by way of dungeons – repeatedly – to get to.  It jogs my memory of the gradual burn horror of watching your favourite TV sequence or film introduced for a reboot or sequel. The gang’s all right here, however to what finish? Do the diminishing narrative returns squander the complete expertise?

Fortunately, the presentation and gameplay choose up the slack. If a Pixel Remaster of this sport have been to return about, it wouldn’t require a lot effort given the up to date visuals offered within the Wii model that are a center floor between the unique graphics and the remastered variations. Character sprites and portraits are effectively drawn, and the graphical belongings are re-used, however with an added visible contact. I discover the PSP model to look too much like one thing created with RPGMaker. Sq. Enix may simply use Last Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster’s soundtrack, however would want to replace tracks created particularly for the sequel by Junya Nakano. 

This iteration of Last Fantasy IV’s Lively Time Battle system boasts some attention-grabbing tweaks, together with moon phases and band assaults. Because the section of the moon adjustments, it might probably strengthen or weaken forms of skills. When a full moon happens, bodily assaults are weakened and Black Magic is strengthened, including a little bit of technique and timing to the sport. The extra attention-grabbing mechanic is the Band system, basically crew or companion assaults much like Chrono Set off. Whereas some assaults are realized by way of the story, others are discovered with trial and error. These two wrinkles add a degree of depth to the proceedings with out over-complicating or weighing down the thrilling and frequent fight. 

For such a divisive sport, it’s odd to see so many iterations and advocate for one more remake or port. However regardless of the narrative flaws and reliance on callbacks, The After Years is part of the Last Fantasy IV lore and shouldn’t be relegated to the identical dustbin as Dirge of Cerberus. In 2023, although, it’s solely sensible to play the DS fashion of the sport on Steam or Cellular. This model of the sport is arguably extra cinematic than the opposite variations, however the blocky graphics and character fashions are unappealing. If enjoying The After Years as soon as finised with Last Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster, this model’s encounter charges and sluggish digicam appear inhospitable, if not hostile – and that’s with out profiting from the Enhance choices to have an effect on encounter and expertise level charges. 

It appears clear that with the Pixel Remaster challenge, Sq. Enix is targeted on presenting variations of those video games that hew near the content material accessible at launch. The bonus content material of dungeons and talents included within the subsequent ports of those video games are totally absent from the Pixel Remaster variations. But The After Years just isn’t bonus content material, even when it typically feels that means. It’s a separate sport, and full on sequel, much like Last Fantasy X-2. 

Sq. Enix has already made this sport thrice. It has the belongings accessible to create a Pixel Remaster model of Last Fantasy IV: The After Years that’s visually congruent with the primary sport. They may promote it individually or boldly embody it with the unique sport through patch. With out making this sport extra accessible to players, The After Years runs the danger of changing into an afterthought. As a substitute, maybe Sq. Enix can take this chance to handle among the complaints levied in opposition to the title and provides us a very definitive model of this indulgent revisit to Cecil, Kain, and pals.