Final Fantasy IV and V, are basically the complete opposite in what they do well and what they don't. As V is morebuilt around the gameplay with story and characters coming second, IV's gameplay is effected by it's story, characters, and world. IV allows for up to 5 units to be in a party at a time, with the roster of characters constantly switching out everytime another one needs to come into for the story to make sense. I think this allows for the gameplay to stay fresh longer as you're constantly getting new party members with new mechanics up till the end of the game. However, this means that the game is more limitting in how you set up your party then most JRPGs, which I think a little more customization would help the game, like instead of party members subbing out, have it so they stick to the party so the player can pick from a pool of 10 party members to add a little bit more of thought to how you format your party. Not a bad battle system but definitley goes a bit too far in lack of choices for the player. However, the extra parts of IV like the story, world, and characters are incredibly interesting and helped me stay hooked with the game longer than I would had if the game's story was just okay. Also this game has the best battle theme and boss theme of the entire series so far. Overall, I would recommend IV for it's strong story and pretty good gameplay loop, definitley a good JRPG for beginners of the genre or series.
This game is pretty much the equivalent of modern games with too many cutscenes and not enough focus on the gameplay but in the 90s.
This game is not fun to play, I know that it's the new generation of console and you'd like to make a nice story with a bunch of text but it doesn't mean you have to ruin the gameplay pace. My main issue with this game is the constant change of characters during the story ruining the LVL pacing and pretty much the "you" getting used to the character you are playing as, it's not fun to go from 2 shitty wizards and 1 swordsman and then one of the characters leave, another one join, he's 6 levels behind, forced to grind and pretty much that after every damn dungeon.
The story was supposed to be good, but it honestly was just a very basic and boring plot. I know that it's a game from 1991 but people kept overhyping it so I thought "it must be great!".
So I did not enjoy the gameplay, I did not enjoy the story, and the Soundtrack was just alright compared to the other three Pixel Remaster titles.
So if anyone is looking to make a turn-based RPG please do not take this game as an example it's not fun to play and I want to have fun in turn-based combat, it's the least a game like this can do to entertain me with its slow combat.
This game is not fun to play, I know that it's the new generation of console and you'd like to make a nice story with a bunch of text but it doesn't mean you have to ruin the gameplay pace. My main issue with this game is the constant change of characters during the story ruining the LVL pacing and pretty much the "you" getting used to the character you are playing as, it's not fun to go from 2 shitty wizards and 1 swordsman and then one of the characters leave, another one join, he's 6 levels behind, forced to grind and pretty much that after every damn dungeon.
The story was supposed to be good, but it honestly was just a very basic and boring plot. I know that it's a game from 1991 but people kept overhyping it so I thought "it must be great!".
So I did not enjoy the gameplay, I did not enjoy the story, and the Soundtrack was just alright compared to the other three Pixel Remaster titles.
So if anyone is looking to make a turn-based RPG please do not take this game as an example it's not fun to play and I want to have fun in turn-based combat, it's the least a game like this can do to entertain me with its slow combat.
the lunar whale should've flown them into the sun
Kain is cool
FFIV is definitely where I consider the series to come into its own. The story is both pretty engaging and campy and the gameplay is fun. Just overall a really solid JRPG that's aged wonderfully and definitely earns its classic status
JESSIE? DONDE ESTA CAOS YO SOLO VEO A MI HERMANO
Soy Kain: nadie me quiere
femdom rosa doujin is responsible for making me who i am today
I'm not going to go on and on about why Final Fantasy IV is one of my favorite games of all time (2nd to be exact, see my note on my Top 100 Favorites Games List). This game means so much to me, and pixel remaster is a wonderful way for you to jump in. My recommendations for you, fix the font to classic (this should be done for all the titles) and set the soundtrack to original instead of arrangement (I'd recommend arrangement for 1-3 but please please experience this GOAT soundtrack in its original form). From there, just get lost in the story and the characters and the world and everything that comes with it. This game lived endlessly in my imagination when I was a kid. This showed me what video games can be.
Platinum trophy #132
Platinum #8 of 2023
Platinum trophy #132
Platinum #8 of 2023
This is really where the franchise kicked things into high gear, with specific characters with their own individual identities in a sprawling story. Gone for the first time here is the notion of "make any character anything you want" but rather each is pre-defined and plays a role as part of the overall story.
This is one of the most memorable in the series with characters whose very designs persist to this day.
This is one of the most memorable in the series with characters whose very designs persist to this day.
Really enjoyed this. Progress never halted, characters were fine, music was great. Simple story, didn't take too much of my time. Solid.
This is where Final Fantasy truly begins. Major focus on story, big ensemble cast, crazy music, wildly varied areas, cutting edge visuals (at the time), ATB, and more. The jump in quality between I-III and IV is absolutely mind-boggling, and playing them back-to-back only enhances it. Yes, the story goes off the rails by the end and the 20 fakeouts are pretty annoying, but man is it nice to see a franchise figure out what it truly wants to be moving forward.
Great ass ost classic ass game
Although the generational leap in technology between Final Fantasy III and IV isn’t as apparent in the Pixel Remasters, it should be noted that this game matured the franchise in other ways.
The story is much more character-focused, opening on a pretty shocking sequence that I didn’t see coming considering what the last three games were like. The pacing was also a significant improvement over the NES titles, despite still requiring some grinding in the tail-end.
The plot has some holdover tropes from the last few games- the most irritating of which being the constant party shuffling. Allegiances switch on a dime, characters seemingly die but are quickly brought back, and so on. It’s simplistic, but it’s breezy fun with some actually memorable personalities and set-piece moments. That’s a big leap as far as I’m concerned.
The world-map was quite sprawling with lots to discover, upping the ante from Final Fantasy III’s already robust size. If it’s not actually bigger, they did an amazing job making it feel huge. The game’s final area, which I won’t spoil (I know the game is old) was Conman certified Kino™. At least aesthetically/conceptually if not entirely in its design.
One way it evolved the franchise that I’m not huge on is the ATB system. This isn’t the first ATB Final Fantasy I’ve played, but every game with this system I’ve liked despite it. I legitimately think it adds nothing over regular turn-based combat. It doesn’t hinder it too much, I just think it’s superfluous and I’m glad they eventually stopped doing it.
I think the west should have gotten every Final Fantasy game, but gun to my head, between FF II, III, and IV, I’m going IV. We’ll see about V soon!
The story is much more character-focused, opening on a pretty shocking sequence that I didn’t see coming considering what the last three games were like. The pacing was also a significant improvement over the NES titles, despite still requiring some grinding in the tail-end.
The plot has some holdover tropes from the last few games- the most irritating of which being the constant party shuffling. Allegiances switch on a dime, characters seemingly die but are quickly brought back, and so on. It’s simplistic, but it’s breezy fun with some actually memorable personalities and set-piece moments. That’s a big leap as far as I’m concerned.
The world-map was quite sprawling with lots to discover, upping the ante from Final Fantasy III’s already robust size. If it’s not actually bigger, they did an amazing job making it feel huge. The game’s final area, which I won’t spoil (I know the game is old) was Conman certified Kino™. At least aesthetically/conceptually if not entirely in its design.
One way it evolved the franchise that I’m not huge on is the ATB system. This isn’t the first ATB Final Fantasy I’ve played, but every game with this system I’ve liked despite it. I legitimately think it adds nothing over regular turn-based combat. It doesn’t hinder it too much, I just think it’s superfluous and I’m glad they eventually stopped doing it.
I think the west should have gotten every Final Fantasy game, but gun to my head, between FF II, III, and IV, I’m going IV. We’ll see about V soon!
This one's pretty good! The remaster helps in making it more accessible too. Next to FF1 remaster, I would recommend this one just as much as your starter Final Fantasy. With every party member being predetermined in their abilities, and the world being fairly linear in its design, you don't have to worry about much of anything else other than leveling them up, equipping them with the right gear, and making use of boss weaknesses. It's simple, easy to get into, and satisfying to explore.
That being said, this story is... something. I feel like ever since Final Fantasy II (the nes one), RPG storytelling thought that killing off several characters 60 minutes after introducing them constituted as emotional impactful storytelling. But FF4 takes it to an almost parody-like level. Characters just drop like flies in this one, constantly. Every time a new death scene happened, I was more and more baffled. That's on top of the entire story just being one unlucky event for the protagonists after another. It's very dramatic, but it's so relentless about it, you just can't take it seriously after a certain point.
That being said, this story is... something. I feel like ever since Final Fantasy II (the nes one), RPG storytelling thought that killing off several characters 60 minutes after introducing them constituted as emotional impactful storytelling. But FF4 takes it to an almost parody-like level. Characters just drop like flies in this one, constantly. Every time a new death scene happened, I was more and more baffled. That's on top of the entire story just being one unlucky event for the protagonists after another. It's very dramatic, but it's so relentless about it, you just can't take it seriously after a certain point.
This review contains spoilers
A product of its time, in every way good AND bad. I had fun with FF4 overall but was definitely left frustrated by its game design on more than one occasion. The Pixel Remaster helps smooth over a ton of the original's technical shortcomings but random difficulty spikes, unclear objectives and other gameplay hitches were irritating to deal with at times. It is a 30+ year-old game though, so I can absolutely forgive most of these due to that.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the Active Time Battle system. FF4 was the first game to introduce the system so I fully expect it to be smoothed out when I get to the later FF games but I felt like I was battling it more than the enemies themselves whilst playing through the game.
All that being said, I did enjoy the game overall despite it's issues due to its age. The characters & writing are, BY FAR, the game's biggest strength and left me wanting to see more from FF4's charming cast of characters! I almost felt there was too little time spent on them - especially Edge due to how late in the story he's introduced. The music is also fantastic, as expected of a Final Fantasy game, though I would have liked a little more variety as tracks are often reused several times - especially in dungeons.
I'm hoping that a lot of these issues are simply growing pains for the FF series and get ironed as I get into the later games. FF6 is next on my agenda so fingers crossed!
I also wasn't a huge fan of the Active Time Battle system. FF4 was the first game to introduce the system so I fully expect it to be smoothed out when I get to the later FF games but I felt like I was battling it more than the enemies themselves whilst playing through the game.
All that being said, I did enjoy the game overall despite it's issues due to its age. The characters & writing are, BY FAR, the game's biggest strength and left me wanting to see more from FF4's charming cast of characters! I almost felt there was too little time spent on them - especially Edge due to how late in the story he's introduced. The music is also fantastic, as expected of a Final Fantasy game, though I would have liked a little more variety as tracks are often reused several times - especially in dungeons.
I'm hoping that a lot of these issues are simply growing pains for the FF series and get ironed as I get into the later games. FF6 is next on my agenda so fingers crossed!
The first SNES FF has a bit of a muted transition in some departments in the pixel remaster form thanks to squeenix sprucing up the prior entries a bit visually/a consistent level of treatment for the OST reworks. (Not a complaint of course even if I'm missing out on the excitment original players would have had) In other regards, though, the coat of polish given to the earlier entries still can't hide how signficant a step up this was- namely the battle system and story or story presentation, more to the point.
4 brings the arrival of one of the franchise's biggest contributions in the atb system. The most immediate impact of this, to me in this specific context coming off ffs 1 - 3, was the reworking of agility and turn order into something far more grokkable/pleasant to plan around. Now, when you tell a party member to do something, you can expect it to happen immediately (or relatively, in the cast of casting) vs having to wonder whether x move will land before or after a teammates ability or attack. Similarly, heal timing can be relied upon more easily- with the added risk management of casts being delayed so item based healing has more appeal in a pinch. You can also delay allied turns a second to respond to crucial enemy actions as quickly as possible or setup combinations of actions with teammates. And on top of all that, it just adds a feeling of speed and energy to the fights outside all the tactical possibilities.
That's not to say it was all a pleasant changeup though. The need to respond quickly can be gamed weirdly by just going in menus. (Although this can be disabled apparently? Not sure what the intended experience is here) That said, the player might want to keep it on intended or not as the UI is not set up to accommodate rapid information processing and decision making well at all. Your commands appear in the bottom left corner of the screen but the party member whose turn it is/turn order itself/health are all displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, so you have to glance all the way over sometimes to even know who youre giving a command to. Furthermore, enemy actions show up at the very top of the screen so if you ARE trying to base your actions or time them around what theyre doing, you need to look at third completely separate point. The game actually maximizes the amount of screen you need to take in at once for.... relatively few things you really need to even look at, which is just bizarre. It's a small quibble to be sure, but just felt it worth noting.
The progressions in combat don't stop at the atb introduction fortunately. Moreso than any prior FF, this game devises new and different strategic considerations from boss to boss and enemy to enemy. (At least, for a good chunk of them) Leveraging curative magic to fight undead is given increased prominence early on when, as a dark knight, Cecil can barely hurt them. Enemies can counterattack now, both generically and even selectively towards magic attacks or debuffs or physical attacks etc. and some of these counters are absolutely brutal- clearly not something the player is just supposed to tank/heal through- enabling the enemy design to demand more precise solutions than just setting your party on auto attack. A group boss battle sees one boss reviving the others if players prioritize incorrectly, another boss goes invulnerable thanks to a wind shield to all but your dragoon who must open up the shield for your party to attack, yet another repels or worse absorbs all attacks while his cape is open asking the player instead to actively utilize the ability of the atb system to let party members pick their moments, dangerous electrical enemies can be "reprogrammed" (ie Confused) with lightning damage to turn the tables, the list goes on and on. You can uncharitably call these fights and their solutions gimmicks, but its a definite progression from the series to date to see so many new ideas tried out across the encounters and it keeps the combat more fresh well into its endgame than prior entries have.
Which is needed coming off III, since the complete lack of any progression system whatsoever has made the naturally growing player investment in seeing their various builds come to life as the game goes on completely absent here. Stepping back from FFIII's true first try at a job system, FFIV sees each playable character in the story locked to a job as dictated by their position in the story. There's little new here too, as most/all? of these identities are built on jobs you could have chosen in III. A couple characters get pivotal job changes at specific story beats but otherwise everyone keeps those jobs all the way through.
While disappointing from a character customization and planning standpoint, it does feed into one of the other massive jumps forward FFIV makes for the franchise- building its character work and narrative moments on top of game mechanics themselves rather than just isolating them to cutscenes. There was the odd forced losing battle in FFII (and maybe the others? can't recall) but now a whole host of scenarios play out in the battle screen itself. The protagonists dramatic job change from dark knight to paladin doesn't happen in a menu or automatically- happens in a battle against himself where the player must very literally stop attacking and start defending to win, mirroring the change in philosophy such a job transition would actually accompany. When heroic sacrifices are made later, characters attempt to actively employ the game mechanic solutions to the problem- phoenix downs and a status remover- in logical fashion tying the two together more tightly. A powerful life ending spell for its user is available earlier in the game but cannot be cast with the characters mana pool, making the strain of the moment they do use it and take their life understandable not just at a narrative level but at a mechanical one.
This.... ludonarrative expressiveness? is the true triumph of the game's story to me. Yeah, the story gets more weight and detail than prior entries and yes the heroic sacrifices are better figured out here than FFII, since FFIV doesn't have a progression system that actively punishes getting characters later in the game and its departures aren't as telegraphed as II's "cursed" position 4. (Just about anyone short of Cecil is fair game for leaving the party) But honestly that stuff doesn't strike me as anywhere near as impactful. (And it's worth noting its heroic sacrifices will work against themselves with how much the game is willing to undo them too- not the last time this franchise will make this mistake!) Spoilers for the next review, but I even prefer the writing, pacing and actual story of 5- a game never really lifted up for it- more than 4 baseline. I'm just giving props where they're due here for recognizing the potential of the medium itself in telling these moments.
It was a tight fight overall in the end for me, between this and III, but the progression this does make for the franchise is just so substantial that even finding it a bigger step back in some ways than any entry to date has stepped back is not enough to keep it from taking the top spot. (Well, again, tell the next entry at least....)
4 brings the arrival of one of the franchise's biggest contributions in the atb system. The most immediate impact of this, to me in this specific context coming off ffs 1 - 3, was the reworking of agility and turn order into something far more grokkable/pleasant to plan around. Now, when you tell a party member to do something, you can expect it to happen immediately (or relatively, in the cast of casting) vs having to wonder whether x move will land before or after a teammates ability or attack. Similarly, heal timing can be relied upon more easily- with the added risk management of casts being delayed so item based healing has more appeal in a pinch. You can also delay allied turns a second to respond to crucial enemy actions as quickly as possible or setup combinations of actions with teammates. And on top of all that, it just adds a feeling of speed and energy to the fights outside all the tactical possibilities.
That's not to say it was all a pleasant changeup though. The need to respond quickly can be gamed weirdly by just going in menus. (Although this can be disabled apparently? Not sure what the intended experience is here) That said, the player might want to keep it on intended or not as the UI is not set up to accommodate rapid information processing and decision making well at all. Your commands appear in the bottom left corner of the screen but the party member whose turn it is/turn order itself/health are all displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, so you have to glance all the way over sometimes to even know who youre giving a command to. Furthermore, enemy actions show up at the very top of the screen so if you ARE trying to base your actions or time them around what theyre doing, you need to look at third completely separate point. The game actually maximizes the amount of screen you need to take in at once for.... relatively few things you really need to even look at, which is just bizarre. It's a small quibble to be sure, but just felt it worth noting.
The progressions in combat don't stop at the atb introduction fortunately. Moreso than any prior FF, this game devises new and different strategic considerations from boss to boss and enemy to enemy. (At least, for a good chunk of them) Leveraging curative magic to fight undead is given increased prominence early on when, as a dark knight, Cecil can barely hurt them. Enemies can counterattack now, both generically and even selectively towards magic attacks or debuffs or physical attacks etc. and some of these counters are absolutely brutal- clearly not something the player is just supposed to tank/heal through- enabling the enemy design to demand more precise solutions than just setting your party on auto attack. A group boss battle sees one boss reviving the others if players prioritize incorrectly, another boss goes invulnerable thanks to a wind shield to all but your dragoon who must open up the shield for your party to attack, yet another repels or worse absorbs all attacks while his cape is open asking the player instead to actively utilize the ability of the atb system to let party members pick their moments, dangerous electrical enemies can be "reprogrammed" (ie Confused) with lightning damage to turn the tables, the list goes on and on. You can uncharitably call these fights and their solutions gimmicks, but its a definite progression from the series to date to see so many new ideas tried out across the encounters and it keeps the combat more fresh well into its endgame than prior entries have.
Which is needed coming off III, since the complete lack of any progression system whatsoever has made the naturally growing player investment in seeing their various builds come to life as the game goes on completely absent here. Stepping back from FFIII's true first try at a job system, FFIV sees each playable character in the story locked to a job as dictated by their position in the story. There's little new here too, as most/all? of these identities are built on jobs you could have chosen in III. A couple characters get pivotal job changes at specific story beats but otherwise everyone keeps those jobs all the way through.
While disappointing from a character customization and planning standpoint, it does feed into one of the other massive jumps forward FFIV makes for the franchise- building its character work and narrative moments on top of game mechanics themselves rather than just isolating them to cutscenes. There was the odd forced losing battle in FFII (and maybe the others? can't recall) but now a whole host of scenarios play out in the battle screen itself. The protagonists dramatic job change from dark knight to paladin doesn't happen in a menu or automatically- happens in a battle against himself where the player must very literally stop attacking and start defending to win, mirroring the change in philosophy such a job transition would actually accompany. When heroic sacrifices are made later, characters attempt to actively employ the game mechanic solutions to the problem- phoenix downs and a status remover- in logical fashion tying the two together more tightly. A powerful life ending spell for its user is available earlier in the game but cannot be cast with the characters mana pool, making the strain of the moment they do use it and take their life understandable not just at a narrative level but at a mechanical one.
This.... ludonarrative expressiveness? is the true triumph of the game's story to me. Yeah, the story gets more weight and detail than prior entries and yes the heroic sacrifices are better figured out here than FFII, since FFIV doesn't have a progression system that actively punishes getting characters later in the game and its departures aren't as telegraphed as II's "cursed" position 4. (Just about anyone short of Cecil is fair game for leaving the party) But honestly that stuff doesn't strike me as anywhere near as impactful. (And it's worth noting its heroic sacrifices will work against themselves with how much the game is willing to undo them too- not the last time this franchise will make this mistake!) Spoilers for the next review, but I even prefer the writing, pacing and actual story of 5- a game never really lifted up for it- more than 4 baseline. I'm just giving props where they're due here for recognizing the potential of the medium itself in telling these moments.
It was a tight fight overall in the end for me, between this and III, but the progression this does make for the franchise is just so substantial that even finding it a bigger step back in some ways than any entry to date has stepped back is not enough to keep it from taking the top spot. (Well, again, tell the next entry at least....)
If you asked me how I was enjoying FFIV at around about a third of the way into the game, I would have probably told you "God, I hate this game more than FFII". At that point, I was getting frustrated by the random grind wall and by the revolving door of party members.
However, things got much better from there. Apart from that strange wall at that point and the final dungeon (A series staple at this point having played I-III), much of the game's difficulty progression was smoothed out compared to the NES titles. Playing FFIV in quick succession after I-III made me realize that the designs of the classic FF games goes through these ebbs and flows where old mechanics / design elements are reintroduced in later titles. This title follows II's focus on character and story which does a better better job here (Although some of the scenarios in the story is contrived and Cecil is kind of an idiot).
Other major changes include the change to the battle system where we have a semi-real time combat called ATB. This system was frustrating to me at the beginning but I honestly feel like a lot of that came from the fact that I played the first three Pixel Remasters prior to this and was expecting the same level of battle cadence. Once I got used to the frenetic battle pace, I started to really enjoy this new battle system.
Overall, I can see why a lot of people have fond memories of this game. By the end, you really come to see the bond of these characters and the game is supplemented by incredible music and a faster paced battle system. The story, while spotty, has some real peaks and the goes pretty bonkers at the end. I'm looking forward to the next game where they reintroduce the Job system from III :)
However, things got much better from there. Apart from that strange wall at that point and the final dungeon (A series staple at this point having played I-III), much of the game's difficulty progression was smoothed out compared to the NES titles. Playing FFIV in quick succession after I-III made me realize that the designs of the classic FF games goes through these ebbs and flows where old mechanics / design elements are reintroduced in later titles. This title follows II's focus on character and story which does a better better job here (Although some of the scenarios in the story is contrived and Cecil is kind of an idiot).
Other major changes include the change to the battle system where we have a semi-real time combat called ATB. This system was frustrating to me at the beginning but I honestly feel like a lot of that came from the fact that I played the first three Pixel Remasters prior to this and was expecting the same level of battle cadence. Once I got used to the frenetic battle pace, I started to really enjoy this new battle system.
Overall, I can see why a lot of people have fond memories of this game. By the end, you really come to see the bond of these characters and the game is supplemented by incredible music and a faster paced battle system. The story, while spotty, has some real peaks and the goes pretty bonkers at the end. I'm looking forward to the next game where they reintroduce the Job system from III :)
Didn't expect to love this as much as I did as my first experience with the 'classic' Final Fantasy games. Characters and set pieces were great, gameplay was fun, and I felt that every second of my time was respected. I'll have to sit on it but it might be my favourite mainline Final Fantasy game.
Oh, and best Cid.
Oh, and best Cid.
The first Final Fantasy game that feels like one. The grand writing. The Active Time Battle system. And the giant scripted fights. This game has all of those but does it pretty poorly a lot of the time. The story is dumb and silly but I can't help but connect with some of the characters and key story moments. Most of the characters lack depth like Rosa and Edge but then Rydia is a pretty good character. The combat is fun but not as fun as later uses of the ATB. The dungeons have a bit more depth but still lack complexity. It has the basis of something special, it just needs that final push. But regardless of what I say here, I know how revolutionary this game was back when it was released, no other game had tried doing something so big with its story. And for that, I really respect this game. Looking forward to replaying V next.
6.0/10
6.0/10
This review contains spoilers
Final Fantasy IV is the first entry into the SNES console for the franchise and it makes a fantastic impression. You’ve got war, love, friendship, dedication, repentance, and everything that you’d expect of a Final Fantasy title based on what you’ve experienced with the last 3 titles. From inspiring acts of heroism, to crazy strong adversaries, Final Fantasy IV gives you everything.
The narrative in this story starts with an interesting premise. Your king turns out to be evil and you decide to stand up against him. While on this path you make several allies, some who join you for a time, and some who aid you when you need them. By the end of the game you have 5 party members that all fill a specific role. Overall the game gives you about 6 characters that end up leaving your party and 5 characters that are permanent by the end of the game. The characterization of each party member is better for some and not so great with others. Cecil is the repentant Dark Knight who early in the game becomes a Paladin. Rosa is the White Mage who is in love with Cecil and (when she’s not separated from the party) stays by his side to the very end. Kain is a very vapid character. He’s supposed to be Cecil’s best friend but ends up spending the majority of the game working for the enemy due to mind control (more on that later). Rydia starts off as a whiny child who eventually grows into a more confident and powerful Summoner (and grows up due to time dilation shenanigans). Edge is a Ninja introduced late in the game and is the leader of a fallen kingdom known as Eblan. His character is head over heels for Rydia and tends to (physically) bounce around. Each of these characters have interesting and unique designs. I just wish we had more time with them to define their personalities. We get Rosa early in the game only to lose her, then we find her much later in the game. Once we do, she’s an invaluable asset. Until then you are stuck having to deal with several interchangeable characters that have their own agendas.
Tellah is obsessed with finding his daughter and upon discovering that she’s been killed by Golbez he then swear vengeance against him and marches off and leaves the party. When you get separated from several party members via an attack on the ship by Leviathan, you lose Rydia, Rosa, and Edward. Edward is the prince of Damcyan and lover of Tellah’s daughter. He joins you to help you defeat Golbez only to leave the party after Leviathan’s attack. You wash up on the shores of Mysidia a town you had sieged at the beginning of the game and (somehow) convince them to help you because you’re really really sorry that you killed their people and stole their precious crystal of light. You meet Porom and Polom, they help you for a bit and then they die. You reconnect with Cid, he helps you for a while, and he dies. You meet Yang, he helps you for a time and then dies. Except, none of these characters (except for Tellah who ends up dying when he casts Meteor to defeat Golbez) actually die. For one contrivance or another these characters all survive. Cid literally jumps out of the airship and falls to his death so he can explode the whole leading from the underworld (more on that later) to the overworld. But somehow he survives and is able to help you a few times more afterwards. I don’t have problems with characters going away and coming back but when you kill of a character they need to stay dead. And while we’re on the topic of character death. Not every character needs to go out in a grand act of heroism. None of these characters are “killed” by the villains. I’m willing to forgive Porom and Polom sacrificing themselves and being brought back because they turned themselves into stone and their master came and restored them later. A bit obvious of a plot point but not as indefensible as “killing” off 5 characters and bringing them all back. Even Tellah makes an appearance from the grave by the end of the game.
Now let’s talk about Golbez and Kain. For the majority of the game Golbez is the villain. He rules over the four elemental lords and is on a mission to gather all 8 crystals (4 of light and 4 of darkness). Golbez mind controls Kain three times before you find out that Golbez himself is being mind controlled by the actual villain of the game. Having a “real villain” once the main villain has been stopped isn’t new to this series. That was the done in FFIII. There’s not an issue with that inherently but at least the main villain of FFIII was his own person up until his death. Golbez being mind controlled by Zemus (the real main villain who is of an alien race called the Lunarians) feels like a cheap way to undercut the fact that Golbez has committed several atrocities throughout this narrative. The redeeming factor of this is the fact that they allow for Golbez to be remorseful without expecting the world to forgive him despite it not being his fault. They’re able to avoid undercutting the weight of his actions while still addressing them. His choice to exile himself and stay with the Lunarians is fitting for the character. I still would have preferred Golbez just being a villain in league with Zemus. There was plenty of narrative reason for this. Golbez being Zemus’ son being one of the main reasons.
This game introduces some new and innovative gameplay design. Namely the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. Previously in Final Fantasy you would select all of your team’s actions, the enemy would have preselected actions, and then based on the character’s stats a turn order would play out in which each character would do their selected actions. ATB changes this by giving each character a timer. When the timer fills up that character gets to conduct an action. Most actions are taken as soon as they are selected. I did notice, however, that some actions (namely high level spells and summons) take longer to conduct. A spell like Firaga has the character standing there for an undeclared amount of time casting the spell. The only other action that seems to have a delay is Kain’s Jump action but that makes sense. I don’t think strong spells taking longer to cast is a bad thing. I just wish we were told how long it takes for the character to cast said spell or summon. I’m personally not a fan of ATB but I don’t think it’s a bad system.
Something new they introduce in this game is the black chocobo. These birds can fly over water. You ride it to where you want to go and it stays put when you get off of it. When you get back on it the bird will automatically take you back to the chocobo forest that you found it. It’s a neat feature that is sadly underutilized. It only demands use one time in the game. We get a hovercraft for the first time here too. It’s interesting in its implementation as you need it to access a few dungeons. We also get three different airships. Each one is effectively meant for the three different maps you get to explore. You get an airship that eventually gets a hook designed to pick up the hovercraft to carry it to a late game dungeon. You get an airship that allows you to travel between the underworld and the overworld (as well as fly above lava. This one gets used probably the most. Then lastly we get the Lunar Whale. It’s an aircraft designed to carry our heroes between the planet and the moon. You also use it to travel around the moon. The Lunar Whale is also equipped with a healing station which we also saw in FFIII. Changing between ships is a bit cumbersome but it’s not that bad since there’s a central point in which you change between the ships.
The job system in this game is back to being static only this time you have no choice in what roles your characters fill. Cecil is a Dark Knight and has a good early game multihit move that costs HP to use. Then fairly early on in the game you undergo a trial and Cecil is transformed into a Paladin. He loses the multihit attack and gains some basic white magic along with the ability to protect party members from damage. While it is nice having the ability to create your own party composition and customize characters to the style you want to fill. Having characters with fixed attributes allows the game to present you with unique challenges that require you to play to your character’s strengths and weaknesses. This is well implemented as each area and boss is designed with this in mind. Also every character you meet is a different class with little overlap. This system also helps define the characters better as it gives them more uniqueness. Another nice touch is that we get to experience characters learning spells by leveling up for the first time. Up until now you’ve had to purchase and teach spells to your magic wielding characters. It’s nice not having to budget gil to make sure your mages are properly equipped along with having to buy equipment for them as well but on the other hand this game gives you a large abundance of gil so it really wouldn’t have made a difference. As far as leveling goes I should mention that I don’t spend a lot of time grinding (except for in FFII because of obvious reasons). I did however feel compelled to level grind at two points in the game. I read in patch notes that they lowered the exp given by enemies overall and I don’t think that served the game well. One of two moments in the game that I found myself level grinding are right after Cecil becomes a Paladin and his level is reset to 1, and in the endgame where my party was about 5-10 levels short of being able to handle the dungeon without having to explore to get treasure, warp out to heal, and then rush to the end to save resources for the boss. I spent a collective 2 hours on level grinding which I don’t believe is inherently bad. I do believe that the developers choosing to reduce exp gain which potentially caused this need to grind levels to be problematic.
Dungeons have seen a massive improvement in this title. I think this game does dungeons the best out of the series so far. The dungeons include lots of twists and turns and secret passages that lead to treasure and sometimes nothing at all. Doors almost always have a purpose even if it’s a single treasure chest but pathing is never guaranteed to see a reward. Another interesting mechanic I came upon is casting the spell “Float” on your team to make them avoid taking damage from lava that’s on the ground. This status effect also makes your characters immune to ground spells like “Quake.” Dungeons have interesting boss fights, each with unique mechanics. Some bosses retaliate to being hit by a spell while some are effectively immune to damage unless their sprite is in a specific position. This is a nice way of changing up the battle monotony and making full use of the ATB system. This also requires you to strategize instead of setting up your party’s strongest moves and then auto-battling through. I found some of the bosses in this game to have the most challenging battle mechanics I have faced thus far.
The last thing I want to touch on here is the music. This soundtrack has some gems but overall feels the least inspired of the series. I know the first two games are very repetitive and this game isn’t like that but I find some of the tracks to be interesting but entirely too short. The battle theme has a good, catchy tune but it loops way too soon and leaves me wanting for more. My favorite tracks in this one are “Battle with the Four Fiends,” “Welcome to our Town,” and “Mystic Mysidia.” Some tracks that are worth noting include “Dancing Calcabrena,” “The Lunarians,” and “Battle 2” (which I prefer over “Battle 1”). The tracks that are good are great but the rest just didn’t quite land for me. I don’t think any of the tracks were bad by any means but it just didn’t land for me this time.
Square so far has set (in my mind) a high standard of quality for this series. Final Fantasy IV, while not perfect, meets those expectations. The innovation of a brand new and innovative battle system demands praise. The presentation of the game is well executed. Even though this won’t go down as my favorite Final Fantasy, it has left a lasting impression.
The narrative in this story starts with an interesting premise. Your king turns out to be evil and you decide to stand up against him. While on this path you make several allies, some who join you for a time, and some who aid you when you need them. By the end of the game you have 5 party members that all fill a specific role. Overall the game gives you about 6 characters that end up leaving your party and 5 characters that are permanent by the end of the game. The characterization of each party member is better for some and not so great with others. Cecil is the repentant Dark Knight who early in the game becomes a Paladin. Rosa is the White Mage who is in love with Cecil and (when she’s not separated from the party) stays by his side to the very end. Kain is a very vapid character. He’s supposed to be Cecil’s best friend but ends up spending the majority of the game working for the enemy due to mind control (more on that later). Rydia starts off as a whiny child who eventually grows into a more confident and powerful Summoner (and grows up due to time dilation shenanigans). Edge is a Ninja introduced late in the game and is the leader of a fallen kingdom known as Eblan. His character is head over heels for Rydia and tends to (physically) bounce around. Each of these characters have interesting and unique designs. I just wish we had more time with them to define their personalities. We get Rosa early in the game only to lose her, then we find her much later in the game. Once we do, she’s an invaluable asset. Until then you are stuck having to deal with several interchangeable characters that have their own agendas.
Tellah is obsessed with finding his daughter and upon discovering that she’s been killed by Golbez he then swear vengeance against him and marches off and leaves the party. When you get separated from several party members via an attack on the ship by Leviathan, you lose Rydia, Rosa, and Edward. Edward is the prince of Damcyan and lover of Tellah’s daughter. He joins you to help you defeat Golbez only to leave the party after Leviathan’s attack. You wash up on the shores of Mysidia a town you had sieged at the beginning of the game and (somehow) convince them to help you because you’re really really sorry that you killed their people and stole their precious crystal of light. You meet Porom and Polom, they help you for a bit and then they die. You reconnect with Cid, he helps you for a while, and he dies. You meet Yang, he helps you for a time and then dies. Except, none of these characters (except for Tellah who ends up dying when he casts Meteor to defeat Golbez) actually die. For one contrivance or another these characters all survive. Cid literally jumps out of the airship and falls to his death so he can explode the whole leading from the underworld (more on that later) to the overworld. But somehow he survives and is able to help you a few times more afterwards. I don’t have problems with characters going away and coming back but when you kill of a character they need to stay dead. And while we’re on the topic of character death. Not every character needs to go out in a grand act of heroism. None of these characters are “killed” by the villains. I’m willing to forgive Porom and Polom sacrificing themselves and being brought back because they turned themselves into stone and their master came and restored them later. A bit obvious of a plot point but not as indefensible as “killing” off 5 characters and bringing them all back. Even Tellah makes an appearance from the grave by the end of the game.
Now let’s talk about Golbez and Kain. For the majority of the game Golbez is the villain. He rules over the four elemental lords and is on a mission to gather all 8 crystals (4 of light and 4 of darkness). Golbez mind controls Kain three times before you find out that Golbez himself is being mind controlled by the actual villain of the game. Having a “real villain” once the main villain has been stopped isn’t new to this series. That was the done in FFIII. There’s not an issue with that inherently but at least the main villain of FFIII was his own person up until his death. Golbez being mind controlled by Zemus (the real main villain who is of an alien race called the Lunarians) feels like a cheap way to undercut the fact that Golbez has committed several atrocities throughout this narrative. The redeeming factor of this is the fact that they allow for Golbez to be remorseful without expecting the world to forgive him despite it not being his fault. They’re able to avoid undercutting the weight of his actions while still addressing them. His choice to exile himself and stay with the Lunarians is fitting for the character. I still would have preferred Golbez just being a villain in league with Zemus. There was plenty of narrative reason for this. Golbez being Zemus’ son being one of the main reasons.
This game introduces some new and innovative gameplay design. Namely the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. Previously in Final Fantasy you would select all of your team’s actions, the enemy would have preselected actions, and then based on the character’s stats a turn order would play out in which each character would do their selected actions. ATB changes this by giving each character a timer. When the timer fills up that character gets to conduct an action. Most actions are taken as soon as they are selected. I did notice, however, that some actions (namely high level spells and summons) take longer to conduct. A spell like Firaga has the character standing there for an undeclared amount of time casting the spell. The only other action that seems to have a delay is Kain’s Jump action but that makes sense. I don’t think strong spells taking longer to cast is a bad thing. I just wish we were told how long it takes for the character to cast said spell or summon. I’m personally not a fan of ATB but I don’t think it’s a bad system.
Something new they introduce in this game is the black chocobo. These birds can fly over water. You ride it to where you want to go and it stays put when you get off of it. When you get back on it the bird will automatically take you back to the chocobo forest that you found it. It’s a neat feature that is sadly underutilized. It only demands use one time in the game. We get a hovercraft for the first time here too. It’s interesting in its implementation as you need it to access a few dungeons. We also get three different airships. Each one is effectively meant for the three different maps you get to explore. You get an airship that eventually gets a hook designed to pick up the hovercraft to carry it to a late game dungeon. You get an airship that allows you to travel between the underworld and the overworld (as well as fly above lava. This one gets used probably the most. Then lastly we get the Lunar Whale. It’s an aircraft designed to carry our heroes between the planet and the moon. You also use it to travel around the moon. The Lunar Whale is also equipped with a healing station which we also saw in FFIII. Changing between ships is a bit cumbersome but it’s not that bad since there’s a central point in which you change between the ships.
The job system in this game is back to being static only this time you have no choice in what roles your characters fill. Cecil is a Dark Knight and has a good early game multihit move that costs HP to use. Then fairly early on in the game you undergo a trial and Cecil is transformed into a Paladin. He loses the multihit attack and gains some basic white magic along with the ability to protect party members from damage. While it is nice having the ability to create your own party composition and customize characters to the style you want to fill. Having characters with fixed attributes allows the game to present you with unique challenges that require you to play to your character’s strengths and weaknesses. This is well implemented as each area and boss is designed with this in mind. Also every character you meet is a different class with little overlap. This system also helps define the characters better as it gives them more uniqueness. Another nice touch is that we get to experience characters learning spells by leveling up for the first time. Up until now you’ve had to purchase and teach spells to your magic wielding characters. It’s nice not having to budget gil to make sure your mages are properly equipped along with having to buy equipment for them as well but on the other hand this game gives you a large abundance of gil so it really wouldn’t have made a difference. As far as leveling goes I should mention that I don’t spend a lot of time grinding (except for in FFII because of obvious reasons). I did however feel compelled to level grind at two points in the game. I read in patch notes that they lowered the exp given by enemies overall and I don’t think that served the game well. One of two moments in the game that I found myself level grinding are right after Cecil becomes a Paladin and his level is reset to 1, and in the endgame where my party was about 5-10 levels short of being able to handle the dungeon without having to explore to get treasure, warp out to heal, and then rush to the end to save resources for the boss. I spent a collective 2 hours on level grinding which I don’t believe is inherently bad. I do believe that the developers choosing to reduce exp gain which potentially caused this need to grind levels to be problematic.
Dungeons have seen a massive improvement in this title. I think this game does dungeons the best out of the series so far. The dungeons include lots of twists and turns and secret passages that lead to treasure and sometimes nothing at all. Doors almost always have a purpose even if it’s a single treasure chest but pathing is never guaranteed to see a reward. Another interesting mechanic I came upon is casting the spell “Float” on your team to make them avoid taking damage from lava that’s on the ground. This status effect also makes your characters immune to ground spells like “Quake.” Dungeons have interesting boss fights, each with unique mechanics. Some bosses retaliate to being hit by a spell while some are effectively immune to damage unless their sprite is in a specific position. This is a nice way of changing up the battle monotony and making full use of the ATB system. This also requires you to strategize instead of setting up your party’s strongest moves and then auto-battling through. I found some of the bosses in this game to have the most challenging battle mechanics I have faced thus far.
The last thing I want to touch on here is the music. This soundtrack has some gems but overall feels the least inspired of the series. I know the first two games are very repetitive and this game isn’t like that but I find some of the tracks to be interesting but entirely too short. The battle theme has a good, catchy tune but it loops way too soon and leaves me wanting for more. My favorite tracks in this one are “Battle with the Four Fiends,” “Welcome to our Town,” and “Mystic Mysidia.” Some tracks that are worth noting include “Dancing Calcabrena,” “The Lunarians,” and “Battle 2” (which I prefer over “Battle 1”). The tracks that are good are great but the rest just didn’t quite land for me. I don’t think any of the tracks were bad by any means but it just didn’t land for me this time.
Square so far has set (in my mind) a high standard of quality for this series. Final Fantasy IV, while not perfect, meets those expectations. The innovation of a brand new and innovative battle system demands praise. The presentation of the game is well executed. Even though this won’t go down as my favorite Final Fantasy, it has left a lasting impression.
Final Fantasy IV is neat because the story pacing is absolutely frenetic. Characters die/revive/betray/un-betray you every 15 minutes or so.
The boost of the Pixel Remaster (at least the Switch version) makes the game really easy and snappy. There is almost zero challenge in the game's systems, it's more just trying on turn-based JRPG clothes.
This is a very breezy way to experience the world of Final Fantasy IV and looks good on Switch's handheld screen.
The remixed music is cool... but the original was also great and didn't really need touching up.
I still don't really understand the philosophy of these pixel remasters? I believe there was some talk of making them look better on a modern screen but these sprites are big and chunky... they look like sprites designed for a CRT but on an LED... why not design higher-resolution sprites? I don't hate it I just genuinely do not understand why they have done it. Seems like emulating the original and adding some bells and whistles could have been just about as good? Anyway, this is the modern way to play FFIV and it's a pretty good one!
The boost of the Pixel Remaster (at least the Switch version) makes the game really easy and snappy. There is almost zero challenge in the game's systems, it's more just trying on turn-based JRPG clothes.
This is a very breezy way to experience the world of Final Fantasy IV and looks good on Switch's handheld screen.
The remixed music is cool... but the original was also great and didn't really need touching up.
I still don't really understand the philosophy of these pixel remasters? I believe there was some talk of making them look better on a modern screen but these sprites are big and chunky... they look like sprites designed for a CRT but on an LED... why not design higher-resolution sprites? I don't hate it I just genuinely do not understand why they have done it. Seems like emulating the original and adding some bells and whistles could have been just about as good? Anyway, this is the modern way to play FFIV and it's a pretty good one!
First time playing FFIV, mainly with the knowledge going in these remasters come with the 4x EXP/Gil buff, and thank christ they were added along with the random encounter switch, because you can see exactly where this game would grind to a halt with difficulty spikes. The last dungeon in particular just looks utterly miserable to plough through.
Thankfully, with these additions I was able to breeze through the campaign in just over 10 hours. Overall, FFIV does feel unremarkable, but that's only against the context of what would come after. The story is a basic redemption arc for the main character, but has enough enjoyable companions to see the thing through, and even manages to pull of moments of effective story telling, but it also doesn't commit to those beats (looks directly at the twins). It's like if Aerith was revivied in FFVII - it just wouldn't have the same impact.
Not being a fan of the FF games where they fuck around with the battle system (hello VIII) I have no issue with the basic mechanics of combat here but I understand everyone will have a different view of this.
Crucially, though, holy shit this soundtrack hits so hard. Being an outsider to FF, I have basic understandings of which OSTs are revered for, and FFIV never came up in the conversations I had with friends who love the series, and I'm stunned because FFIV stands up head and shoulders against any other game from the series.
Thankfully, with these additions I was able to breeze through the campaign in just over 10 hours. Overall, FFIV does feel unremarkable, but that's only against the context of what would come after. The story is a basic redemption arc for the main character, but has enough enjoyable companions to see the thing through, and even manages to pull of moments of effective story telling, but it also doesn't commit to those beats (looks directly at the twins). It's like if Aerith was revivied in FFVII - it just wouldn't have the same impact.
Not being a fan of the FF games where they fuck around with the battle system (hello VIII) I have no issue with the basic mechanics of combat here but I understand everyone will have a different view of this.
Crucially, though, holy shit this soundtrack hits so hard. Being an outsider to FF, I have basic understandings of which OSTs are revered for, and FFIV never came up in the conversations I had with friends who love the series, and I'm stunned because FFIV stands up head and shoulders against any other game from the series.
This is where Final Fantasy truly came completely into its own. The twist, the turns, the characters, the ups and downs of the story, the atb battle system, the beautiful music, Final Fantasy IV built off the strides of the NES trilogy and made the first truly great game that helped make this series a juggernaut in the industry.
This is the first time the characters had real depth to them which made you care more about them and the story as you want them to succeed. The story has many twist and turns and over arching theme of redemption. It’s honestly very average overall but mind blowingly deep for the year it came out.
This is the first time the music was FF level masterpiece level. The art obviously going from NES to SNES was a huge upgrade over the original trilogy. The character sprites are some of my favorite in the entire series.
The ATB battler system was revolutionary for the JRPG genre. It was adopted by most RPGs and stayed in Final Fantasy for well over a decade.
I played this game as a kid after playing FFVI and VII so it felt like I was going backwards and as a result I didn’t have great memories of it. However as an adult I actually not only enjoyed it a lot more but was able to see its importance in the genre and the small details that truely make this entry shine. This is a must play for any JRPG fan.
This is the first time the characters had real depth to them which made you care more about them and the story as you want them to succeed. The story has many twist and turns and over arching theme of redemption. It’s honestly very average overall but mind blowingly deep for the year it came out.
This is the first time the music was FF level masterpiece level. The art obviously going from NES to SNES was a huge upgrade over the original trilogy. The character sprites are some of my favorite in the entire series.
The ATB battler system was revolutionary for the JRPG genre. It was adopted by most RPGs and stayed in Final Fantasy for well over a decade.
I played this game as a kid after playing FFVI and VII so it felt like I was going backwards and as a result I didn’t have great memories of it. However as an adult I actually not only enjoyed it a lot more but was able to see its importance in the genre and the small details that truely make this entry shine. This is a must play for any JRPG fan.
The only Pixel Remaster I wouldn't recommend as the definitive way to play its respective game. On its own it's fine, but the much simpler script and easier gameplay stick out a lot compared to the 3D version (which I prefer). Worth checking out still especially if you get the collection, but as a companion piece to FFIV 3D rather than replacing it
IV was the entry of the franchise I loved the most as a child. It doesn’t quite hold up to my fond memories of it but it’s still a good game. I also had to dock half a star for the remaster being surprisingly laggy at times.
3★ - I like the game.
This was the first time beating this game, my first experience with Final Fantasy IV was with the DS remake and I wasn't that great at the time and wasn't able to finish it.
So it was fun to finally play through all the bits I knew about. It's a very simple story yet had me engaged nonetheless. Same goes for the characters. They are super simple and don't do "much" during the story yet they were super lovable all the same so the writers had to have been doing something right. My favourite in the end was Rydia and tied with Edge just trying to be cool around her.
Solid RPG experience and it made me excited to retry the 3D remake someday.
This was the first time beating this game, my first experience with Final Fantasy IV was with the DS remake and I wasn't that great at the time and wasn't able to finish it.
So it was fun to finally play through all the bits I knew about. It's a very simple story yet had me engaged nonetheless. Same goes for the characters. They are super simple and don't do "much" during the story yet they were super lovable all the same so the writers had to have been doing something right. My favourite in the end was Rydia and tied with Edge just trying to be cool around her.
Solid RPG experience and it made me excited to retry the 3D remake someday.
I'm glad I played the Remaster version, because you can avoid all the drag from the grinding you have to do on the later parts of the game.
This might be my hottest take for the franchise but I didn't fall in love with this one like everyone else. The character stories are all just reskins of one another almost entirely 1:1, the party members get cycled too quickly to really establish a bond with any individual character, and the huge twist at the end is really of absolutely no consequence to anything that transpired in the story other than just being a shock value moment for the protag. Twists are supposed to make you re-evaluate and re-contextualize everything that happened in the game. Not to mention the character arc that Cecil goes through actually seems to make him WEAKER in the back half to the point of becoming my most useless party member for the final fight.
The game still stands on its own but it feels like I missed what made this game special for everyone else. I suppose it may just be my lack of nostalgia for this entry, though.
The best thing it did for the franchise was the ATB gauge, if nothing else, in my opinion. I'd argue FF2 had a stronger story and did an extremely similar twist significantly better.
The game still stands on its own but it feels like I missed what made this game special for everyone else. I suppose it may just be my lack of nostalgia for this entry, though.
The best thing it did for the franchise was the ATB gauge, if nothing else, in my opinion. I'd argue FF2 had a stronger story and did an extremely similar twist significantly better.
A very interesting story with a lot of plot twists that I did not expect. If I had one major complaint it would be that the game throws a lot of huge changes at you in quick succession without really giving any of them time to breathe. Narrative whiplash is real in this one, and dialogue later in the game indicates that even the developers (or at the very least, the localization team) were fully aware of the meme-ified levels character deaths.