User Score
8.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 68 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 68
  2. Negative: 6 out of 68

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  1. JackH
    Aug 19, 2008
    7
    Great game. Much better than the awful Final Fantasy III iteration that had absolutely NO redeemable qualities (basic good vs. evil plot with NO character development). I digress, this game has what makes an rpg great...but my one big nag (CON) is the battle speed. GRUELINGLY slooooowww. Even with battle speed set to max it still takes forever to do anything. seriously, was near 20 seconds of waiting b/w attack turns. To make matters worse still...an enemy had cast SLOW on me...i already felt as though i had omega slow cast on me without any enemy help :P. but when slow is cast on you it's 2x worse (>_<). This is the only thing that hinders this game imo. but it is so annoying that it hurts it by 3 points...sorry but i don't have all day to wait to fight mobs in an rpg. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. JackH
    Jul 29, 2008
    10
    A fantastic remake that's great for people new to the game and old-schoolers alike! Perfectly tweaked difficulty, and the augment system surprised me with its enjoyable diversity. It's fun to see all the cut scenes more fleshed out, the dialogue is much more well-written throughout, and there are a couple significant additions to the story (one part, in particular).
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. HarshCritic
    Feb 20, 2009
    1
    This has to be one of the crappiest games i've ever played, the start is incredibly boring and it gets extremely tedious f you keep running into monsters. pathetic attempt of an RPG
    • 0 of 5 users said yes
  4. TroyP.
    Jul 28, 2008
    10
    This is the greatest RPG of all time. Amazing story, great characters, and challenging gameplay.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. MikeG
    Dec 2, 2009
    6
    It's kind of hard for me to get excited about a game that was released just a few years ago on GBA. Sure it looks nice, but that really doesn't justify it.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. ThomasW
    Feb 8, 2009
    10
    Nostalgic perfection - I cannot have asked for a more faithful and gorgeous reimagining of this landmark game. Definitely a 10!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. RIchC
    Oct 22, 2008
    9
    I had only played III on DS in the series before this and this is much much better. Only fault is that the last boss is too easy, and the battle system can be little slow early on in the game, apart from that an absolute great game.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. AnonymousMC
    Dec 24, 2008
    10
    I love Final Fantasy 4 DS! Whenever I have nothing to do, I always play it. It's enough to warm gamer's hearts from the 1991 SNES Version.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. FouadM
    Sep 29, 2008
    10
    Great game, almost better than the original! Certainly a better version for the modern generation.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. Oct 23, 2010
    8
    A real good example on how to remake a great game up to modern standards. This game is a good reflection of the original while improving on new areas of the game.
  11. Nov 4, 2010
    9
    As I play through all the games in order (I'm currently on VI), this is my favorite of the first five. The story has anything you could possibly ask for in a fantasy story. There are plenty of likeable characters (well voiced in the cinematic scenes as well), and the gameplay is a lot of fun. Me personally, I enjoy not having to deal with the job system because it just adds too many more variables that I have to worry about. It's irritating for me to have to try things over and over because I'm not using the right classes, and then when I do, I have to level them up all over again. Here, the characters are cut and dry. Some are knights, some are dragoons, some are monks, etc. Another plus is that you can have 5 people in your party at once, which is the most of the first six games at least, so you can really lay the smack down on the enemies you fight. With everything I've said, I realize I can't say much that hasn't already been said, if anything. Final Fantasy IV has to be one of the highlights of the series, and even played out of context with III or V, it's a really fun game. Expand
  12. Apr 9, 2011
    6
    This game is a true classic, one of the quintessential games of the genre. Anyone that's played the original SNES title and liked it will be able to go on and on about how they liked it. The bard is still spoony, and hang it all I cracked up all over again once I hit that line. The graphics are good, and on the whole the game stays true to the original. So why the 6 rating? Because the %^*#!$* thing after a point becomes as hard as trying to solo an original Everquest character to the level cap while pretending the bazaar doesn't exist. While the high level of customization helped mitigate this somewhat, I found myself grinding far more than I felt was fun. By the end of the game, I simply felt overwhelmed as the difficulty combined with an overly complex skill system. Sure, I felt rewarded after I beat it, but the next time I play through this game, I'll replace the memory battery in the original cart and play it on my SNES. Expand
  13. Feb 23, 2012
    10
    The best RPG experience on the DS, it's simply great. The graphics are excellent for the DS, there are full VA cutscenes weaved into the story, lots of customization and everything that FFIII missed. Active time battle system is still great after all these years and the difficulty keeps you on your toes. A game you don't want to miss on the DS.
  14. Mar 20, 2012
    10
    The best RPG of Nintendo DS. It is a very beautiful Final Fantasy, with an interesting and unforgettable history and a few prominent figures. New and powerful graphs, great game play, spectacular intro, precious music and little more that to ask.
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 52
  2. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. 73
    If you are a big fan, then I can't see you being disappointed with the game unless you really hate the graphical style or the voices.
  2. 95
    Ultimately, Final Fantasy IV remains the same epic experience it was 17 years ago, and improvements on the DS are a welcome treat for fans of the series and newcomers to the franchise. [Aug 2008, p.80]
  3. The developers have done everything they needed to do to win over a new generation of Final Fantasy IV fans, but they've done disappointingly little to appeal to the existing ones. [Aug 2008, p.86]