FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS
FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS
Game
Game2021
FINAL FANTASY IV
Developer Square Enix
The original FINAL FANTASY IV comes to life with completely new graphics and audio! A remodeled 2D take on the fourth game in the world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series! Enjoy the timeless story told through charming retro graphics. From the Steam store page
349 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
96
LovedLoved
214 positive · 9 negative
95% range 93–98%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 214 | 9 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 36 | 3 | 64 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 22 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,114 of 2,271 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
96% recommend · 202 yes, 9 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 211 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (2,834 of 3,090 positive).
Players praise Final Fantasy IV for its character-driven story and emotional depth. [1][2][3] Many consider it a landmark entry that defined the series' identity. [1][4][5] Some reviewers criticize the Pixel Remaster for missing content from other versions. [6][7]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
FFIV is legitimately where Final Fantasy became Final Fantasy. Everything people associate with the series' identity either starts here or gets its first real dry run here, and a lot of it goes straight into FFVI later. FFIV is the game that introduced the ATB system, battles stopped being fully turn based and started running in real time, giving fights actual urgency instead of everyone politely waiting their turn. …
- [3]
What makes Final Fantasy IV special is its cast. Every character that joins your party has a purpose and a story. The sacrifices made along the way felt real and impactful, which is rare for a game of this era. I felt a genuine connection to Cecil’s companions. The way the game handles loss and courage is top-tier. I just finished it, and I’m still thinking about those key story moments. A legendary RPG.
- [11]
Final Fantasy IV feels like watching a medieval soap opera where everyone has a dramatic revelation every few minutes and honestly, it’s great entertainment. Cecil is out here having a full identity crisis, Golbez is stirring up trouble like he’s paid by the plot twist and Rosa keeps getting kidnapped so often I’m starting to think it’s her hobby. The story still hits, the music still slaps and the random encounters …
- [2]
Final Fantasy IV is one of the most important games in the series and a major step forward for RPG storytelling. It introduced a more character-driven narrative, which makes it stand out even today. The story is a big highlight, following Cecil and his journey from a dark knight to a hero. The characters feel more developed than in earlier games, and the plot has more emotional moments that keep you engaged. The …
- [4]
Within the first four hours of Final Fantasy IV, I could already tell this game was a huge leap forward compared to the previous three games. I can only imagine how people must have felt playing this on the SNES back then and just being in awe of how much every part of the game had improved, especially compared to FF1. The emphasis on characters, story, and cinematic scenes really sets this game apart from the 8-bit …
Summarised from 34 of the 326 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
96% of the 211 Steam reviewers we collected recommend FINAL FANTASY IV. The complaint that keeps coming up: frequent party changes can be frustrating. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 349 · most liked firstFinal Fantasy IV was the first Final Fantasy game I played as a kid. And my first JRPG. Cecil, Kain, Rydia, Rosa, and Edge all remain some of my favorite characters. Whenever I play it again, I can't help but smile. Is it the best Final Fantasy?Probably not. Is it special to me? Yes. Always.
positive · AI labelView post →Happy 34th Anniversary to Final Fantasy IV. The first Final Fantasy game I really enjoyed. The combination of visuals, story, music, characters, gameplay was unmatched by other early SNES RPGs.
positive · AI labelView post →Final Fantasy IV is such a great game and deserves so much love for setting the template for what Final Fantasy would become. It's been so fun playing it again with the Pixel Remaster, and I'm remembering why it made me a Final Fantasy fan in the first place.
positive · AI labelView post →Final Fantasy IV was the first Final Fantasy game I played as a kid. And my first JRPG. Cecil, Kain, Rydia, Rosa, and Edge all remain some of my favorite characters. Whenever I play it again, I can't help but smile. Is it the BEST Final Fantasy? Probably not. Is it special to me? Yes. Always.
positive · AI labelView post →Final Fantasy IV The After Years 17th anniversary illustration by Rika Okazaki. The game recently released on Apple Arcade.
neutral · AI labelView post →YAMAOH is playing game music again today! The song is Battle 2 from the popular RPG Final Fantasy II (released as Final Fantasy IV in Japan). Its fast-paced beat and tense musical progression really help pump up the spirit to face today's challenges!
neutral · AI labelView post →Incredible Rosa and Rydia cosplay from Final Fantasy IV at #kupocon 🤩 Cosplayers (Instagram) Rosa - queenamydalacosplay Rydia - shadelette_
neutral · AI labelView post →Bro tell me why when our plane had insane turbulence, I was FURIOUSLY saving my Final Fantasy IV game on my Switch 😭 I guess “save before every major event” is drilled into me no matter the circumstance
neutral · AI labelView post →Final Fantasy IV turns 35 🎂 I've long believed this is the best one to start with if you're interested in Final Fantasy. It's the game where the series really found its stride, and kicked off an incredible 10 year run from 1991-2001.
positive · AI labelView post →Happy 35 years of Final Fantasy IV! The first truly GREAT Final Fantasy game..? We'll be playing this live for the first time in two hours, see you there! #FF4 #FinalFantasy #FFIV35
positive · AI labelView post →Is this the end? Am I finally finishing the first Final Fantasy game I ever played when I was a child?! Let's finish this! (Finale??) of Final Fantasy IV begins! Live now! 👇 twitch.tv/hunt_traindx #twitch #twitchstreamer #twitchaffiliate #finalfantasy #finalfantasyiv
neutral · AI labelView post →FINAL FANTASY III (3D Remake) www.gog.com/game/final_f... FINAL FANTASY IV (3D Remake) www.gog.com/game/final_f... FINAL FANTASY VIII – Remastered www.gog.com/game/final_f... FINAL FANTASY IX www.gog.com/game/final_f...
neutral · AI labelView post →socialist ‘Bernie-Bro”, who claims to be poor, posted yesterday about purchasing the video’s game Final Fantasy IV when we have it on good authority that they already own it on at least four other platforms, INCLUDING on an exotic piece of luxury technology known as a “Wonder Swan Color”
neutral · AI labelView post →Those who pre-order the game will unlock the 'Magitek Airship Passkey' which alters the appearance of the game's airship to resemble the Lunar Whale that appeared in Final Fantasy IV. More about Final Fantasy Resonance: novacrystallis.com/2026/06/fina... 🎞️SQEX
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been dealing with anxiety and low spoons this past week with current world events. I wasn't feeling up for Persona 5 Royal tonight with very heavy themes. Instead, I will be going back to a comfort game for me, Final Fantasy IV. ❤️ #twitch #twitchstreamer #finalfantasy twitch.tv/hunt_traindx
positive · AI labelView post →Wow, we did it! I didn't think we would finish the game today, but we did! I'm very excited, because this means we're playing Final Fantasy IV next! But now I have to decide whether I'm playing the US FFII (which is easier) or if I choose original JP release (no Pixel Remaster or other remakes).
neutral · AI labelView post →A while ago, I mentioned a mystery game that I got from the summer sale. And that being Final Fantasy IV. I'm super excited to play this game as it's been on my radar for a long time, and it definitely seems up my alley in terms of vibes. Well, without further ado, let's get into it!
positive · AI labelView post →I defeated Zeromus in my Final Fantasy IV Free Enterprise run! This means that I've cleared the game for the Dragon Council Archipelago! Definitely doing more FF4:FE and Archipelago in the future.
positive · AI labelView post →New games announcements are happening but 'm just taking a minute to relax and finish Lunar. Silly how misty-eyed this game makes me! If there were two games I'd tell people to play to "understand" RPGs, it would probably be Final Fantasy IV and this. A quintessential game for the genre!
positive · AI labelView post →The most re-released Final Fantasy game celebrates one of its birthdays today! It has been 14 years since Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection was released for the PSP, featuring a gorgeous remastered version of the game and The After Years. Listen: www.rpgfan.com/revie...
neutral · AI labelView post →Very excited to be starting a stream of Final Fantasy IV today! Despite some flaws, I've decided to use the fan edited Namingway Edition that brings the game closer to its original Japanese Super Famicom release in its difficulty. We start in about an hour, at 12:00 Noon PST! www.twitch.tv/marzgurl
neutral · AI labelView post →It's #RandomGameSaturday! 💗 I use a randomizer to choose a random game from my collection! This week, it's Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PS1! This game is a compilation of Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, and it added some really neat cutscenes to the games!
neutral · AI labelView post →Grinding in Final Fantasy IV today! I'm going to hopefully beat the game for the first time ever tomorrow 👀
neutral · AI labelView post →Starting Final Fantasy IV (the FFII version) on stream tonight! I've also got this Nintendo Power issue that we'll read alongside the game! Be live in a few minutes at twitch.tv/SpaceRobotArm
neutral · AI labelView post →A New Game has BEGUN! FINAL FANTASY IV! Come and join the adventure! twitch.tv/Montyglu
neutral · AI labelView post →Time IV a new game… I’m trying out Final Fantasy IV for the first time! Come join Twitch.tv/harliquinjester
neutral · AI labelView post →Finally beat Final Fantasy IV!! And omg absolutely amazing start to the year gaming wise, holy crap the game is so good. I suck ass at RPGs so the final boss had me down to the wire and it felt awesome. Absolute banger game, they really cooked on SNES. I am now, truly, a Final Fantasy fan
positive · AI labelView post →The poster in the July 1991 issue of Nintendo Power shows a screenshot from Final Fantasy IV with a party lineup that is not possible in the final game.
neutral · AI labelView post →Hear... Feel... Think... Play... Share... The adventures of the FINAL FANTASY BOOK CLUB will begin on May 13, 2026! Our inaugural game: first released on the SNES in 1991, following a knight on the path to redemption, it's FINAL FANTASY IV! Stay tuned for more details! #FFBookClub
neutral · AI labelView post →🎉 ANNIVERSARY SALE 🎉 TODAY ONLY—Take 25% OFF all Final Fantasy IV items to celebrate the 33rd Anniversary of the US release of the game as Final Fantasy II! www.etsy.com/shop/JoypadL...
neutral · AI labelView post →Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass: Disco Elysium, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Final Fantasy IV and more! news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/0...
neutral · AI labelView post →Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the best video game would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the best video game is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here, it is Final Fantasy IV,’ or ‘There, it is RoadBlasters,’ because the best video game is within you*.”
neutral · AI labelView post →And that’s Final Fantasy IV! 34:40 was the final playtime. Onto Chrono Trigger next
neutral · AI labelView post →Cawfee Fantasy continues! Now starting my replay of Final Fantasy IV, one of the first JRPGs that truly made me a fan of the genre when I was a kid 🥹 While the game focuses on a fixed character job system for the narrative, the story and characters are wonderful 😌 #FinalFantasyIV #CawfeeFantasy
positive · AI labelView post →I have never beaten an SNES game until tonight. Folks that know me know how much I love Final Fantasy IV. So… I took to playing through the original all the way through.
positive · AI labelView post →First Game: Sonic Riders Last Game Played: Final Fantasy IV (tis what I'm currently playing anyway) Favorite Game: Persona 3 Portable Worst Game: Most multiplayer shooters, Marvel Rivals being the worst. Game I've Played the Most: Sonic 3K / Sonic Rush Most Surprising: Cyberpunk 2077
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy 35th anniversary Final Fantasy IV! What are your fond memories of this legendary game?
neutral · AI labelView post →Produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi and directed by Takashi Tokita (Final Fantasy IV designer and Chrono Trigger director), Parasite Eve was SquareSoft’s first M-rated game, blending cinematic survival horror with RPG elements.
neutral · AI labelView post →Four games that were my favorite game during various points in my life!🎮 -- Phantasie II -- Final Fantasy IV -- Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne -- NieR
neutral · AI labelView post →Stream schedule for the week! We're starting our next playthrough... Final Fantasy IV! A game from my childhood. Monday's stream time might start earlier depending on how busy I am!
neutral · AI labelView post →Day 2: Favorite Final Fantasy I want to be clear that this isn’t the Final Fantasy I think is the best, this is my favorite. I have more memories from Final Fantasy IV than any other game in the series and no game sends me back to my childhood harder, Final Fantasy or otherwise.
positive · AI labelView post →I'll be live again with more Final Fantasy IV, starting an hour from now! I'm pretty late into the game and have spent a little time level grinding, so let's see if we can wrap this up in the next couple streams. See you soon, at 12:00 Noon PST! http://www.twitch.tv/marzgurl
positive · AI labelView post →After having hesitated with the SNES version, I finally installed the PSP version of Final Fantasy IV on my Steam Deck ✨ ➡️ Video: mastodon.social/@Gamrok/1128... The game runs like a charm 🤩 #FinalFantasy #ファイナルファンタジー #Squaresoft #SonyPSP #SteamDeck #JRPG #RetroGaming
positive · AI labelView post →FFIV is legitimately where Final Fantasy became Final Fantasy. Everything people associate with the series' identity either starts here or gets its first real dry run here, and a lot of it goes straight into FFVI later. FFIV is the game that introduced the ATB system, battles stopped being fully turn based and started running in real time, giving fights actual urgency instead of everyone politely waiting their turn. Every ATB game after this owes its combat pacing to FFIV. It's also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#RandomGameSaturday — Final Fantasy IV Advance, a fantastic port of the original game with extra content and revised localization. As to how it relates to Valentine's Day…uhm…oh yeah, the famous 'Theme of Love' comes from this game, so that counts, right?
neutral · AI labelView post →Hello. Sharing my Walkthrough: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL957yPFpIoy8JDIpxdcXX9mZ-qJS4aCi6&si=kkwSqxxI1D64N5w2 Summary: Final Fantasy IV is a fantasy role-playing game that follows Cecil Harvey, a dark knight serving the Kingdom of Baron, who begins to question his loyalty after being ordered to commit cruel acts in the name of power. Wracked with guilt, Cecil abandons his role and seeks redemption, eventually becoming a paladin dedicated to protecting others. Alongside a growing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Official artworks from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. Artists: Akira Oguro, Yoshitaka Amano More art from the game: www.creativeuncut.com/art_final-fa...
neutral · AI labelView post →Today's "What I'm playing": Continuing with Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster! Still very early in the game but the party is starting to take shape. The battle theme is still excellent 👌
positive · AI labelView post →That was my first Final Fantasy game back around 2005-2010 on the GBA, I got stuck 3/4 late into the game as I rarely used guides back then. I am on a journey to 100% all Final Fantasy, maybe up to VI (6) 100% completion review The story is great, the visuals is good, it's less experimental and more story driven. There are things to farm for 100%, namely rare summons and the notorious pink tail (took me 90mins of miserable farming). There isn't as much of hidden objects and a reasonable…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is my second favorite Final Fantasy game. I have won this on several different consoles. And I was able to win it again on PC. I highly recommend this game. I rate this game a 5 out of 5.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Absolute Cinema" Each of the first four Final Fantasy's were special in their own ways. But this feels like the moment they made something truly special. Incredible game and one of my favorite in recent memory.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Four games that were my favorite game during various points in my life!🎮 -- Mega Man 2 -- Final Fantasy IV -- Ys Origin -- Celeste
neutral · AI labelView post →Final Fantasy IV is one of the most important games in the series and a major step forward for RPG storytelling. It introduced a more character-driven narrative, which makes it stand out even today. The story is a big highlight, following Cecil and his journey from a dark knight to a hero. The characters feel more developed than in earlier games, and the plot has more emotional moments that keep you engaged. The gameplay introduces the Active Time Battle system, which adds a sense of urgency…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I understand that this is the most beginner friendly Final Fantasy out and at the time was great but today it is quite meh.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The challenge is to choose 20 games that greatly influenced you. One game per day, for 20 days. No explanations, no reviews, no particular order. #GameChallenge #Games #GameDev #PromoSky Day 2- Final Fantasy IV
neutral · AI labelView post →Final Fantasy IV might have a Looney Tunes ass story with a revolving door of character deaths and gameplay that's arguably less flexibly designed than the entry just prior to it ...but damn if it's not a Final Fantasy ass Final Fantasy game. First time replaying it in over 10 years.
positive · AI labelView post →My *first* video game was Dung Beetles. The first video game that made me go "HMMM!" was Super Mario Bros. But the game that really made me love the medium was Final Fantasy IV, known at the time in North America as Final Fantasy II. It was the first game that I beat multiple times. Also: paladin!
positive · AI labelView post →The first game that comes to mind is Final Fantasy IV. We rented it on a whim when I was little, and I was blown away by how deep the story was for the time. I was disappointed when we had to return it, because I knew I'd barely scratched the surface yet.
positive · AI labelView post →finished Final Fantasy IV so I can finally start the other game I’m suppose to be playing for #jrpgjuly
neutral · AI labelView post →Art Trade for a pal of mine on dA. C: He asked me to draw Rosa Farrell and Cecil Harvey (from Final Fantasy IV) in outfits (he created) that they might wear if in the mobile game Dissidia Duellum. =D #FinalFantasy #DissidiaDuellum #artsky
neutral · AI labelView post →
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