FINAL FANTASY IV
FINAL FANTASY IV
Game
Game2015
FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS
Developer Square Enix
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is an episodic role-playing video game co-developed by Matrix Software and Square Enix, as the sequel to the 1991 title Final Fantasy IV. Set 17 years after Final Fantasy IV, The After Years follows the original cast and their descendants in episodic tales as a new villain appears, setting into action a mysterious chain of events that threatens the fate of the Blue Planet. Largely… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
306 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
51
Mixed
90 positive · 87 negative
95% range 44–58%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 90 | 87 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 34 | 3 | 69 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 22 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
260 of 453 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
52% recommend · 92 yes, 85 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 177 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mixed (430 of 691 positive).
Some players praise it as a great continuation of FFIV's story. [1][2][3] Others criticize it for repetitive gameplay and rehashed plot. [4][5][6] Many note the 3D version lacks content compared to other releases. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Really bad sequel to a classic. The story is a repeat from the first one, and it makes you go through the same dungeons, multiple times, with dumbed down versions of the characters. It's also very unbalanced. Characters finish their chapters in different level ranges, so when you assemble them in the last chapter, some characters are A LOT weaker than others. I'm finishing it because I want to clear every mainline …
- [6]
What is good comes almost entirely from the base game. Mechanically, this offers little, and the lengthy sections where you only have a single party member undercut the main advantages of the combat mechanics. Narratively, this is horribly paced, and repeats plot points from the original in a cheap and uninteresting way. In many respects, the game tips its hand with one of its first scenes. You watch as a character …
- [11]
So much trash on Steam is at "Very/Overwhelmingly Positive" while this is "Mixed" is an outrage. This is a great game from the Promethean age, the real good ole days at the beginning of time. It's essentially Final Fantasy 4 part 2 in archaic 1991 punishment style, even the dialogue is laconic like the original. Beating this gave me closure on a plot I first followed nearly 35 years ago. It's just like the first one …
- [3]
Fantastic game, don't listen to the hate. If you liked FF4, you will enjoy the After Years. It doesn't break any new ground, a lot of music and areas are re-used, and there is no voice acting (which wasn't even that good tbh), but it makes sense because it's the same world. Treat it as a DLC not a new title, and enjoy the great story and suspense that lets you spend more time with FF4's cast (which was too short).
- [1]
The game is a clever add on to the best Final Fantasy (IMO), and it gives a great ending and conclusion to the game. It can be lengthy at times, but I love how the game focuses more on some other characters that didn't get as much screen time in the last game. Rydia and Edge especially do well in this game, as well as Kain. This is their game, whereas the first one was about Cecil and Rosa's romance.
Summarised from 34 of the 292 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 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
52% of the 177 Steam reviewers we collected recommend FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS. The complaint that keeps coming up: repetitive and padded with backtracking. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
In August 2008, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years reached a benchmark of one million downloads (not including downloads of the free prologue chapter) in the first five months following its initial release. As of December 2010, it has exceeded 4.5 million paid downloads. Reviews of the WiiWare port of the game have been mixed, with an overall score of 69/100 at Metacritic. IGN gave the game an 8 out of 10, calling the story "engrossing but mysterious" and stating that the gameplay, graphics, and presentation, while "dated", are "part of the charm". However, GameSpot gave the game a score of only 5.5 out of 10, saying that it had a "disjointed, poorly constructed narrative" and an excessively…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 306 · 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 →The Steam Subscriber Agreement and various End User License Agreements typically prohibit the use of cheat software such as trainers to mod Steam games. Therefore, I strongly discourage everyone to increase battle and movement speed, which would make the game much faster and more fun, and would allow you to experience a surprisingly decent story without slow periods of dull grinding, because that would be against Steam's policy and The After Years' EULA, which you agreed to implicitly when…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView 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!
neutral · 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 →I need to preface this review with a disclaimer: Final Fantasy 4 - The After Years is a good game. It came out in 2009, which was a terrible year people who were too young won't understand. The Angry Video Game Nerd popularize the Angry Video Game Reviewer genre, spawning thousands of clones who wanted to get famous pretending to be angry at video games. At the same time in the cultural zeitgeist, this idiotic opinion of "sequel bad" just got parroted everywhere by everyone who didn't have an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView 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 →You’re better off just playing the first game a second time. Final Fantasy II (US)/IV (Japan) is my favorite game of all time. I loved Final Fantasy for Nintendo, and when I heard that it had a sequel, I had to get it. It was part of the first games I got with my Super Nintendo for Christmas, and (without realizing that it was a whole 3 games after the first and not 1) I was completely floored by the leaps-and-bounds improvements to the graphics, the depth of story, and the expansive world…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So much trash on Steam is at "Very/Overwhelmingly Positive" while this is "Mixed" is an outrage. This is a great game from the Promethean age, the real good ole days at the beginning of time. It's essentially Final Fantasy 4 part 2 in archaic 1991 punishment style, even the dialogue is laconic like the original. Beating this gave me closure on a plot I first followed nearly 35 years ago. It's just like the first one with brutally long dungeons, grinding, hidden/missable items. Minor…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView 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 →Premium: -Clair Obscur Expedition 33 (4/2) -Final Fantasy IV (4/7) PC: -Nova Roma (Game Preview) (3/26)
neutral · 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 →This is the "wrong version" of the game - the 3d remake. Do yourself a favor and play the 2d version instead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really bad sequel to a classic. The story is a repeat from the first one, and it makes you go through the same dungeons, multiple times, with dumbed down versions of the characters. It's also very unbalanced. Characters finish their chapters in different level ranges, so when you assemble them in the last chapter, some characters are A LOT weaker than others. I'm finishing it because I want to clear every mainline FF game, but I do not recommend it otherwise.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Inferior to the PSP Final Fantasy IV Collection or the WiiWare original. The missing challenge dungeons and superbosses are what save a mediocre story with some of the most compelling ATB gameplay in the series and it's just not here.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is good, continuing from where the main game ended, with all the familiar places and characters. However, this game is difficult and frustrating, and takes WAY too much time. There are no adjustments and no cheats to make the battles easier, so much grinding is necessary just to progress. I recommend for those that like a challenge. I do not recommend for those that just want the story - just watch a 'letsplay' instead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i like kain higjwind iwant to put him in the blender
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best way I can describe this game is a mess, but it legitimately does have it's moments. Are these moments enough to save this game? Not on your life with a phoenix down and a re-raise. The game is just far too flawed, filled with backtracking, and mystery dangled right in front of you for nearly 40 hours to make even blue balls feel relieved. The game just promises too much, and quickly reuses a ton of assets in boring ways that really only someone that liked Final Fantasy 4 could appreciate…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView 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!
positive · 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 want to like it, I love Final Fantasy IV, but it's repetitive and the story's boring and "remember what happened in the first game, it's the same, but slightly different" over and over. Constantly starting over with new characters gets old after a while. And I'm sick of going through the same waterway... Now Square-Enix, bring Final Fantasy Tactics (War of the Lions) to Steam so I can finish my collection! (Edit!…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView 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
neutral · 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 →#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 →The game is a clever add on to the best Final Fantasy (IMO), and it gives a great ending and conclusion to the game. It can be lengthy at times, but I love how the game focuses more on some other characters that didn't get as much screen time in the last game. Rydia and Edge especially do well in this game, as well as Kain. This is their game, whereas the first one was about Cecil and Rosa's romance.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What is good comes almost entirely from the base game. Mechanically, this offers little, and the lengthy sections where you only have a single party member undercut the main advantages of the combat mechanics. Narratively, this is horribly paced, and repeats plot points from the original in a cheap and uninteresting way. In many respects, the game tips its hand with one of its first scenes. You watch as a character turns in place, walking in place like they are on a rotating treadmill. It…
negative · 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 →Will try to make this as spoiler free as possible. For my background, I have played Final Fantasy games since the original 1 on NES and branched from there to other well known series to name a few, Breath of Fire, Suikoden, Star Ocean, and many more. With that being said FFIV stands to me as top 10 if not top 5 of my favorites. So I was looking forward to playing this for a long time for the memories. TL:DR - Predictable story, and game just drags on for a lot of extra useless filler.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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