Another one of those glossed over game announcements that didn’t make as big of a splash this E3 was the announcement of the States’ release of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. This game, though not as highly touted as many of the games announced this E3, is most certainly a highly anticipated title for myself and is sure to be an incredible addition to Nintendo’s downloadable WiiWare content. To say that I’m a Final Fantasy IV fan is clearly an understatement as the original game was by far one of my favorite RPGs to date due to its charm, emotion, and adventure elements. And though The After Years has been out in Japan for a little while now, I actually had not heard of it prior to its announcement at E3 this year.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years takes place, as you would guess, after the events that occured in Final Fantasy IV. Following seventeen years of peace, the second moon comes dangerously close to the blue planet once again. The After Years features a whole slew of familiar faces as well as new ones such as Ceodore, the main character, who is also Cecil & Rosa’s son. In the tech demo, I played as Kain on Mt. Ordeals, as well as in the towns of Mysidia and Baron, and Ceodore in the village of Mist. There were a few familiar faces in the demo including an older Porom, a mysterious girl who almost had to be Rydia, and even Cecil and Rosa themselves.
I’m quite giddy about the release of this game and I’m also very jealous of you right now as you have the opportunity to pick up this game right now since it just came out on Monday as WiiWare. However, you’ll be sure to know that I’ll have picked up this game as soon as I get back to my trusty, dusty Wii. Keep in mind that Square Enix is also releasing several additional story chapters in the following months/years to continue your nostalgia for the series as well. Bravo Square Enix for making your fans happy but could we possibly see a sequel like this to Final Fantasy VI?
