The After Years received mostly average to above-average reviews, but the main complaint was that it was released on WiiWare in episodic format, forcing people who were playing to pay for each episode (referred to as Tales), rather than being able to wait for the full game to be released and pay for the entire game in one payment.
Now, only some 2 or 3 years later, Square Enix has released PSP versions of the GBA version of FFIV and The After Years with updated visuals matching the PSP versions of FF1 and FF2, as well as a new story called Final Fantasy IV: Interlude. Interlude connects the stories of FFIV and TAY a little bit better and it's nice to see the characters interacting in the postgame of FFIV, which takes place about a year after the defeat of Zeromus.
The main appeal of this package is that you're getting the GBA version of FFIV (which is not that difficult), The After Years (which is serves as a decent next chapter in the story), and the new Interlude, all for $30. Interlude is as it says: it's just an Interlude and it takes approximately 2-4 hours to complete it depending on your patience. The After Years, because it has all Tales (except specific ones) unlocked from the start, allows you to take on any Tale in any order, after you complete Ceodore's Tale first.
The After Years has unexpected twists in already existing areas, plus a new feature in the battle system known as "Bands." Bands are special attacks executed using 2 or more party members each using specific attacks to create a new double/triple/quadruple/quintuple attack. If Bands sound familiar, it's because they're almost exactly like the Techs and Combos from Chrono Trigger, which the original battle director of FFIV went on to help design; the Bands system are a tribute to him. Bands are executed slightly differently from Double/Triple Techs from the Chrono series: instead of a new Band being available upon learning a specific ability, Bands must be searched for manually and a certain amount of guesswork is required. For the 3-5 person oriented Bands, it can take some time to discover each one that exists without a guide. It's very much worth it in the end since some of the more powerful Bands can break the damage limit of 9,999 without the aid of an accessory.
Story (FFIV): 10/10
Story (FFIV:I): 5/10
Story (FFIV:TAY): 8/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Presentation: 8/10
Replay Value: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Presentation: 8/10
Replay Value: 10/10
The new "Interlude" chapter has a very lazily written story, but it does have a few merits here and there, even though no new areas are explored. TAY has a pretty good story, impressive considering Square Enix's track record in writing original stories ever since Hironobu Sakaguchi left the company after Final Fantasy XI. The big thing that really stands out in all three games is how fluid the gameplay is without any hiccups. If something bad occurs, it's because you were not prepared, not because the game is designed badly. If you've never played FFIV before, this is a must-purchase if you own a PSP. If you've never played The After Years, now is the perfect time to play it. If you've already played both, it's nice to own this because who wouldn't want to jump on spoony bards while on the go? While some might be turned off by the Final Fantasy name, keep in mind that this story was crafted prior to Final Fantasy X-2 or Final Fantasy XIII.
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