TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
Thought I make a OT for this. I'm excited for it. Also, this is my first OT so thought I start with a lower profile game! 
PLATFORMS: DS, DSi. 3DS (Next year!)
FROM: Matrix Software, the same studio behind the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy DS remakes.
STORY: The story revolves around a 14-year old boy summoned by the King of Horne to rescue his daughter, Princess Carino, who has been captured by the Witch of the North.
CONCEPT: (From 1up's Review) The purpose of 4 Heroes is to recreate the spirit of classic Final Fantasy, but in practice the game has almost nothing whatsoever in common with the series' 16-bit masterpieces. When it actually does resemble a Final Fantasy game, it's usually one from the 8-bit era.
RELEASE DATE: 10/5/10
EDIT: PRICE: $34.95 ($29.99 pre-order deal at Gamestop)
CHARACTERS:
Brandt (ブランド, an ordinary fourteen year old who lived in the Kingdom of Horne with his mother Cuore. He has a strong sense of justice, yet still rough in manners.
Jusqua (ジュスカ, a silver-haired boy with an air of mystery surrounding him. He regards himself as a cool person, and treats Brandt as his rival.
Unita (ユニータ, a novice soldier in the Kingdom of Horne. She is a stoic and serious girl, but is nervous of her role.
Aire (アイレ, the second daughter of King Horne, and the younger sister of Princess Carino. She is the cheerful mood-maker of the group, due to her ignorance of the outside world.
GAMEPLAY:
ITEM SYSTEM: (From 1up's Review) Each of the game's eponymous heroes is limited to carrying 15 items at any given time, which includes any equipped weapons, armor, and spells. So each character effectively has closer to 10 inventory slots apiece; mages have even fewer, since each spell in their repertoire is represented by an inventory-filling book as well. But 4 Heroes is a very deliberately designed game, one created with a specific aim in mind, and its much-reviled inventory system is simply an aspect of that design.
BATTLE SYSTEM: (From 1up's Review) Its combat system, which doesn't allow you to choose direct targets for your characters' actions, is strongly reminiscent of Sting's Riviera: The Promised Land, all the way down to the fact that the heroes' seemingly random autonomous actions follow very predictable rules and can easily be guided by attentive players.
REVIEWS:
1up: B+
What's in a name? 4 Heroes of Light feels like a total outlier even for Final Fantasy, a series which is constantly reinventing itself. It's a grand, involving adventure, but it's one that plays by its own rules -- not by the rules of Final Fantasy. It's a game less likely to appeal to fans of the series than it is to people who are drawn to tough RPGs in the old-school vein; there's more of Shiren the Wanderer here than of Cloud Strife or Terra Branford. Maybe the only way Square's old-time developers can make a game that hearkens back to the days of classic, demanding RPGs is to dress it up in cute graphics and disguise it as a Final Fantasy game, but so be it. I'm glad they pulled it off. 4 Heroes of Light is one of the better games I've had in my DS recently... even if there is a whiff of false advertising about it.
Nintendo Power: 8
As an older player with fond memories of early 8- and 16-bit RPGs, I found its nostalgia trip to be well worth taking. But if I were playing it without that past experience, I'm not sure how much I would appreciate its intentionally dated game design.
IGN: 8
There are a number of good RPGs on the DS recently, so gamers have their pick. But The 4 Heroes of Light is definitely a contender for your money. It's got a simple battle system that is strengthened by its high level of character customization and constant need for strategic planning. The style is really unique and fresh, the story is lengthy, and the characters are charming (even if the plot is a bit weak). At times it feels too focused on level grinding, and it's hard to get into if you're expecting a standard RPG, but it's the nonstandard qualities that ultimately make it shine.
Eurogamer: 7
Its back-to-basics approach strips away much of the pointless frippery of the modern JRPG without stripping out the satisfaction of playing them. The DS isn't short of absorbing RPGs, but 4 Heroes of Light is a worthwhile addition, particularly for anyone with fond memories of simpler, happier times for Japanese role-playing.
Game Informer - 6
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light isn't glitchy or broken, but that's the highest compliment I can muster.
Gamepro - 5
The story and dialogue aren't deep -- the play and art are the stars of the show -- but what little there is comes off as morally confused.
SCREENSHOTS:
VIDEOS:
E3 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYytUIxFN3g
Dungeon/Battle Gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZsh_Wp8kbc
World Map Gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNMRmCCJq_8
Developer Diary #1: http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/hikarino4senshifinalfantasygaiden/video/6279246/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light-developer-diary-1?hd=0
Developer Diary #2: http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/hikarino4senshifinalfantasygaiden/video/6279960/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light-developer-diary-2?hd=0
Developer Diary #3: http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/hikarino4senshifinalfantasygaiden/video/6280349/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light-developer-diary-3?hd=0
PLATFORMS: DS, DSi. 3DS (Next year!)
FROM: Matrix Software, the same studio behind the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy DS remakes.
STORY: The story revolves around a 14-year old boy summoned by the King of Horne to rescue his daughter, Princess Carino, who has been captured by the Witch of the North.
CONCEPT: (From 1up's Review) The purpose of 4 Heroes is to recreate the spirit of classic Final Fantasy, but in practice the game has almost nothing whatsoever in common with the series' 16-bit masterpieces. When it actually does resemble a Final Fantasy game, it's usually one from the 8-bit era.
RELEASE DATE: 10/5/10
EDIT: PRICE: $34.95 ($29.99 pre-order deal at Gamestop)
CHARACTERS:
Brandt (ブランド
, an ordinary fourteen year old who lived in the Kingdom of Horne with his mother Cuore. He has a strong sense of justice, yet still rough in manners.Jusqua (ジュスカ
, a silver-haired boy with an air of mystery surrounding him. He regards himself as a cool person, and treats Brandt as his rival.Unita (ユニータ
, a novice soldier in the Kingdom of Horne. She is a stoic and serious girl, but is nervous of her role.Aire (アイレ
, the second daughter of King Horne, and the younger sister of Princess Carino. She is the cheerful mood-maker of the group, due to her ignorance of the outside world.GAMEPLAY:
ITEM SYSTEM: (From 1up's Review) Each of the game's eponymous heroes is limited to carrying 15 items at any given time, which includes any equipped weapons, armor, and spells. So each character effectively has closer to 10 inventory slots apiece; mages have even fewer, since each spell in their repertoire is represented by an inventory-filling book as well. But 4 Heroes is a very deliberately designed game, one created with a specific aim in mind, and its much-reviled inventory system is simply an aspect of that design.
BATTLE SYSTEM: (From 1up's Review) Its combat system, which doesn't allow you to choose direct targets for your characters' actions, is strongly reminiscent of Sting's Riviera: The Promised Land, all the way down to the fact that the heroes' seemingly random autonomous actions follow very predictable rules and can easily be guided by attentive players.
REVIEWS:
1up: B+
What's in a name? 4 Heroes of Light feels like a total outlier even for Final Fantasy, a series which is constantly reinventing itself. It's a grand, involving adventure, but it's one that plays by its own rules -- not by the rules of Final Fantasy. It's a game less likely to appeal to fans of the series than it is to people who are drawn to tough RPGs in the old-school vein; there's more of Shiren the Wanderer here than of Cloud Strife or Terra Branford. Maybe the only way Square's old-time developers can make a game that hearkens back to the days of classic, demanding RPGs is to dress it up in cute graphics and disguise it as a Final Fantasy game, but so be it. I'm glad they pulled it off. 4 Heroes of Light is one of the better games I've had in my DS recently... even if there is a whiff of false advertising about it.
Nintendo Power: 8
As an older player with fond memories of early 8- and 16-bit RPGs, I found its nostalgia trip to be well worth taking. But if I were playing it without that past experience, I'm not sure how much I would appreciate its intentionally dated game design.
IGN: 8
There are a number of good RPGs on the DS recently, so gamers have their pick. But The 4 Heroes of Light is definitely a contender for your money. It's got a simple battle system that is strengthened by its high level of character customization and constant need for strategic planning. The style is really unique and fresh, the story is lengthy, and the characters are charming (even if the plot is a bit weak). At times it feels too focused on level grinding, and it's hard to get into if you're expecting a standard RPG, but it's the nonstandard qualities that ultimately make it shine.
Eurogamer: 7
Its back-to-basics approach strips away much of the pointless frippery of the modern JRPG without stripping out the satisfaction of playing them. The DS isn't short of absorbing RPGs, but 4 Heroes of Light is a worthwhile addition, particularly for anyone with fond memories of simpler, happier times for Japanese role-playing.
Game Informer - 6
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light isn't glitchy or broken, but that's the highest compliment I can muster.
Gamepro - 5
The story and dialogue aren't deep -- the play and art are the stars of the show -- but what little there is comes off as morally confused.
SCREENSHOTS:
VIDEOS:
E3 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYytUIxFN3g
Dungeon/Battle Gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZsh_Wp8kbc
World Map Gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNMRmCCJq_8
Developer Diary #1: http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/hikarino4senshifinalfantasygaiden/video/6279246/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light-developer-diary-1?hd=0
Developer Diary #2: http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/hikarino4senshifinalfantasygaiden/video/6279960/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light-developer-diary-2?hd=0
Developer Diary #3: http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/hikarino4senshifinalfantasygaiden/video/6280349/final-fantasy-the-4-heroes-of-light-developer-diary-3?hd=0
