So, as a novice to JRPGs, my opinion of this game is mixed. I've played the first three FF games, so I have no basis for comparison with the rest of the series. Knowing that, here's what I have to say about FF4:

The Positives:
+ Gameplay - I had a lot of trouble with enjoying the gameplay of FF3 because of the insane grind involved, and the long drawn out battles based on the classic turn based system. Obviously, the game designers had the same idea because in FF4 they introduced the ATB battle system which is vastly superior, allows a fight to go through the minimum ammount of animations, and gives a sense of more persistent excitement, than the mechanics of the series so far. The fact that there is an option to speed up animations considerably in-game is also wonderful. So, just based on the improvement, FF4 gets a big fat plus in the gameplay column :)

+ Graphics - As with FF3, the graphics seem a bit weird because they are derived from a DS version, so you have simple wireframes with low-res textures. Character proportions are slightly more realistic than previous entries in the series, where the chibi style was a basis for the character models. I can't decide if that is better or not because on the one hand they are more detailed, while on the other they look somehow unnatural. That being said the game looks fine, and even a PC master race gamer like me gets used to the graphics pretty fast. Overall I'm more than happy with the level of graphics of this remake.

The Mixed:
*Music - This is the first game in the FF series, where I wouldn't rate the music as a pure positive. Uematsu's work has been mostly flawless so far in the series, but in FF4 there are far less awesome tracks, and given how many times the mediocre ones will repeat during a playthrough, this is a worse indictment than it would have been in most cases. Don't get me wrong there are a few wonderful pieces of music, but for me the overall level of quality is definitely lower than in previous entries. Still it is far from bad, hence the mixed rating.

*Story - The story of FF4 is hard to assess because it stands right on the tipping point between good and bad. It's more epic than the one in FF3 which is good, but less personal, which is bad. In FF3, you spend more time with the characters and you grow more attached to them, while in FF4, you have a main character that starts out with a decent arc, then is mostly forgotten mid-game, while other characters are developed, and then the story swings around back to him towards the end, leaving you with the feeling of playing a faceless guy after the introduction until the conclusion. Like most characters, he has been given a few meaningful moments, but nothing that will create a bond between you and your character. Still, the game has its moments and you get to experience some awesomeness even though it's not as much as I would have wanted.

The Negatives:
- Story pacing - This is so bad, I though that it deserved its own separate entry. The game starts decently enough. Everything is moving along nicely, and we get more and more interesting things reviewed about the main character, until we finish with the introduction and get into the main chunk of the story. From then on, huge chunks of gameplay stand between significant moments. There are lot of characters introduced, but they enter and exit the story so fast that you can't grow truly attached to them, which detracts from what would be some truly great moments. Then, once you approach the conclusion, suddenly everything snaps back into place. The impetus behind your actions crystalizes, and you get to see some of the greatest scenes in the history of gaming. This dysfunction in story telling is the reason why I'm not picking up the After Years, since it's even more exposition heavy, and this is rare for me because I usually devour stories. I'm a guy who looks through the minuntiae of advertising campaigns of games I own trying to find additional stuff about the lore, and now I'm skipping a game!

Anyway...

All in all this is a decent game. I would recommend that you wait for a huge sale because it leaves a lot to be desired. It's worth supporting the devs, but as a gamer who is fascinated by storytelling I felt a bit let down, especially given how high my expectations were, based on other people's comments and reviews.

So, as a novice to JRPGs, my opinion of this game is mixed. I've played the first three FF games, so I have no basis for comparison with the rest of the series. Knowing that, here's what I have to say about FF4: The Positives: + Gameplay - I had a lot of trouble with enjoying the gameplay of FF3 because of the insane grind involved, and the long drawn out battles based on the classic turn based system. Obviously, the game designers had the same idea because in FF4 they introduced the ATB battle system which is vastly superior, allows a fight to go through the minimum ammount of animations, and gives a sense of more persistent excitement, than the mechanics of the series so far. The fact that there is an option to speed up animations considerably in-game is also wonderful. So, just based on the improvement, FF4 gets a big fat plus in the gameplay column :) + Graphics - As with FF3, the graphics seem a bit weird because they are derived from a DS version, so you have simple wireframes with low-res textures. Character proportions are slightly more realistic than previous entries in the series, where the chibi style was a basis for the character models. I can't decide if that is better or not because on the one hand they are more detailed, while on the other they look somehow unnatural. That being said the game looks fine, and even a PC master race gamer like me gets used to the graphics pretty fast. Overall I'm more than happy with the level of graphics of this remake. The Mixed: *Music - This is the first game in the FF series, where I wouldn't rate the music as a pure positive. Uematsu's work has been mostly flawless so far in the series, but in FF4 there are far less awesome tracks, and given how many times the mediocre ones will repeat during a playthrough, this is a worse indictment than it would have been in most cases. Don't get me wrong there are a few wonderful pieces of music, but for me the overall level of quality is definitely lower than in previous entries. Still it is far from bad, hence the mixed rating. *Story - The story of FF4 is hard to assess because it stands right on the tipping point between good and bad. It's more epic than the one in FF3 which is good, but less personal, which is bad. In FF3, you spend more time with the characters and you grow more attached to them, while in FF4, you have a main character that starts out with a decent arc, then is mostly forgotten mid-game, while other characters are developed, and then the story swings around back to him towards the end, leaving you with the feeling of playing a faceless guy after the introduction until the conclusion. Like most characters, he has been given a few meaningful moments, but nothing that will create a bond between you and your character. Still, the game has its moments and you get to experience some awesomeness even though it's not as much as I would have wanted. The Negatives: - Story pacing - This is so bad, I though that it deserved its own separate entry. The game starts decently enough. Everything is moving along nicely, and we get more and more interesting things reviewed about the main character, until we finish with the introduction and get into the main chunk of the story. From then on, huge chunks of gameplay stand between significant moments. There are lot of characters introduced, but they enter and exit the story so fast that you can't grow truly attached to them, which detracts from what would be some truly great moments. Then, once you approach the conclusion, suddenly everything snaps back into place. The impetus behind your actions crystalizes, and you get to see some of the greatest scenes in the history of gaming. This dysfunction in story telling is the reason why I'm not picking up the After Years, since it's even more exposition heavy, and this is rare for me because I usually devour stories. I'm a guy who looks through the minuntiae of advertising campaigns of games I own trying to find additional stuff about the lore, and now I'm skipping a game! Anyway... All in all this is a decent game. I would recommend that you wait for a huge sale because it leaves a lot to be desired. It's worth supporting the devs, but as a gamer who is fascinated by storytelling I felt a bit let down, especially given how high my expectations were, based on other people's comments and reviews.