Rating: 4.5/10. Game has not aged well at all.
Best feature/element: Revolutionary in terms of RPG Plot. By this I mean the game had actual dialog, characters, writing, etc. This doesn't mean it was GOOD, but it was a noteworthy step up compared to like all NES RPGs...man, I can't believe I just said that now.
Worst feature/element: Its ability to stand the test of time. As I said, it aged poorly; the game was great when it came out, but egads does it feel old, simple, what have you. Compared to FF3o, which once you get past the Graphics and sound quality, actually feels fresher.
Best character: Dark Knight Cecil. Only character who showed anything remotely resembling development. Yes, I mean Dark Knight Cecil specifically; Paladin Cecil sucks ass, and should have been introduced 5 hours later than he did (since Paladin Transformation is essentially the same as saying "This is the ultimate transformation in Cecil's character, the pinnacle, etc. Once this happens, there's no real room to go up")
Worst character: Kain. Character who gets hyped for being deep and well written...when the entire time, he's being CLEARLY MANIPULATED AND CONTROLLED by the villains into doing evil deeds, and then he angsts about it. No, I'm sorry; being controlled automatically kills any sort of deep motives. Freaking Lionheart from FF2 was the same damn character...minus manipulation...so he's considerably deeper (especially since the game hints he's still an evil prick end game, only reason he joined was due to one common, bigger threat.)
Best PC in-game: Cecil. Reliable tank with reliable offense for most of the game, and Cover helps a lot, especially if you put him in back row where pretty much only magic can kill him. Honorable Mention to Rydia for being a beast of a cannon. No, I don't respect Rosa that much; she really, really lacks anything stand out as a healer (heck, she's completely replaceable by items) until she learns Cure 3, which is gotten later than I'd like and she doesn't really do a hell of a lot in Random encounters, which is more what you fight.
Worst PC in-game: FF4o, its Edward. Sub Rydia Durability, iffy stats, and absolutely no real worthwhile skillset barring some status? Yeah...
FF4a? Kain. Lacks the raw power of Rydia and Palom, can't tank as well as Yang or Cid, with worse offense than both, lacks Edward's Quirks and Speed of Psychoness, lacks Edge's worth on bosses, and no healing like Rosa or Porom.
Including aftergame dungeons? Probably Cid or Edward. Edward's HP reaches a level of unforgivableness, and he's too much of a liability. Cid, meanwhile, just completely lacks damage, tanking worth alone isn't saving him, and stuck with 2 handed weapons means he's a worse tank than Kain (let alone Cecil) in practice. Doesn't help that Kain gets the upgrade of a lifetime there.
Favorite moment: Attack on the Giant of Bab-il. Mostly just a stylish scene rarely seen in RPGs, where the entire world comes to help your party out in some manner, and its about as stylish as you'll get from FF4.
Least favorite moment: Two take the cake for this. First is Golbez takes the Crystal. A *hand* moves VERY SLOWLY, and your characters just sit there and watch him do it.
The second is Kain betrays Mark 2. No, its not the betrayal part that urks me, its the fact that again, YOUR CHARACTERS DON'T DO ANYTHING TO RESIST. Kain just takes the crystal, and walks out; doesn't even so much as knock out Cecil, whip out Deus Ex Machina powers like the law of "Good guys turned bad become Plot Godlikes!" suddenly, he just takes it and walks away...and all you get is "Kain stop!"
I'd at least have appreciated something like "Cecil charges Golbez's hand but OH NOES RANDOM BARRIER ERECTED!" At least there, while plot BS, Cecil's still TRYING, and its less head desk inducing but...yeah.
