I do not like this weird version. If you don't have a PSP and the Final Fantasy 4 Collector Edition, don't bother. a lot of things are changed and for the Band moves, and the achievements genuinely suck. Don't be like me, don't spend 500 hours into this... play 4, not After Years. If you reaaaally want more FF4, try your hand on the DS Remake.

Best way I can describe this game is a mess, but it legitimately does have it's moments. Are these moments enough to save this game? Not on your life with a phoenix down and a re-raise. The game is just far too flawed, filled with backtracking, and mystery dangled right in front of you for nearly 40 hours to make even blue balls feel relieved. The game just promises too much, and quickly reuses a ton of assets in boring ways that really only someone that liked Final Fantasy 4 could appreciate to any meaningful degree. There are some really neat ideas with the use of different perspectives, a wide cast of old and new characters, and even a whole new mechanic. The Band ability is easily one of the best things about this game, and is absolutely broken in a way that feels empowering to the player. Still this doesn't stop the rest of the game from feeling repetitive, and boring.

Honestly, I really wish that more Final Fantasy games had the band ability as team abilities simply because it helps bond the player and characters they use while also giving their team some synergy. It's frankly always a win win when it comes to game design, and character development. Sadly, that's pretty much all the good stuff when it comes to this story as a large portion of the game is so heavily focused on the mysterious girl narrative that the game never really answers why that makes it interesting. The After Years is legitimately at it's best when it starts exploring characters in meaningful ways that the original game couldn't. Porom feels like more of the character as she is separated from her brother and feels more like a responsible one in the village, Palom gets a neat character arc of exploring his failings at trying to become a sage, Edward gets to act like a proper king, and Kain is explored in a way that feels justified in this given setting. As much as I love Rydia, I don't think she makes a particularly interesting plot point as she feels more akin to a secret mechanic and any connection you would think she had in this story is never actually answered. Cecil and Rosa are not explored at all, and honestly should not have been in this game to began with. Yang feels more like what should have been what this story was about, the past and future generation clashing with each other, but it just focuses too heavily on Yang that it gives little time for his daughter to actually shine. And that's kinda what says it all about the story. It really wants to explore new and interesting themes, but it can't just leave it's older characters behind and ends up focusing too much on them. While there are newer characters to both explore and develop, the game kinda stops at their given chapters they are focused on, and puts them on the bench when things start to get serious.

I wish the game was serious about new interesting dungeons and plot ideas, but it really just teases the idea of it. I can't remember an area in this game that was new aside from the last dungeon, and even if there is more than that it all just blends too well together to really make a point. The game also uses a moon cycle system that ends up being far more annoying than interesting as it never really factors in a meaningful way to change play styles while also affecting combat just enough to last longer than it should. It honestly starts off interesting till you literally are taking 3 extra turns to kill off the same enemy you had no problem killing turn one before. Just everything about this game just lasts so much longer than it should have while exploring the same areas that you're used to while using vastly underpowered characters for nearly 70% of the games run time. One of the key points of an RPG is that you get to grow a character and make them stronger, but when you are going through 7 different tales and all of them basically start you at ground zero it really makes for a lot of unneeded grinding in the end, and a far slower paced story that is constantly stopping and going.

That's what Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is, a contradiction of a game trying to have it all, and feeling like nothing in return. The mysterious girl plot line is interesting till it's taken too long to pay off well, the idea of Cecil's son having to live up to his legacy is interesting till they just stop caring about him after his story and only give you an optional pay off of a cutscene. Rydia's connection to the mysterious girl, and eidolons is neat till they just don't answer what is going on with it. There is just too much here that they tried to make work, and ended up failing each and everyone in such a way that it's just not satisfying to watch. Will you get something out of it as a fan of Final Fantasy IV? Ya, absolutely, there is enough fanfare and neat things here to give you something, but in terms of a story, a sequel, and a game? It just doesn't work well, and the amount of joy had is so little that it doesn't feel right for others to go thru it for it.