Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light Critic Reviews

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is certainly an interesting experience when it comes to many of its unique gameplay mechanics, but the game's overflowing sense of charm and hardcore level of challenge make it an irresistible experience for seasoned RPG fans.

It's been a good while since I've played an RPG title that has brought back the almost true spirit of the Nintendo Hard era. Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light may not be the perfect old school RPG but it is up there on my list of must play titles for the DS and of 2010.

Final Fantasy: 4 Heroes of Light is a nice sequel of the Final Fantasy series with well developed characters, a good story mode with many twists and turns and love for detail.

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.

But Heroes Of Light transcends these hiccups, and its oversimplified nature, to become a vital portable Final Fantasy title.

With almost 25 hours of play, precious visuals and a demanding and strategic battle system, Final Fantasy The 4 Heroes of Light is a very complete RPG experience.

Matrix Software has now made three good-to-great games in a row for the DS: Avalon Code, Nostalgia and now 4 Heroes of Light. I only wish they could take one of these fantastic concepts and push it over the hump from "really good" to "exceptional."

All things considered, this is a Final Fantasy game that expects you to pray at the altar of grind. 4 Heroes embraces the goddess of grind unapologetically, but throws in enough changes to the system to create something that's worth experiencing.

Admittedly, Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is not the same as the classics from two decades ago, but nothing ever will be. This is as close as we're getting for now, so take advantage of this opportunity.

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.

Stylistic contradictions and clunky mechanics stop this from being an instant classic, but tight pacing, winsome presentation, and the FF pedigree still make it well worth a look.

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.

Four Heroes of Light is very much its own thing; quaint and deceptively difficult - a combination that fans of the genre should grab hold of with both hands.

It's best not to go into the game expecting a true Final Fantasy experience, but diehard RPG fans won't be disappointed.

It has its problems, but fans of old-fashioned JRPGs will find a lot to like in The 4 Heroes of Light.

Final Fantasy 4 Heroes of Light is a true classic RPG. It seems like you're playing on a Super Nintendo, when the saga was focused on the search for the crystals and a simple but fun gameplay.

If you've been dying for a classic Final Fantasy title that's closer in mechanics to Final Fantasy IV than Final Fantasy XIII, you'll enjoy 4 Heroes of Light. If you despise retro RPG conventions, 4 Heroes is not for you unless you really want to morph into a chicken.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is another proposal of high quality in the already full catalog of Nintendo's handheld platform.

Its quirky combat and unique take on character development are welcome diversions from the RPG norms. The difficulty and lack of guidance will turn some people off, but people who enjoy the RPG genre should find the game a charming adventure.

Where it really excels is in its world design.