No matter how loyal I am to the graphics of yesteryear, it is always refreshing to see timeless properties given loving updates and reissues. Final Fantasy 4 has been showered with tender loving care, having been blessed with a full 3-D makeover in the same vein as 2006’s Final Fantasy 3.

The first taste North American gamers were given was actually titled Final Fantasy 2, in a confusing name-change move that baffled many. However, it came as a complete surprise to many that for the first time, you were stepping into the shoes of a real protagonist, rather than giving a faceless hero your name, or the name of the girl you had a crush on. Giving the game more of a purpose, if you will, was just about revolutionary at the time. With that said, Final Fantasy 4 has been widely regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time due to its variety of characters, the more adult issues it tackles, and its brilliant score from the revered Nobuo Uematsu.

The game has been cut up and re-released upwards of four times, and in the first North American iteration, a lot of integral back story had to be left out due to lack of space. With that said, I am pleased to announce that for all intents and purposes, this lustrous 3D remake of a magnificent adventure does not fail to deliver.

The lord captain of the Red Wings of Baron and resident Dark Knight, Cecil Harvey, is struggling with a guilty conscience. Having had committed heinous acts in the name of his king, he is nearing the end of his rope. However, in true evil king tyrant fashion, Cecil’s questioning of his king’s motives is not taken lightly. Our lord captain is stripped of his rank and power to be sent on an errant trip north, with his tail between his legs and his pride shattered. Upon reaching the village of Mist, his ultimate destination, his real story begins. A search for atonement commences.

Of course, Cecil will not have to make this journey alone. Accompanying him is a motley assortment of characters whose personalities are so intricately designed and interwoven into the story that it becomes quite difficult to forget that these are not actually real acquaintances. Prominent amongst the many travelers gamers will meet on their quest are Kain Highwind, a best friend first and a formidable dragoon second, Rosa Farrell, Cecil’s beautiful girlfriend who became a white mage for the sole purpose of offering protection, Tellah, a sage driven by revenge, and Rydia, whose specialty is summoning Eidolons into battle.