Final Fantasy vs Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy is an RPG game from Square (1987) while Final Fantasy IV is an RPG JRPG game from Square (1991).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy IV has the higher Metacritic, 85 to 67.
Final Fantasy
What each one is
Final Fantasy is filed under RPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy IV under RPG and JRPG.
Final Fantasy is a 1987 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series, created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. The story follows four youths called the Warriors of Light, who each carry one of their world's four elemental crystals which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the crystals, and save their world.
The original FINAL FANTASY IV comes to life with completely new graphics and audio! A remodeled 2D take on the fourth game in the world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series! Enjoy the timeless story told through charming retro graphics.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Final Fantasy takes place in a fantasy world with three large continents. The elemental powers of this world are determined by the state of four crystals, each governing one of the four classical elements : earth, fire, water, and wind. The world of Final Fantasy is inhabited by numerous races, including humans, elves, dwarves, mermaids, dragons, and robots. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy has been well received by critics and commercially successful; the original Famicom (NES) version shipped 520,000 copies in Japan, grossing more than ¥3 billion or $21,000,000 (equivalent to $60,000,000 in 2025) at retail. According to Square's publicity department in 1994, the game had sold 600,000 copies in Japan. The NES release was more successful in North America, where it sold 700,000 copies, adding up to 1. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting Most of Final Fantasy IV takes place on Earth, also known as the Blue Planet, which consists of a surface world (or Overworld ), inhabited by humans, and an underground world (or Underworld), inhabited by the Dwarves . An artificial moon orbits the planet, upon which the Lunarians live. The Lunarians are a race of beings originally from a world which was destroyed, becoming the asteroid belt surrounding the Blue Planet, and are identified by a… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of the Final Fantasy IV series Final Fantasy IV offers twelve playable characters, each with a unique, unchangeable character class . During the game, the player can have a total of five, or fewer, characters in the party at any given time. The main character, Cecil Harvey , is a dark knight and the captain of the Red Wings, an elite air force unit of the kingdom of Baron. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The game received positive reviews upon release. Famitsu s panel of four reviewers gave it ratings of 9, 9, 10, and 8, adding up to an overall score of 36 out of 40, one of the highest scores it awarded to any game in 1991, second only to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . In its November 1991 issue, Nintendo Power proclaimed it set a "new standard of excellence" for role-playing games. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy IV | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 7.5/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Very Positive (92%, 3,028) |
| Critic aggregate | 67/100 | 85/100 |
| Price | Unknown | $17.99 |
| Install size | — | 1 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | verified |
| Released | 1987 | 1991 |
| Developer | Square | Square |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy vs Final Fantasy IV, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Final FantasyRPG gameFinal Fantasy IVRPG JRPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final FantasyNo descriptive tagsFinal Fantasy IVRPG, JRPG, ExplorationThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Final FantasyMetacritic 67Final Fantasy IV ✓Metacritic 85Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy—Final Fantasy IV3,028 reviews · 2 add-ons · 1 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final FantasyUnknownFinal Fantasy IV$17.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
Final Fantasy IV takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: Final Fantasy IV (Metacritic 85)
Where they differ
RPGJRPGExplorationParty-Based RPG2DLore-Rich
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy IV is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy and 6 for Final Fantasy IV. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV in scope?
Final Fantasy lists little scope data. Final Fantasy IV has drawn 3,028 Steam reviews, ships 2 add-ons and installs in 1 GB.
Is Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy IV better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy IV?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy IV?
Final Fantasy IV has the higher Metacritic, 85 to 67. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.