Final Fantasy IV Advance

Final Fantasy IV is absolutely the perfect follow-up to the original trilogy. It improved upon the story-building of the third, the character-swapping of the second, all while maintaining the charm and motifs present since the first. It faltered a bit in that it felt incredibly linear, limiting opportunities for exploration and discovery. However, that linearity also almost completely removed the need to grind for levels, and I would consider that a worthy trade-off.

When it comes to the Final Fantasy series, I have the tendency to play until about the halfway point, lose interest for a while, and then come back to beat the game with the same vigor that I started with. It's not the most ideal way to play a game, but it stops me from being to burnt out by repetitive mechanics. However, FFIV was the first in the series to keep my attention the whole way through! I credit the story for my engagement. The game is broken down into segments that almost feel like levels, introducing new locales, characters, and twists that keep the story interesting, even if the gameplay isn't changing all that much. The previous titles largely lacked this impressive variety (or, in the case of FFIII, tried to force it with annoying gameplay requirements), making this game an exciting change of pace.

I still believe that the original trilogy is fantastic, and that RPG fans should definitely play them, but if I am going to recommend a Final Fantasy title as an introduction to the franchise, I think that IV is the best option. Grinding is limited, the story is engaging, and the influence of the previous titles is obvious, making this a natural starting point.
This game can be purchased for iOS here (as of 8/9/2020): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/final-fantasy-iv/id575119311
This game can be purchased for Android here (as of 8/9/2020): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.FFIV_GP&hl=en_US
This game can be purchased for PC here (as of 8/9/18): https://store.steampowered.com/app/312750/FINAL_FANTASY_IV/

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