A charming RPG, with some added difficulty.
This game is just a good game, no need to butter it up, it is just a fun little adventure even if some of the plot elements and characters are a little "standard" for RPGs. Bringing back classic elements from the earlier Final Fantasy titles as in turn-based combat, and an excellent job system. The games story is a decent one but it isn't hardly anything compared to the other Final Fantasy machines like IV, VI, and VII. But there is still a lot of fun to be had with the story and the characters are good even if they are a little standard for RPGS.
The sound of the game is perfect and fits the tone of the game and also fits it's visuals. Attacking sounds like it would in a game as this, but the main thing is the soundtrack. While not Uematsu the music is still good and fits the game.
The game can be a little hard to get into if you want to be smacked with the story from the start. This game takes its' time setting up for the climax and the main story. One problem is your characters are constantly getting split up during the first 7-10 hours. Once your party gets together you are in for ride on one fun game. There are some issues with this game that aren't game-breaking but are very noticable.
For one, you can't manually target your enemies, which to me isn't an issue considering most random encounters consist of 3-6 of the same monsterts i.e. bloodbats. Another classic thing from the Final Fantasy titles is the grind, whether for levels or for the gems required to upgrade armor and weaponry or to level up your job for a particular character. I never had to grind to much, but i have heard some horror stories.
Speaking of the jobs, the job system in this game is one of the best that i have ever seen. Its not too micro-managed and the armor works universally for all jobs so you don't have to worry, but a Hero isn't going to be effective armed with a Harp. And to top it off with charming graphics that utilize the DS to its full capabilities.
One thing that many people aren't aware of, this game can be cuss-inducingly difficult because the bosses can be unrelentless. It reminds me of Final Fantasy IV DS because something can go wrong right off the bat that will make you just restart the game and try the boss again. The last thing i have to add is the excellent combat system.
The Action-Point system is a turn-based system that uses stocked points to perform certain attacks. Even though you can't target there is a system so you can. If Brandt is using a sword, he will go for the front targets but if he has a bow he will go for the back targets, the same with spells. After every turn, one point regenerates, and if you use "Boost" (defends from attacks while generating 1 point). The basic attack requires 1 point while using black or white magic spells without having the black or white mage crowns (jobs) will cost a minimum of 2 i.e. water, fire, quake, aero. But more powerful spells like Fira, and Watera can cost 2-3, Firaga and Wateraga can cost 4-5 depending on the worn crown. The system works and it is easy to pick up. Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is a charming RPG with added difficulty that should be in every RPG players DS library.
Scoring:
Gameplay: 9.5 the battle system is fun and it works even without manually targeting enemies
Graphics: 9 the visuals have the undeniable charm and its hard not to like
Story: 7 The story takes awhile to start but it is good and worth it
Length: 9 with about 20-30 hours to back it up.
Sound: 8 sound and music is charming and fits the game.
Lasting Appeal: 8.5, there is a lot of fun to be had with good replay value
OVERALL: 8.5, a good RPG with classic elements of gameplay, only suffering from minor drawbacks. This game should be in any casual to hardcore RPG player's DS library.