[Ralz]

Those who have played the DS version of Final Fantasy IV will quickly discover this game picks up in difficultly quite early on in the game. It forces you to spend a lot more time leveling up, just so you can make it through a now-deadly dungeon, where enemies are given a whole new set of abilties to drain your power. Another problem is that the most important spells are now at higher levels, great spells like Flare and Curaja take too long to learn now. It's a requirement that you stop to level grind every once in a while, or you will not get far in this game... Anyone else have any complaints that overcomplicate thing? There's a lot of them.

[Andromeda]

You want a game that will beat you senseless with the need to grind play Persona 3 FES. Next to that FFIV for the DS has bee a breeze to walk through. I will admit that I have died frequently against bosses and there is one specific monster in the Tower of Zot that just destroyed me everytime. But I've only had to grind for levels once so far and I did it very briefly. That was for the Tower of Zot too. Which is roughly in the middle of the game, I think.

I find the game challenging without being straight up you're too low level for this fight. But then again I am wandering all of the maps for 100% completion on them. So I end up in a few each battles usually. So I'm probably staying evenly leveled for the game. It has been fun to play and it is certainly no walk through the park like so many RPGs these days. I prefer it this way.

[weberr13]

I like the new difficulty, especially the boss AI improvements/changes. So far the Fiends are much more difficult (especially the first one). I can't wait for Rublicant, who was pretty bad in the original, and will probably school me now. I think intelligent use of aguments and all the restored spell items can be used to offset the new difficulty and failing that, you can always setup your auto battle commands and level in the lodestone cavern after beating the elf.

[Clint Eastwood]

I noticed that I have to level up a lot. Early on in the game, when you get a new party member, that party member is horrible. I couldn't go anywhere without Rydia dying on me, and as soon as I got her leveled up, I couldn't go anywhere without Edward dying on me. I had the same problems with Palom and Porom, and right after Cecil became a paladin. I had Cecil up to level 27, and as soon as he became a paladin, he was down to level 1. It really pissed me off. It wouldn't be so hard if there was a way to get more experience fighting weaker monsters. That would be cool.

Other than that, though, the game is pretty easy.

[Rocky]

I'm actually pretty pumped to find out that SE stepped up the difficulty for this game! I always thought that it was a little bit on the easy side to play through, but making it more difficult makes the game more rewarding in my opinion. Plus they had to balance out this new augment/command system thing that makes characters more powerful anyway. Maybe because of this, it will tempt me to give the game a walkthrough.

[weberr13]

The augments really are the key to offsetting the new difficulty. Giving Rosa DualCast, Piercing magic, and omnicasting makes every battle beatable. Start every battle with wall/protect, followed by Haste/slow on EVERY party member at once. In addition you get a Draw attacks augment that allows you to make Cecil into your party meatshield (it even draws single target magic) and add a counter attack on top of it. I was a bit surprised about how levels above 70 work (stats and HP/MP are determined by the 4 commands you chose) leaving even a level 99 Cecil hungry for sliver apples.

[uced]

This version of the game is definitely more difficult then the only other version I played, which was the SNES version (Final Fantasy II). I did have to level up Rydia more when I first got her just to keep her alive. I didn't ever bother leveling Edward up so I just let him die.

[brnthsdiscout]

I completely agree it is the most difficult FF I've played.The game is so hard and I beat bosses only by luck..

[LocoColt04]

The thing is, even with FFIV's "new" difficulty level (it's really just the original difficulty from the Japanese original), it's relatively easy if you take the time to put a bit of thought into your augments. Now, I'm not saying it's a breeze, not by any means. Even grinding is tough sometimes (though it was nice to know that it's necessary here and there).

@brnthsdiscout: I don't think I can agree that it's the hardest FF, not by a long shot, but it is one of the harder ones now and it's lovely to see. Plus, you said it was the hardest one you've played, so I suppose I can't argue that as I wouldn't know any better personally.

[Valkyrie]

lucky guys, we still have to wait for one more week here in europe, actually week and a half but I'm working on FFIII for the moment and finishing that one off

I'd consider it a challenge to be more difficult since I find most final fantasies very easy to complete (not saying, unlock everything but get through the storyline, I've played VII,VIII,IX twice,X,XII and now III)

but I'll notice next week, going preordering this week

[King_Koopa]

i just started playing FF for the first time ever and the game i started playing is FFIV I am using a strategy guide since it is my first time, but it doesnt seem so hard so far. I played the game without it for awhile, and it didnt seem too too hard then.

[Edmisster]

I'm still playing, but so far it has been a bit odd, with the normal monsters being a breeze to defeat, while fiercely struggling against the bosses, but that is how games are supposed to be, with the heroes wading through hordes of weak enemies so they can fight the boss monster who throws its subordinates against them with no second thoughts. With a quick comparison to FF3 for the DS, I breezed through the nearly the whole game, until I got to the last boss, who I had to grind a lot for to be able to beat, even with the help of four ribbons. So I really find it to be at just the right difficulty.

[Aepriz]

Did it increase so much ?
I played the PS1 version and couldn't finish it .. and i could finish the GBA version with ease :s
It though theye decreased it (or it just could have been my age xD, I was 9 when i played PS1 and 15 when i played GBA)

[Zyluz]

I would have to agree,
I find when you get a new character, they SUCK. I have to grind them to around Cecil's level before I continue. Edward always dies and is no help whatsoever! (Apart from being a human shield)

Every boss I meet, I usually have to repeat.

I'm up to when you sneak into Baron Castle, and that guy turns into a bad guy?
He is as HARD AS HELL.

[Secret Weapon]

I'm repeating it for the 2nd time and I find myself STILL getting beat of the remaining snot I had from the first *** whooping. The first time my people was above Level 70 and STILL got beat by Zeromus because of NO of the helpful augments I didn't come across... ;_;.

Now I'm at the Tower of Zot, fighting Barbaricca and she is KILLING me. Mainly because I don't have a good level up-ed Rosa, mind you she is at 26 and my three remaining people (Cecil, Yang, and Cid) are at/about 40. (Sighs) The worse part.... ROSA IS SLOW !!! She can't keep up with the rest of the team members dire need of HP's (thanks to Barbaricca's counter attack) and she can't even survive LIGHTNING!!! -__-...

[weberr13]

Originally Posted by Secret Weapon

I'm repeating it for the 2nd time and I find myself STILL getting beat of the remaining snot I had from the first *** whooping. The first time my people was above Level 70 and STILL got beat by Zeromus because of NO of the helpful augments I didn't come across... ;_;.

Now I'm at the Tower of Zot, fighting Barbaricca and she is KILLING me. Mainly because I don't have a good level up-ed Rosa, mind you she is at 26 and my three remaining people (Cecil, Yang, and Cid) are at/about 40. (Sighs) The worse part.... ROSA IS SLOW !!! She can't keep up with the rest of the team members dire need of HP's (thanks to Barbaricca's counter attack) and she can't even survive LIGHTNING!!! -__-...

Even on my 3rd playthrough I triggered Phoenix on Barbaricca. You do have Phoenix, don't you? You need to gvie augments to party members you lose in order to get the *really* good ones like fast talker, Dualcast, Phoenix, Piercing magic, Omnicasting an Kick...

[lapizlazuli]

DS is just like the other versions of this game when it comes to getting new party members. They are usually incredibly weak(and by they, I mean...Rydia and Edward) and take time to get to Cecil's current level.

I always find myself using Edward as human shield, since he is usually targeted the most and is the weakest. I've stopped bothering wasting my items on him just to keep him alive and all.

[Deathbringer]

FFIV for the DS is a piece of cake. My R button is busted (DS is not), in which I can't flee. Even so, I finished the game without having to flee or die. Even with Teleport and Smoke!

[Cain Highwind]

Originally Posted by Deathbringer

FFIV for the DS is a piece of cake. My R button is busted (DS is not), in which I can't flee. Even so, I finished the game without having to flee or die.

I call bullcookie on this one! You sir, are full of it!

Yeah, I'd stack it up there with FFIV Hardtype (SNES and PSX). Although I SWEAR some of the bosses in the other versions NEVER gave me as much trouble as the DS version (Golbez, Dr. Lugae, and Rubicante). It's nice to see them go out of their way to balance the game though. Edward and Yang don't suck nearly as much (well I know Yang never really sucked, but his Kick is WAYY more useful now)

What surprised me, was I just beat Rubicante and most of my characters are already in the Level 50 range!! And I grinded (for about 5 levels) twice: before Mist Dragon and before Calcabrina and Golbez. Usually I'm not that high until I reach the Final Dungeon, and the game is still no cakewalk.

I think my problem is likely the lack of using Augments, something I plan to do more in my second walkthrough.

[Psiko]

Too hard? There is no such thing, as long as it is beatable!

I am only through the Antlion Cave myself right now, but I certainly noticed the change from the very first battle of the game. I thought to myself: "Damn, these are hitting a lot harder than I remember.", but I wrote that off to poor memory. My first battle with those MiniMages, though, made me reconsider that. Spamming Thunder for 70-100 damage that early on = suck. I did enjoy the new Antlion, with the changing counter. And the new Edward doesn't suck nearly as bad. His Regen song is freaking useful, as well as his Salve. I hate to say it, but I am fond of that Spoony Bard right now.

I look forward to a run through this game in its entirety. I've beaten it on SNES over 20 times, and a few on the PSX. I know the game as well as any other, and I can't wait to see all the changes, as well as this Augment system!