Comparison

Vay vs FF IV

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Vay

Embark on an epic quest to rescue your kidnapped fiancée and save your kingdom from destructive war machines. This cult classic RPG offers a compelling story, challenging gameplay, and numerous improvements for a modern experience.

Highlights
  • Compelling and engrossing story
  • User selectable difficulty
  • Animated cutscenes with audio
  • Auto-save feature
  • Over 100 enemies and bosses
  • Expansive areas to explore
  • Updated music
Features
Read full description

The 16-bit cult classic RPG from 1994 returns with tons of improvements! When your peaceful kingdom is attacked on your wedding day and your wife-to-be is kidnapped, it falls to you to journey across the world and stop the terrible machines of war that threaten to lay waste to it. FEATURES: User selectable difficulty makes this title great for both beginners and RPG veterans Compelling and engrossing story Nearly ten minutes of animated cutscenes with English and Japanese audio Auto-save feature allows you to play in small increments Over 100 enemies and a dozen challenging bosses Over 90 expansive areas to explore Updated music that loops seamlessly Bluetooth controller support Achievements Absolutely no microtransactions Please note that as of version 2.2, this game requires an A9 or better processor.

About

FF IV

Embark on an epic sequel to a classic RPG, featuring a full 3-D remake with returning heroes and new characters. Explore ten interconnected tales, engage in strategic combat influenced by lunar phases, and utilize powerful band abilities.

Highlights
  • Full 3-D remake
  • Ten playable tales
  • Active Time Battle system
  • Lunar phase combat influence
  • Band Abilities
  • Minimap and world map
Read full description

FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is available on iPhone, iPad! With a full 3-D remake, FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS can now be played as never before. Take part in the epic sequel that unfolds many years after the events of FINAL FANTASY IV. Classic characters make their return alongside several new heroes, such as Ceodore, son of Cecil and Rosa. - Ten Playable Tales Begin your journey with "Ceodore's Tale." Complete it to unlock the tales of six additional characters, which can be played in any order, and then return to the core story with "Kain's Tale," "The Lunarian's Tale," and "The Crystals." A total of ten tales in all, and all contained in FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS. - Active Time Battle Take control of exhilarating combat made possible by the non-stop action in Square Enix's iconic battle system. - Lunar Phases Feel the moon's presence in combat, as its waxing and waning influences the potency of attacks and abilities of all combatants. Lunar phases cycle naturally with the passage of in-game time, or when resting at an inn, tent, or cottage. - Band Abilities Combine the strength of your party members to awesome effect with Band abilities that can be unlocked through in-game events or by leveling your characters' Affinity. - Minimap Keep an eye on your current location and nearby surroundings, or tap for quick access to the world map. - Game Center Support Step up to meet all-new challenges offered by dozens of achievements. - Widescreen Support Enjoy fullscreen display on iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c. STORY Seventeen years have passed since the war's end, and the son born to King Cecil and Queen Rosa of Baron has grown into a young man. Prince Ceodore has enlisted in the airship fleet known as the Red Wings, eager to meet the expectations demanded of his blood and station. Yet once more another moon has appeared in the sky, and with it vast hordes of monsters intent on destruction. The brief peace enjoyed by the Blue Planet now stands threatened under the shadow of impending catastrophe.

Screenshots

Vay4 screens
FF IV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Vay at $5.99 against FF IV's $14.99. Vay also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 11 months) and review sentiment (73% vs 60%). FF IV's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Vay costs $5.99 and FF IV $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FF IV holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 78 and 195 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Vay's written reviews are positive against 60% of FF IV's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vay ships an update every 3 weeks, FF IV every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Vay versus FF IV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVayFF IV
Price$5.99 — better$14.99
Rating4.0 (78 ratings)4.3 (195 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.4% of reviews — better59.6% of reviews
Number of ratings78195 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size203 MB591 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperSoMoGa, Inc.SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Vay

All ratings78 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral7.7%
Negative19.2%
Written reviews403 reviews
Positive73.4%
Neutral12.9%
Negative13.6%

FF IV

All ratings195 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral7.7%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral11.0%
Negative29.5%

User reviews

Vay

From 78 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great classic RPG
  • 👍 Lots of gameplay content
  • 👍 Smooth controls and UI
  • 👍 Excellent value for money
  • 👍 Nostalgic experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🐛 Buggy cutscenes
  • 🔍 Lacking information on equipment
  • 🤔 Dated graphics and animations
  • 🤔 Repetitive music

FF IV

From 195 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📖 Deep and engaging storyline with multiple character perspectives
  • 🎨 Good graphics quality and visual improvements over original
  • 🎮 Solid gameplay mechanics and battle system
  • 👥 Large character selection with unique abilities and bands
  • 🎵 Music and audio design (when working properly)

Room to improve

  • 🎮 No controller/gamepad support (most critical issue)
  • 🔊 Missing voice acting compared to FF4
  • 🔁 Repetitive dungeon revisits and grinding requirements
  • 📉 Game feels incomplete compared to other versions
  • ⚠️ Inconsistent difficulty and balance issues

Bugs and requests

Vay

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes after using certain spells
  • Inability to access some areas due to glitches
  • Saved data loss after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add a virtual d-pad for movement
  • Improve equipment comparison at shops
  • Enhance cutscenes and animations
  • Provide more in-game hints and guidance

FF IV

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Sound/music not working on some devices
  • Game crashes during specific story segments (Luca character issues)
  • Save points disappearing after extended play
  • Targeting system malfunction with Dance and Jive abilities
  • Equipment not displaying properly after battle
Show 4 more
  • Missing content from bonus dungeons and final dungeon bosses
  • Rare tail monster spawn issues tied to moon phases
  • Missing bonus tails despite purchase
  • Game freezes and crashes on certain iOS versions

Requested features

11 requests
  • Controller/gamepad support (Bluetooth, MFi, Backbone)
  • Cloud save functionality across devices
  • Voice acting for cutscenes
  • Original SNES music option
  • Challenge dungeons from other versions
Show 6 more
  • Bonus bosses and cameo encounters
  • Full screen support for modern devices
  • iCloud backup feature
  • Original sprite graphics option
  • Auto-leveling system for characters
  • Retina display support for iPad

In-app purchases

None

Vay

No in-app purchases

None

FF IV

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vay free?
Vay costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FF IV free?
FF IV costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vay or FF IV?
FF IV is rated higher. Vay averages 4.0 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while FF IV averages 4.3 from 195 ratings.
Do Vay or FF IV have ads?
Neither Vay nor FF IV shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vay or FF IV?
Vay ships an update every 3 weeks, and FF IV every 11 months. Most recently, Vay was updated on September 26, 2026 and FF IV on September 28, 2026.

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