Comparison

FF IV vs Afterimage Mobile

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

Head to head
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.

About

Afterimage Mobile

Embark on an epic journey in a world shattered by war and divine conflict. Play as a young amnesiac girl seeking lost memories and her mentor, uncovering a destiny that will shape the fate of a broken realm.

Highlights
  • Epic fantasy narrative
  • Character-driven story
  • World exploration
  • Questing and progression
  • Mysterious amnesiac protagonist
Features
Read full description

A great deity created the world named Engardin, leaving four goliaths before her departure. The Goliaths abided by their different divine callings and upheld the order and flow of this world. Hence, the lives in Engardin reincarnated and multiplied. Humans were the last creation, and their ever-expanding ambitions led to a protracted war against the Goliaths. Engardin was engulfed in flames, until a huge explosion known as "The Razing" devastated the Holy Grounds of mankind and brought a swift end to the conflict. But the divine order was broken, and lives withered away. The age of mankind came to an end. The survivors of the conflict scattered across Engardin. Severed from the Well of Mankind and unable to reincarnate, they banded together to form settlements. Years have passed since this great cataclysm, and the remaining human settlements have been suddenly assaulted by mystic forces. Renee, a young amnesiac girl and student of Aros, was the lone survivor of the attack on her village. Determined to recover her forgotten memories and locate her lost mentor, she bids farewell to her destroyed village to embark on a journey that will inexplicably set into motion a series of events that will determine the fate of this new world.

Screenshots

FF IV4 screens
Afterimage Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Afterimage Mobile at $5.99 against FF IV's $14.99. Afterimage Mobile also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 11 months) and review sentiment (76% vs 60%). FF IV's advantage is chart position (#149 vs unranked) and ratings volume (195 vs 25). On rating, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for FF IV against 4.3 for Afterimage Mobile. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FF IV has 195 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of FF IV's written reviews are positive against 76% of Afterimage Mobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FF IV ships an update every 11 months, Afterimage Mobile fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
FF IV versus Afterimage Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFF IVAfterimage Mobile
Price$14.99$5.99 — better
Rating4.3 (195 ratings)4.3 (25 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.6% of reviews75.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings195 — better25
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#149 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size591 MB1.3 GB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperSQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.Beijing Wangyuan Shengtang Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

FF IV

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

Afterimage Mobile

All ratings25 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral9.8%
Negative14.6%

Bugs and requests

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

Afterimage Mobile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

FF IV

No in-app purchases

None

Afterimage Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FF IV free?
FF IV costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Afterimage Mobile free?
Afterimage Mobile costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FF IV or Afterimage Mobile?
Afterimage Mobile is rated higher. FF IV averages 4.3 out of 5 from 195 ratings, while Afterimage Mobile averages 4.3 from 25 ratings.
Do FF IV or Afterimage Mobile have ads?
Neither FF IV nor Afterimage Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FF IV or Afterimage Mobile?
FF IV ships an update every 11 months, and Afterimage Mobile fortnightly. Most recently, FF IV was updated on October 23, 2026 and Afterimage Mobile on October 24, 2026.

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