It’s been almost six months since Square Enix released their trailer for Final Fantasy IV‘s Android port, as well as hinting towards more of releases from the franchise onto the Android device, but it’s finally here! Final Fantasy IV was a legendary game in the original series- it was the first to implement the “Active Time Battle” system that has become the focus of the series.
The FFIV is now available for $15.99 on the Google Play market, with improvements to the original game such as high resolution, voice acting, new emotional portrayals, a map-building tool, and a jukebox allowing purchasers to listen to the Final Fantasy IV soundtrack on the go.
However, there is huge backlash from the community after Square Enix made the decision to prevent rooted Android devices from installing the game. This, in theory, reduces the amount of piracy, but in a backwards way also hinders those who really do wish to purchase the game.
The assumption made by Square Enix–that if one roots their phone (which is typically something power/more technologically advanced users do) they’re very likely to steal their game–is insulting to many. I was considering picking up this game to support the developer and get the soundtrack, but my rooted Motorola Defy makes me ineligible to purchase the game (nor play it, due to my phone’s age). Hopefully Square Enix reverses this decision and allows rooted phones to play their games in the future.
