Although Final Fantasy 8 is quite different from other entries in the franchise, it proves to be amazing in its own ways
Story : This part of the game is a truly amazing feat. the story centres around Squall Leonheart, a member of a military academy and mercenary company. Squall is sent on a mission to help a rebel group free an enslaved country. this spirals out of control and becomes a quest to save the entire world. squal will have to deal with adversaries, as well as himself. joining him are characters like Rinoa Heartly, Zell Dincht, Quistis Trepe and others. the story is great and while it is a love story, it doesnt become bogged down in it.
the story is set in a modern enviroment, which, like FF7, was adored by some and disliked by others.
gameplay : The gameplay in FF8 isnt dramatically different then in previous FF games, the battles are random and turn based. what is different is the junction system. while other final fantasies allowed you to learn spells that stayed with you, FF8 forces you to "draw" magic from enemies, or create your own out of certain items. this can be frustrating, as it means you can run out of magic in battle, magic is finite and can be a chore to collect. magic is also used to make your characters stronger, so magic spells should never run out so you dont find yourself with half your health or strength.
this aspect of the game has many detractors, who believe this is frustrating. I don't find it that bad, and it is a minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless. there are also some side quests such as gathering parts for your best weapons (weapons are upgraded via spare parts rather then simply bought, another important change from the rest of the series), engage in card battles, get all the summons (GF as they are called in FF8).
Graphics and sound : For the PS1, the graphics are jaw dropping, the FMV cutscenes look more like early PS2 FMVs and the ingame character models are surprisingly realistic. gone are the blocky characters from FF7, FF8 features characters with realistically proportioned bodies. this actually was disliked by some who prefered the older super deformed characters in RPGs. the backgrounds are still pre renderd images, but are drawn very well and look good, overall the graphics are amazing for their time and system. The music is great and has some really memorable tracks, Final Fantasy never disappointed in the music department and this game is no exception.
In conclusion Final Fantasy 8 is one game every RPG fan should check out, it should also appeal to all gamers. The story is amazing and so are the graphics and music, the one hinderence is the gameplay, which might disappoint some people, but if you can ignore that, you will experience a game that immerses you in a way few games do.