After 11 years it's still fresh!
Obviously, after the FF7 experience, I was ready for the 8th installment of the series.
Oh boy, was I for a treat! I must've played this game a dozen times and it still feels fresh to me every time I turn it on.
I recently acquired it in the PSN store (I lost 2 of the 4 cd's over the years) and I decided "hell, if I'm buying, the least I could do is play it again!"
I then spent the next week playing this classic. 60 hours into the game and I beat it. Man, what a sense of satisfaction and realization! Everything feels great in the game. Graphics (awesome for a PSX title), music, gameplay. There is no voice, but that's a minor thing and to be honest I'm used to it. Better to have no voice than something like Vanille busting your brains out.
Forget about the kid style dialogue of FF13!
FF8 delivers a protagonist with fears, insecurities and with a very humane side to him. You can relate to everything he says and understand what he's feeling. How many of us didnt feel a bit lonely while growing up? Whatever the reason, there must've been at least one time when all you wished for was to be left alone, even if for 5 minutes.
Squall is like that. An asocial teenager that's just afraid to get hurt if he lets people close. That's also what's compelling in the game. The character development is amazing and you easily care for the main cast (mostly Squall + Rinoa). How many games of this era accomplish this? Not so many I can tell you.
FF8 is a game that won't disappoint your expectations, even if you play it in the present age. Graphics aren't everything!
Sure, the game still has the random battle generator, but very early into the game you can disable them trough Diablos Ability "Enc-None".
If you're an old time fan of Final Fantasy, I suggest you revisit this classic. If you're younger than me and looking for some quality entertainment in the RPG world, then give this game a try.
It was an instant classic when it came out and after 11 years, I can say, it really is!