Final Fantasy VIII Review

Cast all fears aside: the latest Final Fantasy is the greatest game ever to bear the name.

I've been a Final Fantasy fan ever since the day the Nintendo Power strategy guide first arrived in my mailbox. Poring over the pages, I just knew that I had to play this game, to live in this other world. Heroes and villains, magic and mystery, epic quests and noble causes were all waiting to unfurl before my eyes. And ever since I vanquished Chaos, I've been hooked. Each of the English games has been analyzed, replayed, and studied as if it were a sacred text - and I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge the Final Fantasy series as the primary impetus behind my Japanese studies.

But after the seventh game, my seemingly limitless faith in the series began to falter. Final Fantasy VII was an excellent title, to be sure; but with a Final Fantasy game, "excellent" is never good enough. Some sections seemed like they were straight out of a Hollywood summer blockbuster: flashy, impressive, but ultimately unsatisfying. It was with some trepidation that I awaited Final Fantasy VIII's release: Would it be a return to the series' roots or a further digression into flash and brashness? In the end, any qualms I had were for naught; Square has finally understood how to use the power of the CD properly. Fear not. Final Fantasy VIII is a masterpiece.

The core of any Final Fantasy game has always been its story, and Final Fantasy VIII's story is the best the series - and likely the genre - has ever seen. With Final Fantasy VII, Square showed that it had mastered the epic; with VIII, it shows that it has mastered the personal. The characters and their relationships are all extremely believable and complex; moreover, the core romance holds up even under the most pessimistic scrutiny. The decision to eschew a cast of dozens and focus on a central cast of six major characters appears to have been a wise one. The characters don't seem like base archetypes or generic "heroes," but like actual people.

Squall Leonheart is a student at Garden, the world's foremost military academy. His classmates are a motley bunch: the brash but good-natured Zell Dincht; the brash but ill-natured Seifer Almasy; the childlike Selphie Tilmitt; the precocious Quistis Trepe; and the personable Rinoa Heartilly. After a successful training mission, Squall, Selphie, and Zell are all inducted into the elite combat-unit-for-hire, SeeD. Their first mission: assisting a rebel organization in the capture of Galbadian president Deling, who is set to announce a new alliance that will bring Galbadia glory and triumph over its opponents. This alliance is not with any faction or nation, but with a powerful sorceress named Edea. Don't worry that the schoolyard trappings make Final Fantasy VIII seem like "Teen Beat RPG," though; these engaging characters experience some of the most epic, grandiose events imaginable. While the plot may begin at an academy, it eventually spans the entire globe - and beyond. The twists and turns the story takes will leave you reeling; at the end of disc four, you'll laugh at the misconceptions you had about the plot with which you first began. A great deal of credit for the story's attractiveness must go to the graphic design. The first Final Fantasy through the sixth featured super-deformed, or SD, heroes: squat body, huge head, saucer-plate eyes. Final Fantasy VII was a hodgepodge of conflicting graphical styles; the field models were SD, the battle models were non-SD, the FMV was mostly non-SD (with a few SD exceptions almost humorously juxtaposed). With Final Fantasy VIII, Square has taken the series fully non-SD, and it's all for the better. The more mature plots of recent titles seemed at odds with the quirky, cartoony look with which the series began. Involving, personal, and emotional stories are far more believable when they come from, well, people, not short, bizarrely shaped cartoon characters. While the SD style suits many games, it's not the best choice for every RPG - and it certainly isn't the best choice for Square's latest Final Fantasy. In Final Fantasy VIII, the field models always match the battle models, which always match the FMV models. Always. This coherency of design is the game's greatest visual asset over its predecessors.

The graphics are absolutely breathtaking. The detail in the backgrounds is frighteningly meticulous, and almost all backgrounds contain some animated elements. Battle sequences are nicely textured, and the sheer number of battle environments is borderline obsessive. Most full-motion video sequences are well integrated with gameplay, eliminating jarring "cuts" to and from CG sequences. Words don't do the graphics justice; neither, for that matter, do stationary screenshots. The motion and animation are what set Final Fantasy VIII's graphics apart from the rest. Both the FMV and in-game graphics are extensively motion-captured, and the difference is stunning. Characters don't just move around the screen; they act. The dance sequence on the first disc is equal in every way to Final Fantasy VI's famous "opera house" sequence. Square has proven that it has the biggest, baddest graphic artists and sound composers in the known world. Now, size no longer matters; they're going to awe you with majesty. While the limitations of the PlayStation hardware rear their ugly head from time to time, the sheer artistry and detail of the movement, the models, and the textures are beyond reproach. The mind reels at the thought of what Square can do with the next generation of gaming machines.

The sound, while excellent, is perhaps the game's weakest point; the music doesn't match the perfection of Final Fantasies IV, V, and VI. Of course, almost no video game has ever equaled the aural bliss of Nobuo Uematsu's SNES trilogy - but the bar was set, and Final Fantasy VIII falls just short. Even so, Uematsu is still a certifiable genius, and the soundtrack is very good, with more "quality" songs than Final Fantasy VII's. Even Faye Wong's pop sensation "Eyes on Me" is surprisingly inoffensive. Sound effects are excellent during FMV sequences, but only average during battle and gameplay sequences. The promised "Dolby Surround Sound" is mostly unnoticeable. Voice acting would have added a great deal to the FMV sequences; the game sometimes feels like the most beautiful silent film ever made.

Battles take place in the traditional RPG "active time" system: Your characters and their opponents take turns unleashing fury (or defending furiously). Final Fantasy VIII introduces (in traditional Japanese RPG style) several new "systems" for you to learn and master: the draw system, the guardian force system, and the junction system. The draw system replaces the traditional "pool of MP" system. All magic in Final Fantasy VIII's world is "drawn" from another source: usually an enemy or a "draw point." Each draw brings with it a number of uses: If you draw the cure spell, for example, you'll usually draw between five and eight uses of the spell. The character who drew can then cast a cure spell five to eight times before the spell must be drawn again and the stock replenished. Some opponents also have special items, such as guardian forces, that can be drawn out of them. The number of uses drawn is dependent on both the drawer's magic power and the strength of the spell being drawn. This is a self-balancing system: Powerful magicians have ready access to powerful spells; lesser magicians have limited access to a few uses, while even-lesser magicians will be unable to draw the spell out at all. Powerful magic becomes more valuable when it isn't easily replaced in a tent or at an inn. When you have only six "uses" of the meteor spell in the entire world, you'll think twice before casting.

The guardian force system is Final Fantasy VIII's way of handling "summoned monsters." Every guardian force, or GF, is like a sub-member of your party. Each has its own HP, life, level, statistics, and abilities. After each battle, your characters earn experience, the GFs earn AP, and all gain levels and skills accordingly. When a GF is summoned, its HP replaces your character's HP for the duration of the "casting" period, and any damage to your character is absorbed by the GF. GFs have their own healing potions, life potions, and even shops.

The junction system works with the GF system to give you varying skills and abilities. Each GF can be joined, or "junctioned," to a character. The effects of this are manifold. First, until junctioned with a GF, a character has no battle commands except "fight." Junctioning a GF gives you immediate access to the "magic," "draw," and "item" commands; many offer extra commands, such as "card," "death sentence," "revive," and "steal." Second, GFs have a list of skills that they can master - like a "job" in Final Fantasy V or Tactics. Some of these are player abilities, some are extra commands, some are party abilities, and some are "junction" abilities. You can assign a certain skill as "active," and all AP will go toward mastering and unlocking that new skill. Third, when junctioned, a character can often junction spells to various statistics. For example, Quezacotl may open up the HP statistic to magic junctioning. You can then junction a spell - probably a cure or life spell - to the HP statistic, and the character's HP will react accordingly. Certain abilities can be unlocked this way; for example, linking a "level three" elemental spell to your characters' defense statistic will let them absorb HP from that element's attacks. The more powerful the spell - and the more uses stocked - the greater the effect on the statistic. The possibilities for customization are immense.

Initial criticism held that the GF system is unbalanced and makes the game too easy. It's true that, at first, your GFs are ridiculously powerful, but as the game progresses, their strength becomes less unbalanced and more absolutely necessary. Late in the game, GFs are all but forgotten as junctions, special commands, and physical attacks take the forefront. While the game does tend to be on the easy side, it's still more difficult than other recent games in the series. Even the greatest RPG fanatics will find the ugly words "Game Over" staring them in the face more than they'd like. Some have also argued that it's too easy to "abuse" the system by repeatedly drawing the same spell from an opponent. Repeated drawing is possible, but it's no more "abuse" than repeatedly fighting the same groups of weak enemies to raise levels and gain money. Repeated drawing is boring, to be sure, but it's a flaw common to the traditional RPG format. Levels and money, by the by, are two more things that Final Fantasy VIII tosses aside in the name of progress - along with traditional ideas of armor and weapons. All levels are one thousand experience points apart from one another, and all enemies give the same amount of experience. How can such a system work? Enemies are always at the same level as your characters, a la Final Fantasy Tactics. As your enemies' levels increase, they gain new skills and abilities; accordingly, abilities gain importance, as you'll never achieve a purely numerical advantage over your opponents. Armor and weapons are also mostly jettisoned. No character wears any sort of armor, and each character has a single weapon that can be "upgraded" at junk shops by combining certain rare items. Without any weapons or armor for you to buy, money is mostly useless - and so it, too, is all but eliminated. The party is paid a periodic stipend (the size of which depends on Squall's SeeD ranking) with which to purchase basic supplies and items.

The RPG purist will immediately scoff, but further reflection reveals that these changes might actually be for the better. After all, in Final Fantasy games, armor and weapons are practically indistinguishable except for their numerical power. And what player won't immediately equip the more powerful item he just discovered or purchased? Weapons, armor, and money are all artificial statistical impediments to your progress through the game; by removing them, Square returns the focus to the story, characters, and battle strategies. It's a simplification, to be sure, but by no means a "dumbing down." You can still customize your attack and defense powers and characteristics (and almost any other statistic) through creative junctioning of assorted magics.

The Card Battle game, Triple Triad, is a more-than-worthy RPG minigame. There are several hundred cards to collect and swap, and local variations on the standard rule set help make each battle unique. Some cards are won from battles against opponents; others are found by using the "card" command on a weakened enemy. What's more, rare cards can be converted to rare items; rare items can be converted to rare weapons. In other words, your skill at the minigame can affect the main game itself. A single in-depth, well-done minigame is vastly preferable to multiple throwaway sequences. Nowadays, when I want to ride a motorcycle, I just plug in Road Rash. The only thing missing is a suitable reward for collecting them all - obsessive RPG fans deserve more than a star of commendation.

The English version of Final Fantasy VIII sports a decent, unassuming translation. While no one is likely to confuse Square's translations with the works of Shakespeare, the localization is grammatically correct and structurally coherent. Given the state of the RPG union, these are grand accomplishments indeed. The English version also sports one of the most welcome additions in RPG localization history: "Junction Exchange." This one-step character-swapping tool swaps spell inventories, junctioned GFs, and junctioned spells with a single click, making what was once a headache into a pleasure. With character swapping made this easy, players of the English version are far more likely to experiment with different party members than their Japanese brethren.

Final Fantasy VIII combines a fantastic story, amazing visuals, and excellent sound with solid RPG gameplay, an eminently tweakable junction system, and scads of secrets and extras. After a string of visually stunning but uninspired games from Square, many gamers feared that Final Fantasy VIII would be more of the same. Cast all fears aside: the latest Final Fantasy is the greatest game ever to bear the name.

The Good

  • N/A

The Bad

About the Author

31 Comments  RefreshSorted By 
GameSpot has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to toxic conduct in comments. Any abusive, racist, sexist, threatening, bullying, vulgar, and otherwise objectionable behavior will result in moderation and/or account termination. Please keep your discussion civil.

Avatar image for jsweet1087
jsweet1087

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

<< LINK REMOVED >> AMEN! I could not agree with you more(except I don't like XIII as much as you ;-) But the whole point of a review is to form one's own opinion. There are way too many fanboys on here getting pissed simply for the fact that they disagree with someone's opinion as if the person took a shit on their pillow. I wouldn't care if he said he liked FFVIII because the number VIII is more appealing, that's why it's his review and his opinion. The reason I come onto these forums and read reviews is because I actually enjoy reading the reviews whether I agree with them or not. It doesn't anger me if my own personal opinion differs from the writers because it isn't supposed to be based off of anyone else's opinion but himself(or herself) What does piss me off is the hostility.How boring would these reviews be if we all had the same opinion? If people disagree with Andrew's love for FFVIII so much why don't they write in their own blog and state their own valid reasons for the disdain there instead of attacking the writer on their own review. And argue that are wrong when it's fact just a differing opinion. And well opinions can be neither right or wrong, that's the beauty of it! Some people really need to grow up.....

Upvote • 
Avatar image for disneyskate
disneyskate

26

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 0

I bought it digitally -_- doesn't mean I can't complain about a bad game being bad.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for saosebastiao
saosebastiao

140

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 15

User Lists: 0

My favorite Final Fantasy is VII, but let's get one thing straight guys, Final Fantasy VIII isn't worse than FF VII. It's a different dish, different flavour.

Awesome graphics, awesome story, tons of things to do, many GF to find, 60 plus hours of gameplay, great flexibility in the combat system, a great card game and the main character, while sometimes being a douche, is no way a *** like many FF characters nowadays are.

If you have a problem with the Draw system, well... too bad assholes, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FREAKING DRAW MAGICS FROM EVERY ENEMY YOU ENCOUNTER.

You can easily override the draws, with good item planing, just play some card game, which btw are very fun, and refine the items into magic.Or get items from the enemies you defeat. It still is a lot better than FF13.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for brainiac1988
brainiac1988

40

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

This is the first FF game I ever played. I saw my friend do a brief battle a few years before I bought this. And I was like: "So this is Final Fantasy? It looks boring...definitely not my type of game."

Somewhere near the end of the PS era I picked this up from a bargain bin for a cheap price. I thought: "Hey, Its a big title, might as well try it out."

I am sooo glad I made that decision. The game litteraly blew me away. I started playing and I just couldnt stop! The story, the characters, the world, the environments, the music, incredible cutscenes... There are only a few games who got me so involved in the plot, stories and characters.

I remember being at school and thinking of this game all day long. Couldnt wait till I got home.

In one word: EPIC. Sooo much better than I ever thought it would be. Hands down one of my favorite games ever. And wouldnt have missed it for the world. Good times!


8 • 
Avatar image for cardinalphoenix
cardinalphoenix

45

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >>

Friend of mine hated this game. This one day, he wanted to discuss the origin of the characters, and why it bothered him...I said I was probably not going to have a Playstation for a long while, so I let him go ahead.

Later down the road, I got into the PS1, bought Final Fantasy 8 and played through, vaguely remembering what my friend said. Even though I remembered a crucial piece of the story, it really didn't deter me from enjoying it thoroughly, and even after playing through FF7, 9, 10, and 10-2, I still like 8 the best.

I wouldn't say it IS the best, but I definitely like it the best. For one thing, I identified a lot with Squall when I played it...that quiet, depressed guy who never thought he'd love anything, who met a girl who let him feel real emotions. I liked all the other characters in the party, Zell and Selphie were really fun and energetic, Irvine was cool...

Yeah, the character origin thing might be a bit weak, in that each of their tales a little less individual...but it still had that "fate brought us together" vibe. I loved the moments when you had to split the party up into teams, Junctioning and GFs offered a ton of options...

I really enjoyed it. In fact, reading this definitely makes me want to go back and play it again. Or at least pop my head in.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for valzjet28
valzjet28

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Additional comment, for me FF 8 is the best game ever. the game itself was great, background, soundtracks, characters, the best part of the game was the summoning the gf's. I still remembered some of it. since I played only the disc one, Quetzalcoatl, Ifrit and Shiva were in the first part. I just loved this game so much, it breaks my heart if someone hate this game. In my high school years I started playing this game on PS1 (actually my cousin's PS1), College I played on PC. I never gave up playing this game. Squaresoft bring back FF8 game. Any game console. I will definitely will buy it.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for valzjet28
valzjet28

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I played FF VIII on PC 2 yrs ago. It was great just like playing on the PS1 back then. I stopped playing FF VIII because the shop I bought the cd was only the disk one and the rest of the game were not sold, I continually go to the same shop if ever they had the rest of the game, nothing happens. Actually the cd I bought it before was still here with me up to now May 13, 2013. I can play the game over and over again if I have to. that's how I loved the game. No pause/stopping, no blurred, no dusty things in the game whatso ever, Its like playing the original. I love the game so much. I hope that on PSP or PS3 will have this game again. I don't know why the game fades that easily. I never played Final Fantasy the new ones. I just loved this game Final Fantasy VIII. I missed Zell, he is my favorite character and all the Gf's. bring back FF VIII please.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for bl4ckheartnet
bl4ckheartnet

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

Actually, the music is the game's strongest point in my opinion, no other FF has better soundtrack than 8 to me

Upvote • 
Avatar image for RndmGui
RndmGui

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I loved everything about this game! The only gripe that I do have about it is the GF system. I just really didn't like the fact that all of your stats needed to be upgraded through magic. So you grind for magic which is quantitative rather than using the usual MP system. I felt like in a way the system discourages you from using magic because all the best magic you'll want to keep to up your stats. But other than that I have to say that the story-telling is very well done, the characters are very memorable, it has a bunch of memorable moments, and the music is probably my top 3 favorites in the whole series!

Upvote • 
Avatar image for blee575
blee575

33

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I will never understand why some people hate ff8 and keep raging about how ''ff7 was so much better''. For you it may have been better, but other people may feel connected to this one more, for their own reasons. And, after all, this was a true ff game, worthy of it's name. It's other games (*cough*ff13*cough*) that deserve our hate, games that completely altered the franchise's feel and mechanics, and turned the deep, serious-while-also-funny storylines of the old ff's to ''My Little Pony''-like tales.

6 • 
Avatar image for jedinortd_basic
jedinortd_basic

694

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >> lol i actually loved 13. A game hasn't held my attention that well since ff 9

Upvote • 
Avatar image for blee575
blee575

33

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Even if you loved 13, it was not a final fantasy game in terms of plot (much weaker with no twists and no plot-related sidequests) and gameplay (completely linear and no ability to roam freely to previous areas, no towns- NO TOWNS FOR GOD'S SAKE!, and no NPC's to talk to). I don't want you to dislike the game. I want you to realize that it's ok to release an EXELENT racing or fighting or action game, it's great, but don't name it final fantasy. As you wouldn't name an RPG resident evil.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for unanamous
unanamous

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> It's the start of the era of making games for pure profit and not making awesome games. Not making games with real storylines, awesome soundtracks and enough side stuff to do to forget about the outside world. But incomplete games where you get sick of them after the first one. not looking forward to 13-3

Upvote • 
Avatar image for BrutalPandaX2
BrutalPandaX2

87

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >>Just because it is more linear and doesn't have towns does not mean it is not Final Fantasy. It still keeps a lot of Final Fantasy elements in it and is admitted by the developers that FF13 is the start a new branch, or era, of Final Fantasy games which is entitled Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy. Look it up. I guess they were telling the truth when they said FF12 is going to be the last of its type in the Final Fantasy series.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for BrutalPandaX2
BrutalPandaX2

87

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 8

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >> Just because it is more linear and doesn't have towns does not mean it is not Final Fantasy. It still keeps a lot of Final Fantasy elements in it and is admitted by the developers that FF13 is the start a new branch, or era, of Final Fantasy games which is entitled Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy. Look it up.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Griever4
Griever4

26

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

seems to me that Spike1988 and cdozier86 have fanboy issues they need to work on.

Anyway... Great review! FFVIII is my favorite FF game ever. VII and IX were freakin awesome as well, VIII just had what it took to mesmerize me.

3 • 
Avatar image for 0diN_7
0diN_7

1061

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

When this game came out I was about 14 and I loved it. I used to be apart of other gaming forums at the time that bashed this game but I think everyone who loves a good RPG realizes now that this game was and is truly great.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for skelly1331
skelly1331

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

My Favorite final fantasy game! VII was great but I enjoyed VIII a lot more. Better music, story, and characters. Great review!

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Ryles30
Ryles30

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

screw the draw system, i love everything else about this game except for that, and that alone breaks it for me.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for RndmGui
RndmGui

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >> It didn't break it for me, but it definitely keeps me from wanting to replay the game.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Jimmi323
Jimmi323

870

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

@Detriiment There are a lot more people that agree with this guy than you might think. Me included.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for cdozier86
cdozier86

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

I also don't understand what this reviewer is saying here: "After a string of visually stunning but uninspired games from Square, many gamers feared that Final Fantasy VIII would be more of the same..." the string of games leading up to FF7, and FF7 itself, skyrocketed Squaresoft, which already had a wonderful reputation. This guy seriously doesn't know what he's talking about. If anything, FF8 added more visual splendor and realistic character designs that didn't improve the story of the mechanics of the game in any way.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for cdozier86
cdozier86

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

This reviewer sucks. FF7's music is on a completely different level than FF8's, completely different world for that matter. I can't remember one tune from FF8...I remember all of them from FF7. In every way FF7 is a superior game, and every step of the way you can see FF8 trying to copy that success, and it shows in a negative way. Frankly, in terms of a complete package, this may be the weakest FF game ever.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Anebolos
Anebolos

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >> Actually, everything VIII is trying to do (and managing quite successfully) is actually the opposite of what VII was all about. To me, personally, out of all three FF games on the PSX (not counting Tactics or the re-releases), VII feels the most clunky in terms of gameplay, the most awkward in terms of graphics, and the least satisfactory in terms of its story (never once did it move me or made me feel immersed in the world. Never. And this is coming from someone who loves and enjoys games so much he wrote a 20-page research paper on Braid). Again, this is my opinion, and I am aware that many do not share it.

I believe that most FF players worship the first game in the series that they came in contact with; the generation of players who are now in their early or mid-twenties got hooked on FF VII - it was their first FF experience (again - in many, not all, cases) and that is why they claim it is perfect, or close to being. For me, however... I will never forget the first time I summoned Quetzalcoatl, the first time I fought Ifrit, the first time I flew around in a spaceship and defeated a Weapon - in short, the first time I played VIII. That is why it is my favorite game; all subjectivity aside, having played most FF games several times, I can still quite resolutely claim VIII is one of the better games in the series. It certainly doesn't deserve the black-sheep reputation it so often gets.

Oh, and also - I can not only remember but also name every single track on VIII's soundtrack. They are quite memorable. You probably feel that way about VII because it is YOUR FF, so to say, and everything about it seems, well - perfect :)

2 • 
Avatar image for Fauxmar
Fauxmar

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> I haven't played VIII but I have played VII and I agree entirely with you with the three negatives you stated on VII. I mean, I enjoyed the game (my first play through was earlier this year) but the only thing I found stellar about the game was the soundtrack and travelling the world was fun (it's the first world map FF I've ever played).

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Anebolos
Anebolos

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

<< LINK REMOVED >> Actually, everything VIII is trying to do (and managing quite successfully) is actually the opposite of what VII was all about. To me, personally, out of all three FF games on the PSX (not counting Tactics or the re-releases), VII feels the most clunky in terms of gameplay, the most awkward in terms of graphics, and the least satisfactory in terms of its story (never once did it move me or made me feel immersed in the world. Never. And this is coming from someone who loves and enjoys games so much he wrote a 20-page research paper on Braid). Again, this is my opinion, and I am aware that many do not share it.

I believe that most FF players worship the first game in the series that they came in contact with; the generation of players who are now in their early or mid-twenties got hooked on FF VII and claim it is perfect simply because it was their first FF experience (again - in many, not all, cases). For me, however... I will never forget the first time I summoned Quetzalcoatl, the first time I captured Ifrit, the first time I flew around in a spaceship and fought a Weapon - in short, the first time I played VIII. That is why it is my favorite game; all subjectivity aside, having played most FF games several times, I can still quite resolutely claim VIII is one of the better games in the series. It certainly doesn't deserve the black-sheep reputation it so often gets.

Oh, and also - I can not only remember but also name every single track on VIII's soundtrack. They are quite memorable. You probably feel that way about VII because it is YOUR FF, so to say, and everything about it seems, well - perfect :)

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Spike1988
Spike1988

1631

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

This guy is an absolute goose if he thinks that FF VII was 'ultimately unsatisfying' and stating that the story was 'like out of a summer blockbuster'. I have no respect for this guy.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for don_saulari
don_saulari

45

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 0

I dont care much for your opinion about this game OR any other FF games, what I'm wondering about is, can I play this game on PS Vite by downloading it from PSN ?? Cuz I just bought it and I am thinking seriously of playing it again. it was and still a great game with lots of memories !

Upvote •