Final Fantasy VIII: An Often Forgotten Gem

TGC writes: A regular feature within gaming circles is the old ‘which Final Fantasy is better’ debate. Some exalt the virtues of Final Fantasy VII (arguably the most popular) citing the sadism of Sephiroth and the wonderfully detailed Materia system. Some claim that Final Fantasy VI is the best with possibly the most evil villain ever invented being Kefka. FFIX and FFX usually get honorable mentions for various reasons. One game that is often missing from this debate’s vocabulary (at least in those I have experienced) is Final Fantasy VIII. Why?

[nyogo]

Great article! Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite. They don't make them like this anymore. I enjoyed 7,8,9,and 10. Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2 were okay but nowhere near as good as Final Fantasy 8 was.

[Hicken]

VIII gets overlooked because it followed VII, pure and simple. But, to me, VIII is a superior game in every way, and is STILL my favorite FF ever.

[Xwow2008]

Same for me FFVIII is my fav FF :)

[Irishguy95]

I disagree, the last quarter of FF8 wasn't good enough. 7 overall was better imo. Still i'd put them close. But 7 has it's up's and FF8 has it's ups too. What's great is that Ps1 was the golden era of FF, while alot of people think FF6 is better than the Ps1 games, at least Ps1 had 3 consecutive god level FF's.

Just about to replay FF8 though. Since i haven't played it in 2 years(and played FF7 last year again)

Edit--
See mike, Squalls development might have been better than Squalls, but the rest of the characters wasn't as good at all. Gameplay I disagree with too, battle system sure i'll give you that, but FF7 had so much more gameplay elements to make up for things a battle system can't handle. Such as the Motor bike escape from Shinra, the S-Rpg on the mountain/condor, Skiing etc. So So much stuff like that. And music was better, but just as music, I don't think it set the mood as well as FF7 did for it's area's. Except for that one when you're exploring a cave and stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watc... was good for the magical exploring mood.

Ugh can't explain but FF7 had alot of that, whereas FF8 had alot of just epic music. Oh and story...yeah sure, but the Setting and lore behind FF7 was alot better. Plot wise the whole time breakage thing was better in FF8 imo too.

Well...again, ups and downs.

[user5467007]

Agreed the reason it gets nickpicked to death because it wasn't a FF7 sequel...even though FF fans knew each FF tells a differen't story

The thing is though, in my opinion, it was better then FF7 in every way...gameplay, story, character development on main character (Squalls was amazing) and music.

[dumahim]

I don't agree.
For me, VIII took too long for the story to really hook me. It wasn't until they got to space that was finally hooked. The Draw/Stock system was flawed as well. A lot hated it, but it could also be abused to make the game way too damn easy. I did really like the game overall though.

[Ranma1]

FF10 was the last really good FF

[killerhog]

i didnt forget im replaying it. im also level 100 with squall, shiva, quiz and still in the very first mission.

[Chrono]

What's the point of being at level 100? All enemies will be at the same level.

[killerhog]

hahhaha you really are a newb if you dont know the leveling up trick. sorry buddy but the enemies are at default low level. theres a trick very early in the game you can use that gets you easy level ups and doesnt make your exp require go up nor does it make the monsters outside or anywhere else levels go up. this is also something i discovered on my own because im not a newb.

FYI: no cheats, no glitches, no hacks, no gameshark, 100% legit way of reaching level 100 with squall, shiva, and Quiz early in the game (as early as the first mission). in my seed exam i put 10 mins and took out ifrit in 1 blow with shiva LOL past my seed test in 2 mins. now i gotta train ifrit to 100

i also 100% legend of dragoon recently and was wayyyy more powerful than the regular monsters/bosses. really games back then werent hard if you are smart. yes, it did get easier this gen but not as much if you really think about it.

[Biggest]

Oh wow! You are a single player game that no one competes with BOSS! How awesome is that? You're like. . . The Michael Jordan of FFVIII! I bet all the ladies love killerhog because of your FFVIII bossness. Seriously though. You're really cool, bro. Ice cold cool.

[wishingW3L]

the real trick is to not level up until you get the bonus stats from the GF's (you'll have them by the end of the 3rd disc). And the other trick is to level up the abilities of the GF that converts crappy magic into more powerful one. Then you take that magic and junction it to the attack and "voala", the ultimate fighter.

Then you can level them all up really fast to lvl 100 and with the bonus stats in the "Islands Closest to Heaven and Hell (which has ultra powerful monsters)" using the blue magic of Quistis that kills all enemies instantly.

FF8 battle system is broken. I wonder what were they thinking when they made it because is ridiculous. XD

[dumahim]

Yeah, all I did was made sure I had a full stock of everything. Aura + Haste and I think something else made the game pretty easy.

[JellyJelly]

Didn't like it at all. Flat characters, boring locations, stupid battlesystem with all the button mashing, and the last Queen boss was a bit overpowered.

FF IX was a much better game in every way imo.

[Summons75]

FF8 is my second favorite game in the series, I honestly don't think anything can be better than FF6 but I loved 8 so much.

[DivineAssault]

7, 8, 10, & 12 are the best to me.. 13 seemed so "OFF" to me.. a lot of things just didnt feel right & i didnt enjoy it nearly as much.. The graphics were beautiful tho

[Tameel1]

I liked FF13 to an extent but it was certainly missing something that other final fantasy games had:

1. The characters felt like anime or JRPG stereotypes instead of real people. It didn't help that they all had a similar facial features and body shapes too. I missed the team having diversity and meeting interesting non playable characters through out the game with varying personalities and stories to tell.

2. The world was boring to look at and was it just me or were all the colors quite dull and muted in FF13? It didn't help that many locations looked very similar and consisted of ugly metallic greys and blues. Everything and everyone felt the same. The linearity didn't help the matter because it never feels like you are exploring different locations and cultures like you did in, for example, FFX. It always felt like you were following a narrow path of sameish areas vaguely joined together to lengthen the game's hours.

FFX was also critisized for being linear game but it was barely noticeable because the different locations always offered something new and exciting. Besaid was bright, beachy and colorful. The plains were wide, green and expansive. Guadosalam was forest like, natural and eerie. Mount Gagazet was cold, barren and unpleasant. Zanarkand was ruined, mystical and mysterious. All of these locations were so different from each other and they each gave the player a specific feeling and a unique look into each culture that resided within.

3. My biggest problem was the battle system. Not because it could be automated but because it seemed very dull compared to previous game's battle systems. All the spells felt the same and they all looked very similar too. I wanted to see my spells DO things to the enemy like previous games. I wanted to see enemies getting blasted with a ball of Fire, getting surrounded by Ice shards, getting pummelled with Meteors from the sky, getting bubbles of Poison burst in their faces, etc. Was I the only person who felt like like a lot of the attacks were really boring to look at? Previous games made me want to try out every spell and attack just to see what it would do but FF13 left me feeling bored whenever I used a new spell or attack. Even the summons were dull to look at and I hated the metallic look of them all. Why was everything in this game so dull and metallic damn it!!

[Pozzle]

I've always had a soft spot for FFVIII, even though a lot of fans consider it an average (or even a bad) Final Fantasy game.
Maybe it's just the nostalgia speaking, but there is just so much about the game that I loved. The characters were great and I really related to them when I was a young teen (even the characters I disliked still felt like real people who could actually exist), the story was enjoyable (despite some of the plotholes and silly twists), the battled were mostly fun (IMO the fight with Ultimecia is the best and most fun final battle in any FF game), and the world was absolutely gorgeous. And even though video game graphics have evolved since the game's release, there's something about those beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds that still wows me and makes it feel like a real place.

[VanillaBear]

Totaly Agree

"despite some of the plotholes and silly twists"

Lets be honest though, what Final Fantasy game dosen't have this. FF7 was just as bad and yet in some peoples eyes this always gets a free pass.

[wishingW3L]

FF7 didn't have any ridiculous plot devices like the orphanage in FF8. =/

[DragonKnight]

Nope, just the fact that Aeris fell in love with Zach and I guy thinking he was Zach. No plot holes there.

[Pozzle]

Is that really a plot hole though? I mean, we saw that Cloud was pretty fucked up after Hojo dunked him in that huge Mako bath. Mako poisoning killed most people who contracted it. No wonder Cloud's head was a mess throughout most of the game. Sure, it was a convenient plot point, but I wouldn't call it a plot hole. And Aeris falling in love with Zack (and later getting a crush on Cloud) isn't really a plot hole either. o.O

Ellone's power though...that was a BIG plot hole for me. Where did she get them? Why did she have them? Why was she the only person on the planet who could send people into the past? Was she a sorceress? If so, why weren't other sorceresses able to send people into the past too? That one bugged me more than the whole orphanage thing. At least the orphanage twist is sorta-kinda explained away by GFs, but Ellone's powers are never questioned. Not that I don't love the whole Laguna/Ellone/Raine/etc sub-plot, but I can't help but wonder if something got erased from the script or if a scene was removed that explained why she had this specific power.

[VanillaBear]

@Pozzle

You really need Elones powers explained....come on

It's a world filled with magic and fantasy, she was a child who just got lucky and managed to aquire those powers. Hell we don't even know if she was the only one in the world that was like that. She was just the only one Ultimecia knew about at the time and thats because she controled Edea who knew about Ellones gift.

There was many other things in FF7 apart from those you've mentioned that were plotholes in FF7.

For me the Orphange thing is nitpicked to death even though it's explained that they lost their memroies due to GFs. Yes all these people came to be friends and come together like it was fate...but what FF game hasn't dealt with fate and destiney.

If their was a sequel I'm sure they could expand on the world a bit more but it's not like they can answer every single thing in one game when theres so much going on.

[Pozzle]

@VanillaBear:

When it's one of the game's main plot points, then IMO it definitely does need to be explained. It's not like Ellone's power is a minor thing that's only mentioned once or twice in the game. Her power is one of the main plot points; it's the reason for the Laguna flashbacks, it's the reason Squall and team spend so much time looking for Ellone, it's the one thing that the main villain wants in order to complete her goal. So "Ellone was a child who just got lucky" really doesn't cut it, because it doesn't explain how she got the power or why she has it or what the purpose of her power even is.

This plot hole is especially noticeable since the game goes to such lengths to explain how new sorceresses get their powers and how students are able to junction and use magic. Ellone being the only person in the entire world with the power to send people back in time (to the point where even the game's main villain wants it) is something that definitely should have been explained. That IS a plot hole, no matter which way you slice it.

And true, the whole "the GFs caused them to lose their memories" thing was briefly explained, but that doesn't mean it isn't lazy or oddly convenient storytelling. Especially since there was no hints earlier in the game that the characters were having memory problems, that using GFs might cause adverse affects on students, or that there are people on the planet who oppose GFs for that very reason.

It also made Irvine look like a giant douche for not telling any of the team members (let alone his own girlfriend) that he knew them and that they all grew up together. It would have saved a lot of time and effort if he'd just said "I can't shoot Edea in the head. She's the woman who raised us. Oh by the way, am I the only one who remembers we all grew up together?"

[bangoskank]

Sorry, but this is one of the worst in the series. Some very touching cutscenes for sure but some of the lead characters had little to no appeal, the story dragged, and the battle system wasn't much fun. I'd say the one forgotten "gem" is XII as it was excellent all around but normally bashed, especially on this site.

[user5467007]

The battle system wasn't fun...even though it's nearly the same as the other FF games....attack, magic, summon, item etc. Don't give me that Draw crap excuse because you didn't have to draw in the game at all and you would still have good magic later on.....Island Heaven and Hell for example, a great place for drawing outside of battle.

Flat characters...Squall has one of the best character development in FF, the way how you see him transform from that lonley jerk in the begining to that brave heroic leader at the end was amazing. You actually see the difference of his character in each disc, which makes that hug/kiss with Rinoa in the end much more satisfying.

[Hicken]

You could say the same thing about VII, as far as some characters having little to no appeal. Barrett, Cid, Cait Sith, Vincent; none of them really appealed to me. As for the story, when does it drag? No, really, when does it drag? And the battle system is virtually the same as VII; the only difference is in how Limit Breaks are activated.

I'll agree that XII is unfairly bashed in many places, but VIII suffers that more than any game that isn't XIII.

[Pozzle]

:O

Cid and Vincent were two of my favorite characters in FFVII. Just goes to show how different characters can appeal to different people.

[bangoskank]

Why the comparisons to FFVII. I never said anything about liking that one either. When I played it ages ago on the PS1 it was grand because there was nothing else like it but it retrospect there was nothing special about it and VIII did nothing to improve on the franchise except stretch out the super deformed character models. I remember playing Panzer Dragoon Saga around the same time and still have fonder memories of playing that game. As a matter of fact, I think it blew both FF PS1 games out of the water. Best FF games IMO are VI, IX, and XII. I still have a soft spot for IV but it just didn't age well.

[Darth Gamer]

FF8 is still my favorite in the series. The switch from sprite based characters to more realistic was a big step for the series. Loved the story all the way from the epic opening movie till the credits which I thought was also very well done. (showing scenes of the characters after the game to show what happened to them) I also liked the whole acadamy aspect and how you had to draw your magic from the creatures around you. IMO, this is one of the best, if not the best FF game in the series. Quistis ruled!

[Kratoscar2008]

Forgotten? Never, me along my little sister and my Big Brother will never forget FFVIII as it was our first FF and remember it gladly.

One of the best FF ever.

[Mikhail]

I believe FF9 is the often forgotten gem. 7 brought mainstream popularity, 6 has critical acclaim and cult following, the same hoes with 10 . 8 is also popular as Squall was based on Cloud personality to cash in 7's popularity.

FF9 was simply classic final fantasy and brought so many elements from the old days back and had nice graphics at that point in time.

[user5467007]

"Squall was based on Cloud personality to cash in 7's popularity."

Square have never said that....they are two completely differen't characters who have differen't reasons about why they are the people we meet in the game.

[DragonKnight]

"Squall was based on Cloud personality to cash in 7's popularity."

What? That has to be the stupidest thing anyone has ever said about anything FF related in the history of FF. Squall and Cloud are nothing alike.

[PooEgg]

I loved FF VIII, it is high on my top ten favorite games list, and reading this made me want to play it again. Plus Triple Triad was amazing, of all the FF mini games it was my favorite.

[R_aVe_N]

I have played all the Final Fantasy game up until this generation, and I would say VIII ranks right up there with VII in my book. Both kept me really engaged in the story (what a true RPG should do) Although I am still partial to VII I would never knock VIII for any reason. I still have my PS1 copies of both that I play once a year just to remind me what real RPG's are like. Modern RPG's are decent but they will never compare to the classics in my opinion.

[silkrevolver]

I initially HATED 8.
Its slow initial pace (besides the opening cutscene) and wonky leveling up and inventory systems turned me off.

I tried for a third time, however, when I committed to beating all of the main FF titles.

After staying with it and really taking time to understand its underlying mechanics, I fucking LOVE that game.

X is my favorite, but VIII is special to me. Probably in my top 5.

[Qrphe]

My favorite FF game. It also had an excellent story superior to VII's (I like VII's lore more [Jenova and weps]).

[belac09]

1 through 13-2 were the best