Today marks the 10th year since Final Fantasy VIII was released in North America. The game has retained a timeless appeal, and remains as addicting and fun today as it was the first time I cracked open disk 1 and met Squall Leonhart.
I have to admit a certain amount of bias here. FFVIII is easily my favorite final fantasy title, and possibly my favorite game ever, period. The main character, Squall, is a broody loner who reluctantly takes on the role of leader. The world surrounding Squall is deeply thought-out and intricate. You start as a SEED cadet, training to become part of the elite mercenary group. Towns and cities are broken up into “Gardens” that are huge, futuristic, and full of cool technology. Even though you’re stomping through the wilderness swinging swords around, when you make it to civilization, you’re suddenly catapulted into a futuristic landscape. The sci-fi/fantasy mix in this game is executed perfectly, and really adds a unique and cool dimension to everything you do.
If you do or have ever loved classic turn-based RPG play, you will love the gameplay in VIII. It’s turn-based at its best. And as you go you earn more and more options. By the end of the game you can do much more than attack and use items.
I think it’s the classic nature of the game that really keeps me coming back (I’ve probably played it all the way through at least five times). Not only is the gameplay classic, but the design and music are classic Final Fantasy, from an era when the creators and designers were (arguably) producing some of their most amazing stuff. The music in VIII still gives me chills, no matter how many times I’ve already heard it.
Overall, this is a game that is close, perhaps too close, to my heart. It is classic in form, yet innovative in design, and addictingly fun. And for me at least, its replay value is off the charts. I may hop over to Goozex after posting this and get another copy of the game myself. I’ve played the game so many times that my four-disk copy of the original has been worn down to nothing.
Highlights:
- Classic gameplay from an era when Final Fantasy was arguably at its finest
- Characters that still haven’t lost their appeal and charm
- Excellent mix of fantasy action and high tech, sci-fi environments
- The best game ever (fangirling)
Final Fantasy VIII
System: PS1, PC
Developer: Squaresoft
Publisher: Squaresoft
Find: Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.
Want to know more about the game? Just ask! We love to hear ourselves type, and might even say something vaguely resembling an answer to your question(s)…
September 10th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
FF8 is by far my favorite game ever. I played it nonstop for a week straight when I got it for Christmas, and I still picked it up and played it through two more times (I guess that time could have been spent playing other games, but oh well). I love the romantic storyline and when you master that junction system, you pretty much own the game. This makes me want to play it again!
September 11th, 2009 at 2:49 am
Aw, the good old days of sitting in a battle for hours repeatedly sleeping a T-Rex so you can draw 99 Firaga from him…
Final Fantasy VIII is by far my favorite as well, except I still have to pretend that Edea, the coolest video game character ever, is not really Matron. Zzzz…how lame.
That would be like if Lulu got knocked up by Wakka…. … .. .
September 12th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I personally didn’t like this game and couldn’t make myself play through it all the way—and that rarely happens. It did have some wicked cut-scenes, though.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
What didn’t you like about it? Explain yourself immediately!
September 14th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Well first of all, my ideal escape from reality usually doesn’t involve going back to school.
September 19th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Too bad you didn’t like it Steph. This is really my favorite FF game of the series so far. I was so drawn into the story that I actually missed football practice a few times for the college team because I booked it home after class to play the game.
September 28th, 2009 at 5:47 am
Wait… I love FF8 and all — but the link to find it on Goozex leads to Zelda for GBA! Time to get organized…