Final Fantasy VIII

This Video Game Video Games item from Square Enix was reviewed on 10-Dec-2008.

Final Fantasy VIII Reference Video Games. Classifications : AmazonNow_AmazonFresh Amazon.com Stores Featured Stores All Games PlayStation More Systems Categories Video Games Role-Playing PlayStation More Systems Categories Video Games Role Playing Games Game G . Click the following link to view the cover of Final Fantasy VIII.

Related topics: Squall, a member of an elite military team, is forced into a conflict beyond imagination. To survive he must contend with a desperate rival, a powerful sorceress and his own mysterious dreams. Contains realistic detailed characters and background graphics. A breathtaking musical score enhances game play. Another great edition of the Final Fantasy series of games. Amazon.com Stores. Featured Stores. All Games. PlayStation. More Systems. Categories. Video Games. Role-Playing. PlayStation. More Systems.

1) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. I use to have this game a long time ago, twice to be exact, and both times i have loved this game. People say that it has no story line and is nothing like FFVII, well duh the people who made it knew that. I will say this i have enjoyed this game enough to buy it twice, and i love it so much that i am about to buy it for the third time. FFVII is an ok game i am not going to lie RPG games are my utmost favorite but when it comes to the final fantasy series Final Fantasy 8 is by far the best. The graphics far exceed what i was expecting for a regular playstation. People don´t like it because you have a lot that you have to do in the game, but if you sit down and actually start to play the game you will not want to stop trust me.¤

2) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. This is a game I´ve been looking to complete my collection for FF in playstationn. So far it didn´t failed to be entretaining and captive as the others have been. It is a must.¤

3) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. Over 9 years old, this game is still great. The story, graphics, and gameplay are even better the FF 7 and FF 9. It is a long and exciting game that any fan of rpg´s will love.¤

4) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. I still remember the day that I first popped FFVIII into my PSX. I had just gotten the system for Christmas, and I had never played another Final Fantasy game before at the time. Needless to say, I was swept away by the sheer magnitude of this game and instantly became a FF fangirl from that point onward. I loved the game back then, with the exception of some very obvious things that I found incredibly annoying. Now that I have played through FFVIII again, almost a decade later, I can say that I don´t enjoy the game nearly as much anymore, but I still think it was a solid installment in the FF series. Perhaps finally getting my hands on the rest of the Final Fantasies set my expectations a little higher. Anyway, here is my review.

Story (7/10): You know what? I liked FF8´s story. I liked the serious, realistic atmosphere which was such a deviation from past FF´s. To me, it seemed like an interesting change. I loved Sorceress Edea, and enjoyed how the plot developed...for the most part. However, and I say this as an author of fiction, the love story between Squall and Rinoa was HORRIBLY done. My hatred of Rinoa´s character aside, it seemed like the game designers didn´t even care about realistic character development. Play through the game again, and you will see what I mean. Squall makes little advancement in his character in the first couple disks, yet in the third, he suddenly becomes incredibly gushy over Rinoa. Grr. The poor character development just slaps me in the face every time I play this game. I do understand that this is a video game, but I am one of the few who enjoys playing RPGs for their interesting storylines, and this just insults me.

Characters (4/10): In FF8, you have your typical cast of characters. However, unlike most other FF games, I wasn´t able to connect with the characters as much. There were only a few which I really liked. I probably enjoyed Zell´s character the most for reasons which I´m sure fans of this game can easily identify with. I actually really liked Selphie as well. I thought she was a hilarious take on the whole "hyperactive girl" role. Squall was...all right. Now, I can´t say I was a huge fan of Irvine. But most importantly...RINOA. I know that there are a lot of Rinoa fans out there, but I´m not one of them. In my opinion, she´s a helpless princess-type character and is a horrible love interest for Squall. How many times did we save this girl throughout the course of the game? And, most annoyingly, she acts like a royal brat and is overly clingy to Squall. Correct me if I´m wrong, but the majority of the guys I´ve met can´t stand clingy girlfriends. Most of her dialogue makes me want to claw my eyes out. Just...no. Square, please never put a female lead like this in a game again. Terra and Aeris are good examples of female leads who should never be mentioned in the same breath as Rinoa out of respect for their well-designed characters and stories. And here ends my rant, for it could go on forever.

Graphics (7/10): I´m being lenient here, taking into consideration that it was a PSX game. The backgrounds were well-detailed, and the cinematics were gorgeous. I would have liked to see some more attention to detail on the character models, however. I never managed to fall in love with them as I did with the cheesy, blocky characters from FF7. Polygon Cloud was just too cute.

Gameplay (7/10): Not the greatest of the Final Fantasies. I liked being able to customize my characters´ stats by junctioning magic, and on my first playthrough, I thought that the whole drawing system was kind of neat. Having played through it again, I now realize how tedious it is to sit in battle drawing magic for 5 minutes just so you can improve your characters´ stats. I still love the customization, just not the drawing. GF summons are cool for the first few hours of the game, but eventually you realize how much they slow the game down and it gets to be a bit of a drag. Unfortunately, especially with bosses, you have to sit there boosting your GFs´ attacks with the square button, so it´s not as if they could just stick a "short summon animation" option in there or something. My aching thumb could say some more about that whole method of powering up abilities, but I´ll save it. I did like the whole trigger system for normal attacks, and I thought the pacing between random battles was pretty good (but then again, I just finished FFX).

Music (10/10): Uematsu shines for us once again. The soundtrack is rich with brilliant songs, many of which you´ll remember long after you´ve completed the game. I frequently find myself looking FF8 music up on Youtube to leave as background music while I work on other things. This element may be why I enjoyed this game so much.

Miscellaneous/Extras (9/10): One of the things I enjoy most about FF8 is the sidequests. That may sound stupid, but it´s true. There are so many different things to do once you get the Ragnarok on disk 3. Also, unlike many other reviewers here, I liked the card game. I found it addictive and fun, although the Random rule in some areas annoyed me.

Overall: 7.33/10 - This game had great potential, but it fell short in very important ways. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good RPG with some creative twists, but be warned...it´s missing some things. Like a good heroine, for instance.¤

5) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. This game is what it is. You get no less than 1 Unscratched version of FF8. I have waited for this for a long time. No more used game store hassle.¤

6) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. A revolutionary new Battle System has been created to add more customization to your characters by way of the Junction System. The latest features such as Dolby Surround Sound, Pocket Station compatibility and CG movie integration have also been incorporated into this masterpiece, making this title a showcase in technological game advancements.

Format: PSX
Genre: RPG (VG)/
Rating: T - Teen
UPC: 662248999043
Manufacturer No: 9758¤

7) Video Game Video Games Final Fantasy VIII by Square Enix. SquareSoft has always had a sure-fire hit when releasing any of their Final Fantasy titles, and Final Fantasy VIII should be no exception. The basis of a good RPG (role-playing game) has always been the story; spectacular graphics are secondary. Final Fantasy VIII´s involved and interesting story line is filled with great twists, well-developed characters, suspense, and romance. As an added bonus, the graphics are beautiful. Everything--from the low-lit jazz club to the steam-filled railroad tunnels--is gorgeous and perfectly sets the mood and tone of a scene.

The game mechanics are standard fare for an RPG: acquisition of items and spells, turn-based combat, experience points earned in combat allowing advances in levels. From exploration to battles to dialogue, Final Fantasy VIII has it all. However, Final Fantasy VIII falls to that great weakness of RPGs: random battles. While necessary for advancing in levels, the battles occur with such frequency that they can grow annoying, making for a tedious game experience.

The epic storyline spans four discs--over 40 hours of gameplay--and is based around a mercenary cadet who finds himself caught up with an underground rebel faction. He winds up in a plot to assassinate the sorceress who has just seized power from the president.

You could complain of limited replay value, but this gripe is of no consequence: the game is such a satisfying experience, it doesn´t require replay. Final Fantasy VIII is easily worth both the hype and the wait. You can´t buy a much better game. --John Cocking

Pros:

• A story to beat all stories
• Characters worth caring about
• Hey--it´s from SquareSoft
• Stunning animations

• Too many random battles
• Combat is, as always, turn-based and offers minimal excitement
• Weak souls might give up after two or three discs of play

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 7-Jan-2009, 662248999043, 3X1-O5B-8CB-6EB-7GB-XEB-I6B-8

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