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FINAL FANTASY VIII DEMO
Copyright © Squaresoft, Inc.
Sony PlayStation, 1 player
RPG
Dual Shock compatible
Available now as demo disc pack-in with BRAVE FENCER MUSASHIDEN
—by Keith Rhee
Step aside, Tifa—Linoa is the new heroine,
and she's quite the looker!
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Few games received as much fanfare last year as FINAL
FANTASY VII, in no small part due to its over-the-top visual
presentation. While its story is a subject of much debate (some players
argue the story could've been better), both fans and critics alike
eagerly await the next installment, hoping that Squaresoft will improve
on the phenomenon that was FF7.
While the release of the actual game is a while off yet
(tentatively set for Dec 1998), players can feast their senses on the
recently released preview. Bundled as a demo disc with BRAVE FENCER MUSASHIDEN, the FINAL
FANTASY VIII demo offers a tantalizing glimpse at Squaresoft's
next epic saga.
The story begins with a group of assault boats storming an
enemy beach. The first thing you notice is the extremely realistic
appearance of the main character, Squall Leonhart, as he looks at the
battle plan and narrows his eyes at the carnage ahead. As the assault
boats land on the beach, the FMV segues seamlessly
into the game—Squall and his fellow party members disembark from the
boat and battle their way to the enemy's communications tower. Whereas
FF7 had its moments of humor and comic relief,
the story as shown in the FF8 demo so far seems
almost devoid of humor and dead serious.
If the visuals in FF7 were considered
a quantum leap over FF6, the improvements made
in FF8 are better described as refinements.
Characters are no longer SD, but fully
proportioned and texture-mapped à la PARASITE
EVE. The use of motion capture makes the portrayal of human
characters more lifelike, both during gameplay and in the cut-scenes.
Also, party members get equal representation during gameplay, as
opposed to just having the main character appear on the map.
Aside from these improvements, the visuals aren't terribly
different from FF7, which is to say still very
good. Cinematic sequences have the same dramatic flair (the OP and ED sequences of the
demo are quite impressive), while the backgrounds are
prerendered and gorgeous.
The gameplay itself has undergone some significant changes,
most notably in the use of magic. Spells are no longer learned with
jobs or found in the form of Materia. Rather, the player extracts
magic spells from the opponent via the "Draw" command, at which point
it can either be stockpiled for later use or used against the
opponent on the spot. It remains to be seen how this "extraction"
system (which doesn't consume MP, or magic
points) will affect the dynamics of magic use during battle.
Other gameplay changes are more subtle. Limit breaks are no
longer determined by how much damage the characters have received,
but rather by how many attacks the player has carried out. Summon
monsters are now known as "Guardian Forces." Once summoned, a
Guardian Force takes a while to charge, during which any battle
damage to the character will be absorbed by the Guardian. As with the
FF7 demo, only Leviathan is made available for
preview, but the added graphical refinements and some cinematic
panache makes this FF stalwart look even more
formidable and impressive than before.
One disappointing aspect of this demo is in the music, which
is clearly recognizable as MIDI. The use of MIDI music supposedly helps with the deft segues
between FMV and actual gameplay, and the
composition of the themes in itself isn't bad per se. The use of MIDI instruments also saves on space: for example,
the soundtrack for FF7 spans 4 CDs while the game itself occupies only 3 discs. But
technical reasons aside, this reviewer felt that the music lacked the
oomph and quality to go along with the more breathtaking visuals.
An even bigger source of gripe, however, is the menu system
used during battles. Where previous FF games
set aside a nice and large display for your party status and commands,
FF8 compacts most of it into a series of
sub-menus. While the attempt to free up more "screen-estate" for the
action is laudable, the navigation of the numerous small sub-menus
becomes hectic and frustrating in the heat of battle. (Oh $#&*, wrong
sub-menu! Which item was I supposed to select again? Drats, my
character took another blow!)
In the end, it's the story that makes or breaks any FINAL FANTASY game, and trying to gauge that from the
demo would be like judging a book by its cover. But some quirks aside,
the FINAL FANTASY VIII demo serves its purpose,
and offers just enough to whet the gamer's appetite. This reviewer
will most likely be standing in line for his own copy this coming
winter. 
Demo/preview; rating withheld |
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