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FINAL FANTASY VIII
SLPS 01880-3
Copyright © 1999 Square
Sony PlayStation, 4 discs
RPG
1 player
Dual Shock compatible
1 memory block
¥7800
Available now in Japan
Where to buy
FAQ
—by Keith Rhee and Rika Takahashi
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When a video game title is as eagerly anticipated as Square Soft's
FINAL FANTASY VIII, it usually has a hard
time living up to expectations. The previous FF7 had left a
rather favorable impression, and a pack-in demo with BRAVE FENCER MUSASHIDEN, as well as numerous
screenshots published in magazines and websites, drove gamer
expectations high—so high, in fact, that the latest FINAL FANTASY title went double-platinum in
pre-orders alone, a feat most companies can only dream of.
Now that the game has been released, the inevitable
question rears its head: is FF8 really worth
it? After picking up our pre-order and getting the PlayStation
re-modded to defeat Sony's anti-modchip protection, this reviewer
and his partner-in-crime were about to find out.
Before the game starts in earnest, the player is treated
to a slam-bang opening, featuring an awe-inspiring sword fight
between our two rivals, Squall and Seifer. The animation, which
features highly detailed human models and superb motion capture, is
absolutely breathtaking to behold, and throughout the game are
numerous and equally sumptuous FMV segments
which add to the overall dramatic presentation. Square Soft has
definitely learned a lot about CG since FF7.
The game starts in Balamb Garden, a non-governmental military
academy whose graduates become soldiers for SeeD, an elite fighting
force for hire. As the story begins, the nation of Galbadia (which has
already annexed the countries of Timber and Winhill) has invaded their
peaceful neighbor Dollet and declared war against the rest of the world.
Squall Leonhart and his fellow SeeD members are dispatched to aide Rinoa
Heartilly's "Forest Owls" organization in their quest to regain Timber's
independence. In typical FINAL FANTASY fashion,
nothing is what it initially seems, and this relatively "simple" task of
a fight for freedom escalates, through a series of plot twists and
revelations, into a quest to save the world from a greater evil. And what
kind of evil might that be? For that, you'll have to pick up the joypad
and find out for yourself.
Compared to the obvious visual differences between FF6
and FF7, the graphical
improvements in FF8 are more evolutionary
than revolutionary, but they're nevertheless an order of magnitude
better than those of its predecessor. The anime-inspired character
designs in FF7 have given way to highly
realistic character models in the sequel, both during gameplay and
in cut-scenes. And while some will no doubt bemoan the loss of that
SD character charm, the fully-proportioned
characters lend a much needed sense of realism to the movie-like
experience. Extensive use of texture mapping has improved the
appearance of objects within the game as well. Nowhere is this more
apparent than with the summon monsters, now called Guardian Forces,
whose animation sequences are simply amazing to watch (and in a few
instances, downright funny). Overall, the visuals are some of the
finest to grace the PlayStation console, and based solely on the
presentation, FF8 would earn a perfect 10.
The magic and ability system has undergone some major
changes. For one, magic spells no longer consume MP (magic points), but draw from enemies or the
environment, and can be either used on the spot or stockpiled for
later. While the spells are mostly "freebies," you can only stockpile
up to 100 per spell, and the more powerful or useful spells are difficult
to find or obtain. You'll also want to save some of those spells for
your junctions (FF8's innovation) to improve your
character's stats. For example, if your Guardian Force "Ifreet" provides
an HP (hit point) Junction, you can junction 100
Ultima spells to your HP and receive a 6000HP
boost. Other stats such as strength, magic power, and speed can be raised
if your Guardian Force provides the junctions. The caveat is that the
increase is only as good as long as the spells are in your
inventory—each time you use a junctioned spell, you lose a little
bit of the boost.
There are fewer diversions this time around; no snowboarding
game, no submarine chase, and no chocobo breeding. (Thank God!) But you
do get a chocobo digipet to raise if you have a PocketStation, and any
objects you obtain in the mini-RPG can be
uploaded to the PlayStation and used during battle. There's also a nifty
card game, and the player can collect cards by playing against other
characters or turning enemies into cards. Can you catch 'em all?
The story, while not the best in the FINAL
FANTASY series, is still worthy of its namesake. In addition to
the struggles of Squall and his friends against the Galbadian menace,
there's also a subplot involving Squall's dreams, in which he plays
Laguna Loire, a soft-spoken Galbadian soldier who dreams of becoming
a journalist. Although little more than a curiosity in the beginning,
the relationship between the SeeD mercenary and the Galbadian
soldier-turned-journalist proves to be key as the story progresses, and
the tales of Laguna and his friends Kiros and Ward add further depth
to the plot.
But while the story has all the epic qualities of love,
friendship, heroism, and bravery, it also has a few flaws, such as
slightly uneven pacing and character development. Squall's constant "why
me?" (rhymes with "whiny") is rather unbecoming of a hero, and his
personal growth in the game is handled a bit too abruptly to be fully
believable. And as the romance blossoms between Squall and Rinoa, the
limelight is stolen away from the other characters, many of whom are
interesting and deserve some attention of their own. With all the time
and effort that Square Soft has been putting into their games of late,
perhaps they should stop fussing with the presentation (which is quite
excellent already) and pay a bit more attention to the story; arguably
the most important aspect of a console RPG.
Given all the hype surrounding this title, it may be necessary
to adjust your expectations a little before charging in, gunblades
blazing. FINAL FANTASY VIII, due to the flaws in
the storytelling, is most certainly not "the best game ever made," if
anything could even be called that. But despite its imperfections, it's
still an epic tale with moments of magic and wonder, and thus worthy of
the name FINAL FANTASY.
And there you have it. The visuals are fantastic, the junction
system is a keeper, and the story (though not perfect) is great stuff. If
you enjoy playing RPGs in general, you should
definitely play FINAL FANTASY VIII as well. Make
sure to set aside a lot of time to enjoy the game, for you'll need it. And
if you want a different perspective of the ongoings in the game, be sure
to access Selphie's diary in the game on the Balamb Garden Network.
Rating: 8.5 / 10 |
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