Introduction:
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Final Fantasy...Face it those two words will make you run out and immediately buy a game regardless of what me, or anyone else says about the game. Even if you were one of the many people who were disappointed by the mediocre(for an FF game) Final Fantasy 7. Still, you should all want to know what to expect from the latest installment of Squaresoft’s legendary series. Will you be disappointed again? Or will the game live up to the incredible Final Fantasy 6, which is many people’s favorite in the series? Thankfully, while Square has chosen to once again go the route of 10-minute longs spells and FMV scenes every other scene again, Final Fantasy 8 is a total return to form, with arguably the greatest videogame story ever told, engaging characters, and the deepest gameplay in the series (sans tactics and 5). ________________________________

Graphics:
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No surprise here-The graphics in Final Fantasy 8 are top notch, and among the best you will find on the Playstation...Or pretty much any console for that matter. Square has totally outdone themselves here as this game easily surpasses the stunning visuals of FF7 and Parasite Eve. The prerenderd backgrounds are simply gorgeous, featuring an astounding level of detail. They make the static backgrounds of 7 look like a joke. FF8’s backdrops feature a lot of animation, giving off the impression of a living, fully thought out world that hasn’t been seen in this type of game before. In nearly every screen you can see some sort of small detail that really enhances the experience: Lights flicker, steam rises, fountains flow, candles glow, windmills spin around....The overall effect is quite impressive indeed. ________________________________
The real-time graphics and effects during battles are equally stunning. This game goes beyond even the phenomenal Metal Gear Solid in terms of amazing effects. Your jaw will drop after summoning your first Guardian Force monster. Morphing effects, blurring effects, light sourcing, huge polygonal monsters, the developers went all out to make this the best looking game they possible could. Just wait until you see the effects seen during the game’s final fight. You will not believe what Square pulled off with the aging console. The animation is also very well done. These characters move when they talk and they move as smoothly as if they were real people. The only flaw in the games visuals is a little bit of polygon tearing. You can see gaps in Rinoa’s cape and Irvine’s coat, which is distracting at times but really takes away nothing from the game. ________________________________
I simply HAVE to mention this games breathtaking FMV...It includes the most incredible movie sequences ever seen on any system: It even holds up against some of the more recent movie releases. The characters are exceptionally well renderd and move with a disturbing life-like grace. The incredible ending, dance sequence, and scenes combining real-time characters with the video are just mind-blowing. The stunning FMV in 7 doesn’t even compare. This is the pinnacle of Playstation graphics. It can’t get any better. And if it does, Final Fantasy 9 will be unbelievable.
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Gameplay/Control:
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After the incredibly fun, but ridiculously easy Final Fantasy 7, many people were concerned over whether or not FF8 would be deeper, more difficult, or degenerate into something completely mindless. Once again, all fears can be put to rest, as Final Fantasy 8 features an almost overwhelming amount of depth and customizability. ________________________________
The game’s junction system is ingenious and draws you into the game like never before. The system involves linking magic and Guardian forces to your characters. Linking certain Guardian Forces (GF) and raising them lets you open up new, different abilities to your characters. Some let you use special commands, without some you can’t junction magic to certain areas meaning that you will be lacking in that area leaving you more vulnerable to your enemies. There aren’t many limit’s to the system, and finding the perfect combination of GF and magic junctions will keep you busy for hours. The only downside to this is if you do not cast GF’s often in most battles you can’t succeed. The problem of that is GF summons are VERY long and get tedious after a while. Still this is a very minor gripe! ________________________________
Unlike Final Fantasy 7, which featured many mindless, but fun mini-games, FF8 has only one major game. The incredibly addictive Triple Triad Card Game. This time-sucking game will eat up hours upon hours of your life if you like collecting things. You will find yourself needing to get every single rare card, and win every battle. To keep things interesting there are several variations on the game’s basic rules. At the start the fights are very straightforward. It involves placing cards on a 9 grid background. The cards have 4 numbers on each side. If you place a card next to a card with a lower number you will get that card. The other player can get that card back by placing a higher number or take one of your cards the same way. Simple, yes? Heheheh, yeah right. There are a ton of rules that make the game insanely hard as you progress further into the game. Stuff like the elemental and the infamous random rule make games near-impossible, but very fun and challenging. It is very unfortunate that you cannot battle with 2-players, but it is a minor oversight, considering it isn’t part of the main game. There are a few other mini-games thrown in, and they are really hit and miss. There is a mini-game as Laguna where you are required to constantly tap a button to hit a dragon. Not fun. But at the end of the second disc there is a spectacular fighting mini-game against Squall and a soldier while the two fly around on a wire with a stunning FMV war going on in the background. Because it uses FMV there is no slowdown whatsoever and it is one of the most memorable moments in the series’ history. ________________________________
Of course, this is an RPG, so what really matters is the game’s story. Squaresoft does not disappoint in this area. This is the best, most complex, tale in the series, and features a theme that has really never been explored in games, with an exception of MGS which used it to a much lesser extent: Love. Don’t worry, this isn’t exactly Titanic. None of the “mushy” stuff here will make you cringe, the dialogue isn’t as offensively cheesy, and the theme really isn’t introduced until the 3rd disc. Speaking of which, the 3rd disc includes some of the most truly unforgettable scenes in game history. Any doubts you have about the game will be cleared up at one point. Sometimes shocking plot twists abound in this game too. ________________________________
The characters are all very distinctive and unique, and interesting. They all have deep backstories that far surpass anything else you have seen in a game. The side characters, like Cid, even have their own surprising secrets and stories to tell. It’s almost hard to keep track of. It isn’t perfect though. The story has one flaw. The only hole in the game's plot is the main villain: There is little to no interaction with your enemy until the game's very end, making it hard to really hate the character as much as previous bad guys like the legendary Kefka. On the other hand, the game’s requisite secondary villain, Seifer is very interesting and really draws you into the game, he has a long history with each of your characters making their interaction very memorable. ________________________________
Oh, and on a side note, many people were disappointed by FF7’s ending, which was very short, and left people hanging, Not so here: Without spoiling anything, this is the series’ very best ending excluding that of FF6’s.

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Sound:
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Sound has always been a very integral part of the Final Fantasy game’s. The music can be what makes a dramatic moment that much better, or totally ruin it. Final Fantasy 8 features a beautiful musical score, but it sadly does not live up to composer Nobuo Uematsu’s previous works. It just isn’t as good. FF6’s music was more catchy and memorable. Still, this one definitely has it’s unforgettable music tracks: And really-This would be one of the best ever composed if it wasn’t being compared to the other games in the series. The final boss fight, the variations on the Eyes on Me music, the boss and battle theme are all excellent, and I’m sure I’m leaving out a few! Eyes on Me is sung well, and the music is nice, and it actually really adds something to the scenes where it is used. The lyrics are very contrived though, which is disappointing considering how good the rest of the translation was. ________________________________
While not as important, the sound effects are excellent. They actually have an impact and sound like you would expect. This isn’t like Parasite Eve where the Statue of Liberty makes a barely audible thud when it falls. Square has finally figured out how much the sound effects can actually add to a game. ________________________________
Final Comments:
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I’ll come right out and say it: Final Fantasy 8, in my humble opinion, is the finest game ever made. It’s flaws are few and far between, it is highly polished, it is a masterpiece plain and simple. The music is superb. The graphics are stunning. The story and characters are the best ever. I can’t express how much I absolutely love this game... And how much you will. Buy Final Fantasy 8 ASAP. You will not regret it. This is the Playstation’s finest hour. No RPG fan deserves to be without it. ________________________________
Scores:
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Graphics:10

Gameplay/Control: 10

Sound: 10

Lasting Value: 10

Overall:10 !!!!