Hi, I'm Palipilino!
PlayStation
11/26/2025
The only problem with making a groundbreaking, genre-defining entry into a long-running, beloved franchise is that, eventually, you have to follow it up. When you make a game like Final Fantasy VII, for example—a title that many credit with helping improve the reputation of the RPG in the west and introducing the genre to a more mainstream audience—well, the expectations for its sequel will be all the more elevated.
And while the impact of FF7 was yet to be fully understood at the time Final Fantasy 8 was beginning development—it hadn't even released in the west yet—there was already a notable desire to differentiate FF8 at the offset from its precursor, and it's as obvious in its tone as it is in its gameplay. Given what came before it, Final Fantasy 8 was probably guaranteed to be polarizing, but it strove to create its own identity and stand as its own game rather than as just another entry. And so they did...with all the innovations and drawbacks that came with it.
With two additional years of development under their belt, it's fair to say that Square put that experience to good use when it comes to Final Fantasy 8's aesthetics and graphical capability. It represents a significant improvement from its sequel, showcasing the fixed-angle scenes with detailed and evocative background art while improving on everything from in-game animations to FMV cutscenes. Particularly impressive for the time was the game's ability to transition from gameplay to elaborately animated cutscenes on the fly. It also contains one of the PlayStation's most beloved soundtracks and is frequently referenced today as one of the finest offerings of the Final Fantasy series, which is absolutely no small feat.
| Played For | 52h 25m |
|---|---|
| Completion Type | Party ~Lvl 70. Most GFs. Some side quests & Triple Triad. |
| Favorite GF | Shiva, of course :3 |
| Fun Fact | This is the first time I played a 4 disc game ever! |
But its most endearing and enduring aspect has to be its main characters, Squall and Rinoa, and the story they share together. Prior to FF8, it's unlikely that many would have expected a Final Fantasy story to be mainly focused around a romance, let alone that it would pull it off so well. It's goofy and charming, as most love between teens can be, but it has a sneaky way of pulling you in and getting you more invested than you would have ever expected. And it truly delivers in the later half of the game; Final Fantasy 8's second half is full of poignant and surprisingly touching moments that will have you rooting for Squall and Rinoa as they fight against the end of the world to be together.
It's for the best that the game places so much of its time into the pair, because no one else really has anything going for them. This is probably one of the weaker ensemble casts in the series, and everyone outside of Rinoa and Squall is decidedly one-note. Even your main rival Siefer, who even earns a spot on the North American cover of the game, has no personality or nuance outside of "generic rival guy." What this also means is that moments that are focusing on the plot of the game at large and don't specifically focus on Squall & Rinoa's relationship feel generic at best or like time wasted at worst. The actual story only really kicks in during the final moments of Disc 2, and even then, its quality is often inconsistent until it, admittedly, finishes with aplomb with a fantastic Disc 4.
That inconsistent quality is something the game's general gameplay is never able to reach, though; it's generally pretty poor. Junctioning, drawing magic, and using GFs are all tedious aspects of combat that will make every encounter feel like a waste of time. For how seemingly complex FF8's combat system is, it all boils down to the incredibly simple fact that you are and always will be vastly stronger than anything you come in contact with, without even a modicum of thought required.
Just by auto-junctioning, you would still be very unlucky to see a game over screen more than once. FF8 puts you mostly on autopilot for a large portion of its runtime, and with so much less side content and a much more linear experience than its predecessor, the game feels like it's stalling or deliberately running up the clock far too early into its runtime. Triple Triad, at least, the game's main (only?) side content, is well beloved by fans, though its reputation might have benefited from how boring FF8's main gameplay can be by comparison.
Final Fantasy 8 is definitely the outcast of the FF PS1 trio, and for that reason alone it was bound to draw its share of adoration and ire. The general consensus on the title has seemed to improve over time—it certainly helps that there have been plenty of games in the series since then. It makes sense; it's a very easy game to look back fondly on. Memories will certainly focus on its strong (main) character writing and unmistakable soundtrack and vision, very much for the best. Does this mean we should all just forget the lesser qualities of FF8? No, of course not. It's unlikely Squall would agree to such a proposition—heck, it goes against his very nature! But sometimes, some things are just...best left in the past.