Only Fantasy I haven't played...

[The Time Assassin]

...opinions on why people don't like it?

[Markus. D]

... why are you trying to kill off one of the greatest ff's of all time.

i love it.

[Xaven]

... why are you trying to kill off one of the greatest ff's of all time.

He's not. He hasn't played FFVIII and wants to know why some people strongly dislike it.

Anyways, one reason for some people detesting FFVIII that I can think of is the Junction system. Some people I have met really hate the system either because it's too complicated or they're just a FFVII fanboy and this game doesn't have the materia system (Hehe). Others don't like rescuing Rinoa so many times even though if you hadn't, key events would never have occured (for example: Ragnarok). Still, some others don't like it because in their opinion, Seifer, Edea, and Ulty didn't stand a chance as villins in the shadow of Sephiroth. There are many other possible answers which I will let someone else address.

[Sepho]

Most of those who don't like FF8 name the story and the characters as its main faults.

There are some very shady sections of the plot that, in all fairness, could have been thought up by a pre-schooler. Naming these specific plot devices would spoil the game for you, and they don't bother everyone. In addition, Squall is often written off as lifeless or soulless, though it's in his character to be naturally plastic. Paired with the overall melancholy atmosphere of the game, it's understandable. Squall does go through a fairly profound change throughout the course of the game, but it's so subtle that it's hardly noticed, especially given how boring and basic the dialogue can be.

Lastly, the Junction system is also often cited as a reason for disliking the game. There's a number of reasons for this, and it should be said that one of them is the fact that many players quite simply don't know how to use it. Other than that, the Junction system is often compared to the Materia system (just as FF8 is often compared to FF7) because VIII came out right after VII, and there's quite a bit of change. I personally like the idea of using spells to boost your characters' stats, though this can also be considered a fault because you can't really cast these spells on your enemies without consequently negatively affecting those stats (the more of the junctioned magic you have stocked, they greater the stat increase).

FF8 is most definitely the biggest 'Love It or Hate It' title in the whole series, and you'll just have to play it for yourself in order to form you own opinion. I like it.

[Yuffie514]

...you what?! just kidding, lol. 'tis an epic. one of those you can't afford to miss... :love:

[Skyblade]

Agreed, play it. The biggest problem I have with it is that the Junction system renders magic virtually useless.

[Necronopticous]

Sepho nailed this one.

...I liked it too, no; loved it.

[Takara]

Sepho nailed this one.

Quite so.

[Mittopotahis]

Agreed, play it. The biggest problem I have with it is that the Junction system renders magic virtually useless.

I use junctioned magic...All the time! Just replace it. Take it from other people! Refine it from items! Leave it there, sure your stats will be down, but its not much!

If you haven't played FFVIII, you havent played FF. FFVIII is truely the best FF

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

The hero uses a gun instead of a sword.
Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus are back, but Tifa's personality is completely annoying this time, while Cloud is inexplicably cheerful and now has a weird tattoo on his face.
Instead of getting money from killing monsters, you have to get it by playing poker with other characters.
There are very few armor or accessories.
No chocobos.
The main villain is completely lackluster, and so is her right-hand man, Adel.
For some reason, the only option you have in battle is Attack, even though there's room in the command menu for more. This was a glitch that wasn't fixed by the time the game was released, showing how little effort Square put into it.

[DMKA]

lol sepho > kishi

[nik0tine]

The hero uses a gun instead of a sword.
Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus are back, but Tifa's personality is completely annoying this time, while Cloud is inexplicably cheerful and now has a weird tattoo on his face.
Instead of getting money from killing monsters, you have to get it by playing poker with other characters.
There are very few armor or accessories.
No chocobos.
The main villain is completely lackluster, and so is her right-hand man, Adel.
For some reason, the only option you have in battle is Attack, even though there's room in the command menu for more. This was a glitch that wasn't fixed by the time the game was released, showing how little effort Square put into it.


You DO know that this glitch is the secret to reviving Aeris, don't you?

[Mittopotahis]

The hero uses a gun instead of a sword.
Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus are back, but Tifa's personality is completely annoying this time, while Cloud is inexplicably cheerful and now has a weird tattoo on his face.
Instead of getting money from killing monsters, you have to get it by playing poker with other characters.
There are very few armor or accessories.
No chocobos.
The main villain is completely lackluster, and so is her right-hand man, Adel.
For some reason, the only option you have in battle is Attack, even though there's room in the command menu for more. This was a glitch that wasn't fixed by the time the game was released, showing how little effort Square put into it.


Huh?
1. The Hero uses both in one.
2. Rinoa isn't annoying.
3. Don't you need to wait until your pay comes in?
4. Yes.
5. Yes there are, try going to a chocobo forest.
7. Hehehehe...I never new Adel was a lady until I realised it was 'Sorceress' Adel.
8. Try equipping some GF's occasionally.

I know this was one big joke, but I just felt like correcting you, making sure people don't get the wrong impression. :)

[nik0tine]

I know this was one big joke, but I just felt like correcting you, making sure people don't get the wrong impression. :) you know, for a minute there I was under the assumption that you were a real big idiot. Good thing you set things straight. :p

[Mittopotahis]

I know this was one big joke, but I just felt like correcting you, making sure people don't get the wrong impression. :) you know, for a minute there I was under the assumption that you were a real big idiot. Good thing you set things straight. :p

I am a real big idiot. I just out that there to try and distract you from thinking that I was.

[nik0tine]

Oh. Good job then. You had me completely fooled.

[crazybayman]

Great game, one of my personal favorites. Definitely give it a playthrough, then give it your own opinion.

The main reason all those FFVII fanboys hate FFVIII is because they played FFVII first, and as mentioned before, are used to the materia system rather than juntioning.

I personally prefer FFVIII to FFVII, probably because I played FFVIII first (due to a considerable amount of years away from gaming), and hence prefer the junction system to the materia. I think the junction system is great because you can boost your stats, and still draw all the spells you need. As well I think that the fact that you're all going to a type of academy/fighting university is great, and the fact that you can boost your stats and gain new abilities with GFs is fabulous.

The side quests like The Underwater Reasearch Centre are excellent too, much better than stupid chocobo breeding.

The main reason I rather the junction system than the materia system is that I found that you could have too many combinations with materia, and your stats usually (but not always) go down with more materia, especially magic and summon materia. Then I find it hard to give up certain materia when I find new stuff, and my stats wind up going down as a result.

As well, sure some of the VIII characters were annoying, but I personally thought the game presented more background info on them, giving them more depth (easy now FFVII fanboys/fangirls, its just an opinion!). Plus VII was a little more cartoonish, which isn't favorable, while VIII was a little darker, better graphics, and a little more like real life. At least in my opinion, anyway.

At the end of the day, give it a try, it's an awesome game.

[rcabronx]

The only two things that truly bugged me about VIII were:

1. The fade in/fade out each and every time you enter/leave an area. Made the game go too slowly and lose its flow, especially in a dungeon like the Fire Cavern.
2. Having to sit there and stock and stock and stock and stock and then stock some more until you have 100 of each and every spell to play with to junction into your stats to make them better. And to those who would answer me with get a turbo controller...did that. Still gotta sit there to monitor your HP or to scramble to change what you're stocking when you actually fill up to 100. This is one of the truly suckiest things about the game. I mean sure, I could do it a battle at a time, but then what's the point? You want/need to be the strongest you can be... this is the only way....

However, both these things are about general gameplay. The story, the characters, everything else was perfect. I'd have to say definitely give this game a try if you haven't played it, cuz it really is a good story.

[Necronopticous]

Having to sit there and stock and stock and stock and stock and then stock some more until you have 100 of each and every spell to play with to junction into your stats to make them better.As opposed to walking around and fighting and fighting and fighting to raise levels to increase stats? What's the difference? You don't have to stock 100 of each spell to build yourself up like crazy at any point in Final Fantasy VIII just as you don't have to build up like crazy at any point in any other Final Fantasy if you don't want to. If you want to have an easier time with the game, you'll spend the time doing it, if not, you won't.

[Hikaro Takayama]

I must admit that the first time I'd played FFVIII, which was right after I finally got and beat the PC version of FFVII, I didn't like the game for several reasons. First was the junction system, which compared to the materia system in VII, was like trying to go from basic math to advanced calculus (FFVII was the first RPG I'd ever played), and since I didn't have my own Playstation at the time (I was borrowing one from one of my friends who lived in the same barracks as myself), I decided to say to heck with the game.

Recently, however, and after playing most of IX and X, I was on the way back from Operation Iraqi Freedom last October, when my ship pulled into Singapore, and there, sitting on the shelves of one of the software stores in Singapore's 'Silicon Valley' was a brand-new copy of FFVIII for the PC, which I decided to buy and give a second chance. Once I got used to the junction system and GF's, VIII quickly became one of my favorite FF games of all time, and I've only got to disk 3 thus far. I definitely reccomend this game to anyone who likes FF

One of my favorite things (and this kind of reflects my experience with modding various strategy games) is that VIII is actually set on a world that not only has towns, but a trade infrastructure as well. The train tracks and roads, in addition to adding a certain realism to the world, were also a big help for when I was trying to get from one point to another, since if you followed the train tracks or roads, you'd eventually get to some kind of town. Plus, if you were like me and almost never used items due to mad spell usage, I'd sometimes take the train or rent cars with my HUGE cash surplus (I made it up to SEED level 9 in no time flat, and I haven't even taken a single SEED exam as of yet), just for a change of pace (plus the trains and cars are faster than piloting the Garden around most of the time).

[BabyVixen]

1. The drawing function is so boring and sometimes takes forever for some people to just draw 100 Cures for one character
2. The summon sequences take so long and you cannot switch the sequences off
3. With Squall you can increase his attack power by pressing R1 each time he attacks an enemy. I think I may have gotten Repetitive Strain Injury from that and from pressing the square button every time I cast a summon :-@
4. Overall I think that the game is too long and boring. The only good part would be the ending

[Milky]

People don't like it because it has a ROMANTIC storyline, I don't like it myself but it's a BRILLIANT game nethertheless! :D

[rcabronx]

Having to sit there and stock and stock and stock and stock and then stock some more until you have 100 of each and every spell to play with to junction into your stats to make them better.As opposed to walking around and fighting and fighting and fighting to raise levels to increase stats? What's the difference? You don't have to stock 100 of each spell to build yourself up like crazy at any point in Final Fantasy VIII just as you don't have to build up like crazy at any point in any other Final Fantasy if you don't want to. If you want to have an easier time with the game, you'll spend the time doing it, if not, you won't.

That's my whole point! I'm the type that needs to do every single thing in a game, and has to have the best stats, even if that means repetitive work like levelling up or stocking. SO I DO WANT TO. HOWEVER, at least fighting is more fun and challenging than just sitting there stocking spells till you go crosseyed! As you fight and receive experience and AP, it gives a sense of satisfaction that you fought to get your stats raised. There is no satisfaction in sitting there holding the X button for fifteen minutes straight trying to stock ESUNA from a low level enemy that you could probably best with one hit!

[ThroneofDravaris]

Agreed, play it. The biggest problem I have with it is that the Junction system renders magic virtually useless.

Actually, magic was the MOST useful in FF8, as everything relies on it. You just don’t use it in the traditional sense.

[Alexander]

The hero uses a gun instead of a sword.
Cloud, Tifa, and Rufus are back, but Tifa's personality is completely annoying this time, while Cloud is inexplicably cheerful and now has a weird tattoo on his face.
Instead of getting money from killing monsters, you have to get it by playing poker with other characters.
There are very few armor or accessories.
No chocobos.
The main villain is completely lackluster, and so is her right-hand man, Adel.
For some reason, the only option you have in battle is Attack, even though there's room in the command menu for more. This was a glitch that wasn't fixed by the time the game was released, showing how little effort Square put into it.


:love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: (I know it was a joke, but still :love: )

And the storyline is seriously lacking. XD

[FinalBob42]

I played and finished this game for the first time last week (after not liking it a whole lot the first time I started playing it).

Buttom line: It's a good game, but not as great as people make it out to be.

The cutscenes were great, I loved the Laguna sequences, I thought some of the characters were cool (Zell, even Squall) and the for the first 70% of the game or so the story is interesting and action packed.

However, the gameplay mechanics in this game are just flawed. Use the card command to get AP points after battle but no EXP and you can have characters with 9999 HP that do insane amounts of damage with their limit breaks (at 2500 HP or less and with Aura magic) and end up fighting freakin' Level 12 monsters in the game because the character itself doesn't level up and so neither do the enemies. It's absurd to have a game that let's characters become stronger than any Level 99 character in previous FF games (in 1/5th the time), yet still put the player up against some of the weakest enemies there ever were.

There is no point in leveling up in this game. None. You can draw stronger spells from higher level enemies? O boohoo, you can get those from bosses later in the game anyway or just refine items. This makes the gameplay really unsatisfying me thinks. It's almost like the designers included a Gameshark utility in the game, putting people at the temptation of using it around every corner. Another problem is that spells and physical attacks are so weak in this game by default (without abusing the junction system) that the only way to play the game normally is by spending an 1 hour or so hammering away at every boss you come across with weak physical attacks or spending the same amount of time summoning guardian forces over and over again. Not very exciting, even less so than doing 10,000+ damage points total with Renzokuken and 255 Strength later in the game and killing every boss in a few minutes.

The story also takes a nosedive later on. The time compression stuff makes no sense whatsoever (well, it makes a little bit of sense if you spend an absurd amount of time analyzing it and creating assumptions based on the unsatisfactory explanations in the game).

Once again, this is just MY OPINION. The game was still fun though.

[boys from the dwarf]

despite it being easy if you junction the right things and stuff like that it have a great story.it has probbably the best love story in all FF and it brings back the timeloop thing from FF1 also the laguna storyline is interesting (and his battle theme "man with the machine gun" or something like that is cool.)

[The Time Assassin]

Thanks for the views. I'll have to think about it before I pick it up.



P.S. FFVII was lackluster IMO, as was FFX.


<3 FFVI and FFIX

[Alexander]

Thanks for the views. I'll have to think about it before I pick it up.



P.S. FFVII was lackluster IMO, as was FFX.


<3 FFVI and FFIX

I suppose (I'm JUST SUPPOSING) you won't like VIII that much, based on your opinins. But oh well. o.o;

[XxSephirothxX]

Thanks for the views. I'll have to think about it before I pick it up.



P.S. FFVII was lackluster IMO, as was FFX.


<3 FFVI and FFIX

I like you. I'm not going to say you shouldn't play FFVIII, because a lot of people love it, but if you found the plot of FFVII lacking I don't see how you could live with VIII's, which has more plotholes.

[Alexander]

Thanks for the views. I'll have to think about it before I pick it up.



P.S. FFVII was lackluster IMO, as was FFX.


<3 FFVI and FFIX

I like you. I'm not going to say you shouldn't play FFVIII, because a lot of people love it, but if you found the plot of FFVII lacking I don't see how you could live with VIII's, which has more plotholes.

Actually, FFVIII's plot IS a giant, huge plothole o.o;