Closest to our world.

One of the many things I loved about Final Fantasy VIII is that despite being set in a fictional world, and having the odd future-ish looking moments (Esther especially), I find the FFVIII world to be the closest the FF series has ever gotten to our own (in ones I've played.)

Not only does ignore the stereotype that all RPGs must be set in old times (VII ignored it aswell), but it also matches our world in more taken for granted ways, the towns and citys are more or less realistically sized with the correct amount of people in them there are even random people walking around (that you sadly can't talk to), that's just like our world in that you can anyone in any part of the town, even though they do have the usual RPG townspeople who just stay in one spot, but that's ok, it is a game.

Another thing I like is how there are real life medias like TV Stations (we don't hear any by name, but they clearly exist) magazines which are used to help us in our adventure, but is written in magazine format, so it fits in as part of the "world" of FFVIII, because, like in our world magazines exist (e.g. "Weapons Monthly" is written as though it is aimed at regular people with an interest in different types of weapons, but the game uses it to help us with how we upgrade to said weapon.)
The computers are interesting too, the most prominant one being the one at Balamb Garden, it (in a sense) has its own internet service (or maybe "intranet", as it seems to include mostly stuff about Balamb it self, not sure if Selphie's site counts as part of Garden's site or not).

One more subtle inclusion is that of regular books, I don't think we ever read one, but books are mentioned, some of which are apparently historical, but some just seem to be regular books, that you can hear people (usally Garden students) discussing, and sharing there opinions on them. If you check the library section on the Study Panel (computer) you will see titles of various books that are never mentioned again (although one I have a theory about, or more to the point it fetures in a theory of mine). Once again this makes it more real, I really think Square did brilliantly here, but this is only a small fraction in what made FFVIII so brilliant in my eyes.

Just felt like sharing that opinion, hope that's ok.

Yeah, I mean they even included Robin Williams.

Good answer! ;)

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Originally Posted by MJN SEIFER

Just felt like sharing that opinion, hope that's ok.

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Thanks for sharing it!

The "Fantasy set within Reality" idea has been one they've been trying since VII, and I think it really came through in VIII and added to the substance of the world in a lot of the ways you touched on. I really hope Final Fantasy Versus XIII pulls it off in a lot of the ways in which FFVIII did it well, since that's supposed to be the full realization of this idea.

I loved the world of VIII. Places such as Balamb, Winhill, and Dollet could be described as like our own towns & cities I guess. It's an idea I liked within the game.

I love the television, the early computers and networks, the magazines (have you guys read Combat Monthly? They're great), the space program.

It just has the bright optimism of the era it was developed in (the late 1990s) and the creative use of every medium, old or new, that that time featured.

I wish it were just a little bit more like our world, and by that I mean have para-magic and sorceresses.

Thank you for replying, I am pleased that there are those who shared my opinion.

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(have you guys read Combat Monthly? They're great),

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Those are Zell's magazines right? I like them too (and yes, I do use them for a good cause ;))

FFVII and VIII are definitely the two that create worlds most similar to our own and I feel the creators did a very good job of it too. I liked the Balamb computer a lot and really makes me wish that there was more Garden-centric stuff in the game (doing more SeeD missions, for instance) as I thought it was a really nice touch.

I always perceived FF7 to be more like our world. The fact that there is one large superpower like our goverment that is powerful and rich and not just different affiliations like Galbadia, Esther, and Balamb that don't really surpass one another. Also the fact that Shinra is almost just as corrupt and keeps many things hidden behind the curtain from society. But FF8 in contrast to our world holds true to the fact that it is set in a geographical modern world. Now it seems FFXIII is set in the distant future.

I too enjoy the setting of FFVIII. My favourite locations are the Gardens, Dollet, Deling City and Fishmerman's Horizon. Esthar could have been cool but ended up feeling a lot more static and empty than it should have. My big complaint with the FFVIII world is that there wasn't enough, but that's not really here nor there - what we did get is one of the big reasons I've completed the game 3 or 4 times in my life (I've played a lot of RPGs, and while FFVIII isn't even close to being my number one, I've still played it more times than some of my true favourites - Square's art direction has some serious legs even today.)