Final Fantasy VIII: Another Look

**POSSILBE SPOILERS--READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**

I just beat Final Fantasy VIII for a third time since I owned it back when it was released in 1999. When I first got FFVIII, I was excited because, of course, it was a new FF. However, my first playthrough left a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn't like the game all that much. I thought FFVIII went a little bit too far in a different direction for my tastes.

After numerous attempts of replaying it again, I finally buckled down and did it during the summer of 2004. I found that I enjoyed myself more, and things weren't as bad as I remembered. Recently, I decided ot give it yet another shot. Fast forward to today, and here are my new impressions of the game.

As far as the gameplay goes, I have no idea why I didn't like it when I first played it. In RPG's I love abusing their systems so I can become way too powerful. FFVIII is one of the easiest games to do this in. Just mod a few items/spells/cards and BOOM--Squall becomes an unstoppable powerhouse. However, I still think that drawing is incredibly tedious, and it should have been reworked in some other way. Aside from that, I love the idea of Junctioning.

The graphics are still excellent--even today. I may not have liked the game a several points since it came out, but I have always loved the art direction and look of this title. All the FMVs are very well done, and help make the game feel like a grand experience. At times, it felt like playing an interactive movie because of how well certain sequences were done (like the Balamb vs. Galabadia battle).

I also enjoyed the soundtrack a lot as well. There are some great tracks here, and I finally decided to...legally aquire...the soundtrack because of this playthrough. Of course, I love the opening theme, Love Grows, and the usual tracks that everybody likes. But lesser known tracks standout for me. I suck at naming a lot of track titles, so let me just say that the creepy piano music used when the party wakes up after having their first Laguna dream is one of the coolest tracks that Uematsu has ever done. Sure, it's pretty much a short loop, but I love the way it sounds.

I can see myself replaying this game again in the future. This playthrough allowed me to get this game down to a science, where I would be able to blow through it (these days I don't have that much time for gaming so I like to play through some games as fast as possible). However, don't let all the nice things I have been saying about the game fool you. Despite the fact that I do like this game for sure now, I still love most of the FF titles a lot more. If I were to rank them on how I feel this instant I would say...

[in order from top to bottom]
FFIV
FFVII
FFIX
FFV
FFVI
FFI
FFX
FFVIII
FFII
FFIII

Keep in mind that the FFs near the bottom does not mean that I didn't like them. It just means that I love other FFs much, much more. I would say that FFVIII used to be at the bottom or second to last. This is kind of a big deal because it used to be behind III...and FFIII is the only main FF where I haven't played all the way through it (I was going to, but now I am saving myself for a fresh as possible expereince on the DS).

So overall...

*FFVIII is a game I appreciate much more now.
*However, that doesn't mean that it has become one of my favorite FF games.
*But I can see myself playing through this title more often that usual

I have to agree with you on all the pros you described about this game. The graphics were, and still are great. The junctioning system is great for turning your characters into unstoppable killing machines which I like to do in any RPG. The soundtrack is awesome. That music you spoke of played at the end of the first Laguna dream sequence is amazing. Its also played in the Deep Sea Research Centre and Fire Cavern, (the looping eerie piano stuff). Someone actually recorded themselves playing that on piano as part of a Final Fantasy medley somewhere here on this site, and it sounded great.

FFVIII is one of my (if not my most) favorite game ever, and I have probably played through it more times than any other game. I'm actually playing through it right now. I just aquired Bahamut, and I'm soon going for Ultima Weapon, which is my favorite part of the game.

I loved the overall mood of the game, that of being serious, with a military feel (what with Seeds being fighting mercenaries and all). The sidequests are great in this game, and the card minigame is one of my favorite minigames ever. It compliments the main part of the game, with the card mod command.

2 thumbs up from da Bayman. :D