Would FF8 have been better as a movie?

[Cyric]

It wouldn't be better as a movie, because as a movie it would need to rely entirely on the story and characters and I don't think either of them are strong enough to carry a movie by themselves.

After what I've seen in FF7 so far, the story is pretty good, and it's getting to the point where I may actually consider it my favourite FF (de-throning FF8), but the only thing with FF8's story is that it seems to be really complicated, rather than "inconsistent" or whatever argument you can muster against it.

[Sir Bahamut]

I didn't mean to imply that the plot is inconsistent or whatever, just that I don't find it strong enough to stand on its own. It could be a perfectly "alright" film but I doubt it could ever be more than that. The story is decent, and works great in the game because it is just that, a game, and as a game it doesn't rely 100% on the plot to carry itself. For me one of the big things of FF8 is the atmosphere of the world you get to explore for yourself, just wandering around in Balamb Garden for instance. That would be lost on film.

FF8's plot isn't bad, but I just don't think it was the main reason FF8 is so much fun, and so wouldn't be better on film. FF7 I don't think works on film either because there a lot of the charm of the game came with the wonky looking characters. If the characters get too lifelike I feel ironically like it's harder to take serious because the realism factor makes the silly aspects of the plot stand out much more. The silly factor works great in the game, and ends up enhancing the game a lot (it's my favourite FF) but no, definitely wouldn't be as good as a film.

[Bolivar]

Junctioning influenced the Battle System. Magic became useless, and even if it was useful, using it would weaken your characters. Skills like "Revive" made life useless. It became "Attack, Limits, Heal" and little else. I found little challenge in any of it because of this, most work was done in Junctioning before the battle.

Actually, the spell gravity is the best command in the game, because alot of monsters throughout have high amounts of HP that take a while to take down with just attacks, like the flappy black shadow guys in the sewers (you could still be attacking for less than 100 by then) of deling city, or ruby dragons towards the end. For monsters with excessive HP towards the end, you can pull off 30,000 each character by using triple and gravity. Actually it's interesting that Time Magic is so important in this game, considering Time manipulation plays such an important role, probably one of the themes.

So yeah, I don't know what you're on, gobo.

This is a good thread, and a very thoughtful original post, Cyric. While maybe not a movie, they could pull it off in an HBO-like series, and I think that would be pretty good. But personally I wouldn't want to experience VIII in any other way than it is - an RPG. I love playing the battle system, trying new things with my characters, getting to hear the awesome battle music for the Laguna sequences as much as I want. Actually, VIII has always reminded me more of a book than a movie because of how everything in the plot and the setting ties into eachother, like how the shumis/whatever were cool with the dudes at fisherman's horizon, and together they built the gardens. It's crazy because you'd never imagine such isolated places with such distinct people to all be connected to eachother, and the sorceress, and indirectly the protagonists and pretty much everything else.

So yeah, the story is insane, very creative, original, inclusive, and the artwork used as the backdrop is just beautiful, but that's one of the reasons why I love the game, and when it all comes together you have a crazy experience, and a crazy Final Fantasy. One of the best IMO.

[evanak4]

This is a good thread, and a very thoughtful original post, Cyric. While maybe not a movie, they could pull it off in an HBO-like series, and I think that would be pretty good. But personally I wouldn't want to experience VIII in any other way than it is - an RPG. I love playing the battle system, trying new things with my characters, getting to hear the awesome battle music for the Laguna sequences as much as I want. Actually, VIII has always reminded me more of a book than a movie because of how everything in the plot and the setting ties into eachother, like how the shumis/whatever were cool with the dudes at fisherman's horizon, and together they built the gardens. It's crazy because you'd never imagine such isolated places with such distinct people to all be connected to eachother, and the sorceress, and indirectly the protagonists and pretty much everything else.

So yeah, the story is insane, very creative, original, inclusive, and the artwork used as the backdrop is just beautiful, but that's one of the reasons why I love the game, and when it all comes together you have a crazy experience, and a crazy Final Fantasy. One of the best IMO.

I agree 100%. I mean a movie or series would be really cool but like you said its all the things you kind of get to experince on your own.

On another note Johnny Rzeznik lead singer from the Goo Goo Dolls looks hell of alot like Squall. What do you guys think?

[Bolivar]

On another note Johnny Rzeznik lead singer from the Goo Goo Dolls looks hell of alot like Squall. What do you guys think?

Lol, yeah he actually does.

[Roto13]

I think it's fine as a game. Though I guess it could have used some story tweaking, for you crazy people who actually play games for stories.

For the record, I used magic all the time up until the last disc. I stored extra magic on my three unused party members and just transferred it over now and then.

[Hyperion4444]

It would just take too long as a movie, it would need to cut out all the rest just to explain itself so there would not be enought action.