Yes, the characters of Final Fantasy VIII really have good character histories from what we are able to read in supplemental materials. The problem is that there is little evidence of that during the course of the game.

I am a fan of games that explore multiple points of view. I would have loved to view scenarios from the point of view of Ellone and see how she tried to change and defy fate with the use of her power and how she slowly learns to accept what has happened rather than hear it from her after the fact in a brief scene.