The GF memory twist

[Wolf Kanno]

Okay, so we all have strong feelings about the Orphanage Twist but am I the only one who is more pissed off because they didn't run with it better? I mean I really like the concept of Junctioning costing you memories and I felt it was a much better story angle than time traveling witches. Sure, what we got of it could have been handled better but it was still a novel idea.

[NeoCracker]

As an Idea I think it was brilliant.

But yeah, it really didn't change anything about the plot. Like, at all. If that scene was just taken out, really the game loses nothing. (Well, it would lose some if it's unnescessary bloat, but that's beside the point.)

Then again that's FF VIII in a nutshell. A lot of great Ideas, a lot of not following up.

[Jiro]

I would've liked to see other memories disappear to make it more than just convenience.

[Forsaken Lover]

It lets you know FFVIII is the most contrived game ever. That's why it exists.

Squall and Seifer sent off to homes? Rejected because they're both emotionally crippled. (naturally this means send them to be child soldiers)
Zell? Ends up in a good stable family but ends up going to the same school as his former orphanage pals.
Selphie? Just happens to transfer to the same school as her orphanage pals.
And then they just stumble upon Irvine.

It serves a vital function in that it lets you know everything in the game happens for a reason - namely plot convenience. Like the Rangarok out of nowhere.

I still want to know if Seifer forgot like the rest of them. I say he did and "Edea" just stirred up his memories like with what happened to the heroes. But some people I've talked to say he always remembered due to not using GFs that long, same as how Irvine recalled.

Oh! Speaking of Irvine, you gotta love "he couldn't shoot her because she was like his mom!" Only...I don't recall that ever being said in the game. All Irvine says is that this "ALWAYS" happens to him. So it wasn't just because it was his Matron, he was just plain old incompetent.

The Orphanage thing just doesn't jive with any other story element in the game.

[maybee]

I would've liked to see other memories disappear to make it more than just convenience.

Yeah same here. Plus it would of given the game a more creepy feeling, or like everytime you use a GF you see that character that summons the GF, have a childhood memory get removed.


If you summon a GF with a certain character too much, the character gets mentally-broken and can't be used, until a rare item is found or something.

[Mirage]

I think that would be too direct and obvious. I'd rather see some special scenes happening/not happening throughout the game, based on GF usage. Nothing game-breaking, but worth trying a no/little-GF run just to see

[Pumpkin]

I agree. The orphanage they all grew up in together thing is my least favorite part of the game, but the GF memory loss was excellent. I do wish they had focused on it more and also included the GF's in it (since we've seen they can talk and have personalities) and focus on it being like a co-dependent relationship or something along those lines.

[Shorty]

An interesting idea that could have been handled much better. It didn't break the game for me, and I just accepted it when it happened, but later in reflecting on the game, I found it disappointing.

[Pumpkin]

What was amusing to me was the whole "Oh no, GF's are taking our memory, that's dangerous!"

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*keeps using GF's*

[Wolf Kanno]

What was amusing to me was the whole "Oh no, GF's are taking our memory, that's dangerous!"

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*keeps using GF's*

Yeah, I feel this bothers me the most about the whole thing. It's treated as a big deal for five minute and then ignored for the rest of the game. It just made it feel like a tacked on plot element to make the twist happen as opposed to something that actually brought some real merit to the story.

[Forsaken Lover]

FFVIII is all about "so this happened. Moving on." The "GFs are taking my memories so I'll continue using GFs" is just a continuation of the "what are up with these dreams we're having:" "no way we can figure this out so let's just keep going."

I think the writers wanted us to be more like the cast and just not think about things. "Just go along with it" is the motto of the plot.

[Wolf Kanno]

I think the writers wanted us to be more like the cast and just not think about things. "Just go along with it" is the motto of the plot.

I feel this is Kazuhige Nojima's whole writing philosophy cause every game he's been the sole writer for has this feeling to it's plot. coffee5.gif

[Ayen]

I thought it was a good twist and not something I would have seen coming. The only foreshadowing you get about GF's messing with memories is if you mess around at your desk in the 2F classroom.

Then like the game I forgot about it not long after being mentioned so I echo the sentiment.

[Jiro]

Squall gives a nice sentimental speech at one point about how they have to fight using this power even though it might make them forget their families and friends, which I think is quite powerful, or would be if it had any real threat. The only thing they forget is that they were all at an Orphanage together, and then they remember that, which means either:

1) their memories aren't permanently lost
2) they forgot because they were kids and it was a long time ago and stressful
3) there is no 3

So it's like "why do we care?"

[Forsaken Lover]

Ya know, one thing not often brought up that always bugged me about this whole scene was Rinoa's abrupt "I don't want to fight anymore." It's then never mentioned again. Her sudden desire to be a pacifist contributes nothing to her character or the story and I just don't even know why it's there.