I have the ending to Final Fantasy VIII saved on my computer and I after watching it for like the 60th time I think I finally realized that I think this game has the best, most satisfying, most emotionally fulfilling ending in any game I've ever played.

BEGIN WARNING:::

If you really read this be prepared to think: "This guy is crazy" Because I don't think alot of people understand how strongly I feel about this game, among the others under Square's belt.

:::END WARNING BEGIN CRAZINESS

I think I really need to explain just how brilliant this piece is. The first part is just genius, no way around it, in all definitions of the word. It's the perfect setup for what is to come, the scene where he keeps trying to visualize Rinoa and everything is messed up is SUCH a perfect representation of just sheer panic, sheer desparation. This scene is just so effective I can't even explain it, perfectly ending with the facemask shatter sequence, the sound here... Then the piercing look on Squall's face... Fade to white.... It makes me excited just explaining it.

Anyway after this comes probably the most pure and effective experience I have _ever_ gotten from a game. This is the second time in this game that I actually physically cried because it affected me so much. Laguna's flashback... When he turns around and puts the ring on Raine's finger, right here.. Okay you have to watch this over again and just listen to the music, it's absolutely perfect in every way, it works in PERFECT harmony with the visuals, it feels like the scene is making that noise, like that is the music for that emotion by physics. It's a REALLY odd experience and I don't think I've seen it done anywhere as well as it is in these few seconds... The CG here is beyond belief, there is SO much emotion that can be felt just by watching Raine's eyes glaze over, it's so touching... When people bag on this ending I think of this scene and it makes me sick, I don't care how much anyone hates this game, this is really something to be appreciated. I wish I could explain how strongly I felt about this scene. I don't think anything I've ever viewed had such an immediate and perfect emotional impact on me as this little segment. Laguna raises his hand to show her the matching ring, and Raine follows with that look you can almost feel yourself doing when everything is perfect, when everything you ever wanted to happen just came true. Then she hugs him like she's been holding back for so long... Such a powerful scene, just thinking about back at the beginning of Disc 2 when Raine badmouths Laguna to Ellone as a way of getting her mind off the fact that his love is the only thing she needs.

The camcorder segment is purely awesome. I laugh every time during this scene, it's the perfect great sequence with the little comic relief you need after the emotional heartattackfest that just happened and it leads you right along to the short bit of uninteresting credits... And then finally picks up where the battery died... Rinoa's characteristic little index finger move... Then finally Squall's SMILING FACE, it's really effective finally seeing Squall purely and truly be able to show happiness. And then they kiss... Zoom out... Rotate around.. Pan up... The garden against the moon... Perfection...

Okay now no one's going to want to talk to me anymore, but that's okay, as long as I properly get this out. For the 80% of people who hate this game, that's fine... But I really think you should bear with it all the way through, your whole opinion might change, and if you have beaten the whole game... I guess it's just not your thing. For the person I am, this is personally my favorite installment in the series because it effected me the most emotionally. The ending is a perfect example of that. If you actually are interested, the first time I cried in this game was the part where Squall jumps out of the escape pod and rescues Rinoa from space and the whole "Eyes on Me" sequence while on the Ragnarok. I was so touched by this whole sequence I didn't even feel like playing the game when I finally regained control and had to kill the propagadors. I just wanted to live in that moment forever. Such beauty.