FFVIII is like Marmite. You either love it or hate it. I hate Marmite. I love FFVIII. I don't think it's fair to compare to any of the FF games with the others as they are all different. Each has it's own good, bad and ugly sides and they are all great games. I suggest you buy FFVIII. If you don't like it you've always got the receipt to take it back, or as a last resort you could stick it on eBay. But that will never happen. Trust me, you'll love it.