I don't like this game. I've tried to like it and I even WANT to like it, but I just doesn't.

My first impression when I first saw the game was that it didn't look like a Final Fantasy. The realistic looks and lack of fantasy elements was a dissapointment, but I newer got an opportunity to play it for myself.

Years later, I'm playing through the whole series, and after completing FFVII, I'm looking forward to a game I've never played before, even though I didn't like the look of FFVIII. After all, I had heard a lot of good things about the game, and it could still be a good game even if it didn't feel like a FF.

At the beginning I thought this was going to be a great game, but it didn't take too long before I discovered it's faults. A boring battle system, with few good abilities and too much focus on the stats. Stats that required you to use time drawing from monsters, which is boring ... The way Ultimecia was (barely) introduced ... The summon animations took way too long time (nice for toilet breaks and when you wanted to make some tea, though) ... Most of the game felt too linear (not the worst FF in that regard, though) ... And all those times where you saw a FMV/event, then had to go search for the right person to talk to, then had to go find another right person to talk to, and then got to see another FMV/event again. Like when Balamb Garden was attacked by that other Garden.

For the last two discs I just didn't bother about all those boring random encounters, just ran from the battles instead. Even though the bosses became harder after then, it still wasn't enough to redeem the game.