Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII is a video game that consists of 5 releases
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The reception of Final Fantasy VIII was largely positive, both critically and commercially. It became the top selling video game in the United States two days after its release, and held that position for more than three weeks. In the first thirteen weeks, it amassed more than $50 Million in sales. In Japan, 2.5 million copies were sold in the first four days. At the end of 1999, more than six million copies had been sold. The reaction of the critics is mixed. While Final Fantasy VIII currently holds a Metacritic rating of 90, many have praised or complained about aspects regarding the new gameplay system or a differently styled story. Nevertheless, Final Fantasy VIII has been generally regarded as an A release game for the Playstation system and is a strong iteration to the Final Fantasy series, matching the high standard for epic cinematic stories and deep gameplay.
Such a Junction system not only allows you to optimise your character's abilities, it also opens up new tactical elements of gameplay. An example of this is how magic such as Poison or Confusion can be junctioned onto the attacks of certain characters, so that in battle their attacks have a chance of dealing further damage if the enemy suffers the effects of the spell.
You can hold up to 100 items of any type of magic at one time. The more items of a particular type of magic you have, the more significant effect it will have when junctioned. When in battle, to draw magic uses up a character's turn, and is not always successful. Some magic can only be obtained from monsters in battle, so it is often necessary to attempt drawing magic whenever you encounter a new foe, to ensure that you do not let rare forms of magic slip through your fingers.
Other playable characters include Laguna, Kiros, Ward (the 'dream sequence' trio), Sorceress Edea, and Seifer.
The most notable tracks on the soundtrack are the opening theme, called "Liberi Fatali"--meaning something along the lines of "Fated Children"--and "Eyes On Me". Liberi Fatali is a full orchestral piece arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi and accompanies the game's opening cinematic. Its main melody is used as a leitmotiffor several pieces used for key scenes in the game's story. The song is also notable for its use of a full choir. The other song, Eyes on Me, is notable because it is a ballad with full vocals and is used in-game. The use of a pop song with vocals was a first for the Final Fantasy franchise and has set a trend which continued on up until the most recent Final Fantasy game. Eyes On Me was composed by Uematsu and sung by the famous Chinese singer Faye Wong. The song's lyrics were written by Kako Someya. The melody of this song is the leitmotiffor various other pieces which signify romantic moments in the game's story--for example, Julia's theme in certain flashbacks and related moments. It was released on CD in Japan which subsequently sold over 400,000 units. Eyes on Me has been the best-selling piece of video game music in Japan until the release of "Hikari" by singer Utada Hikaru for the first of the Kingdom Hearts games. The song is also noteworthy because it is the first piece of video game music to win an award at the Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards.
Soundtrack
Disc 1
01. Liberi Fatali
02. Balamb Garden
03. Blue Fields
04. Don't Be Afraid
05. The Winner
06. Find Your Way
07. SeeD
08. The Landing
09. Starting Up
10. Force Your Way
11. The Loser
12. Never Look Back
13. Dead End
14. Breezy
15. Shuffle or Boogie
16. Waltz for the Moon
17. Tell Me
18. Fear
19. The Man with the Machine Gun
20. Julia
21. Roses and Wine
22. Junction
23. Timber Owls
Disc 2
01. My Mind
02. The Mission
03. Martial Law
04. Cactus Jack
05. Only a Plank Between One and Perdition
06. Succession of Witches
07. Galbadia Garden
08. Unrest
09. Under Her Control
10. The Stage is Set
11. A Sacrifice
12. Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec
13. Intruders
14. Premonition
15. Wounded
16. Fragments of Memories
17. Jailed
18. Rivals
19. Ami
Disc 3
01. The Spy
02. Retaliation
03. Movin'
04. Blue Sky
05. Drifting
06. Heresy
07. Fisherman's Horizon
08. Odeka de Chocobo
09. Where I Belong
10. The Oath
11. Slide Show Part 1
12. Slide Show Part 2
13. Love Grows
14. The Salt Flats
15. Trust Me
16. Silence and Motion
17. Dance with the Balamb-Fish
18. Tears of the Moon
19. Residents
20. Eyes On Me
Disc 4
01. Mods de Chocobo
02. Ride On
03. Truth
04. Lunatic Pandora
05. Compression of Time
06. The Castle
07. The Legendary Beast
08. Maybe I'm a Lion
09. The Extreme
10. The Successor
11. Ending Theme
12. Overture
Minimum system requirements for software renderer: Minimum system requirements:
Windows 95/98 compatible system; Windows 95/98 compatible system;
Intel or 100% Intel compatible CPU; Intel or 100% Intel compatible CPU;
Pentium II 266 MHz; Pentium 200 MHz (Min.), Pentium 266 (Rec.);
64MB RAM; 32MB RAM (Min.), 64MB (Rec.);
4MB Video RAM; 8MB 3D accelerator card (Min.), 16MB (Rec.);
8x CD-ROM Drive; 8x CD-ROM drive;
DirectX 6.1; DirectX 6.1;
DirectSound and Direct Music compatible soundcard. DirectSound and Direct Music compatible soundcard.
Final Fantasy VIII continues the Final Fantasy series with some style, offering an array of innovative features and graphical improvements that took the franchise to a new level.
Overview
Final Fantasy VIII is the eighth game in the Final Fantasy RPG series developed and published by Squaresoft (now part of SquareEnix) was released for the Playstation, in North America, on September 7, 1999. It was later ported to the PC, the North American version of which was released on January 25, 2000. Final Fantasy VIII follows on the use of a 3D engine as Final Fantasy VII, and continues with the high quality cutscenes and deep story. However, it develops further the RPG genre as it fully features realistic character proportions and a new character development system. The plot focuses on Squall Leonhart, the leader of a small group of mercenaries called SeeD, whose involvement in a resistance group against the Galbadian government blooms into an international crisis where the young group must protect the world from the actions of an evil sorceress. Along the way, the characters unravel their past, and must learn the actions of emotion, compassion and sacrifice.The reception of Final Fantasy VIII was largely positive, both critically and commercially. It became the top selling video game in the United States two days after its release, and held that position for more than three weeks. In the first thirteen weeks, it amassed more than $50 Million in sales. In Japan, 2.5 million copies were sold in the first four days. At the end of 1999, more than six million copies had been sold. The reaction of the critics is mixed. While Final Fantasy VIII currently holds a Metacritic rating of 90, many have praised or complained about aspects regarding the new gameplay system or a differently styled story. Nevertheless, Final Fantasy VIII has been generally regarded as an A release game for the Playstation system and is a strong iteration to the Final Fantasy series, matching the high standard for epic cinematic stories and deep gameplay.
Gameplay
Final Fantasy VIII is similar to Final Fantasy VII, in the fact that all of the action takes place on either a world map, a pre-rendered map, and the battle screen. The world map is a zoomed out version, and is disproportionate to the size of the sole character model, Squall. Characters can traverse the world map a number of ways such as the classic Chocobo or airship. The pre-rendered map is proportionate to characters, and features all party members on screen. The backgrounds are more detailed and are directly related to the battle pre-rendered background. Battles take place in a turn-based fashion, similar to other games in the series.Junction System
This is perhaps one of the most significant, yet also most controversial, additions to the gameplay of Final Fantasy VIII. In this game, magic works in an entirely different way. For starters, there is no MP bar, magic is stored and used up in a similar way to items. However, the important point to note is that magic can now be junctioned to your characters' statistics (such as Strength, Luck, and Vitality) to strengthen and improve them. Obviously more powerful magic has the effect of raising statistics a more significant amount.Such a Junction system not only allows you to optimise your character's abilities, it also opens up new tactical elements of gameplay. An example of this is how magic such as Poison or Confusion can be junctioned onto the attacks of certain characters, so that in battle their attacks have a chance of dealing further damage if the enemy suffers the effects of the spell.
Draw System
Another significant addition is one that also revolves around the use of magic. The draw system is a method of obtaining magic quite apart from the methods seen in Final Fantasy games up to this point. Being such a major depart from the series, it may take time for old hands to get adjusted to, however the logic behind it is quite simple. Magic, instead of being learnt by characters as they level up, is obtained through the draw system. Magic can be drawn from enemies, but also from specific draw points dotted all over the world.You can hold up to 100 items of any type of magic at one time. The more items of a particular type of magic you have, the more significant effect it will have when junctioned. When in battle, to draw magic uses up a character's turn, and is not always successful. Some magic can only be obtained from monsters in battle, so it is often necessary to attempt drawing magic whenever you encounter a new foe, to ensure that you do not let rare forms of magic slip through your fingers.
Limit Breaks
Limit breaks also make a return to this iteration of the Final Fantasy series. Instead of Final Fantasy VII`s trigger to limit breaks of a Limit meter filling through damage taken, the limit breaks in Final Fantasy VIII are triggered randomly, and are more likely when the character has critical life or is affected by status ailments. The buff spell ``Aura`` can be used to increase the frequency of the limit break being triggered, and allows for limit breaks to appear at any health level. The style of limit breaks varies from character to character, being a random slot machine style casting, to a fighting game combo system, or Squall`s timing trigger Renzokuken.Triple Triad
Triple Triad is a card minigame in Final Fantasy VIII. While not essential, Triple Triad can be extremely fun, but it can also provide bonuses later in the game when abilities to take cards earned are learned which allows the character to create items and magic for the character. Triple Triad is played on a three by three grid, where cards of various characters and monsters from the game are laid. Each card has a number corresponding to each side of the card, ranging from one to nine, and A which is considered ten. The objective of the game is to lay cards as to beat the existing card on the grid with a higher number. Adjacent sides of the card are compared, and the card with the higher number will win. The ownership of the losing card will be lost on the grid and transferred to the winner. The initial turn is determined by a coin flip. The winner of the game is determined by the person with the highest number of cards owned on the grid. The prize for the winner is taking one or more cards from the loser. In addition to the standard rules, there can be additional rules depending on the region.Characters
There are six main playable characters in Final Fantasy VIII.- Squall Leonhart - Squall is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII. The game starts with Squall and he is in the player's control almost all of the time. He grew up in an orphanage run by the Matron (later revealed to be the Sorceress Edea), having been placed there by his father Laguna. Later he enters Balamb Garden and trains to become a SeeD. Squall's characte r c omes of as being reserved and aloof. In the beginning of the story, he meets Rinoa Heartilly and as the story progresses the developing feelings for her gradually melt his stoic exterior. Circumstances throughout FFVIII gradually brings out the more explosive aspects of his personality. For example his outbursts during the encounter with NORG and obssesiveness during Rinoa's coma.
- Quistis Trepe - Quistis is an instructor in Balamb Garden and is Squall immediate superior. She accompanies Squall on the tutorial mission (defeating Ifrit in the Fire Cave) giving him (the player) guidance on junctioning and Guardian Forces. Quistis became and instructor at a very young age (17) and this inexperience may have caused a demotion. It is hinted that she has romantic feelings for Squall when she shares this with him early in the game (after the graduation ball).
- Zell Dincht - The player first encounters Zell on their first SeeD mission to Dollet where Squall and Zell are put under Seifer in the same team. Zell is egregious and pron e to extreme outbursts of emotion, in complete contrast to Squall. Zell's Limit Break, Duel, is one of the strongest limit breaks in the Final Fantasy Series. If used properly. Once you use it the player has input over commands to do different moves on the list. You unlock more moves for Zell by finding the Combat King issues all around the world. You are times on your inputs but when he performs a move the time pauses. So a skilled player can easily do over 9,999 points of damage in less that 5 seconds of a duel.
- Selphie Tilmitt - Selphie first bumps into Squall before the Ifrit mission. But a formal introduction waits until the Dollet Mission at the communication tower. Here she joins Squall and Zell after Seifer leaves the party. An exchange student from Trabia Garden, Selphie is the sweetest and possibly the most likable character of the group.
- Rinoa Heartilly - Rinoa is first introduced during the graduation ball cutscene when she forces Squall to a dance. As the leader of the resistance group, Forest Owls, she was in Balamb Garden to seek SeeD's assistance in liberating Timber for Galbadian control. Rinoa has a strong sense of justice and is willing to stand up for what she believes in. She is averse to being controlled and this leads to her impulsive streak, as seen during Sorceress Edea's assasination plot where she attempts to take on Edea by herself. Rinoa is the only character not in the orphanage run by Matron.
- Irvine Kinneas - During the assasination mission, Irvine was assigned the task of hitman. But despite his cool exterior and Cassanova-like persona, Irvine is an insecure individual. At the last moment he is almost unable to take the shot and Squall has to calm him down to prevent jeopardising the mission. Irvine is possibly the only character most aware of the past and it is he who reveals to the other four of their common bond as members of Edea's orphanage.
Other playable characters include Laguna, Kiros, Ward (the 'dream sequence' trio), Sorceress Edea, and Seifer.
Guardian Forces
Final Fantasy VIII has a wide array of Guardian Forces (GFs), that can be assigned to any of the playable characters. GFs are significant for a number of reasons. Much emphasis is placed upon their skill in battle, the use of GFs can help to overcome difficult bosses, and they are integral to progression through the game. This is another example of how FFVIII breaks away from the traditional approrach taken by the series. Summonable creatures ordinarily take a secondary role in battles, but FFVIII places them directly at the forefront of the action. As your GF gets stronger, it will learn new abilities, such as allowing your character to assign magic to a new attribute, for example. Some GFs are unlocked by defeating them in battle, others are drawn from opponents. Collecting all of the GFs is a popular side-quest for many players, and it is by no means an easy task.The PocketStation
The PlayStation version of Final Fantasy 8 supported the PocketStation, a minature console that was only released in Japan. When plugged into the PlayStation, the PocketStation allowed users to play a special minigame called "Chocobo World", by reading your FFVIII save file. The game involved controlling a chocobo and leading him to gain items that could then be used within the main Final Fantasy VIII game itself. The Guardian Force Boko also had three additional special attacks that could only be obtained through the Pocketstaion, or by playing the version of Chocobo World that was included in the PC version.Music
The music for Final Fantasy VIII was written and composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Uematsu, like with Final Fantasy VII, took advantage of the sound capabilities of Sony's Playstation which enabled him to create a richer sound than in previous Final Fantasies. The game and its soundtrack are both known for being somewhat anomalous in the long running series. For the soundtrack this is evidenced by Uematsu's clear break with the work he has done on previous games. Uematsu started doing more full orchestral work and the soundtrack has more electronic influences than ever before. Furthermore, the overall narrative of the music can be described as more cinematic than audiences came to expect from Uematsu.The most notable tracks on the soundtrack are the opening theme, called "Liberi Fatali"--meaning something along the lines of "Fated Children"--and "Eyes On Me". Liberi Fatali is a full orchestral piece arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi and accompanies the game's opening cinematic. Its main melody is used as a leitmotiffor several pieces used for key scenes in the game's story. The song is also notable for its use of a full choir. The other song, Eyes on Me, is notable because it is a ballad with full vocals and is used in-game. The use of a pop song with vocals was a first for the Final Fantasy franchise and has set a trend which continued on up until the most recent Final Fantasy game. Eyes On Me was composed by Uematsu and sung by the famous Chinese singer Faye Wong. The song's lyrics were written by Kako Someya. The melody of this song is the leitmotiffor various other pieces which signify romantic moments in the game's story--for example, Julia's theme in certain flashbacks and related moments. It was released on CD in Japan which subsequently sold over 400,000 units. Eyes on Me has been the best-selling piece of video game music in Japan until the release of "Hikari" by singer Utada Hikaru for the first of the Kingdom Hearts games. The song is also noteworthy because it is the first piece of video game music to win an award at the Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards.
Soundtrack
Disc 1
01. Liberi Fatali
02. Balamb Garden
03. Blue Fields
04. Don't Be Afraid
05. The Winner
06. Find Your Way
07. SeeD
08. The Landing
09. Starting Up
10. Force Your Way
11. The Loser
12. Never Look Back
13. Dead End
14. Breezy
15. Shuffle or Boogie
16. Waltz for the Moon
17. Tell Me
18. Fear
19. The Man with the Machine Gun
20. Julia
21. Roses and Wine
22. Junction
23. Timber Owls
Disc 2
01. My Mind
02. The Mission
03. Martial Law
04. Cactus Jack
05. Only a Plank Between One and Perdition
06. Succession of Witches
07. Galbadia Garden
08. Unrest
09. Under Her Control
10. The Stage is Set
11. A Sacrifice
12. Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec
13. Intruders
14. Premonition
15. Wounded
16. Fragments of Memories
17. Jailed
18. Rivals
19. Ami
Disc 3
01. The Spy
02. Retaliation
03. Movin'
04. Blue Sky
05. Drifting
06. Heresy
07. Fisherman's Horizon
08. Odeka de Chocobo
09. Where I Belong
10. The Oath
11. Slide Show Part 1
12. Slide Show Part 2
13. Love Grows
14. The Salt Flats
15. Trust Me
16. Silence and Motion
17. Dance with the Balamb-Fish
18. Tears of the Moon
19. Residents
20. Eyes On Me
Disc 4
01. Mods de Chocobo
02. Ride On
03. Truth
04. Lunatic Pandora
05. Compression of Time
06. The Castle
07. The Legendary Beast
08. Maybe I'm a Lion
09. The Extreme
10. The Successor
11. Ending Theme
12. Overture
PC Requirements
Minimum system requirements for software renderer: Minimum system requirements:
Windows 95/98 compatible system; Windows 95/98 compatible system;
Intel or 100% Intel compatible CPU; Intel or 100% Intel compatible CPU;
Pentium II 266 MHz; Pentium 200 MHz (Min.), Pentium 266 (Rec.);
64MB RAM; 32MB RAM (Min.), 64MB (Rec.);
4MB Video RAM; 8MB 3D accelerator card (Min.), 16MB (Rec.);
8x CD-ROM Drive; 8x CD-ROM drive;
DirectX 6.1; DirectX 6.1;
DirectSound and Direct Music compatible soundcard. DirectSound and Direct Music compatible soundcard.
| Game Name | Final Fantasy VIII |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres |
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| Themes | |
| Original US Release |
Sept. 9, 1999
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| Original US Release |
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| Aliases | FFVIII, FF VIII, FF8 |
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