Final Fantasy VIII
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Product information
ASIN | B0000296O5 |
---|---|
Release date | June 30, 2003 |
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #20,084 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #34 in PlayStation Games |
Product Dimensions | 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches; 4 ounces |
Type of item | Video Game |
Rated | Teen |
Item model number | 9758 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Item Weight | 4 ounces |
Manufacturer | Square Enix |
Date First Available | September 4, 2000 |
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Product Description
Product description
Game Synopsis
In a time of both sophisticated technology and powerful magic, an evil sorceress corrupts the world's largest military power through manipulation and deception, enslaving mankind to do her bidding. Her goal is not something as simple as world domination; but to completely conquer all of space and time.
To counter the turn of events, various leaders head combat training schools, known as Gardens that turn out elite fighting forces. Known as SeeDs, they defend, serve, and protect humankind from the sorceress. The sole purpose of these academies is to vanquish the sorceress and save humanity, as we know it, although they take many other assignments for the right price.
A small, loose-knit group of SeeD graduates find themselves wrapped in a much bigger endeavor than simple military combat. Now, a gunblade specialist, together with a diverse group of young heroes, must set aside his fears, face the emotions he's run from, and become the leader that he never wanted to be.
Amazon.com
SquareSoft has always had a sure-fire hit when releasing any of their Final Fantasy titles, and Final Fantasy VIII should be no exception. The basis of a good RPG (role-playing game) has always been the story; spectacular graphics are secondary. Final Fantasy VIII's involved and interesting story line is filled with great twists, well-developed characters, suspense, and romance. As an added bonus, the graphics are beautiful. Everything--from the low-lit jazz club to the steam-filled railroad tunnels--is gorgeous and perfectly sets the mood and tone of a scene.
The game mechanics are standard fare for an RPG: acquisition of items and spells, turn-based combat, experience points earned in combat allowing advances in levels. From exploration to battles to dialogue, Final Fantasy VIII has it all. However, Final Fantasy VIII falls to that great weakness of RPGs: random battles. While necessary for advancing in levels, the battles occur with such frequency that they can grow annoying, making for a tedious game experience.
The epic storyline spans four discs--over 40 hours of gameplay--and is based around a mercenary cadet who finds himself caught up with an underground rebel faction. He winds up in a plot to assassinate the sorceress who has just seized power from the president.
You could complain of limited replay value, but this gripe is of no consequence: the game is such a satisfying experience, it doesn't require replay. Final Fantasy VIII is easily worth both the hype and the wait. You can't buy a much better game. --John Cocking
Pros:
- A story to beat all stories
- Characters worth caring about
- Hey--it's from SquareSoft
- Stunning animations
- Too many random battles
- Combat is, as always, turn-based and offers minimal excitement
- Weak souls might give up after two or three discs of play
Review
I've been a Final Fantasy fan ever since the day the Nintendo Power strategy guide first arrived in my mailbox. Poring over the pages, I just knew that I had to play this game, to live in this other world. Heroes and villains, magic and mystery, epic quests and noble causes were all waiting to unfurl before my eyes. And ever since I vanquished Chaos, I've been hooked. Each of the English games has been analyzed, replayed, and studied as if it were a sacred text - and I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge the Final Fantasy series as the primary impetus behind my Japanese studies.
But after the seventh game, my seemingly limitless faith in the series began to falter. Final Fantasy VII was an excellent title, to be sure; but with a Final Fantasy game, "excellent" is never good enough. Some sections seemed like they were straight out of a Hollywood summer blockbuster: flashy, impressive, but ultimately unsatisfying. It was with some trepidation that I awaited Final Fantasy VIII's release: Would it be a return to the series' roots or a further digression into flash and brashness? In the end, any qualms I had were for naught; Square has finally understood how to use the power of the CD properly. Fear not. Final Fantasy VIII is a masterpiece.
The core of any Final Fantasy game has always been its story, and Final Fantasy VIII's story is the best the series - and likely the genre - has ever seen. With Final Fantasy VII, Square showed that it had mastered the epic; with VIII, it shows that it has mastered the personal. The characters and their relationships are all extremely believable and complex; moreover, the core romance holds up even under the most pessimistic scrutiny. The decision to eschew a cast of dozens and focus on a central cast of six major characters appears to have been a wise one. The characters don't seem like base archetypes or generic "heroes," but like actual people.
Squall Leonheart is a student at Garden, the world's foremost military academy. His classmates are a motley bunch: the brash but good-natured Zell Dincht; the brash but ill-natured Seifer Almasy; the childlike Selphie Tilmitt; the precocious Quistis Trepe; and the personable Rinoa Heartilly. After a successful training mission, Squall, Selphie, and Zell are all inducted into the elite combat-unit-for-hire, SeeD. Their first mission: assisting a rebel organization in the capture of Galbadian president Deling, who is set to announce a new alliance that will bring Galbadia glory and triumph over its opponents. This alliance is not with any faction or nation, but with a powerful sorceress named Edea.
Don't worry that the schoolyard trappings make Final Fantasy VIII seem like "Teen Beat RPG," though; these engaging characters experience some of the most epic, grandiose events imaginable. While the plot may begin at an academy, it eventually spans the entire globe - and beyond. The twists and turns the story takes will leave you reeling; at the end of disc four, you'll laugh at the misconceptions you had about the plot with which you first began. A great deal of credit for the story's attractiveness must go to the graphic design. The first Final Fantasy through the sixth featured super-deformed, or SD, heroes: squat body, huge head, saucer-plate eyes. Final Fantasy VII was a hodgepodge of conflicting graphical styles; the field models were SD, the battle models were non-SD, the FMV was mostly non-SD (with a few SD exceptions almost humorously juxtaposed). With Final Fantasy VIII, Square has taken the series fully non-SD, and it's all for the better. The more mature plots of recent titles seemed at odds with the quirky, cartoony look with which the series began. Involving, personal, and emotional stories are far more believable when they come from, well, people, not short, bizarrely shaped cartoon characters. While the SD style suits many games, it's not the best choice for every RPG - and it certainly isn't the best choice for Square's latest Final Fantasy. In Final Fantasy VIII, the field models always match the battle models, which always match the FMV models. Always. This coherency of design is the game's greatest visual asset over its predecessors.
The graphics are absolutely breathtaking. The detail in the backgrounds is frighteningly meticulous, and almost all backgrounds contain some animated elements. Battle sequences are nicely textured, and the sheer number of battle environments is borderline obsessive. Most full-motion video sequences are well integrated with gameplay, eliminating jarring "cuts" to and from CG sequences. Words don't do the graphics justice; neither, for that matter, do stationary screenshots. The motion and animation are what set Final Fantasy VIII's graphics apart from the rest. Both the FMV and in-game graphics are extensively motion-captured, and the difference is stunning. Characters don't just move around the screen; they act. The dance sequence on the first disc is equal in every way to Final Fantasy VI's famous "opera house" sequence. Square has proven that it has the biggest, baddest graphic artists and sound composers in the known world. Now, size no longer matters; they're going to awe you with majesty. While the limitations of the PlayStation hardware rear their ugly head from time to time, the sheer artistry and detail of the movement, the models, and the textures are beyond reproach. The mind reels at the thought of what Square can do with the next generation of gaming machines.
The sound, while excellent, is perhaps the game's weakest point; the music doesn't match the perfection of Final Fantasies IV, V, and VI. Of course, almost no video game has ever equaled the aural bliss of Nobuo Uematsu's SNES trilogy - but the bar was set, and Final Fantasy VIII falls just short. Even so, Uematsu is still a certifiable genius, and the soundtrack is very good, with more "quality" songs than Final Fantasy VII's. Even Faye Wong's pop sensation "Eyes on Me" is surprisingly inoffensive. Sound effects are excellent during FMV sequences, but only average during battle and gameplay sequences. The promised "Dolby Surround Sound" is mostly unnoticeable. Voice acting would have added a great deal to the FMV sequences; the game sometimes feels like the most beautiful silent film ever made.
Battles take place in the traditional RPG "active time" system: Your characters and their opponents take turns unleashing fury (or defending furiously). Final Fantasy VIII introduces (in traditional Japanese RPG style) several new "systems" for you to learn and master: the draw system, the guardian force system, and the junction system. --Andrew Vestal
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the quality of the game to be great. They also say the story is interesting and intricate. Customers are happy with the condition of the discs, saying it was in good shape. They appreciate the graphics, saying they are some of the best around. Customers also are satisfied with character development, and difficulty level. However, some customers disagree on performance, and value.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the game fun, excellent, and worth playing. They also say the storyline is unique and enjoyable. Customers also appreciate the addictive card game and the junction system. Overall, they say it's the best final fantasy game they've played.
"...Besides the game being fun, you can get a lor of spells and useful items by basically refining the cards that you win from the game......." Read more
"This game is a classic, maybe better than FF7?" Read more
"...In my opinion, Final Fantasy VIII is one of the best ff games. It has a different feel than the previous ones...." Read more
"...The soundtrack from this game is absolutely the best in the series. Every song has its own emotional pull, and is very independent from one another...." Read more
Customers find the story and plot of the video game interesting, enthralling, and intricate. They also say the world and story are unique, and provide enough challenge to stay interesting. Customers also say that the ending is perfect, and the opening sequence is the best out of any FF to date.
"...FF VIII's story is epic, engaging, yet easy to follow. There was not one character in the game who I did not like...." Read more
"...Interesting and fun to play. I won't go into the story or such, you need to discover that for yourself...." Read more
"...of critics of the junction system out there but I feel it's a very innovative system. More than that, it provides incredible flexibility...." Read more
"...This game also has a lot of replay value, as the story gets very deep and you'll always be noticing something new about the setting, characters, etc..." Read more
Customers like the condition of the video game software. They mention that the discs are in good shape, the case is intact, and everything looks brand new. Some say that the game is a solid installment in the FF series and a continuation of the series.
"Looks brand new!!" Read more
"...game nearly as much anymore, but I still think it was a solid installment in the FF series...." Read more
"...time it came out Gamers were used to 3-D. These cracks become larger as the series progresses...." Read more
"...I’m beyond ecstatic that the discs are in such phenomenal condition...." Read more
Customers like the graphics in the game. They say the graphics are amazing, gorgeous, and leaps ahead of other games. Customers also say the whole drawing system is neat and the cinematics are nicely produced. They mention that the pre-rendered cutscenes and backgrounds are amazing.
"...Not to mention the CG cutscenes in the game as beautiful and awesome to watch.FF VIII's story is epic, engaging, yet easy to follow...." Read more
"...time killer in which you battle other NPC's through a very clever card game structure...." Read more
"...cinematics that are of course nicer looking, but many elements of the actual game are gorgeous...." Read more
"...--The characters are pretty well done; their costumes are neat and not too outrageous, and there's a pretty good level of humor throughout the story..." Read more
Customers like the character development in the video game. They say the characters have great personalities, excellent chemistry, and the secondary characters stories are fairly well constructed. They also mention that the game has fantastic character building and pacing, which minimizes the annoyance of picking characters for your main party. The character designs are new to the series, which is great, and allows for massive character customization. Overall, customers find the game to be a great gift.
"...and that's not all! Final Fantasy VIII has an amazing story with amazing characters and amazing musics!..." Read more
"...mid way, but the game makes up for it for through its fantastic character building and pacing...." Read more
"...--The characters are pretty well done; their costumes are neat and not too outrageous, and there's a pretty good level of humor throughout the story..." Read more
"...a solid working core for the story, and the secondary characters stories are fairly well constructed.... but Squall... again rears up his head and..." Read more
Customers find the difficulty level of the game easy to use and simple. They say the game is not too challenging, and the actual fighting is much easier. They also say the junction system is fairly easy to understand, and that the game has a very interactive feel. Customers also mention that the bosses are challenging, although the final boss is pretty easy.
"...But I soon realized how awesome it is. VIII has a very simple battle system, wait for the the ATB gauge to fill, then do something!..." Read more
"...The junctioning system isn't complicated (unless you're slow or haven't played FFVII); it's just that one spell you may junction to one attribute..." Read more
"...(the story, well rounded characters, actually engaging battles, etc.),..." Read more
"...The only issue is that it's hard to learn (if you can even call that an issue). The soundtrack from this game is absolutely the best in the series...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the video game. Some mention that it is playing great, while others say that it still doesn't work.
"...more than just a pointless time kill, many of these cards offer very powerful items to really help boost your characters strength when refined...." Read more
"...But it's good. Also it's a good love story if you ask me--it's right up there with the stories of FF9 and FF10.--You don't use MP...." Read more
"...The only thing is my last disc doesn't work at all. The Playstation says it's formatted wrong...." Read more
"One of the most underrated of the FF series. Great gameplay, great characters, great graphics and over 60 hrs of basic gaming...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the video game software. Some mention that it's worth every dollar they saved up for it, while others say that they got a used, very poor, unplayable copy.
"...Overall: 7.33/10 - This game had great potential, but it fell short in very important ways...." Read more
"...One of the things I really like is the salary system. You get paid according to your testing level...." Read more
"...The Gameplay Was My Only Problem With This Game It's Just Not As Exciting As FFIV,VI And VII But I Liked The Costumizing System..." Read more
"...First, the logistics. The price that Amazon offers is competitive and shipping was very quick...." Read more
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I'm so glad I got the game. First, let me start with the gameplay. Being the first time I seriously played a FF game, I was not used to turn based battle. But I soon realized how awesome it is. VIII has a very simple battle system, wait for the the ATB gauge to fill, then do something! I've heard that a lot of people don't like this game because of the way you have to draw magic... but that didn't bother me at all. Some exaggerate and say that "you have to spend 3 hours drawing magic from an enemy that will kill you before you can draw 100 of a certain spell." Nothing like that EVER happened to me. In fact, all you have to do is draw 100 of a certain spell and junction it to one of your party member's magic stat (the higher your magic stat, the more spells you can draw from an enemy). After that, you'll be drawing 9 of any spell every time! It really isn't as bad as people make it out to be.
Speaking of junctioning, the junction system is awesome. In the game you get different GFs (Guardian Forces, basically summons like Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut etc) and you can junction (basically, assign) them to your party members. Let's say I have Shiva and it knows the GF skill STR +40%. All I have to do is junction Shiva to Squall.. and you guessed it, Squall's strength stat will rise by 40%. But that's not all there is to junction! Let's say I want Zell to be strong as hell (who doesn't?). That means I should get 100 of a certain spell like let's say, Ultima (the strongest spell in the game), and then I'll junction it to Zell's strength stat. Thanks to the 100 Ultimas, Zell's strength will skyrocket-- and I mean SKY ROCKET. With the junctioning system, you only have to level up the stats that YOU want. If you want Squall to be strong and fast, just junction spells to have strength and speed. If you want Zell to be a tank, just junction spells to his HP, vitality, and spirit.
Besides an awesome battle system and level up system, Final Fantasy VIII has a lot of exploration and sidequests. If you don't feel like following the story, you can explore the giant world map and find hidden villages or towns. You might be able to find some of the hidden, powerful GFs that the story won't lead you to on it's own! There is also a card game that you can play with most of the NPCs in the game. Besides the game being fun, you can get a lor of spells and useful items by basically refining the cards that you win from the game.
...and that's not all! Final Fantasy VIII has an amazing story with amazing characters and amazing musics! Not to mention the CG cutscenes in the game as beautiful and awesome to watch.
FF VIII's story is epic, engaging, yet easy to follow. There was not one character in the game who I did not like. The story will have have you on the edge of your seat always wanting to find out what's next. Magical evil sorceresses, time travel, love, comedy, military cadets, what more could you want?
Final Fantasy VIII is a great game that everyone should play. Whether you've never played a Final Fantasy before, or any RPG at all, you should get this game! You'll love it and end up wanting to play another FF game!
In this game you have no armour so Magic has to be conjunctioned and this is how you protect yourself from statis effects. The Gardian Force (espers) has to be conjunctioned as well to use magic in the first place which can be a pain to deal with especially when you don't use them much. But I like these especially diablo. Hated them in FFXII and didn't use them.
One of the cons in this game or it can be a pro, the fiends or enemies will level up with you, so in other words, as you get stronger so do they but as they level up so do their magic.
I love the characters in this game with Squall ( I always rename to riptide or forest ) being my favorite. One of the things I really like is the salary system. You get paid according to your testing level. You can increase it by taking a test about the game about questions such as what weapons they use or statis effects, but don't worry it is multiple choice. If you find this frustating, you can always cheat by going online for all the answers but if you like to challenge yourself you will not do this. Be warned though, your their salary can be reduced by your actions in battle. I don't really understand how this works because I never bothered finding out.
There are always things I really like and dislike about all the ff games. One of the things that irrated me was having to conjunction the commands I wanted to use such as Magic, Draw, Items, and GF (Gardian Force). You cannot use them all. You are allowed only four with Attack being automatic. I try to have one with Items and all with magic. I give magic to the one that couldn't draw. Sharing magic is one of the pros.
In my opinion, Final Fantasy VIII is one of the best ff games. It has a different feel than the previous ones. Instead of being Knights, Monks, and Mages they are Mercenaries that are hired to help others. Interesting and fun to play. I won't go into the story or such, you need to discover that for yourself.
I would encourage other Final Fantasy Fans to purchase this game if they haven't already.
Top reviews from other countries
You play as Squall, an introverted student in the prestigious education facility Balamb Garden. The story details the struggle of Squall and his fellow Garden companions against a powerful sorceress from the future who is possessing sorceresses from the present in order to achieve her goal of compressing time. At the heart of this epic adventure is the romance between Squall and Rinoa, the daughter of a rich politician who is more dangerous than even she knows.
The gameplay is turn-based like all the older generation Final Fantasy instalments, but the more sophisticated and player-friendly ability, weapon, armour and stat systems that existed in previous games are replaced by the "Junction System", in which you junction spells to stats in order to buff them up. That means you spend a lot of time in menu screens adjusting your characters, so bear that in mind. I personally disliked the system very much in comparison to the systems established in older (and newer) Final Fantasy games.
This game is also very easy, so if you're looking for a challenge I suggest looking to another JRPG. If it's a pleasant (albeit cheesy) romance and a fun, science-fiction inspired fantasy adventure you're looking for, you'll definitely enjoy Final Fantasy VIII. Just take it as it is and don't nitpick the flaws too much. At the end of the day it's still a great addition to the franchise.
Very impressed
Haven’t tested it out yet, but looks near flawless.