OP
OP
Irvines response?
"Rifle......And a coat? Geez, it might be some hardcore assassin... "
lmao
Yeah it's real lol
-
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Final Fantasy VIII 20th Anniversary
- Thread starter Wazzy
- Start date
Irvines response?
"Rifle......And a coat? Geez, it might be some hardcore assassin... "
lmao
One of my fave FF's. Honestly this (and FF6) kinda feel like forgotten FF's for SE. Here's hoping they announce a Switch release for it soon to join the other re-releases.
Dreamcast still had the then best console launch in US history if I remember right.
9.9.99. was such an incredible year for gaming. Dreamcast AND FFVIII all on the same day? Amazing.
Happy Anniversary! Whilst the FFVIII cast isn't one of my favorites, the game's story and soundtrack are easily one of FF's best. I keep hoping for a PS4/Switch port.
(On a sillier personal note, I will always be grateful that FFVIII taught me the importance of having multiple saves. I think I've told this story before, but I wasn't great with the battle system/junctioning as a kid, and managed to get myself completely stuck in the Lunatic Pandora, and was unable to go forward or to go back. After arriving, I'd saved over my existing save at the first opportunity, not realizing that I was going to have such a hard time with the mob fights and the nearest boss fight. Since then, I have three saves on the go at minimum. Shudder.)
(On a sillier personal note, I will always be grateful that FFVIII taught me the importance of having multiple saves. I think I've told this story before, but I wasn't great with the battle system/junctioning as a kid, and managed to get myself completely stuck in the Lunatic Pandora, and was unable to go forward or to go back. After arriving, I'd saved over my existing save at the first opportunity, not realizing that I was going to have such a hard time with the mob fights and the nearest boss fight. Since then, I have three saves on the go at minimum. Shudder.)
Not the best FF game, but certainly my favorite. Best art style, love the combat system (aka Triple Triad), really enjoy the dual timeline story.
I still expect a remaster reasonably soon. I don't think it has much to do with source code, that didn't hold back 7/9/KH, just that Square Enix really likes to pace themselves with releases and I believe use pretty small teams that don't rush it.
I still expect a remaster reasonably soon. I don't think it has much to do with source code, that didn't hold back 7/9/KH, just that Square Enix really likes to pace themselves with releases and I believe use pretty small teams that don't rush it.
sure, if you ignore literally half the series
It surely had the most fun power-gaming meta qualities of any Final Fantasy game. I loved replaying the game as a purist low level card modder while studying the gamefaqs guardian force distribution faq religiously. I can empathize with people who hated the unbalanced battle system and the many mediocre aspects of a normal playthrough, but the game is best enjoyed as a 100 hour min-maxing experience
OP
OP
I'm going to be doing a replay for the Anniversary so if anyone has felt like doing one now should be the time. We can all do so until they give us our PS4/Switch port.
That Whatever image is killing me. lmao
Of course the OP would make a FF8 love topic.
Meanwhile i"m just
:P
That Whatever image is killing me. lmao
Final Fantasy series sales (excluding remasters):
1. Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - 9.81 million
2. Final Fantasy X (PS2) - 8.60 million
3. Final Fantasy VIII (PS1) - 8.53 million
4. Final Fantasy XV (PS4/One/PC) - 8.1 million
5. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3/360) - 6.80 million
6. Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - 6.40 million
7. Final Fantasy IX (PS1) - 5.50 million
8. Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2) - 5.50 million
9. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3/360) - 3.20 million
10. Final Fantasy VI (SNES) - 2.90 million
11. Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII (PSP) - 2.50 million
12. Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1) - 2.49 million
13. Final Fantasy V (SNES) - 2.40 million
14. Final Fantasy III (DS) - 2.20 million
15. Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP) - 1.90 million
16. Final Fantasy IV (SNES) - 1.77 million
17. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) - 1.71 million
18. Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII (PS2) - 1.50 million
19. Final Fantasy III (NES) - 1.40 million
20. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GC) - 1.32 million
21. Final Fantasy (NES) - 1.29 million
22. Final Fantasy IV (DS) - 1.20 million
23. The Final Fantasy Legend (GB) - 1.1 million
24. Final Fantasy XII - Revenant Wings (DS) - 1 million
FF8 has always been one of the best selling titles and is only one of four FF titles that sold above 8 million. Even taking into account first runs, it'll drop to fourth at worst once XV is done selling (that's probably going to either settle in behind or ahead of VII and is probably well ahead of that 8.1 million by now). However what's important to note here, and is often lost in context, is that 8 million in the time of FF8 isn't quite the same as 8 million today.
For that time, 8 million meant it was basically a juggernaut in the market relative to other titles. Comparable titles of that standing today are selling a lot more than 8 million. Unfortunately, while the gaming market has expanded, FF hasn't really shown as much growth as a series.
So yeah, FF8 was a big seller back in the day. And still remains as one of the best selling entries in the franchise.
LmaoOf course the OP would make a FF8 love topic.
Meanwhile i"m just
:P
because I want to wish it happy anniversary since I love the franchise
which half? FF 1 and FF 2? FF 1 has aged but it got a somewhat decent remake that is actually free to play so it doesn't look nor play awfully, FF 2 is the worst so nothing can save the game, FF 3 and 4 had excellent remakes that live up to this day and are still quite fine to play. FF V and VI got shafted with the "remakes" they got but the originals not only hold up, but look better than their respective remakes. The sprites in FF VI are just art. FF VII has aged badly, but it's getting a remake in 2099, the rest I feel like, hold up very well. Maybe FF XI, but that is also getting a remake
Remakes/remasters aren't considered holding up so I don't know why you'd bring them up at all. They're designed to modernize things to make them more playable. Vanilla 1, 2, 3 and maybe 4 all feel very dated, 7's visuals are very primitive and 9's extremely slow. If you want to throw side series or spin offs in there most of the olds ones suck.
Arguments about quality or general preference aside, 8 is extremely playable compared to basically every pre-2000 FF game.
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I replayed it last year and 100%'d it for the first time, Triple Triad included. Still one of my favorite FF.
One thing I particularly like with it is the writing of the dialogue (in Japanese), naturally sounding and full of humor - especially the Laguna side. However it seems that has somehow been lost in translation judging by its reception in the west.
I also think the criticisms regarding how obtuse and broken the system is, while not unfounded, are overblown. Play it "normally" without overthinking and it's almost like any other FF. I'm also one to think that being able to break the system is a feature, not a flaw.
One thing I particularly like with it is the writing of the dialogue (in Japanese), naturally sounding and full of humor - especially the Laguna side. However it seems that has somehow been lost in translation judging by its reception in the west.
I also think the criticisms regarding how obtuse and broken the system is, while not unfounded, are overblown. Play it "normally" without overthinking and it's almost like any other FF. I'm also one to think that being able to break the system is a feature, not a flaw.
The key mistake people make is not realizing that Triple Triad is the real battle system, the other combat is just for bosses.
OP
OP
Since we haven't heard anything yet from SE here is the one game that is celebrating the anniversary which is Mobius. It already has 2 chapters released and follows Time Compression happening in Ultimecia's castle. It's japan only right now so maybe Global gets the event in the summer.
Chapter 2 has a neat shot of original Squall:
Speaking of mobile, I should compile all VIII items I have in each gacha game since I focus on pulling for them.
Chapter 2 has a neat shot of original Squall:
Speaking of mobile, I should compile all VIII items I have in each gacha game since I focus on pulling for them.
That OP is both informative and pleasing to the eye. Nice work.
Co-signed. In my eyes, Nomura was at the height of his artistic powers during this era.
Final Fantasy VIII's artistic merit is undeniable. Yusuke Naora's art direction is fantastic; it's a testament to his talent that so many disparate elements—motor vehicles, sleepy small towns, Gothic castles, and futuristic technology—can exist in harmony without feeling disjointed or out-of-place. Nomura's designs are some of the best he's produced: his characters—hip, sleek, mysterious, and quirky—are memorable, and his monsters—grotesque, frightening, strange, and beautiful—inspire both fear and admiration. Together, Naora and Nomura's artistic powers created a world that seamlessly blends archaic, modern, and futuristic design philosophies and remains unique decades later. Ironically, I'd consider it to be a better realization of the "fantasy based on reality" concept than Final Fantasy XV was.
On a side note, I never entirely agreed with the praise for the Junction system. In theory, it's very interesting; in practice, it's a mess that feels as though it were implemented without any regard for difficulty. Yes, it offers a high degree of flexibility, but the player is never really incentivized to take advantage of said flexibility, since there are very few battles that require anything but brute force. The encounter design almost does a disservice to the Junction system. There are no interesting situations—enemies Junctioning their own spells or un-Junctioning your spells, for example—to encourage the player to think outside of the box or use their full repertoire of abilities.
Ideally, understanding the Junction system would lead to informed experimentation and compelling "risk vs. reward" decision-making. This, combined with a solid difficulty curve and smart encounter design, would motivate the player to explore the system in order to overcome their challenges. However, in my mind, FFVIII lacks everything but experimentation. Once I grasped FFVIII's systems, the game became a cakewalk. I never gained a sense of accomplishment from "breaking" the game because battles were pathetically easy to begin with. Sure, leveling up makes the game harder, but only in a superficial way—enemies hit harder and have more HP, but the "rigidity" of the encounter design doesn't change. It's almost as if the Junction system were designed without an eye for how it interacts with the design of the encounters.
I have other issues with the gameplay:
All of that being said, VIII is one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, simply for its aesthetic and soundtrack.
Co-signed. In my eyes, Nomura was at the height of his artistic powers during this era.
Final Fantasy VIII's artistic merit is undeniable. Yusuke Naora's art direction is fantastic; it's a testament to his talent that so many disparate elements—motor vehicles, sleepy small towns, Gothic castles, and futuristic technology—can exist in harmony without feeling disjointed or out-of-place. Nomura's designs are some of the best he's produced: his characters—hip, sleek, mysterious, and quirky—are memorable, and his monsters—grotesque, frightening, strange, and beautiful—inspire both fear and admiration. Together, Naora and Nomura's artistic powers created a world that seamlessly blends archaic, modern, and futuristic design philosophies and remains unique decades later. Ironically, I'd consider it to be a better realization of the "fantasy based on reality" concept than Final Fantasy XV was.
On a side note, I never entirely agreed with the praise for the Junction system. In theory, it's very interesting; in practice, it's a mess that feels as though it were implemented without any regard for difficulty. Yes, it offers a high degree of flexibility, but the player is never really incentivized to take advantage of said flexibility, since there are very few battles that require anything but brute force. The encounter design almost does a disservice to the Junction system. There are no interesting situations—enemies Junctioning their own spells or un-Junctioning your spells, for example—to encourage the player to think outside of the box or use their full repertoire of abilities.
Ideally, understanding the Junction system would lead to informed experimentation and compelling "risk vs. reward" decision-making. This, combined with a solid difficulty curve and smart encounter design, would motivate the player to explore the system in order to overcome their challenges. However, in my mind, FFVIII lacks everything but experimentation. Once I grasped FFVIII's systems, the game became a cakewalk. I never gained a sense of accomplishment from "breaking" the game because battles were pathetically easy to begin with. Sure, leveling up makes the game harder, but only in a superficial way—enemies hit harder and have more HP, but the "rigidity" of the encounter design doesn't change. It's almost as if the Junction system were designed without an eye for how it interacts with the design of the encounters.
I have other issues with the gameplay:
- Draw has no drawbacks or or limitations. This is silly in a game where magic is functionally identical to equipment.
- Limit breaks are too abusable.
- Magic is useful for very little other than Junctioning, and the few worthwhile spells (Meltdown, Triple, Aura, Pain) are broken. The player has little incentive to use offensive magic, since physical attacks and Limit Breaks are (almost) always going to be more useful (barring specialized builds like Rinoa's Angel Wing/Meteor combo). This complaint could be levied at other Final Fantasy games, but I don't think that it's nearly as severe in those games.
- Junction completely negates the purpose of weapon synthesis—after all, there's no incentive for the player to waste valuable materials crafting marginally more powerful weapons when you can simply refine those materials into spells and Junction them to your ATK stat for a superior stat boost. Why does weapon synthesis even exist? The only character who benefits from weapon synthesis is Squall, but his initial Limit Break is more than enough. This system desperately needed further revisions.
All of that being said, VIII is one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, simply for its aesthetic and soundtrack.
I love this game so much. It's the first Final Fantasy I've ever played, and I have such fond memories of it. I'm still hoping we'll get some kind of remastered version on the PS4 eventually.
I gotta admit it's one of my least favorite FF games... I don't think I ever got my head around the junction system, but the card game was glorious and soundtrack' was second to none. That boss fight theme has yet to be outdone.
One of my favorite RPGs ever made and my personal favorite in the series.
I *really* hope SE announces some great stuff for it this year!
I *really* hope SE announces some great stuff for it this year!
Wow interesting. Thanks for the info. It's crazy that Square kind of ignores this game most of the time aside from cameos in FF spinoffs and Kingdom Hearts. It deserves the same love and attention FF7 gets.
Incredible game. I started playing it as soon as we hit 2019, took a break, and plugged it back in today to suffer through the Chocobo quest for the first time. I'm trying to get all of the cards, but I'm not sure about my chances of beating Ultima Weapon.
Anyways, playing it this year, it really struck me that not only did the game showcase a jump in the quality of its localization (though I'm not a fan of "whatever"), but the Japanese script did as well. This isn't true for every character, but Square did a good job of writing dialogue for Squall and Rinoa that made them sound closer to being real people. I'm somewhat reminded of my experience playing Xenogears in that regard.
The game world and its events are the genre at the pinnacle of its creativity. There are few other titles that are able ot create a game world as unique as VIII's. Only Panzer Dragoon Saga really comes to mind. Even Xenogears feels more conventional.
The story itself is pretty good for the genre, and I think there's a clear attempt at having the story flow in a fun, yet unexpected way. There's a deliberate nature to the sequence of events the game features. The Dollet mission could have been unrelated to anything else in the game, just a fun opening mission introducing the Galbadian army. But the radio tower allows Galbadia to reach more of the world through a radio broadcast, threatening them with the power of a sorceress. There's also a great "political" element to this, where Galbadia's actions can be read as a diplomatic endeavor on the surface, but everyone knows that's not the case. It's a nice flavor for the game to have. The game is all sorts of moments like this, where they actually think about how the world would work. Where does the funding for Garden come from? I also love the frank discussion Squall has with the leader of F.H. He doesn't really know the answers, but as SeeD they can only respond with the way they know. A lot of the writing is refreshing and thoughtful in this way. But not all of it works.
Two thirds of the game exist to set up Ultimecia as a villain, but in such a way that it's a confusing mystery for the main characters to encounter. This is the reason why the game introduces the infamous orphanage scene. It's there to call into question the identity of Edea above all else, but it's not without its drawbacks. It's not a satisfying scene to watch, and the flashbacks are a low point for the game.
The game similarly sets up Adel, by possessing Rinoa, having Rinoa release Adel, all while controlling the Galbadia army to start up Lunatic Pandora, initiate a lunar cry, and take Adel down with it. It strains disbelief a bit, but it's a fun use of seemingly disparate elements that come together to move the plot forward in an exciting and novel way.
The end of the game is where the game really sort of struggles. In order to defeat Ultimecia, they need to head into the future. But to head into the future, the plan involves letting her have her way and creating a temporarily time compressed world - which they're supposed to get out of with the power of friendship. It's not the orphanage, but this section that I struggle with the most. However, the ending is so perfectly executed, I can forgive it.
There are a lot of flaws, but it's a game from 1999, and I think it's easier to forgive a game from an era where they had just really started to feature the amount of story content that would be necessary to pull of what it attempted. It's a little less forgivable that it's 2019, and the last Final Fantasy didn't have better writing than ... most other games in the series.
The FMV are also stunning to this day, and the character animations are incredible. I wanted to make some gifs, but I don't have the software to do it (please recommend something to me that isn't photoshop), and I ran out of time. Maybe in a bit. The dance in particular is full of subtle animations, and I love seeing Rinoa drag him out on the dance floor every time. Seeing them dance, bump into another couple, and Rinoa stick out her tongue at them is also fun. How Square went from only animating the "chibi" characters in FFVII's scenes while outsourcing the more advanced ones, to FFVIII is one of the most improbable developments in the industry. Most Japanese games still aren't seeing the quality of character animations we see in the FMV, and even the PS1 models seem to animate with a fluidity modern JRPGs struggle with.
I simulatenously love the junction system, but think the game is balanced in such a way that makes it too easy. There are so many new ideas that were tried here, but balancing them was clearly a struggle. Once you can refine tents into Curaga (which should be doable disc 1), you're basically invincible. It's a little disappointing, given a lot of the boss fights seem to have had thought put into them, and would be a decent challenge otherwise.
I don't think it's the best Final Fantasy to be released, and I don't think it has the best story or gameplay either, but it's still my favorite.
Anyways, playing it this year, it really struck me that not only did the game showcase a jump in the quality of its localization (though I'm not a fan of "whatever"), but the Japanese script did as well. This isn't true for every character, but Square did a good job of writing dialogue for Squall and Rinoa that made them sound closer to being real people. I'm somewhat reminded of my experience playing Xenogears in that regard.
The game world and its events are the genre at the pinnacle of its creativity. There are few other titles that are able ot create a game world as unique as VIII's. Only Panzer Dragoon Saga really comes to mind. Even Xenogears feels more conventional.
The story itself is pretty good for the genre, and I think there's a clear attempt at having the story flow in a fun, yet unexpected way. There's a deliberate nature to the sequence of events the game features. The Dollet mission could have been unrelated to anything else in the game, just a fun opening mission introducing the Galbadian army. But the radio tower allows Galbadia to reach more of the world through a radio broadcast, threatening them with the power of a sorceress. There's also a great "political" element to this, where Galbadia's actions can be read as a diplomatic endeavor on the surface, but everyone knows that's not the case. It's a nice flavor for the game to have. The game is all sorts of moments like this, where they actually think about how the world would work. Where does the funding for Garden come from? I also love the frank discussion Squall has with the leader of F.H. He doesn't really know the answers, but as SeeD they can only respond with the way they know. A lot of the writing is refreshing and thoughtful in this way. But not all of it works.
Two thirds of the game exist to set up Ultimecia as a villain, but in such a way that it's a confusing mystery for the main characters to encounter. This is the reason why the game introduces the infamous orphanage scene. It's there to call into question the identity of Edea above all else, but it's not without its drawbacks. It's not a satisfying scene to watch, and the flashbacks are a low point for the game.
The game similarly sets up Adel, by possessing Rinoa, having Rinoa release Adel, all while controlling the Galbadia army to start up Lunatic Pandora, initiate a lunar cry, and take Adel down with it. It strains disbelief a bit, but it's a fun use of seemingly disparate elements that come together to move the plot forward in an exciting and novel way.
The end of the game is where the game really sort of struggles. In order to defeat Ultimecia, they need to head into the future. But to head into the future, the plan involves letting her have her way and creating a temporarily time compressed world - which they're supposed to get out of with the power of friendship. It's not the orphanage, but this section that I struggle with the most. However, the ending is so perfectly executed, I can forgive it.
There are a lot of flaws, but it's a game from 1999, and I think it's easier to forgive a game from an era where they had just really started to feature the amount of story content that would be necessary to pull of what it attempted. It's a little less forgivable that it's 2019, and the last Final Fantasy didn't have better writing than ... most other games in the series.
The FMV are also stunning to this day, and the character animations are incredible. I wanted to make some gifs, but I don't have the software to do it (please recommend something to me that isn't photoshop), and I ran out of time. Maybe in a bit. The dance in particular is full of subtle animations, and I love seeing Rinoa drag him out on the dance floor every time. Seeing them dance, bump into another couple, and Rinoa stick out her tongue at them is also fun. How Square went from only animating the "chibi" characters in FFVII's scenes while outsourcing the more advanced ones, to FFVIII is one of the most improbable developments in the industry. Most Japanese games still aren't seeing the quality of character animations we see in the FMV, and even the PS1 models seem to animate with a fluidity modern JRPGs struggle with.
I simulatenously love the junction system, but think the game is balanced in such a way that makes it too easy. There are so many new ideas that were tried here, but balancing them was clearly a struggle. Once you can refine tents into Curaga (which should be doable disc 1), you're basically invincible. It's a little disappointing, given a lot of the boss fights seem to have had thought put into them, and would be a decent challenge otherwise.
I don't think it's the best Final Fantasy to be released, and I don't think it has the best story or gameplay either, but it's still my favorite.
Probably second only to XII for me. I love the characters, the art style, the soundtrack (the most interesting/experimental Uematsu has done ).
I know Spirits Within come out after IX but I will always associate that movie with VIII, I think it was seeing the previews of both around the same time.
VIII will always be a comfort game for me, it got me through my break up with my first long term girlfriend.
I know Spirits Within come out after IX but I will always associate that movie with VIII, I think it was seeing the previews of both around the same time.
VIII will always be a comfort game for me, it got me through my break up with my first long term girlfriend.
Happy 20th to my first FF game. It'll always have a special place in my heart. <3
sorry that this game has a good woman protag instead of the crybaby in your avatar :POf course the OP would make a FF8 love topic.
Meanwhile i"m just
:P
2nd best final fantasy for me after 7. Really feel after the ps1 games the series went to shit but that's just my opinion. Had such a good time with 8 though and finished it 3 times.
The first FF I ever played and my favorite.
I played FF7 after that but just didn't like it as much, maybe it was the dated graphics or the darker themed story. FF9 - didn't like the SD character style, and the newer FFs after that were so limited in scale compared to the older games that it's hard to get into their worlds. FF15 was a step in the right direction but...who knows what will happen to FF going forward.
I played FF7 after that but just didn't like it as much, maybe it was the dated graphics or the darker themed story. FF9 - didn't like the SD character style, and the newer FFs after that were so limited in scale compared to the older games that it's hard to get into their worlds. FF15 was a step in the right direction but...who knows what will happen to FF going forward.
Did anyone else get a Pocketstation for the game too? I was reading the instruction booklets earlier and it mentioned the device which I forgot all about!
I still have mine somewhere, the clear version, and I enjoyed the little Tamagotchi chocobo game and ended up using it as my main memory card. lol
I still have mine somewhere, the clear version, and I enjoyed the little Tamagotchi chocobo game and ended up using it as my main memory card. lol
Since we haven't heard anything yet from SE here is the one game that is celebrating the anniversary which is Mobius. It already has 2 chapters released and follows Time Compression happening in Ultimecia's castle. It's japan only right now so maybe Global gets the event in the summer.
Chapter 2 has a neat shot of original Squall:
Speaking of mobile, I should compile all VIII items I have in each gacha game since I focus on pulling for them.
Considering how good the FFX crossover was and how it actually built on X's lore in a meaningful way, I'm really looking forward to what they do with the VIII crossover.
So uh ... is it weird if the center thing you climb down to get into the Deep Sea Rearch Facility isn't in my game?