Retro Replay: Final Fantasy VIII

In this weeks Retro Replay,  we take a look back at one of the most divisive Final Fantasy games ever, FFVIII. Not only did it have to follow up one the most popular RPGs ever, it also tried to introduce new thematic elements to the genre. Was it successful? Read on to find out.

Final Fantasy VIII had a lot against it at the time of its release. Of course, the most significant thing was that it was put in the unenviable position of following the blockbuster that was FFVII. Worst still, the game took the series in a new direction, eschewing the epic story of its predecessor and focusing on the relationship between two central characters.

As it said on the back of the box, the main theme of FFVIII is love. Something that, even today, is not very common. This led many would-be fans to view the game as pretentious, which is an arguable point. But, pretension aside, it attempted to broach something the few games had before, and did so in a compelling way. The blossoming relationship between Squall and Rinoa was a beautiful thing to witness, from their first awkward dance through the end of the game. And because the story takes place over dozens of hours, we get to see all of the different aspects of their courtship. Basically, FFVIII is an RPG for the sappy gamer, as it is filled with all kinds of heartwrenchingly romantic cut-scenes.

That’s not to say that there is no action. In fact, FFVIII features one of the greatest opening sequences ever, starting off the game on a truly epic note. From the crashing waves that start kick things off, to the chilling Latin chants and vicious battle sequence between Squall and Seifer, the opening does an incredible job of setting the tone for the game. While the focus of the game is the relationship between Squall and Rinoa, it also tells an intriguing political tale. Nations are waging war, and Squall and his friends are caught directly in the middle.

Of course, since this isn’t the main focus, it isn’t as well fleshed out as it could have been. The same goes for the supporting cast of characters. The likes of Zell and Selphie are pretty one-dimensional, occupying the role of a specific archetype, but not much else. They have little in the way of backstory or emotional depth, especially when compared to the two leads. The one exception is Laguna, who is both interesting and very mysterious. But the what the cast really lacks is a true villain. Seifer does a good job of occupying this role in the beginning, but when Edea assumes that position, things take a turn for the worse. Her intentions are never really clear and she just doesn’t seem all that threatening. Definitely a step back from FFVII’s Sephiroth.

But where the game does receive a good deal of deserved criticism is in the actual game mechanics. The junction/draw system is overly complicated, and actually punishes you for using certain items and magic spells. The same goes for the weapon customization. Even some of the more interesting additions, such as earning money at pre-determined intervals, don’t actually translate well into the game. The one great addition to FFVIII though, are the guardian forces. These were like a combination between a summon and a Pokemon, and added a lot of strategy to an otherwise straightforward battle system. Of course, even these had their drawbacks, most notably their excruciatingly long animations.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention one of my favorite parts of the game: Triple Triad. This collectable card mini-game was remarkably deep, and provided hours of gameplay outside of the main storyline. There were tons of cards to collect, and building the perfect deck required a great deal of strategy and patience. Sadly, a this idea was carried over to FFIX, but the rules were changed resulting in a pretty terrible CCG. Still, Triple Triad represents possibly the best side-quest/mini-game in any RPG. Or, at least, my personal favorite.

So it’s true that FFVIII had a lot of problems, but this was mostly a result of its ambitious nature. The game tried to tell a more mature, emotional story, and for the most part, succeeded. The love story was deep and engaging, but as a result, the rest of the game felt uninspired and much less fleshed out. But if you take the game for what it is, and don’t judge it based on its FF heritage, you have one of the most influential games of the 32-bit era.