As I Walk Through The Cave To Encounter My Death
Written: Oct 01 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: nice graphics, good storyline
Cons: framerate slows a little at times
The Bottom Line: I hate this stupid thing...
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| Rock_On's Full Review: Final Fantasy VIII for PlayStation 1 |
The only games that I ever played on my PlayStation were Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 9, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. I loved Final Fantasy 7 ever since I played a little bit of it at my friend’s house, and so it was the first game I bought with my PlayStation. Then a year or so later, Final Fantasy 8 came out, and it didn’t look any fun to me and I had heard bad things about how the game just wasn’t the same as the other Final Fantasies, so I skipped it and eagerly awaited for Final Fantasy 9 to come out. I bought it and loved the entire game. Well, about two weeks after I had finally beaten Final Fantasy 9, I was getting bored ,and with no PS2 games that really looked all that interesting at the time, I went out to Wal-Mart and bought Final Fantasy 8, which only had a $9.99 price tag.
When I got home I just laid it next to my PlayStation, and just sort of watched TV and finished homework the rest of the week. Then on Friday, since I had no Homework, I put it in and was totally amazed by the graphics, the new Junction system, and other good aspects of the game. I guess you can’t judge games by what you hear or read, because I was totally wrong on this one.
Plot/Story
The storyline, although not as good as Final Fantasy 7’s, was one thing that I noticed was better than what most people thought. I’m not going to go into great detail, as I think you should play it for yourself to find out what the whole plot’s about. But I will tell you this...Squall is training to be a member of SeeD, a military like group that goes all around the helping people who pay them to fight for them. After Squall and a couple of his classmates get done with a test to determine whether or not they’d be picked to join SeeD, a plot twist occurs, and eventually Squall, along with a plot twist occurs, and eventually Squall, along with some buddies like Zell and Riona, is off to protect the world from some sort of evil sorceress. If you want to find out the whole story and everything, but the game and prepare to be engulfed by the complex story.
Junction System
Now first off, before I tell about anything else, I’ll talk about the Junction System, which was very confusing when I first started the game, but I soon learned how to use the system. Ok first of all, the Junction Command is in the menu screen where you have your items, save, ect. When you’re in Junction, you can choose any of the three characters, or even the characters that aren’t in your party. Choose which one to Junction a GF(Guardian Force, otherwise known as Summon in FF7) to. Junction the GF and you’ll have different options to choose.
Each Guardian Force has its own HP, so when you’re waiting for the blue bar to unfill, then whatever hits that you take, they’re reflected on the GF’s HP and not yours. But anyway, you can have the GFs learn different abilities like GFHP+% or something like that.
In order for your characters to use a GF, or draw, or Magic, or item in battle, you must equip it to the GF. Like if you want one character to be able to Draw and use Magic, then select those two abilities on the GF that’s on the character you want. If you want another character to just use the GF command and Item, then equip them. All characters have the attack command no matter what. You can equip a whole bunch of other factors, but all that comes as you play through the game.
Sound Confusing? Well it is, but it’s a lot easier to do it when you can see the screen rather than explaining it.
Draw and Magic
Wow, this is a little different from any RPG I’ve ever played. There isn’t any MP(Magic Points), but you can still use magic. How’s that you say? Well in stead of learning different magic attacks, as long as you have this equipped on your Guardian Force or whatever character, you can pick the DRAW command. When you use it, a list of magic attacks like Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder, depending on whatever enemy you’re Drawing from, you’ll draw like 6 or 7 of what ever magic spell you choose.
I personally like the Draw command because you can have an unlimited supply of different magic spells at your finger tips, and you don’t have to worry about running out of MP. Something for the GF’s, they have their own set of HP, and so you can use them until they die, not until you run out of MP.
GF(Guardian Force)
Like I said in that last paragraph, you don’t use MP to power up your Guardian Forces. After you pick which Guardian Force to use, a blue bar replaces the ATB gauge, and as that blue bar is present, there’s a different set of HP, which is the Guardian Force’s HP. Once the Blue Bar runs out, your GF will do its little cut scene, then attack the enemy or enemies. But while the blue bar is being filled, any attack that is directed towards your character, the GF will take damage as long as the blue bar hasn’t run out yet.
Items
Like in most other RPG’s, there are different items you can find throughout your journey that will restore HP or cure some elemental status. You can find and buy different potions and other drinks to heal yourself. You can also use Magic Cures.
Draw Points
Other than drawing magic abilities from enemies, there are Draw Points distributed randomly throughout the world that you can draw a random magic out of it. It could be cure, it could be fire, it could be esuna, just whatever the game feels like giving you I guess. But about 60 or 70 percent of the Draw Points there are, I usually get cures out of them, the other 30 or 40 percent is like Fire, ect.
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Graphics 5/5
Wow! Square Soft pushed the PlayStation to its limits in Final Fantasy 8. All that I’ve heard and read about how the graphics are bad, it just doesn’t make since. They are better than FF7’s, and FF9’s, and probably one of the better ones on the PlayStation. The in-game graphics might not seem the greatest and the frame rate sometimes slows a little bit, but the FMVs are just like watching a real movie. I don’t see how the people who wrote the reviews that say the graphics were not good, didn’t like the game.
Yes they are a little bit choppy, but the FMVs are brilliant so it don’t matter. Blowing hair, awesome fighting scenes, life like movements, the graphics are truly something on the PlayStation.
Control 4/5
You can use either the D-Pad or the Analog Stick to move Squall around, but I used the Analog Stick because of the weird angles the camera’s at when I use the D-Pad.
Menus can get confusing, especially while trying to navigate the Junction System’s menus. But don’t worry, once you use them more and stuff you’ll get use to the lengthy menus.
Sound 3/5
It’s the same way with all the other Final Fantasies I’ve played, the only music played is melodies and sound effects for the different attacks. Other wise no voice-overs or anything are used which makes the game boring to listen to.
Overall 12/15
If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series, or the RPG genre and you own a PlayStation or PS2, then you should get this game...
~Happy Gaming
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Rock_On
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Member: Rocky
Location: Brownsburg, Indiana
Reviews written: 367
Trusted by: 477 members
About Me:
For the record, my past six reviews were written on my iPhone.
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