The worst Final Fantasy game isn't all that bad!
Written: Oct 27 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: FFVIII had some of the best graphics of its time, and still does today.
Cons: The battle system isn't bad, but it could be a lot better.
The Bottom Line: The other Final Fantasy games I enjoy much more. But, Final Fantasy VIII is still a great game of its own.
|
|
|
| antsteverpgs's Full Review: Final Fantasy VIII for PlayStation 1 |
Back in the summer of 1999, I had just gotten a PlayStation, along with Final Fantasy VII and Legend of Legaia. At the time, I was busy gawking at the graphics of FFVII. That fall, however, something caught my attention. I saw in a magazine the words "Final Fantasy VIII will be arriving in the USA soon." I quickly gathered up money, and soon enough, it was available in the stores. I rushed in the day the game came out, and bought it! At first, I thought the game was some sort of God, drawing me forward. I never wanted to stop playing the game. I played it until the last castle ... then, I got lost. Even my player's guide confused me. So, I stopped playing the game. Now, in the year 2001, I still have not finished Final Fantasy VIII fully.
You start out in the game by watching a fight between two teens. The first one to get cut is Squall Leonheart. You will be controlling him for the remainder of the game (Along with Laguna Loire). The second teen in the clip is Squall's archenemy, Seifer. He will be wreaking havoc for the remainder of the game. Inside the nurse's office, you find yourself lying on the bed, with injuries. You tell the nurse your name, and she calls your rather beautiful instructor, Quistis Trepe. From there, you appear in class, and get called on by Quistis after class. She tells you that you must go to a cave with her to complete part of your training. When you leave the classroom, you run into a young girl named Selphie Timitt. She asks you to show her around Garden (the military academy you are in now). After you show her how to use the directory (learning how yourself, also), go to the library and pick up the magazine on the far bottom, on the far right hand side, of the left shelf of books (next to the opening that leads to the back of the library). Leave there, and head to the cafeteria where you meet Zell Dincht, a Garden Cadet with unsurpassed martial arts skills. Seifer is there also, and decides to go ticket Zell for running in the halls. Leave, and head back to the directory. Now, head south and out of Garden. From here on out, I got caught up in the story line of the game.
The graphics of the game were the best I had ever seen, and are still some of the best graphics I have ever seen on the PlayStation (compared to the graphics of The Legend of Dragoon, in my opinion, both games are about the same). At the time Final Fantasy VIII was released, it dazzled and bewildered players, making their jaws drop at the beautiful FMVs. The in-game graphics were also gorgeous, and were the best at the time. The amount of detail that Squaresoft puts into all of their games is unbelievable. Final Fantasy VIII is no exception.
The battle system is not like any other traditional Final Fantasy game. Squaresoft this time added a new feature, called GFs (or Guardian Forces). Guardian Forces are like Summons; only you can equip them to gain certain abilities. You can then add magic to bring those abilities up. Such measurements within the game that are required to balance are Speed, Attack, Defense, Vitality, etc. There's also the ability of Draw, in which you can absorb magic from foes, and stock up on them. Then, you can use the magic. In this game, there is no MP, or Magic Points, which is unlike any other Final Fantasy game (Except for Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, in which you can find magic). The rest of the battle system, such as Items and Attack, stay attached to this Final Fantasy game as well.
Now comes the sound. The music in the game is great, but the battle theme song got really annoying in my opinion. There are lots of different songs throughout the game. That's good, because if you played the same song over and over again, it would get annoying. I'm not the kind of person who likes to sit around listening to video game music, though (I usually turn on my radio). However, this is one game that I only listened to the game's music, and not the radio's instead. The sound effects aren't really annoying either, and sometimes help you in the game…such as, during battle. If your HP is low, you'll sometimes hear a "ding" letting you know that your special attack is ready to use. In this case, you can hold the Right button on your directional pad, hitting X to use it.
So overall, at the time Final Fantasy VIII was released, it was one of the best games of its time. Now, it's still a good game, but in my opinion, Final Fantasy VIII has bad replay value. So, if you would like a game to play through, and then maybe sell again (or in my case, keep just for my collection of RPGs), this game is for you. With great graphics, great sound, and a mediocre battle system, this game has a great fun factor overall. It is the only Final Fantasy game that I would rate this low (other than Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest).
Graphics: 10/10
When I saw this game, my jaw dropped at its great graphics. Even now, it still has great graphics to mark its spot in gaming history.
Sound: 8/10
The music was great, and the sound effects were as well. I'm not really a video game music fan, and would rather listen to the radio simultaneously with some games. This is not one of the games I would listen to the radio while playing, however.
Control: 8/10
The battle system is a new design, and I didn't like it compared to the older Final Fantasy games. Even though I didn't like it, the system wasn't all that bad. It could have been better, though.
Fun Factor: 10/10
So overall, at the time Final Fantasy VIII was released, it was one of the best games of its time. Now, it's still a good game, but in my opinion, Final Fantasy VIII has bad replay value. So, if you would like a game to play through, and then maybe sell again (or in my case, keep just for my collection of RPGs), this game is for you. With great graphics, great sound, and a mediocre battle system, this game has a great fun factor overall. It is the only Final Fantasy game that I would rate this low (other than Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest).
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
antsteverpgs
|
|
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.