This game will amaze you...
User Rating: 10 | Final Fantasy VIII (Platinum) PS
Intro: To start off, let me first say that this game is by far the greatest I have ever played. I have beaten Final Fantasy 7. I have played and beaten Halo 2. I have played Madden more than anybody should. I have beaten Castlevania Symphony of the night. I have beaten Super Metroid. I have beaten and played Soul Calibur. I have beaten Metal Gear Solid. All of these highly regarded and loved games fall short compared to what is in my mind square's greatest acheivement. Parts of this game (the incredible ending comes to mind) will completely captivate you. To say the least, this game is worth your time and then some. Story: Without getting into any specifics, I beleive this game to have the strongest personalities of any rpg to date: Whether it be Squall and Rinoa's relationship, the friendship of the leading characters (which I find to be the strongest of any game I have yet to play), or the villians who are more than they appear to be. I can guarantee you that after completeing this game once, you will soon after on the second playthrough discover much more about the ins and outs of this game's story. It is simply the deepest and most emotional storyline out there. Not to mention the fact that the ending of this game will absolutely bring tears to your eyes in all of its greatness. RPG's are played for their storys, and some endings fall short by ending the game without proper closure. I can assure you, that the ending of this game will be in your thoughts and hearts for years to come if you follow this game's story throughout its 40+ hours of the first playthrough. This game is four disks: The first disk will hook you, the second will make you care, and the third and fourth disks are utterly brilliant. Graphics: If you are looking to buy either from your electronics store or online a PS1 game that displays the system's power, this is the game for you. The characters hold up decently to this date. Battles are spectacular and Summons display the absolute best graphics of any playstation game; even the summons of the solid title Chrono Cross pale in comparison. As in any square (or squar-enix) game the cinemas are top notch. The CGS in this game are beautiful, frequent, lengthy, and interesting to say the least. They are more frequent than Chrono Cross', and more beautiful than Final Fantasy X's in game graphics. Gameplay: From the epic battles to the incredibly addicting triple triad card game the gameplay of Final Fantasy 8 is a blast. The style of battles are very similar to final fantasy 7 in one respect: turn based, summons, attack, Limit break, and item. But in another respect they are quite different: Limit breaks and Summons are more interactive, and the magic gathering Draw command can be used. There is no MP in this game: it is replaced with the brilliant Junction system, which is often foolishly criticized. You must gather different magics from enemies and "Draw points", and you can stock up to a maximum of 99 per type of magic. You must then attach these different magic types such as thunder or meltdown to different stats of each character such as attack, luck, speed, ect. This adds much strategy to the tired system of final fantasy 7. Regardless, the summon system of final fantasy 8 steals the show and is my favorite aspect of the game second to the storyline. Guardian forces of different elements (many of which are badass, lovable, and fun to use) can be summoned in battle to perform their magic to the enemy, most often causing more damage to the enemy than a physical or regular magic attack. After the GF command is chosen, a turn must be waited before it can attack. During this time, if the character who the GF is junctioned to is attacked, the GF takes that damage instead. Guardian Forces also can learn abilities such as strength +40 or Encounter none that aid party members or the party as a whole will battle enhancements, item or weapon forging, or even creating cards from enemies. Speaking of cards, the triple triad card dueling mini game in final fantasy 8 is addictive enough to be called its own game inside of the RPG itself. Trust me; you'll be addicted to this card game like a little kid to pokemon. Its that much fun. Control: Control in Final Fantasy 8 is perfect, and should never present a problem. I would not change a thing about it. Everything operates as it should. Replay: To date I have played hundreds of hours of this game, and am emotionally attached to it. The sheer number of side quests, the card game, and the story should keep you playing for YEARS. Pick up this game at all costs if you even mildly like RPGs, it will hook you in and never let you go! 
