Its pretty even with final fantasy 7.
It is a big change from final fantasy 7, but it still has its charms.
Final fantasy 8's story is very long, comlicated, and compelling. It would be very hard to describe. You play as squall, a member of seed who travels around and meets new characters, trying to stop the world from being destroyed. Pretty simple plot, but all the events and places you go thorughout the game make it very lengthy.
The characters in final fantasy are all different. All the characters are great looking, have great personalities, and affect the story very well. The characters are all lovable too.
The gameplay in final fantasy is the same idea as ever. Its turn based, like the others, so its pretty simple. But one thing is the upgrade system, its very different and creative. You have a system called junction, in which you place magic in your attributes to upgrade them. Its a very complicated and long system, but it makes sense and is very nice to use.
The graphics in final fantasy 8 are astounding. So much better than 7's in every aspect. The environments are prerendered, but are still beautiful. The characters are human like instead of blocky munchkins. The FMVs are still in the game and are better than ever. The magic sequences, as well as the Summoning sequences are all very entertaining and very well done.
The sound in final fantasy is still a great aspect. Though the characters still dont talk, the beautiful music in the backgrounds even it out. The music is appropriate in every area, and is very masterfully produced.
Overall final fantasy is a fun game with a lot to it. Its got story, engaging gameplay, great graphics, and more. This game is as good as final fantasy 7, which is a masterpiece.