"If played with an open mind this game is a lot of fun," **Long and Thorough Review** True Score=9.2
***Extensive Review, skip to the Conclusion for an overview of the game***
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Game Play 9.5
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Controls (Great)
>> Similar to most Final Fantasy games the controls are well done, intuitive, and responsive. Just one note of caution, they don't tell you how to boost when you using GF's (Summons, aka Guardian Forces in FF8). To do it hold select during the GF animation and tap Square. Only tap Square when there isn't an X over the square button icon.
Customization (Great)
>> This might be the most controversial part of the game. As I mentioned earlier though, if you don't compare this game with FF7 or other games this is a definite strength. In FF8 there is no MP. Magic works like items, if you use a fire spell it will reduce the number of fire spells a character has. GFs have HP, so you can use them as many times as you want until the GF dies. The most innovative addition to the gameplay though is the draw system. Using the draw system you can draw magic or even some GFs (from bosses) from your enemies. You are also able to boost stats through equipping spells and abilities that your GFs have. This essentially replaces equipment, as there are only weapons in this game. If you beef up characters by equipping strong enough spells to their stats you might not have to even use the controversial magic in this game. The finishing moves are every bit as powerful and effective as they are in every FF game. My only gripe is with the fact that you have to equip commands (like attacking or items) and therefore can't have all the desired commands on a character at once. If you balance your teams commands well this shouldn't become an issue, but it is annoying none the less.
Battle System (Excellent)
FF8's battle system is just as exciting and fast paced as FF6 & FF7. That is due to the return of the active time battle system used in those games. This ofcourse, means that each character can act once there time bar is full. The rate at which a characters time bar fills is based on their speed. A nice addition to the battle system is the gun blade. If you hit the R button (I forget which one) before the blade contacts the enemy you will get extra damage. A good comparison would be the attacking in Mario RPG. Only Squall has a gun blade, but it is still a fun addition.
Puzzles & Mini Games (Excellent)
>> Ah, there is a very prevalent mini game in FF8 called Triple Triad. Many people I have heard from love Triple Triad as much as the rest of the game itself. In short, the game is played on a 3x3 grid with cards that have a number on each side. This game has various rules depending on what city you are in and gets very complex. You don't really get much (as far as stuff assisting you in battle) for playing TT, however it is quite addicting. As you might expect there are other mini games and puzzles scattered throughout the main quest of FF8, but none of it compares to Triple Triad.
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Graphics 8.0
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Background & Environment (Great)
>> I personally love the hand drawn backgrounds prevalent in many PS1 games, and this is no exception. The backgrounds look good and are very detailed. Characters (poor)
Characters (Poor)
>> At this point in time I guess developers were still figuring out how to make characters in 3D, because you can tell they were a work in progress. Aside from cut scenes characters are very blocky and look out of place on the wonderful back drops.
Special Effects (Great)
>> There are a lot of cut scenes in the game and they executed wonderfully (thus the 4 discs). I was really impressed with how in some cut scenes, be it for brief periods of time, you could move your character adding a sense of realism. Spell animations and summons seemed to take a small step back from FF7, but that is by no means a huge knock on them.
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Sound 10.0
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Music (Exceptional)
>> FF8 has some of the best music I have heard in an RPG ever. It has a lot of variety and motivates you to keep playing. And the epic songs illuminating bosses battles and intense moments are done perfectly.
Sound Effects (Excellent)
>> Nothing much to say here, on par with other FF games. Sound effects during finishing moves and summons are cool and other more mundane sounds are just as good.
Voice Acting (N/A)
>> Sorry, no voice acting in this game.
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Story 9.3
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Plot (Great)
>> In this game you play the role of Squall who is a student at the C-sec academy. You will eventually get promoted to be a Seed, elite agents of C-sec and the fate of the world will inevitably fall into your hands. This is a standard RPG plot, but this game has a lot more heart than most other games. This is a tale of adolescent friendship and love that is sure to pull at the heart strings of most anyone. It may not be as powerful as some storys, but the games charm is infectious.
Characters (Great)
>> All of the main characters in this game are teenagers and they become a very tight knit group by the games end. Each characters personality may not be as flashy or unique as other FF games, but you might be able to relate to more to them because of that. Every single one of us had to overcome obstacles or are still breaking barriers in our youth. I personally related to Squall, his thoughts and feelings, closer than I can ever remember relating to a video game character. There is also a very sinister villain in this game named Adell. This villain had serious potential, it is too bad that didn't developed that character more.
Writing (Excellent)
>> This is a definitely a huge strength. As I just mentioned the characters were extremely well developed and very believable. This is due an excellent script with realistic interactions (for a video game).
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Value 8.7
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Main Story (Excellent)
>> The main story will probably last most people 40-50 hours. This is about par for the course for an RPG.
Sidequests & Secrets (Great)
>> Due to the games unusual customization makes attaining all of the games secrets take considerably less time than other FF games. I personally loved that about this game, but it does hurt the value of this game. I completed this game with most of the secrets in just over 50 hours. You could spend considerably more time playing this game if you get addicted to triple triad though
Replay Value (Ok)
>> The only real reason you would have to replay this game is for the story or the gameplay. There is nothing new to unlock by playing the game a second time.
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Tilt 9.3
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Cool Factor (Good)
>> Well running around as a bunch of teenagers may not be that cool, but gun blades are. You also get powerful summons and finishing moves which have become standard on all FF games.
Fun Factor (Excellent)
>> The use of gun blades, a fast paced battle system, and the Triple Triad card game combine for a very fun gaming experience. This game is paced very well and wonderful way to spend your down time
Tediousness (Very low)
>> I downgraded the value score of this game because of the ease with which all the secrets are obtained. However, as I said then I loved that about this game. It never becomes tedious attaining all the most powerful spells, GFs, and weapons for your characters. You can get most of it just by drawing from any and every enemy you see during your main quest. It is also extremely easy to level up. I finished the game with my characters at the max level of 100 in just over 50 hours. In fact, I reached the max way before I finished the game. This was by far the least tedious FF game I ever played. That is a huge reason why this game is so fun.
!!Tip!!- Even though it isn't very time consuming to attain most of the games secrets, some things can be hard to figure out. I suggest using a guide for this game, at least for the GFs. GameFaqs is always a great play to go for help.
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Conclusion
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Pros
-Top notch music
-Innovative & fresh customization
-Charming story and characters
-Easy and fun to play
-Triple Triad card game, which is very addicting
Cons
-The inability for characters to equip all battle commands
-Sub par character graphics
-Teenage cast won't appeal to everybody
-No motivation for a replay, besides the game itself
Gameplay (25%) – 9.5
Sound (15%) – 10.0
Graphics (15%) – 8.0
Story (20%) - 9.3
Value (10%) - 8.7
Fun Factor (15%) – 9.3
Final Score – 9.2
>> If you missed this game when it came out and are looking in the past for a game to play, then look no further. Many people passed up FF8 (including myself) at the time of release because the customization was so different than what they are use too. However, I encourage you to just embrace it instead of fighting it, and you will enjoy it (too many its?). The innovative customization causes this game to be less tedious and easier to play than other FF games. And the addicting Triple Triad card game provides a wonderful change of pace whenever desired. If that isn't enough, the top notch musical score and charming story will surely be enough to keep your attention from start to finish.