Final Fantasy VIII

the best final fantasy game ever made. this is absolute fact and cannot be denied.
final fantasy viii is teh great.
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uh oh! final fantasy viii forces me to play it again and again without eating or sleeping.
7 more definitions
in the holy canon of role playing games, final fantasy viii remains the single greatest achievement of the creative mind.

recently surp-ssing final fantasy vii in sales and popularity, final fantasy 8 set a record for the most copies sold and the most fan fiction created of a single video game. in fact, the fanbase of final fantasy viii is gigantic and it is the number one game upon which “cosplay” is based off.

although some resentment is felt by fans of the previous installment in the series(final fantasy 7), it is only because of the overwhelming clash final fantasy 8 has on traditional rpg’s. the music alone in the game is enough to skyrocket the creation into the record books, but only when it is combined with the greatest storyline ever imagined is this game worthy to be called a masterpiece.

the gameplay is fantastic, actively encouraging new and innovative uses for magic, while developing the history of the six main characters in concert with the plot progression. squall, rinoa, selphie, irvine, quistis, and zell are the six main playable persons in the game, each having unique “junctioning” abilities which allows the gamer to personalize and rearrange character abilities to his/her style.

asides from being the greatest financial success squaresoft (now “square enix”) has ever produced, final fantasy 8 remains the true definition of fantasy and fiction.

this is the actual (more or less) conversation between me and an electronics boutique employee at my local store (this is before i knew how great final fantasy 8 was):

me: hey, what final fantasy do you recommend?
eb employee: well, the best one is final fantasy viii, so i’d go with that if you’re just getting into the series.
me: one of my friends is playing final fantasy 7 and says it’s not bad either.
eb employee: no offense, but your friend is on crack. that is the worst final fantasy there is. just get 8 man, i guarantee it.
me: cool, thanks.
the greatest video game that has ever been made. if you would like to be introduced to final fantasy, or to the role playing game overall, final fantasy viii is the place to start. with its stunning graphics and unparralleled storyline, final fantasy 8 takes you on an adventure of a lifetime. whatever you do, play this game!! it will brighten your mood, lift your spirits, and improve your life!!!
although some bitter final fantasy 7-gamers tend to bad-mouth final fantasy 8 because they are annoyed that it surp-ssed 7 in every area, it is actually the greatest final fantasy in the series. final fantasy viii forever!
despite attaining critical acclaim from many, ff8 might be the most underrated game in the series. probably due to the large hole it needed to fill by following up on ff7.
call me crazy, but final fantasy viii > final fantasy vii. both games are awesome though.
the overproduced sequel to one of the worlds greatest games. it used to be the worst in the series, but luckily x-2 and xi were released and dethroned the pointless rpg. why is viii horrible?

“there must be some objective truth to the criticisms that squall’s angst is misplaced, the supporting cast is weak, the game’s world is too “real”, and summoning, drawing, and junctioning turned gameplay into a tedious ch-r- rather than a fun pastime.”

the battle system was so in depth and really took a person who believed they were intelligent but really weren’t. allow me to explain: the battle system was not flexible in the slightest, creating a rift between new “gamerz” and those individuals who appreciate real rpg’s. the best “strategy” in the game is to keep squall dead during battles and only fight with the remaining party members. this is because the enemies level up with squall leaving absolutely no reason to apply yourself. this is why “low level gamerz” have come to exist. if you can beat a final fantasy at a level under 18, your battle system is fatally flawed.

don’t want to keep squall dead? okay, that’s fine, simply transform all enemies into cards after drawing magic from them – therefore, you still don’t get the experience and the enemies still never level up.

all in all, this game is for average people who want to feel as though they experienced something great, but in reality, they are weak minded and delusional.

if this game weren’t labeled a final fantasy, it may have been received as a “decent attempt at an rpg”.
final fantasy viii http://juliangnam.wordpress.com/2006/10/24/news-flash-final-fantasy-viii-sucks/
1. the worst game in the final fantasy series — alongside the linear dungeon that is final fantasy xiii. approximately one third of the game is spent on character stats, card battles, and side-quests. another third is dedicated to gf gatherings and useless upgrades. everything else directs you to the awful story and mary-sues.

2. one of the more overrated entries of the final fantasy series. with an excess of over a million fans from all over, it continues to rape the minds of countless rpg enthusiasts.

3. a game that marked the end of the squaresoft’s golden age. its predecessors were far superior in terms of strategies, depth, side-quests, artwork, character designs, stories, and character mechanics; however, young viii still managed to arouse the world with its hollow existence. people play it simply because it’s part of the ff franchise.

4. the garbage that you throw out.
person #1: ewwwww! it’s final fantasy viii! smash it now!

person #2: it’s so fun, tho!!!11

person #1: play final fantasy vii if you want your fun.
the winning contender for worst final fantasy game ever created. it was released after final fantasy vii and squaresoft were hoping it would be just as successful as the last one. however, the changes they made to the system in the game were radical and only served to cripple the game, making it vastly unpopular and a flop.

the story focuses on a group of six characters, most of whom are mercenaries contracted out to help a struggling (read: worst i’ve ever seen) rebel group. from there, the characters fall victim to incredibly hackneyed, trite and implausible twists and turns in the story (such as the point where they all find out they knew each other as children but had their memories wiped).

the gameplay is quite bad and actively discourages the use of magic. the characters themselves have little to distinguish themselves from each other apart from their limit breaks. the junctioning system (used to help improve your character, since evryone levels up at the same rate regardless of their level) is unnecessarily complex and fiddly, detracting from what little good gameplay there was.

some elements of the game were good, but ultimately final fantasy viii was a flop compared to may of the others.
at least you had a really hot schoolteacher with a whip on your team.