Final Fantasy VIII

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 208 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 180 out of 208
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 208
  3. Negative: 13 out of 208
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  1. SwitSwat
    Nov 9, 2014
    9
    The three PS1 FF games are all amazing. I would consider this one the worst out of those 3, though... And no, it's not because of the Junction System. Overall, the story was pretty weird and the battles didn't feel as fun as it did in the previous game, FF VII... And a lot of the characters are ----- towards each other. Nevertheless, it's a great game and any FF fan or anyone who wants toThe three PS1 FF games are all amazing. I would consider this one the worst out of those 3, though... And no, it's not because of the Junction System. Overall, the story was pretty weird and the battles didn't feel as fun as it did in the previous game, FF VII... And a lot of the characters are ----- towards each other. Nevertheless, it's a great game and any FF fan or anyone who wants to try FF should definitely pick this one up sometime.

    *Yes, the MIDI sound files suck. There's a mod to fix it in the Steam version, though.    … Expand
  2. BasilZero
    Jul 26, 2016
    9
    Game: Final Fantasy VIII
    Genre: RPG
    Publisher/Developer: Squareenix/Squaresoft System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 88/100 Value Score: 8.8/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 7/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 9/10 • Music: 9/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 6/10 • Player Value: 8/10 Pros +Improved visuals thanks the PC Port - can be scaled up to higher    Game: Final Fantasy VIII
    Genre: RPG
    Publisher/Developer: Squareenix/Squaresoft
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 88/100
    Value Score: 8.8/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 7/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 9/10
    • Music: 9/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 6/10
    • Player Value: 8/10

    Pros
    +Improved visuals thanks the PC Port - can be scaled up to higher resolutions via a separate menu
    +Boosters which can make the game easy for those who do not want to grind (i.e. gil cheat, magic spell cheat, increase game speed, etc)
    +The ability to play the game in SD similar to PS1 version.
    +Chocobo World comes included digitally unlike the Japanese PS1 version which came separate via a separate piece of hardware
    +Achievements

    Cons
    -Music uses midi format and requires modding to implement original PS1 version OST
    -Black borders may appear but not as bad as FFVII
    -Control manual and tutorials have not been updated and use the keyboard's instructions regardless of whether using a controller or not which can lead to frustration through some parts of the game
    -Cutscenes are in low resolution/standard PS1 resolution
    -FPS in battles are still 15 FPS, 30 FPS in world map/towns and 60 FPS in menu just like in the original PS1 version
    -Due to the game having higher resolutions, this can show the polygons/design flaws (this can be removed/fixed via using PS1 resolution setting - there's a setting which makes you play with original PS1 graphics)    … Expand
  3. Hikaru
    Sep 13, 2010
    10
    I agree with Xeneous, get the PS1 version
    All in all, my favorite Final Fantasy game, and i own every FF in the series. With a captivating storyline and a great junction system to power you up, and a scaling system which keeps the game at a somewhat difficult level, FF8 is amazing. If you have not played it, i would definitely recommend buying it. If you can't find a store that still sells    I agree with Xeneous, get the PS1 version
    All in all, my favorite Final Fantasy game, and i own every FF in the series. With a captivating storyline and a great junction system to power you up, and a scaling system which keeps the game at a somewhat difficult level, FF8 is amazing. If you have not played it, i would definitely recommend buying it. If you can't find a store that still sells ps1 games, it was big enough of a hit that it's now on playstation network to buy.    … Expand
  4. Seryin
    Mar 18, 2014
    8
    Cursed MIDI file music prevents a perfect score.
    I never ran into a single issue. Well, maybe it would have been nice if I could set it to tell me to use the Triangle, Square, Circle, and X instead of B1, B2, B3, B4. But beggers cant be choosers, anyone playing this title most likely remembers the controls and if you don't, your going back in time too far.
  5. augh18
    Apr 9, 2014
    4
    This is a review of the 2013 PC re-release.

    Despite being a decent update to make the game compatible with modern machines, it's a painful reminder of why some good things are better left on the nostalgia shelf. This game was great for its time, but there are too many design decisions that stick out like a sore thumb and make it difficult to enjoy in modern day. Even with the    This is a review of the 2013 PC re-release.

    Despite being a decent update to make the game compatible with modern machines, it's a painful reminder of why some good things are better left on the nostalgia shelf. This game was great for its time, but there are too many design decisions that stick out like a sore thumb and make it difficult to enjoy in modern day.

    Even with the improved 3D models, I would still suggest people who want to relive the FF8 experience find a PSX to play it on, as that's the way it was meant to be played. Even if you patch the PSX music into this game (that's right, SE did not update the re-release to use the much-superior PSX soundtrack), it's still a relic of an age past, and the best way to experience relics is to experience them in their original form. Which is on a PSX, with a PS1 controller, with disc swapping, and memory cards that you save your 40+ hour save files onto and live in fear of them randomly corrupting themselves, requiring you to start all over.

    This is a good attempt by Square-Enix to make even more profit off products they made in a time when making high-quality games seemed to come naturally to them, but the Square that exists is not the Square that made those games. I would much prefer to see them proving that they can *still* make quality games, as opposed to trying to remind everyone of how much better they used to be.    … Expand
  6. Rox22
    Sep 11, 2013
    8
    It is odd how different this game is to the last one. Eveything the last game got right, this one got wrong. and everything the last game got wrong, this game got right. Funny.

    For me, FF 8 is one of my favorites. It has a strong story, beautiful graphics (for the time,) interesting and deep characters, and also a large colorful world to explore. Weapons and Magic on the other hand    It is odd how different this game is to the last one. Eveything the last game got right, this one got wrong. and everything the last game got wrong, this game got right. Funny.

    For me, FF 8 is one of my favorites. It has a strong story, beautiful graphics (for the time,) interesting and deep characters, and also a large colorful world to explore.

    Weapons and Magic on the other hand is rather poorly done in my opinion. Characters only have a small number to choose from and the magic system is almost pointless to use since your strongest spells are what you usually use to bolster your stats. ie you use magic, you get weaker. Not to mention the Draw system: I hated it! It felt SOOOOOO tedious and needless.

    But combat mechanics aside I still enjoyed it immensely. Battles are fun and engaging and the card game is incredibly fun and addictive to play (gotta-get-em-all.)

    FF8 is by far more flawed than the last game, but I felt it had more charm and characters that felt more real and down to earth (mostly.) Squall may be a d**k for the most part of the game, but hay! He's a teenager, it isn't really that far of stretch.

    Overall:
    Regardless of its flaws. I thought it was charming and a blast to play (even with the draw system.)    … Expand
  7. Derringer
    Dec 23, 2015
    0
    Please. Please somebody explain to me why is this game considered as a "legendary game" if it is so boring and linear. Nowadays there are even better gameboy rpgs than this one! You dont have so much choice in what to do and when to do it or where to go. You always use the same weapons and the same attacks. I just finish the disc one by the way. So painful, boring and unnecesarily long.Please. Please somebody explain to me why is this game considered as a "legendary game" if it is so boring and linear. Nowadays there are even better gameboy rpgs than this one! You dont have so much choice in what to do and when to do it or where to go. You always use the same weapons and the same attacks. I just finish the disc one by the way. So painful, boring and unnecesarily long. And predictable.… Expand
  8. Resunoit
    Nov 4, 2020
    10
    Very nice final fantasy. 6-10 was really the golden age of the franchise. I miss that time.
  9. newjks
    May 12, 2023
    9
    FF7, FF8, FF9 are masterpiece just play it! I can't differentiate which is better than which.
  10. Claytality
    Mar 2, 2017
    8
    One thing I really admire about the FF franchise is how they change things up. This game has Guardian Forces (GF, which function like summons) and magic. There's no armor and only a few different weapons. To improve your stats you "junction" a GF to your character, then "junction" magic to your stats. It's confusing at first, but once you figure it out it is very rewarding. Magic is moreOne thing I really admire about the FF franchise is how they change things up. This game has Guardian Forces (GF, which function like summons) and magic. There's no armor and only a few different weapons. To improve your stats you "junction" a GF to your character, then "junction" magic to your stats. It's confusing at first, but once you figure it out it is very rewarding. Magic is more like an item in this game, you can collect up to 100 of each magic by "drawing" it from monsters, draw-points, or refining it from items.

    One strange feature of the game is the Triple Triad card game (mini-game), which is simple to play but the way rules are changed is utter chaos. You can get some good items and abilities from playing it, but I advise using a guide or skipping it if you aren't patient.

    The story is okay, somewhat of a romance, so that's different.

    The characters are lackluster and nowhere near as unique or interesting as the characters in FF7, but the graphics are more realistic.

    The game is very good and does not fall short of FF expectations. Bought for $6 on sale, played 70 hours, highly recommend.    … Expand
  11. iddqd4
    Jan 23, 2018
    7
    Играл в нее уже сильно позже после выхода, и уровень графики не позволил комфортно погрузиться в повествование.
  12. Ouzbel
    Apr 27, 2015
    8
    This was my first Final Fantasy game on my PC. One of the CDs also had the "Eyes on me" song besides the data track. The junction system took a while to get used to, and it punished you for overleveling by making the bosses stronger as well.

    Looking back, the story was a bit lackluster, but it was a fun ride. Player made patches for graphic fixes and trainers also made it interesting    This was my first Final Fantasy game on my PC. One of the CDs also had the "Eyes on me" song besides the data track. The junction system took a while to get used to, and it punished you for overleveling by making the bosses stronger as well.

    Looking back, the story was a bit lackluster, but it was a fun ride. Player made patches for graphic fixes and trainers also made it interesting by changing up what skills your party had, or what GFs they had and when.    … Expand
  13. NeuroShock
    May 30, 2018
    3
    STORY-SPOILER FREE
    This game deserves a score in the range of 7-9 BUT because of a bug that causes a huge amount of lag I have to be honest with PC users & say DO NOT BUY THIS GAME ON PC!!!!!!
    A major bug occurs around only the end part of the game but it was so annoying that I cannot recommend this port. The error occurs when: -> Summoning Eden -> Gilgamesh appearances -> Rinoa's    STORY-SPOILER FREE
    This game deserves a score in the range of 7-9 BUT because of a bug that causes a huge amount of lag I have to be honest with PC users & say DO NOT BUY THIS GAME ON PC!!!!!!

    A major bug occurs around only the end part of the game but it was so annoying that I cannot recommend this port. The error occurs when:
    -> Summoning Eden
    -> Gilgamesh appearances
    -> Rinoa's Wishing Star Limit Break
    -> Jumbo Cactaur attack (special move, don't know name)
    -> Multiple occurrences during final battle
    -> Death animation sequence of final boss

    INFO ON BUG & SEMI-FIXES STORY: 10/10
    +I love this story & the more I play this game the more I can see the full story and how everything falls into place. The story is very complex, kiddy in the right places, funny, and engaging.
    +/- Not all the individual characters in the party get major stories but they do all get a chase to shine in the main story.

    Gameplay: 4.8/10
    + Limit breaks are really fun to use and alter the gameplay of different characters
    + Majority of characters are really fun to use and play.
    + Triple Triad Card game is actually really fun! At first, it may look easy but, additional rules make it more complicated later on. I actually played the card game more than I battled.
    + INTERESTING PERSONAL CHALLENGES: You can play the entire game without leveling-up your character. I enjoyed playing the game without leveling-up. It is a lot of fun to build strategies like that.
    -BATTLES: The problem is that after you learn how battles & the junction system works... you can cheeze your way through everything. For example, you can use limit breaks back-to-back in all battles.
    -There is little-to-no strategy for most battles & boss fights. (I only died 1 time at the final boss)
    have to think too hard after you figure things out. It is almost like the game is broken or too easy.
    -WORST PART OF THE GAME: Drawing magic! During battles you draw and stock magic for latter use causing 1 min long battles to last for 10-15 mins
    - ON THE FINAL BOSS YOU CANNOT PICK YOUR OWN PARTY FOR NO REASON. I just wanted to let you know that ... no the game is not broken... it just does that...

    Sound: 10/10

    Graphics: An Old-School 10 / 10
    +Look you are not playing this game for the graphics. They have a charming PS1 pixelated feel.
    - The updated graphics make some of the backrounds look dated. Not really a problem though.    … Expand
  14. Jorgenn
    Dec 6, 2020
    10
    Played it on ps1 till end , played it twice on pc over the years even and enjoyed it more with each playthru
  15. aecsuter
    Aug 18, 2022
    5
    I particularly dragged myself to the end of the game...
    I didn't like the evolution mechanics, nor the form of spells.
    I didn't like the attempt at realistic graphics, but they were bad, the 7's graphic for example bothers me less... But in my view, the worst thing is that at no time did I feel like I was playing final fantasy. I found the plot very superficial. This love story super    I particularly dragged myself to the end of the game...
    I didn't like the evolution mechanics, nor the form of spells.
    I didn't like the attempt at realistic graphics, but they were bad, the 7's graphic for example bothers me less...
    But in my view, the worst thing is that at no time did I feel like I was playing final fantasy. I found the plot very superficial. This love story super commented by critics and players I found it super shallow, very forced. The love thing comes out of nowhere and goes nowhere... villains without charisma, without motivation... I expected much more from the game, after playing 7.
    There are times I think I played another game seeing the positive reviews of this game lol.

    For those who had already played and like it, it's cool, but if it's like me, who hadn't played on the ps1, it's bad lol.

    55 out of 100    … Expand
  16. qbangamer98
    Nov 18, 2022
    8
    not as good as its predecessor ff7 , still i do consider ff8 as a good game i did consider the story a little bit childish while i was playing it but after you finish the game if you examine the story once again it is actually pretty complex and interesting
  17. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this eighth game in the series.