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. 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
  6. Resunoit
    Nov 4, 2020
    10
    Very nice final fantasy. 6-10 was really the golden age of the franchise. I miss that time.
  7. newjks
    May 12, 2023
    9
    FF7, FF8, FF9 are masterpiece just play it! I can't differentiate which is better than which.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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.