Final Fantasy VIII

 PlayStation
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1236 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,043 out of 1236
  2. Mixed: 119 out of 1236
  3. Negative: 74 out of 1236
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  1. lizardkingg
    Jul 21, 2023
    8
    Loved the story & characters. Huge graphical upgrade from FFVII, but I can't help to feel like FFVII was so brilliant it made this feel subpar. Still, a really good game.
  2. Squallleon
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    This is by far my fave game of all time a must play. Has a unique story with well developed characters. A deep and compelling plot. And the game play is awesome with a really good lineup of summons, limit breaks, magics and weapons. Monster designs are awesome too. And by far the best romance done in a video game. This game was so epic for me that it still holds a special place for me.This is by far my fave game of all time a must play. Has a unique story with well developed characters. A deep and compelling plot. And the game play is awesome with a really good lineup of summons, limit breaks, magics and weapons. Monster designs are awesome too. And by far the best romance done in a video game. This game was so epic for me that it still holds a special place for me. Donā€™t think another game will come close. I used to have hopes that versus 13 would come close but that game just took a whole new direction. This game should get a remake a well done one. That would be the day!!… Expand
  3. Zeon1982
    Jun 15, 2023
    10
    I loved FF8. People who say it's not as good as FF7 are wrong. FF8 has a special place in my heart. The story, characters and the music make this game a work of art.
  4. shydxath
    May 19, 2023
    10
    my fav final fantasy game, the story and the characters are it made me fell so clode to it that even made me cry, should play it
  5. Rafarodfer
    May 18, 2023
    9
    An epic storyline accompanied by incredibly endearing characters, this game features a battle system that may not steal the spotlight but still delivers numerous enjoyable and strategic moments when facing challenging bosses.
  6. AtomosFabian
    May 11, 2023
    10
    Final Fantasy VIII es una gran aventura con muchos giros y una historia increƭble, la banda sonora es espectacular, cinemƔticas espectaculares y el diseƱo artƭstico estƔ impecable, un juego que te marca y guardas en tus recuerdos para toda la vida.
  7. Sha2n
    May 9, 2023
    10
    A unique work, one of the best to date. This game will definitely enter the top, created by a diverse, experienced, versatile and not envious gamer. A legend for a real dreamer. From Gabranth with Love.
  8. THOUSANDEYEKAii
    May 5, 2023
    9
    The first Final Fantasy I ever played on PS1 in 2000. Great game but the worst of the mainline PS1/2 games.
  9. trinovatic
    May 4, 2023
    9
    Juegazo, la historia no es mala, pero pudo estar mejor, el primer cd es brutal pero siento que los Ćŗltimos dos van un poco en debacle, hay muchos guinazos y coincidencias pero me sacan un poco de onda, pero en general por fumada que este la historia aun asi me encantĆ³, el gameplay no es una basura como muchos dicen, no me molesto lo de extraer magias pero tambien se extraƱa el sistema deJuegazo, la historia no es mala, pero pudo estar mejor, el primer cd es brutal pero siento que los Ćŗltimos dos van un poco en debacle, hay muchos guinazos y coincidencias pero me sacan un poco de onda, pero en general por fumada que este la historia aun asi me encantĆ³, el gameplay no es una basura como muchos dicen, no me molesto lo de extraer magias pero tambien se extraƱa el sistema de materias del 7, de lo que si no fui muy fan fue de enlazar las magias con mis atributos, te obligan a no gastar magias y es un poco molesto, en general es un buen juego, se arriesgaron bastante con los cambios pero eso es lo que se aprecia. Por Ćŗltimo quiero destacar la banda sonora, pensĆ© que despuĆ©s del 7 no encontrarĆ­a algo a la altura y lo esta, tremendos temazos.… Expand
  10. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    9
    Š”ущŠµŃŃ‚Š²ŃƒŃŽŃ‚ ŠæрŠ¾ŃŃ‚Š¾ Š—Š»Š¾ Šø Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾, Š° Š·Š° Š½ŠøŠ¼Šø Š¾Š±Š¾ŠøŠ¼Šø Š² тŠµŠ½Šø ŠæрячŠµŃ‚ся ŠžŃ‡ŠµŠ½ŃŒ Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾. ŠžŃ‡ŠµŠ½ŃŒ Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾, Š“ŠµŃ€Š°Š»ŃŒŃ‚, этŠ¾ тŠ°ŠŗŠ¾Šµ, ŠŗŠ¾Ń‚Š¾Ń€Š¾Š³Š¾ ты Šø ŠæрŠµŠ“стŠ°Š²Šøть сŠµŠ±Šµ Š½Šµ Š¼Š¾Š¶ŠµŃˆŃŒ, Š“Š°Š¶Šµ ŠµŃŠ»Šø Š“уŠ¼Š°ŠµŃˆŃŒ, Š±ŃƒŠ“тŠ¾ уŠ¶Šµ Š½ŠøчтŠ¾ Š½Šµ Š² сŠ¾ŃŃ‚Š¾ŃŠ½ŠøŠø тŠµŠ±Ń уŠ“ŠøŠ²Šøть. Š˜ Š·Š½Š°ŠµŃˆŃŒ, Š“ŠµŃ€Š°Š»ŃŒŃ‚, ŠæŠ¾Ń€Š¾Š¹ Š±Ń‹Š²Š°ŠµŃ‚ тŠ°Šŗ, чтŠ¾ ŠžŃ‡ŠµŠ½ŃŒ Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾ схŠ²Š°Ń‚Šøт тŠµŠ±Ń Š·Š° Š³Š¾Ń€Š»Š¾ Šø сŠŗŠ°Š¶ŠµŃ‚: Ā«Š’Ń‹Š±ŠøрŠ°Š¹, Š±Ń€Š°Ń‚ŠµŃ†, Š»ŠøŠ±Š¾ я, Š»ŠøŠ±Š¾ тŠ¾, ŠŗŠ¾Ń‚Š¾Ń€Š¾Šµ чутŠ¾Ń‡Šŗу ŠæŠ¾Š¼ŠµŠ½ŃŒŃˆŠµĀ»Š”ущŠµŃŃ‚Š²ŃƒŃŽŃ‚ ŠæрŠ¾ŃŃ‚Š¾ Š—Š»Š¾ Šø Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾, Š° Š·Š° Š½ŠøŠ¼Šø Š¾Š±Š¾ŠøŠ¼Šø Š² тŠµŠ½Šø ŠæрячŠµŃ‚ся ŠžŃ‡ŠµŠ½ŃŒ Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾. ŠžŃ‡ŠµŠ½ŃŒ Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾, Š“ŠµŃ€Š°Š»ŃŒŃ‚, этŠ¾ тŠ°ŠŗŠ¾Šµ, ŠŗŠ¾Ń‚Š¾Ń€Š¾Š³Š¾ ты Šø ŠæрŠµŠ“стŠ°Š²Šøть сŠµŠ±Šµ Š½Šµ Š¼Š¾Š¶ŠµŃˆŃŒ, Š“Š°Š¶Šµ ŠµŃŠ»Šø Š“уŠ¼Š°ŠµŃˆŃŒ, Š±ŃƒŠ“тŠ¾ уŠ¶Šµ Š½ŠøчтŠ¾ Š½Šµ Š² сŠ¾ŃŃ‚Š¾ŃŠ½ŠøŠø тŠµŠ±Ń уŠ“ŠøŠ²Šøть. Š˜ Š·Š½Š°ŠµŃˆŃŒ, Š“ŠµŃ€Š°Š»ŃŒŃ‚, ŠæŠ¾Ń€Š¾Š¹ Š±Ń‹Š²Š°ŠµŃ‚ тŠ°Šŗ, чтŠ¾ ŠžŃ‡ŠµŠ½ŃŒ Š‘Š¾Š»ŃŒŃˆŠ¾Šµ Š—Š»Š¾ схŠ²Š°Ń‚Šøт тŠµŠ±Ń Š·Š° Š³Š¾Ń€Š»Š¾ Šø сŠŗŠ°Š¶ŠµŃ‚: Ā«Š’Ń‹Š±ŠøрŠ°Š¹, Š±Ń€Š°Ń‚ŠµŃ†, Š»ŠøŠ±Š¾ я, Š»ŠøŠ±Š¾ тŠ¾, ŠŗŠ¾Ń‚Š¾Ń€Š¾Šµ чутŠ¾Ń‡Šŗу ŠæŠ¾Š¼ŠµŠ½ŃŒŃˆŠµĀ»
  11. Pmstz
    Jan 30, 2023
    9
    Excellent Final Fantasy.
    Masterpiece.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  12. aaronnmp96
    Jan 30, 2023
    8
    My first Final Fantasy, the only bad thing I can say is the gameplay, but it still has a lot left
  13. Ardalan1
    Jan 26, 2023
    10
    Such an amazing game. The story, characters, world, music, and gameplay. It all works perfectly and I didn't even notice that I have spent 100 hours on this game. 100% recommend it.
  14. Kyweaver16
    Jan 24, 2023
    10
    I could stock magic four hours on end. Nothing is more fun than junctiong Curaga to my health stat.
  15. 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.
  16. GuiBio
    Dec 29, 2022
    10
    Nostalgic and my first JRPG, played for so many hours. It was before the great internet times.
  17. Mahmoudragheb
    Dec 14, 2022
    10
    My number 1 game The most underrated due to the complexity and beauty of it's story
    Love it in every aspect and wish to see a remake
  18. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    8
    Un sistema de materias y farmeo que arruina lo que podrƭa haber sido una excelente secuela. Se queda en un notable, ya que los personajes tampoco estƔn a la altura de lo que se venƭa. Que no se me malinterprete, es notable, deseo un remake, pero no es el nivel de VII y IX. La villana es un lolazo de manual.
  19. DavieSl
    Oct 25, 2022
    10
    My favourite Final Fantasy and by far the best.
    Can still get lost in it's story after all these years.
  20. Jattaman
    Sep 30, 2022
    8
    Bellissimo e appassionante JRPG.
    Bella trama, grande longevitĆ , colonna sonora fantastica.
  21. ElObjetivo89
    Aug 17, 2022
    10
    La pieza central de la excelsa etapa de la saga en la primera Playstation. Otra obra maestra que se queda para siempre en el corazĆ³n del jugador.
    A nivel jugable cuenta con detalles mejorables, como el quizĆ” excesivo peso de los GF y el tener que ver sus animaciones completas con cada ataque. El sistema de absorciĆ³n de magias a mĆ­ no me gusta demasiado, aunque eso es criterio personal.    La pieza central de la excelsa etapa de la saga en la primera Playstation. Otra obra maestra que se queda para siempre en el corazĆ³n del jugador.
    A nivel jugable cuenta con detalles mejorables, como el quizĆ” excesivo peso de los GF y el tener que ver sus animaciones completas con cada ataque. El sistema de absorciĆ³n de magias a mĆ­ no me gusta demasiado, aunque eso es criterio personal.
    Nomura diseƱa en este juego y demuestra su enorme talento en dicho campo.
    Uematsu es un genio en plena forma.
    Un juego para la historia.    … Expand
  22. Andante
    Jul 7, 2022
    10
    One of the best games ever created by man and possibly my all time favourite game soundtrack. I consider this game a diamond, a piece of genius
  23. Tidu
    May 22, 2022
    9
    A lone wolf, Squall is my man! GFs are fun and graphics took a step forward from VII. Top 5 FF for me. And btw, LOVED the Triple Triad!
  24. Gingercrisis
    May 11, 2022
    9
    One of the best rpg games of all time, it has a great story. I hope you will like. This one is more similar to current rpgs than others of the time.
  25. perrypulus
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    One of my earliest FF games and I finished it approx. 20 years later. The music is extremely good. The scores are also good. The GFs make the game huge and keep it interesting in battling with enemies
  26. albericegames
    Feb 20, 2022
    10
    Jogo praticamente beira a perfeiĆ§Ć£o!
    Merece levar nota 10 em todas plataformas
    Nesse game vocĆŖ tem vontade de saber da vida de todos personagem, sendo mundo aberto a partir de um tempo podendo explorar onde vocĆŖ quiser.
  27. soahknam
    Feb 19, 2022
    9
    Right now, my review is based on my memories, as I played final fantasy viii when I was 16. at the time this game was spectacular. its gamplay is very good, the visuals and history and its music is the best. you can't die without having played this gem.

    GAMEPLAY: 9
    STORY: 9
    MUSIC: 10+
    VISUALS: 10

    PERSONAL SCORE >> A JEWELL
  28. Gal0_Ninja
    Feb 1, 2022
    8
    O forte do jogo sĆ£o os seus personagens, todos eles sĆ£o bem carismĆ”ticos e suas interaƧƵes uns com os outros Ć© divertida e possui uma histĆ³ria de amor muito bonita assim como a trilha sonora. PorĆ©m o roteiro Ć© um tanto confuso, e a mecĆ¢nica dos summons, apesar de ser interessante, sua dependĆŖncia acaba descaracterizando os personagens mecanicamente e acaba tornando o combate sem graƧa.
  29. Robert88
    Nov 19, 2021
    9
    Great characters , amazing story , a lot of exploration and customization , the game mechanics are very detailed but can be overwhelming if the tutorial is not read properly though once you get the gist of what you are doing itā€™s a great system that takes time and patience to understand .(the tutorials in final fantasy 8 are extremely , extremely long .. the junction system you canGreat characters , amazing story , a lot of exploration and customization , the game mechanics are very detailed but can be overwhelming if the tutorial is not read properly though once you get the gist of what you are doing itā€™s a great system that takes time and patience to understand .(the tutorials in final fantasy 8 are extremely , extremely long .. the junction system you can literally read books about that gameplay mechanic alone ! ā€¦ it can be overwhelming and complicated but simple when you get the basic idea ..all In all final fantasy 8 is a near perfect game I would give it a 10 .. way too much going on and way too people to fit in one story..… Expand
  30. JimPickens
    Sep 8, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After finishing a game I like to see the general consensus, I find it helps to put my own opinions into words, as do these reviews, and I was shocked to find Final Fantasy VIII was a highly controversial game, and while I empathize with many criticism's given, I have to disagree that FF8 is anything but a masterpiece in story telling.

    Final Fantasy VIII tells the story of one loner 17 year old Squall Leonhart, a character full of angst and anxiety, he is a student mercenary at Balamb Garden, a school that teaches children to fight apparently, look FF8 is weird and it's not really about the story, it's about the characters, so if you don't mind, that's what I'LL focus on too. Apart from Squall we have Seifer, Kingdom Hearts fans will recognize him as the loudmouth jock with his two cronies Raijin and Fuujin, and yeah that's about right, he regularly gives out to both Squall and my son, Zell, I love Zell. Along for the ride is also Quistis, the professor with a confusing name, Selphie the character with the poorly aged name, Irvine, my husband, and finally Rinoa, the love interest and central character in terms of the big picture, because she is a sorceress, which is a big thing in FF8. Where the game shines isn't its big bombastic world threatening story like with Final Fantasy 7, or it's large ensemble cast like Final Fantasy 6, its about Squall and his relationships, and I think that's why so many can't get behind this game, they don't relate to Squall or simply don't like him, and if you don't like Squall, admittedly the game has little else to offer you.

    Squall is a difficult person, he's quiet, full of angst, and when he actually does open his mouth, it's usually to dismiss the conversation or to say something spiteful, but throughout the game we get little thought bubbles for Squall, showing us that he's really a deeply troubled young man, rife with anxiety and self doubt. A little ways into the story the characters believe a main character to have died, and while everybody else grieves, Squall sits alone quietly contemplating if they'd grieve for him, or if they'd even care. Later in the story he starts to open up, particularly to Rinoa, it's sweet, I think it's why their relationship works so well, Squall needs somebody to be his anchor, and Rinoa does that for him, they don't even like each other at first, but slowly they realize they're exactly what each other needs, Squall isn't afraid to call Rinoa out when she's acting like a brat and Rinoa keeps Squall grounded, and while it means Zell, Selphie and Irvine take a bit of a back seat, I think it's in service of a love story worth focusing on, which is something I find hard to find in media, video games especially.

    The actual story is... weird, it's about time travel and can be confusing, but what I have surmised is this. There once was an orphanage owned by a man named Cid and his wife Edea, there they housed the main cast we follow in the game, which was later turned into Garden, where the students were trained as SeeD's, the mercenaries that Squall is part of, the reason for this is because Squall went back in time to tell Edea she needs to create SeeD's so Squall can be strong enough to kill the main villain Ultemecia, this is a paradox, Squall can only go back in time to tell Edea to create SeeD's because of SeeD's existence but SeeD's can only exist because Squall went back, but there aren't just plot holes, there's contrivances too. Everybody forgets they grew up together because of the Summons in this game, Guardian Forces, and the GF's drain their memory, but Irvine remembers because he doesn't use GF's, why didn't Irvine say anything? He was embarrassed because he thought he was the only one who remembered... ok sure Irvine. It does give a cool little "OH" moment when you realize Irvine choked when going to shoot Sorceress Edea because he knows she's their old caretaker, but everything else is just weird and contrived. So time travel aside, Squall and Co. have to kill Sorceress Ultemecia to save the world or something, it doesn't matter, they succeed and the final shot is of Squall finally smiling, it's a sweet ending.

    Junction System is weird but just pay attention and it'll click eventually. That's all I wish to say about the Junction System at this moment in time.

    Gun to my head, I can't say FF8 is the best Final Fantasy game, nor the best PS1 era Final Fantasy game, but it's a damn good one, a touching love story, an interpersonal journey of learning to be ok and a pretty fun story if you don't think too hard about the time travel. Overall I love this game, and it's one I highly recommend, even if I'm forced to acknowledge its shortcomings, I love it all the same.    … Expand
  31. LordPakos
    Sep 7, 2021
    10
    For me this game represent the best time of my life, and the feelings i had with this masterpiece will be forever locked in my heart. A must play.
  32. CloudStrife05
    Aug 24, 2021
    9
    Very well done across 4 discs. Squall could take some getting used to but over all it was a very enjoyable game.
  33. ArthurWinters
    Jun 26, 2021
    9
    It had the potential to be the best Final Fantasy in history, but the storyline from the middle onwards takes a bad turn, falling into some banality. But it remains a videogames' icon, an exciting journey that a surprise for you will forget, a bubble full of love, both in the characters, both in the art design and both in the gameplay. it's the kind of game that you love to madness evenIt had the potential to be the best Final Fantasy in history, but the storyline from the middle onwards takes a bad turn, falling into some banality. But it remains a videogames' icon, an exciting journey that a surprise for you will forget, a bubble full of love, both in the characters, both in the art design and both in the gameplay. it's the kind of game that you love to madness even recognizing its flaws.… Expand
  34. SalemSlade
    Apr 30, 2021
    10
    A lot of people missed the point of this game which is life is morally grey. Everyone wanted a stereotypical badguy you follow throughout as the hero.. Instead the badguy shifts and changes given the situation. Even goodguys become badguys. The point is to question authority, motivations, dogma, even memory to become better instead of being a complete tool and regretting it.
  35. sadsneaky
    Mar 26, 2021
    8
    the story is very good but the junctioning is very confusing and the world feels dead
  36. Dom007
    Mar 10, 2021
    10
    This is my 6th favourite final fantasy game and the fact I'm still giving it 10 says how good it is. The storyline is certainly on the weaker side in terms of final fantasy standard mainly because of how confusing it is, but it's still great because of its usual strong cast of characters. Although again it's probably not as good cast wise as 4,6,7,9 or 10. I also want to mention itsThis is my 6th favourite final fantasy game and the fact I'm still giving it 10 says how good it is. The storyline is certainly on the weaker side in terms of final fantasy standard mainly because of how confusing it is, but it's still great because of its usual strong cast of characters. Although again it's probably not as good cast wise as 4,6,7,9 or 10. I also want to mention its opening because it's on par with 6,7 and 9 for being the best opening in the series.
    The combat is certainly better paced than its predecessors, it doesn't feel overly slow or overly fast and it flows surprisingly well.
    Visually it's also superior to its predecessors especially in character design.
    The soundtrack is also brilliant even if I prefer 4,6,7,9 and 10 because of personal taste.
    The futuristic setting is really nice and whilst I definitely prefer the worlds of 4,6,7,9 and 10 I still like it because of this reason.
    The one thing I found to be pretty decent in FF8 was its side content which I found to be very strong.

    Overall whilst this game has some issues and certainly takes some steps back from 7 it's still a great game and one that should not be missed out on.    … Expand
  37. lSAGGERl
    Mar 3, 2021
    10
    La mejor banda sonora de todos los Final Fantasy sin ninguna duda. Graficos impresionantes en la Ć©poca. Buena historia y jugabilidad buena. Los enemigos escalaban segun tu nivel lo que daba un reto muy nivelado. No bastaba con farmear y subir de nivel como en otros. Obra maestra.
  38. SuperClaudio64
    Feb 28, 2021
    10
    Il Mio Final Fantasy Preferito. Trovo che questo gioco abbia la migliore storia d'amore tra tutti i giochi che ho giocato, ha una trama molto fantasy e particolare, un ambientazione scolastica molto ben scritta e un concetto di favola ricreata in tempi moderni molto affascinante. Inoltre ha il migliore minigame tra tutti i Final Fantasy (Adoro il Triple Triad). ĆØ facilmente il mio secondoIl Mio Final Fantasy Preferito. Trovo che questo gioco abbia la migliore storia d'amore tra tutti i giochi che ho giocato, ha una trama molto fantasy e particolare, un ambientazione scolastica molto ben scritta e un concetto di favola ricreata in tempi moderni molto affascinante. Inoltre ha il migliore minigame tra tutti i Final Fantasy (Adoro il Triple Triad). ĆØ facilmente il mio secondo gioco preferito di sempre.… Expand
  39. Mustachio
    Jan 13, 2021
    10
    Great story, great characters. The best FF in my opinion. I loved it from start to finish.
  40. Kai82
    Nov 8, 2020
    8
    A good RPG that I enjoyed but has also much stuff that I hate. The prequel Final Fantasy 7 was a huge commercial success and also by fan acclaim so we all were curious what to expect next. Square did not play it safe and made many innovations except from the core turn based style. It is set in a different world and follows Squall Leonhart. He is a trainee in Balamb Garden were he isA good RPG that I enjoyed but has also much stuff that I hate. The prequel Final Fantasy 7 was a huge commercial success and also by fan acclaim so we all were curious what to expect next. Square did not play it safe and made many innovations except from the core turn based style. It is set in a different world and follows Squall Leonhart. He is a trainee in Balamb Garden were he is trained to be a SEED (=Mercenary / Agent / Soldier / Hired Hand / Problem Solver chose one if you like as there is an overlap). The beginning or introduction is his graduation exam. It is also the story of his classmates as they are drawn into something that will escalate into a far greater conflict and can change the world. It has political plots, power-struggles and the characters have much to endure or solve. The story itself is engaging and has some good twists but also some really bad ones. Same goes with concepts and ideas used in this game. Some are awesome and really interesting while others fail. It uses Guardian Forces (GF) a character can equip. These grant him/her powers like summoning them (You will do this very very often) access to abilities like draw (collect magic spells from enemies), use these as magic spells and link spells to stats to improve them, gain resistance or the spell effect at attacking. On paper this sounds interesting and it is so. However this has its limit. It takes forever to get the max number of spells especially early on and if you use linked spells you decrease your stats (Can later use an ability to transform some items into spells but it does not help much). The GF work well and level up, gaining new abilities and skills for you. There are some great combinations and later you can use items to forget and add new abilities. There are of cause some hidden once and you must draw some from enemies (boss battles) that can be missed. The GF are basically your only efficient method of dealing damage until you can raise your stats. Even the previous almighty Ultima spell is not that strong here. Also while I am at it. The game levels your enemies with your progress. You can actually get weaker by leveling up. If I would play the game again I would try to stay at the lowest possible level because linking spells to your stats gives a bigger bonus than leveling up in relation. You can do this with an ability that prevents random encounters and by transforming enemies into cards (Quetzalcoatl a GF you have at the beginning can learn it at the start of the game). An alternative would be to learn GF abilities that increase your stats at level up. I did this with 4 abilities onto a single character separately (Other party members were knocked out to not waste the level up bonus for them). While the later gives you huge advantages it is still weaker than a level 15 character with strong spells linked to the stats. Then there is a card game as side activity. I really enjoyed it and the struggle to get the best cards (GF and characters). However the rules can change from region to region and some are terrible. The random hand weakens you as your cards are chosen random and the plus rule destroys your numerical advantage but can also help you to humiliate much stronger opponents. Like I said the game is great but some ideas are not done well in all areas. Also you don't earn money through defeating enemies directly. You are an employee of Balamb Garden and get a salary. You can improve it by fighting many battles, tests or finishing some quests. I is difficult to stay at low level by avoiding fights and get a huge salary (decreases with no battles / too less fighting). While I am at it I give you some more advice. You get an item at graduation and should safe before you open it! Leveling up and linking abilities are critical as described above and I advice staying at a low level. Read a FAQ for missable content as some GF are missable. Use spells for linking that you do not use. Also you can increase the summoning damage by button pressing (Many overlooked this learnable feature). Back to the game. The graphics have improved drastically from the prequel and the soundtrack is great. I like the intro but must say that the ā€œEyes on meā€œ song gets repetitive after a while. I will also warn you about the protagonist. He is somehow socially awkward and you will often be annoyed by his behavior. However I enjoy his and Rinoas story;-). Overall this is a great game that hits more than it misses. I can argue that for everything it did well it added also something bad. Not the best Final Fantasy and not the worst. Liked many ideas that were never used again in follow up games. Try it if you like but be warned.… Expand
  41. nunosergiopais1
    Nov 1, 2020
    10
    alem do final fantasy x este final fantasy viii foi dos melhores....ainda atƩ hoje que excelente e saudades
  42. darknightserg
    Jul 3, 2020
    10
    Game of the year for 1999. Outstanding graphics and set pieces. Best soundtrack for the final fantasy series up to the psone era. Tons of locales and bosses. Love Squall.
  43. Onlyclassicvg1
    Jun 24, 2020
    8
    s un videojuego de tipo RPG desarrollado por Squaresoft en 1999 para el sistema PlayStation, aunque posteriormente saliĆ³ una versiĆ³n para PC. Es la octava entrega de la serie de videojuegos Final Fantasy y el primero en contar con un tema musical cantado para el juego. El juego costĆ³ en total para su realizaciĆ³n unos tres mil millones de Yenes en JapĆ³n. A solo trece semanas de haber sidos un videojuego de tipo RPG desarrollado por Squaresoft en 1999 para el sistema PlayStation, aunque posteriormente saliĆ³ una versiĆ³n para PC. Es la octava entrega de la serie de videojuegos Final Fantasy y el primero en contar con un tema musical cantado para el juego. El juego costĆ³ en total para su realizaciĆ³n unos tres mil millones de Yenes en JapĆ³n. A solo trece semanas de haber sido lanzado al mercado, Final Fantasy VIII acumulaba mĆ”s de 50 millones de DĆ³lares en ventas en los Estados Unidos.1ā€‹ Esta octava entrega de la serie a diferencia de la anterior, usa personajes enteramente realistas dejando parcialmente de lado los elementos fantĆ”sticos de la serie y es tambiĆ©n uno de los pocos tĆ­tulos que se aleja del esquema de… Expand
  44. KyleATC87
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I admit I am biased but this is my favorite game of all time. The junction system allowed the game to be as easy or difficult as I wanted. The combat was fun and rewarding. The story spoke to me like nothing every has. Squall slowly opening up over time to his friends as leadership is thrust upon him. The romance between Squall and Rinoa was cute and grew on me over time as they went on this epic journey to save the world. The cockpit scene in the Ragnorak even 20+ years still gives me chills. I could go on and on but this is a game I play every year and it never gets old.… Expand
  45. Sitheral
    Jun 14, 2020
    9
    Its hard to be a Final Fantasy game right after Final Fantasy 7. But 8 with all its weirdness and flawed junction system is still incredibly interesting rpg that stands on its own. Together with 9, these three are always a joy to boot, full of content and clever ideas.
  46. mugsy
    May 9, 2020
    9
    Better than FF7 for me. It was a huge graphical leap and characters actually looked like real people which adds to the immersion unlike the LEGO figures from FF7
  47. iKen
    Apr 13, 2020
    9
    Played on PlayStation.
    Gameplay: GREAT.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue: GREAT.
  48. DarkFireUmad
    Mar 19, 2020
    9
    De verdad, ojalĆ” no tuviese su sistema de combate tan limitado y su nefasto sistema de enlaces, porque si no serĆ­a uno de mis juegos favoritos. Me ha encantado la progresiĆ³n que hace Squall a lo largo del juego, brutal.
  49. drlowdon
    Jan 6, 2020
    9
    The eighth main instalment in the long running RPG series, Final Fantasy VIII follows a group of young mercenaries, led by Squall Leonhart, as they are drawn into a conflict sparked by Ultimecia, a sorceress from the future who wishes to compress time.

    Often compared unfavourably to Final Fantasy VII, which many would still consider the best in the series, this is a fantastic game in    The eighth main instalment in the long running RPG series, Final Fantasy VIII follows a group of young mercenaries, led by Squall Leonhart, as they are drawn into a conflict sparked by Ultimecia, a sorceress from the future who wishes to compress time.

    Often compared unfavourably to Final Fantasy VII, which many would still consider the best in the series, this is a fantastic game in its own right. Anyone that isnā€™t a fan of these old school JRPGs will still be put off by the usual random encounters but with itā€™s deep combat, epic story, endless secrets to discover and (what were at the time) fantastic graphics this remains one of the best in the genre to this day.    … Expand
  50. Dingytheman
    Dec 13, 2019
    10
    Most epic story in a videogame ever with a superb soundtrack to match. I played it some 19 yrs ago during Christmas holidays. This game pulled me into its world like no other before or after. Loved every moment.
  51. Kezian
    Jul 30, 2019
    9
    Final Fantasy VIII is a great game ! Not as much as the previous one tough.
  52. ArcCoat
    Jun 11, 2019
    9
    My real rating is 9.5
    This is one of my top final fantasy games.
    Unlike most players, I actually enjoyed the battle system A LOT. It looks bad and confusing at first, but once you understand how it works, it can become very fun and addictive, you even start looking forward to battles. The story is excellent, I really enjoyed it. The one thing that lowered the score for me (it could    My real rating is 9.5
    This is one of my top final fantasy games.
    Unlike most players, I actually enjoyed the battle system A LOT. It looks bad and confusing at first, but once you understand how it works, it can become very fun and addictive, you even start looking forward to battles.
    The story is excellent, I really enjoyed it.
    The one thing that lowered the score for me (it could easily have been a 10) was the fact that the character development was a little bit lacking. The characters seem a little bit superficial sometimes, but nothing to cry over, really.    … Expand
  53. Jaggythistle
    May 23, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is one of the most underrated Final Fantasy's, My first final fanastu was VII which I loved and still replay over and over 20 years later but Final Fantasy VIII is by far my favourite mostly because of its unique Junctioning and drawing magic system, it makes you earn your strength, well as long as you don't manipulate the queen of cards to gain tons of magic early game but if you play the game like its supposed to be you'll fall in love with the game play and storyline even with Squall being a wee emo dude it's still an amaaizng story this is an absolute must try.… Expand
  54. evokings
    Apr 7, 2019
    10
    this game was awesome back in the day, wish they would remake it with modern graphics and all vary entertaining I loved the story, the music, and for the day the graphics were really nice, and some of it even holds up today, mainly the cut-scenes, but I have fond memories of this game.
  55. coldnorth89
    Mar 11, 2019
    10
    The first Final Fantasy i played. Together with VII and X they are the best games in the series atleast in my opinion. The Story is great. The graphics were revolutionary for the standards of 1999. The battle system is a bit complex and its probably the reason why not everyone likes this game as much as for example VII or X. But this game has so many things that compensates it. Like theThe first Final Fantasy i played. Together with VII and X they are the best games in the series atleast in my opinion. The Story is great. The graphics were revolutionary for the standards of 1999. The battle system is a bit complex and its probably the reason why not everyone likes this game as much as for example VII or X. But this game has so many things that compensates it. Like the minigame Trible Triad for example. If you are a Rpg fan this game is a must have in your collection.… Expand
  56. SolarConker
    Jan 21, 2019
    10
    This game is amazing and I love it to bits and is a worthy successor to FF 7
  57. Leontorres7
    Nov 13, 2018
    10
    Legendary game, play it, this game changed my life for good, all I have for this game is LOVE.
  58. Antares_A
    Oct 31, 2018
    9
    The junction system is masterpiece i love it!
    The only bad thing about this game is the poor character writing most of the characters don't have enough screen time, it's only Squall and Rinoa.
    it has the final dungeon of all FF series.
  59. 6oni
    Oct 15, 2018
    9
    (N)
    i like the concept of GF but It is rare that you are the only one who looks for them and finds
    only squall and d witches have a good design I dont like dat enemies hav infinite magic infinite enemies takes away realism too easy u cant skip summons cutscenes wixth its make d batles anoying(even in his time) nd d summons make a ridiculous damage as in all FFs contradictions nd    (N)
    i like the concept of GF but It is rare that you are the only one who looks for them and finds
    only squall and d witches have a good design
    I dont like dat enemies hav infinite magic
    infinite enemies takes away realism
    too easy
    u cant skip summons cutscenes wixth its make d batles anoying(even in his time)
    nd d summons make a ridiculous damage as in all FFs
    contradictions nd lame quests
    (+)
    step counter
    every 100 hours change the color of time
    gunblade absurd and cool at the same time
    music ,art, color palette
    limits are more interactive    … Expand
  60. yitus
    Sep 18, 2018
    8
    I recognize that my favorite Final Fantasy's are from the VII, VIII, IX and X, but among those 4 the least liked and least played has been the VIII. It is a great game, and follows the battle method of the old JRPG, that is to say, battles in turns, but to disference of the other 3 Final Fantasy's fails a lot the story, the plot and the charisma of the characters. The battles are cool, theI recognize that my favorite Final Fantasy's are from the VII, VIII, IX and X, but among those 4 the least liked and least played has been the VIII. It is a great game, and follows the battle method of the old JRPG, that is to say, battles in turns, but to disference of the other 3 Final Fantasy's fails a lot the story, the plot and the charisma of the characters. The battles are cool, the card minigame also, the world where the game is developed is great, the music also composed by the great Nobuo Uematsu, but in spite of all, it has certain essential deficiencies that don't share the best Final Fantasy's (including for example III and VI). Also, I highly recommend Final Fantasy VIII, because if you like JRPG, even once in a lifetime you have to play this game.… Expand
  61. OwtDaft
    May 10, 2018
    10
    + This is the best game ever made...
    + The story is very epic and has some really exciting moments in the story.
    + The characters have a lot of depth and develop a lot as the game progresses. + Squall starts off been very distant and quiet, you hear his thoughts and concerns and he grows. + Squall is often referred to as 'emo' but Squall isn't loud and whiny at all and is quite the    + This is the best game ever made...
    + The story is very epic and has some really exciting moments in the story.
    + The characters have a lot of depth and develop a lot as the game progresses.
    + Squall starts off been very distant and quiet, you hear his thoughts and concerns and he grows.
    + Squall is often referred to as 'emo' but Squall isn't loud and whiny at all and is quite the opposite.
    + FFVIII is one of the harder Final Fantasy games while at the same time isn't grind heavy.
    + The junction system is very complex and customizable and adds a lot of depth.
    - Magic is consumable. Though it's a necessary function of the junction system, it's not ideal.
    - You have to be aware of how to get the summons before hand as you can miss them.    … Expand
  62. Orcman66
    Jul 13, 2017
    10
    As an RPG lover, Final Fantasy VIII is my highest rank to measure how good a RPG game is. it has an extremely catchy story and playability, great characters, Cool GF's (Guardian Forces), you will fall in love with Rinoa or Quistis (if you are a dude), and will enjoy every detail of this awesome game. The real pleasure of this game is to finish it with 100% of completion to really enjoyAs an RPG lover, Final Fantasy VIII is my highest rank to measure how good a RPG game is. it has an extremely catchy story and playability, great characters, Cool GF's (Guardian Forces), you will fall in love with Rinoa or Quistis (if you are a dude), and will enjoy every detail of this awesome game. The real pleasure of this game is to finish it with 100% of completion to really enjoy everything this game will have to offer. Very advanced and complex for the time this game was released, and still haven't played any game as good as this one, not even another final fantasy. A piece of art in videogames.… Expand
  63. Necroatoan
    Jul 10, 2017
    10
    Final Fantasy 8 is the best stand alone story line in the series. Many of the other games required additional sequels to fully develop their story, but Final Fantasy 8 was self contained, with minimal plot holes comparatively. The story was amazing, but the ending seemed rushed. Triple triad was the best mini game of any Final Fantasy. Additionally Squall is my favorite protagonist of theFinal Fantasy 8 is the best stand alone story line in the series. Many of the other games required additional sequels to fully develop their story, but Final Fantasy 8 was self contained, with minimal plot holes comparatively. The story was amazing, but the ending seemed rushed. Triple triad was the best mini game of any Final Fantasy. Additionally Squall is my favorite protagonist of the series. Combat was fun once you had drawn all the magic you needed, but it is a shame that you could not cast that magic. Fortunately for me, I prefer limit breaks over magic, but I can see how the combat system annoyed many. The music was of course amazing, my favorite being Laguna's Battle Theme. Overall this game like the other great Final Fantasy titles had philosophical and symbolic parallels that are profound even today.… Expand
  64. vgmkyle
    Jun 7, 2017
    10
    Final Fantasy VIII is a masterpiece, and this game should be remade because it's highly misunderstood, but misleading as well. I dare you to try beating the game like any other rpg; it will be challenging because this very advanced AI levels up with you, and with better stats, or how about this insane rule spreading of triple triad? The game also is never overly cheery like the lame JRPGFinal Fantasy VIII is a masterpiece, and this game should be remade because it's highly misunderstood, but misleading as well. I dare you to try beating the game like any other rpg; it will be challenging because this very advanced AI levels up with you, and with better stats, or how about this insane rule spreading of triple triad? The game also is never overly cheery like the lame JRPG crap you see now, FFVIII has a tone of its own and it clearly aims to be different from the rest and succeeds to this day.

    Better than FFVII? It's a weird argument because how you can question the incredible quality of FFVI-X? We were spoiled back then. If VIII returned I would be happy because gamers would get to see what it was about, and how bloody well this game has held up over the years.    … Expand
  65. Barnes1987
    Mar 19, 2017
    9
    Quality game that will keep you going for weeks. One of the best Final Fantasy games with a step up in graphics from the previous game. Well worth a play through if you have the original Playstation.
  66. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    9
    As VII even as VI. You got to respect this was generational one of the Final Fantasy games that made people get interested in the franchise back in 1999. I played this game back then in Japanese all the way through CD4 then in english and then in spanish. The game protagonist may not be the best but the ride is full of lovely NPC's, the world is very beaituful and it has one of the bestAs VII even as VI. You got to respect this was generational one of the Final Fantasy games that made people get interested in the franchise back in 1999. I played this game back then in Japanese all the way through CD4 then in english and then in spanish. The game protagonist may not be the best but the ride is full of lovely NPC's, the world is very beaituful and it has one of the best Soundtracks on the whole FF story. Told even by people who didn't like it as an RPG much.… Expand
  67. KingDevil999
    Feb 19, 2017
    9
    The final fantasy with the protagonist i like the most, Squall is one of the best protagonists in the final fantasy series, he is way better than Tidus, better than Zidane(still like Zidane a lot) in a way and pretty much equal to cloud, the party is also memorable whoever i think if there were more humanoid characters like VII and IX would have been better, but still an epic story withThe final fantasy with the protagonist i like the most, Squall is one of the best protagonists in the final fantasy series, he is way better than Tidus, better than Zidane(still like Zidane a lot) in a way and pretty much equal to cloud, the party is also memorable whoever i think if there were more humanoid characters like VII and IX would have been better, but still an epic story with many memorable moments, one of the gems of the PS1 era, i personally think the two characters that fell flat were Rinoa and Seifer, Rinoa could have been an better heroine and Seifer is an boring character that i don't know why he is in the story to tell the truth, if you like classic JRPGS and Sci-fi with military settings, this is your game.
    Also want to thanks square for actually removing the supposed ''love triangle'' that was originally meant to be in the game, it would only bring the story down, wouldn't help at all and likely be boring to watch    … Expand
  68. GreenSkullRider
    Jan 29, 2017
    10
    Mientras el mundo alaba lo que fue final fantasy 7 terminan omitiendo lo que significo final fantasy 8. para mi y muchos el mejor Final Fantasy de todos los tiempos, la historia de Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Selfie, Laguna, Seifer, etc etc es una oda grandiosa a las grandes novelas, una historia apasionante, de amor, venganza, olvido, de todo. las cinematicas de los G.F. SonMientras el mundo alaba lo que fue final fantasy 7 terminan omitiendo lo que significo final fantasy 8. para mi y muchos el mejor Final Fantasy de todos los tiempos, la historia de Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Selfie, Laguna, Seifer, etc etc es una oda grandiosa a las grandes novelas, una historia apasionante, de amor, venganza, olvido, de todo. las cinematicas de los G.F. Son brutales, o acaso alguien ha olvidado a Diablo? no. un juego que necesita un remake para que las nuevas generaciones disfruten de la mejor aventura de Square.… Expand
  69. Lime_Lioness_
    Jan 15, 2017
    9
    FFVIII has a Solid story line with the most realistically written cast of characters of the series.
    The Battle and Leveling systems, The Draw and Junction systems. are easy to take advantage of and can be easy to make your party very over powered early in the game.
    The graphics and Music are phenomenal with characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura and amazing composed soundtrack by Nubuo    FFVIII has a Solid story line with the most realistically written cast of characters of the series.
    The Battle and Leveling systems, The Draw and Junction systems. are easy to take advantage of and can be easy to make your party very over powered early in the game.

    The graphics and Music are phenomenal with characters designed by Tetsuya Nomura and amazing composed soundtrack by Nubuo Uemetsu. FFVIII makes a unforgettable journey that will positively stick with you for your money's worth in a good classic.

    While for Hardcore fans the realistic art styles and feel of the game's cast may have been a turn from FFVII
    Final Fantasy VIII offers more interaction with the cast and makes sure no one is left out of the story.

    The game play may confuse some at first but as said before it becomes much easier and much more addictive.    … Expand
  70. 3lusive
    Jan 1, 2017
    10
    Simply put, it was everything a game should be.

    FFVIII is my all-time favourite video game (including all online and FPS games which I now play more of). I've never connected with a story and characters and spent as much time researching every aspect of a game as much as this. It was so far ahead of its time in so many ways - character development, storytelling, visuals, sound, and    Simply put, it was everything a game should be.

    FFVIII is my all-time favourite video game (including all online and FPS games which I now play more of). I've never connected with a story and characters and spent as much time researching every aspect of a game as much as this.

    It was so far ahead of its time in so many ways - character development, storytelling, visuals, sound, and exploration. All aspects were A++ and leagues above competitors. They managed to create (without being childish) a believably enchanting universe of characters, creatures, items, Gaurdian Force, junctioning system, battle system, Limit Breaks, and weapons. I still go back and play the game every few years but typically on PC where it has aged well.

    At the core of the game was a superbly executed story and backstory, with a myriad of intriguing characters (Squall the cold loner turned lover, Seifer the cocky antagonist, Laguna the intriguing and hapless solider etc). The game is split between a present time with Squall and his crew (a SeeD soldier), and the 'dream world' of Laguna's past time leading up to the events of the present. The CGI elements were breathtaking at the time and added a 'grandness' to the game.

    Couple this with a brilliant game design, which carefully and gradually allowed greater exploration with new areas/monsters/items to explore (and finally giving you the Ragnarok), and a rewarding battle and levelling system, and overall you have a fantastic experience that is rarely if ever matched on the RPG scene.

    Although somewhat complicated, the junctioning and levelling system worked fine for the most part, and allowed lots of customisation and rewarding levelling. Battles were fluid and tactical, in true turn-based form that we see little of today. Upgrading weapons was also done very well with some items requiring great skill and effort to acquire.

    The side-quests in this game and the towns to explore were nothing short of epic (Ultimate and Omega Weapon). You could easily lose a summer holidays (as I did) simply exploring the FF8 world as there was so much to do and explore, with an addictive side game called Triple Triad.

    All in all, the game is one of the greatest achievements of video game technology and will forever be my favourite game. Incredible, 10/10.    … Expand
  71. iandbz1
    Nov 30, 2016
    10
    MY #1 favourite game of all time! Honestly I cannot get enough of this. It was the first Final Fantasy I played so yes I am always going to be a bit nostalgic. even after this long, I completely enjoy it any time I set it up for another run through of it. For a PS! game I was stunned with the graphics. Those summons looked so good and still hold up well today. Yes I know it may be a bitMY #1 favourite game of all time! Honestly I cannot get enough of this. It was the first Final Fantasy I played so yes I am always going to be a bit nostalgic. even after this long, I completely enjoy it any time I set it up for another run through of it. For a PS! game I was stunned with the graphics. Those summons looked so good and still hold up well today. Yes I know it may be a bit harder than some games to get your head around at first, but if you do and let that happen, it is a mesmerising gaming experience. Yes 7 was more popular and it is a great game too, so are many of the others, but 8 is often overlooked. If you give this a chance it is hard not to see the appeal of this game. Think it is time I start another run through of this now!… Expand
  72. GamecubeLover
    Aug 3, 2016
    10
    I played this game and has amazing visuals and one of the best gameplay mechanics ever seen. Final Fantasy is my 5th favorite video game series and for good reasons.
  73. BasilZero
    Jul 26, 2016
    9
    Game: Final Fantasy VIII
    Genre: RPG
    Publisher/Developer: Squareenix/Squaresoft System: Playstation (PSX) Total Score: 88/100 Value Score: 8.8/10 ā€¢ Story: 10/10 ā€¢ Characters: 10/10 ā€¢ GamePlay: 7/10 ā€¢ Graphics: 8/10 ā€¢ Sound: 9/10 ā€¢ Music: 10/10 ā€¢ Length: 10/10 ā€¢ Replay Value: 6/10 ā€¢ Player Value: 8/10 Pros +Great story, setting and characters +Unique battle system that    Game: Final Fantasy VIII
    Genre: RPG
    Publisher/Developer: Squareenix/Squaresoft
    System: Playstation (PSX)
    Total Score: 88/100
    Value Score: 8.8/10

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

    Pros
    +Great story, setting and characters
    +Unique battle system that brings forth challenge/difficulty that still makes it fun to play without getting frustrated
    +A Card battling mini game which can be played against different characters throughout the game

    Cons
    -Junction system may make people not want to use magic spells so to a certain extent takes away one aspect that many people love about the FF series
    -Quick Time Events (QTEs) which can be annoying at a few points in the game
    -Some cutscenes are done with the in-game sprites/visual which makes it look out of place
    -Enemies scale in level depending on party lv average
    -You upgrade equipment by trading items which can at times be annoying to find and end up being fetch quests
    -You have to complete certain conditions or do a multiple answer test to increase your ranking to make money/gil instead of the traditional fight enemies and win money method    … Expand
  74. crimsondoor
    Jul 15, 2016
    9
    I know this game divided people because of the combat system but at least it tried to be original. My point is people didn't like this game because of the system but because of the art style, pre-rendered animations, music and story.

    Art style: Not exactly futuristic, not exactly steampunk, not exactly fantasy, but it's beautiful and unforgettable. There hasn't been another fantasy game    I know this game divided people because of the combat system but at least it tried to be original. My point is people didn't like this game because of the system but because of the art style, pre-rendered animations, music and story.

    Art style: Not exactly futuristic, not exactly steampunk, not exactly fantasy, but it's beautiful and unforgettable. There hasn't been another fantasy game with such unique art style since FF8.

    Animations: Far ahead of its time but I bet everyone has already watched the OP and cutscenes so I don't need to mention that. I strongly feel that the lack of voice in cutscenes is a blessing because voice would break the immersion IMO.

    Music: Nobuo Uematasu. Need to say more? "Eyes On Me" is also the best theme song in the history of video game.

    Story: Again, this divided a lot of people because the story is more sci-fi than fantasy, but I am an open-minded person and I like how unique it is. It also goes from mind-twisting to one of the most satisfying endings in video game history :)    … Expand
  75. Lord_V
    May 17, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite Final Fantasy game of them all. VII is second best and VIII is just little better.

    Squall Leonhart is my favorite main character in whole series. He is lone wolf who uses Gunblade, weapon that is very cool looking, just like it's wielder. Squall is character that is distant, but there is real story behind him and he changes during the story that is actually very deep, complicated and really interesting.

    What comes to other playable characters, there is not very many of them, but it is just right. This is story of elite unit, there can't be too many of them. Every character is really different to others. Quistis is Blue mage that uses enemy skills in limit. Zell is fighter and his limit requires fast fingers. Irvine is gunner who has huge variety of different ammo which to choose and Selphie is the one that requires some luck.
    Then there is Rinoa, who is the kind, social and loving person, real opposite to Squall. Their lovestory is actually interesting and as playable character Rinoa and her dog Angelo, are well made.
    Squall is best, no doubt. Renzokuken is real monster slayer, especially with Lion Heart.

    Enemies are at first pretty unappealing. Seifer is not really interesting nor well made character and Edea is pretty cliche witch character. But when story stars to progress, real villain, Ultimecia appears and she, is much, much, better.
    Sure she is not as good as Sephiroth (best FF villain ever made) was in FFVII, but she is well made and interesting character. With Griever, she is even better and finale with her, is epic.

    Guardian Forces are big thing this time. There huge amount of them and each is well made. Some look little weird, but they work and are different.
    It is complicated to explain the whole junction system, but it works really well. At first it may be complicated, but once you understand it, it gives much to do in this large game. GF:s are spread in many places and whole world is large as life. There is so much to do and find. There is so many side activities that it gives easily 100 hours if not more to play.

    Final Fantasy VIII is game that gives you small chances to shape few events. Time to time, you choose how you react to certain situations. These are nice additions to main story. I really enjoy the story time after time.
    Sure you have to do a lot to progress and few sections might feel pretty hard, but when you understand junction system, you have upper hand. Guardian Forces also give a lot of variety and so does the bosses. There is many very cool bosses and many very hard ones too.

    Those flaws in the game are some that feel really irritating, but you can live with them.
    One thing I really despise, is the Draw system. It is not fun and takes easily a lot of time. That is one thing that should have been though few times over.
    Other problem is the fact that this is one of those games where you can easily miss items. GF:s are some things that can be missed if you are not careful. Also, if you start final section (Disc 4), you can't visit every location anymore.

    Final Fantasy VIII is great game. It has interesting story, well made main character and even better than average main villain. Gameplay is well made and world has a lot in it. There is few stupid moments and some irritating features but as whole, Final Fantasy 8, is my favorite FF game of all time.

    + Squall Leonhart
    + Story
    + Gameplay
    + Amount of things to do
    + Guardian Forces

    - Draw
    - Missable things
    - Disc 4 restricts many areas

    95/100

    Masterpiece    … Expand
  76. EpicLadySponge
    Apr 24, 2016
    9
    It's games like these you have to keep looking aware of and because this is the first game I gave a Final Fantasy game a score that's not a 10, it's going to be different but this is unique like the other installments subsequent to this game.
  77. mikehettfield
    Apr 12, 2016
    10
    My favorite game of all time, it's just perfect, the looking of the characters, normal clothes, normal people bending with epic fantasy elements, it's so elegant, this game changed my life, went from childhood to adulthood playing this, i've learned about love, and how to open myself to ppl, somehow this wage was made for me to grow up back then, is just beautiful, it's PERFECT. too sadMy favorite game of all time, it's just perfect, the looking of the characters, normal clothes, normal people bending with epic fantasy elements, it's so elegant, this game changed my life, went from childhood to adulthood playing this, i've learned about love, and how to open myself to ppl, somehow this wage was made for me to grow up back then, is just beautiful, it's PERFECT. too sad they don't make games like this anymore… Expand
  78. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Definetely an amazing game that everyone should play if they like RPG's just a bit. The world, the music, the combat system, the side-quests and minigames, it's impossible not to have fun with this game. The graphics are also extremely good considering it's a 1999 game.

    However there's a little let-down compared to FF7. Good storylines should have a good beginning, a good development and a good ending. I feel the beginning is extremely good, learning about the gardens, that form seeds to finish with sorceress... The development is great too, specially when your story starts to get mixed with Laguna's one, seifer becoming the sorceress' knight, a lot of good stuff going on, but the ending? I feel at some point they did not know what to do with the beautiful world and story they had created and someone thought about the time compression thing, ultimecia and stuff and it's that moment when you can't help but feel that this legendary game you've been playing for hours is starting to get a bit uninteresting/boring/vague. Luckily, by that time you only play for 3-4 more hours until it finishes with a beautiful and unforgettable final cutscene.    … Expand
  79. perkjl
    Jan 4, 2016
    8
    Highly underrated in my opinion. The battle system sticks out from the other FF entries and tries to do something a little more original than the traditional FF norm. It has it's flaws, but overall good. The world feels a bit more cheerful and not so depressing compared to FFVII's Midgar. Also, the visuals are some of the best on PSX, especially the blending of FMV's during gameplay. VeryHighly underrated in my opinion. The battle system sticks out from the other FF entries and tries to do something a little more original than the traditional FF norm. It has it's flaws, but overall good. The world feels a bit more cheerful and not so depressing compared to FFVII's Midgar. Also, the visuals are some of the best on PSX, especially the blending of FMV's during gameplay. Very cool! Underrated music and game in general.… Expand
  80. ChrisMuller1992
    Dec 16, 2015
    10
    The story of this game is just amazing,the love story of Squall and Rinoa is epic,the gameplay is fun and easy to master if you get th hang of it,music of this game so memorable.Really if you are fan of Final Fantasy this is a must buy.Its a masterpiece
  81. RodrigoFate
    Nov 9, 2015
    10
    My favorite Final Fantasy Game!
    It was my second game on playstation 1, and I will remember forever!
    Betten then 7! Saddly most people just talk about 7 =/
  82. SileSixEcho
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    FFVIII was my first final fantasy and at the same time the first game I remember for its story and presentation. Iā€™ve played through FFVI-X and all the XIIIers and this one is still my favourite installement of the series (As I write this, I am playing through FFIX which might as well compete for the status). I just like the overall atmosphere of this game, the characters are quite niceFFVIII was my first final fantasy and at the same time the first game I remember for its story and presentation. Iā€™ve played through FFVI-X and all the XIIIers and this one is still my favourite installement of the series (As I write this, I am playing through FFIX which might as well compete for the status). I just like the overall atmosphere of this game, the characters are quite nice and the world is still more engaging than what I see nowdays. Plus there is Ueamtsu Sanā€™s music which always makes a good game a great one. FFVIII is not perfect, but itā€™s still a masterpiece to me.… Expand
  83. RinoaHeartilly
    Aug 21, 2015
    10
    This is all that you need to know:

    1. This game is known the have the BEST music out of all the other games in the series, It has consistently great music. 2. Most relatable cast of characters. The character development between Squall and Rinoa is huge (more development than any other FF couple), you really see them change and evolve as characters from disk 1 to disk 4, if you didn't    This is all that you need to know:

    1. This game is known the have the BEST music out of all the other games in the series, It has consistently great music.

    2. Most relatable cast of characters. The character development between Squall and Rinoa is huge (more development than any other FF couple), you really see them change and evolve as characters from disk 1 to disk 4, if you didn't think Squall was likable in disk 1, most of you will warm up to him halfway through disk 2 onwards.

    3. The dialogue is great. There are many funny and entertaining scenes, like FF7 and FF9 npcs are usually fun to talk to as well. Here's an example:

    (Rinoa is detailing a mission, where you must infiltrate a moving train)

    Selphie: "By the way...this model's nice but the president's car looks kinda shabby......Why is that?"

    Watts: "Yeah, Rinoa made it. That's why. We bought everything else at the gift store."

    Zell: "Uh...I thought some kid made it. The paint job sucks, too."

    Squall: (......? Yeah...It kind of does.)

    Rinoa: "Oh, shut up! I made it look like that on purpose." "It represents my hatred towards Deling."

    Zell: "Hatred, eh...? Yeah...right."

    Selphie: "It's one of the...ugliest things I've seen in my life. You must really hate him."

    Squall: "......"

    Rinoa: "Are you guys finished!? Enough about the model! Can we get on with it now!?"

    4. Lots and lots of content, average playtime is around 60hrs, if you want to complete everything you're looking at around 80+ hrs. You'll definitely get your money's worth.

    5. The game can be as hard or easy as you want it to be. As enemies lvl up with you, if you want to zoom through the game, don't lvl up much. If you want a challenge go lvl to 100. This is not a game where you have to grind to advance, although some bosses still require some strategy.

    6. Triple Triad. It has the BEST FF minigame, it is a completely optional in-game card game where you can travel around the world challenging other characters and npcs to card battles and collecting cards from them when you win. The best part to this is that every card has it's own purpose as you can refine cards (with an ability in game) into rare items that can be used for all sorts things like obtaining your final weapon, casting powerful magic or healing. It's also really fun in general.

    7. Just play it and find out, you may like it or you may not but you wont know until you try. If you're not feeling it when you start out, at least try and get through disk 2 which imo is the best disk.

    Damn...now I feel like playing VIII again...*goes off to play VIII*    … Expand
  84. diego_stefano
    Aug 2, 2015
    10
    easily one of the best JRPGs I've ever played, the music is flawless, the junction system works really well (although some people don't like it), the animations on the GF's are gorgeous for its time. And yes, this is a JRPG, you have to do a lot of grinding, so stop whining. Between this one and the FFVII, for me, I have to consider a tie.
  85. Xtord
    Feb 20, 2015
    10
    So this is my first review, but i felt the time was right for me to start doing som reviews. First of all this is absolutely one of my favorite games if not my favourite game. Either this FF X, MGS 3 , Fallout 3, golden sun 2, fire emblem 7 or skyrim . But we are here to talk about ff vii

    Final fantasy viii put you in the shoes of Squall, and his desire to save the once he love    So this is my first review, but i felt the time was right for me to start doing som reviews. First of all this is absolutely one of my favorite games if not my favourite game. Either this FF X, MGS 3 , Fallout 3, golden sun 2, fire emblem 7 or skyrim . But we are here to talk about ff vii

    Final fantasy viii put you in the shoes of Squall, and his desire to save the once he love Rinoa.Yes Squall doenst love Rinoa at the start people might say he is a bit emo and doesnt care for anyone but as the game progresses it changes and his eventually get feelings for Rinoa. And their relationship is brilliant well written after my point of view.

    You have a very good cast in this game after my point of view ,perhaps not the best but certainly not bad either. i used around 82 hrs completing this game, w killing omega weapon and ultima weapon. The atmosphere are brilliant and the graphics looks good for being a game from 1999. The game play is turn based and good w a lot of options and takes actually som effort to become good at it. The opening is just magnificent and the endings is also very good. The music is superb, the character development is also very good especially for Squall and Rinoa. Cutescenes is overall gorgeous for its time.

    But what made this game so good for me is was the brilliant story , the good characters and that it actually handled time travel in a good and easy waym and i also felt the gameplay was good and fun when you got around the draw system. So do i really have any drawback on this game, well perhaps only game play if you have not played final fantasy or don`t pay attention during the little of tutorial you get , then u might easily have a hard time but , that is also one of the thing i think this game nailed perfect. The cast might not be better then ff vi, ff vii, or ix but is definitely not bad. So yeah it nailed the junction system is brick solid if you know how to use it. So yeah i give this a 10 simply because this game has it all. Good cast , good story, brilliant music, good atmosphere and good graphic for the time it was released , is there anything thing that i can say as a cons it is the moon scene.    … Expand
  86. SnowDay
    Jan 9, 2015
    9
    Easily one of the most perfect RPGs I have ever played. An enthralling story and epic characters like Squall Leonhart and Edea Kramer make the game more than memorable on the obsession scale.
  87. Noin007
    Jan 4, 2015
    8
    After VII, I've spent more time playing VIII than any other Final Fantasy. But, it's not a perfect game. A few of the characters are quite obnoxious, the card game... **** the card game. And the magic system is one of the worst in a Final Fantasy title.
    If you're a JRPG lover or Final Fantasy lover this is a must have.
  88. Ryndael
    Jan 4, 2015
    8
    Overall this is my favorite FF in the series.

    Story: 9 - One of the only storylines involving time manipulation that I haven't found multiple plotholes in. Characters: 6 - Squall is my favorite character of any RPG thus far, but the other five playable characters don't have much depth at all other than Rinoa. This is a story about Squall and Rinoa mainly, so the others get pushed    Overall this is my favorite FF in the series.

    Story: 9 - One of the only storylines involving time manipulation that I haven't found multiple plotholes in.

    Characters: 6 - Squall is my favorite character of any RPG thus far, but the other five playable characters don't have much depth at all other than Rinoa. This is a story about Squall and Rinoa mainly, so the others get pushed aside.

    Music: 10 - Some of the best music I've ever heard, favorites would be Man with the Machine Gun and Force Your Way.

    Battle: 7 - The junction system is pretty deep, but it's very tedious having to draw magic from everything. I like that the monsters level up with you, since that means you never have to spend time grinding and can just run through the game if you want.

    Depth: 8 - plenty of sidequests to do, and they all provide more depth to the world in general via backstories and wrapping up some minor plotlines. Also I found the card game a really fun distraction. The card game can provide some really major power boosts too by turning cards into Magic.    … Expand
  89. banda89
    Dec 31, 2014
    8
    The first FF that I played was this one, and to this day it's the most frustrating one, tedious as all hell, having to draw and create your own magic, it's music is not as good as other FF games but it has it good tracks.
    Story wise it's great, mind you it has some moments when you say REALLY!!! the whole GF mind erasing thing. But the characters are likeable, even Emo Squall, but what    The first FF that I played was this one, and to this day it's the most frustrating one, tedious as all hell, having to draw and create your own magic, it's music is not as good as other FF games but it has it good tracks.
    Story wise it's great, mind you it has some moments when you say REALLY!!! the whole GF mind erasing thing. But the characters are likeable, even Emo Squall, but what makes the story good it's the character development, you see everyone devolop, specially Squallwho evolves from this emo, introverted kid to a respectable and likeable leader who just wants to be with and protect the ones he loves.

    Junction system sucks, don't try to convince me that it's actually good once you get the hang of it, it's not going to happen. And once you understand it, it's OP as f#@K, but I ask myself this question why complicate things, when a simple equip menu would be more efficient (FF IX anyone?) It's more challenging than any of the other PS final fantasies and that's good, IMO VII and IX where a little too easy.    … Expand
  90. Terikan
    Nov 20, 2014
    10
    If Final Fantasy 7 was one for the kids, FF8 was by contrast a story for the adults. The use of different time periods all converging together was something that cinema is still trying to replicate today, 15 years later. Just look at Interstellar. The concepts, themes, dialogue, and character design are all much superior in FF8 than in any other game in the series from 1 all the wayIf Final Fantasy 7 was one for the kids, FF8 was by contrast a story for the adults. The use of different time periods all converging together was something that cinema is still trying to replicate today, 15 years later. Just look at Interstellar. The concepts, themes, dialogue, and character design are all much superior in FF8 than in any other game in the series from 1 all the way until 12 where it was slightly outdone in certain areas.

    Perhaps inferior in certain munchkin gameplay areas, and an absence of overpowering combos, it was really only 7 and 12, and perhaps 9 that allowed sheer craziness in terms of power. I will however still concede that there are moments in several other franchise entries that are simply more fun to play through than in 8.

    The graphics at the time were light years ahead of where 7 was, and it featured a much more immersive world experience. Now the first playstation's 3D graphics look rather bad without extreme AA and other post-effects, but at the time it was amazing. And it's cutscenes were better than any other media form at the time could replicate. I could watch the intro over and over again and not get tired.

    The music of Final Fantasy 8 is the best in the series. There's no room for argument here, it simply is. Admittedly it falls short in energized boss music, but the rest of it is top notch.

    At the time of it's release, the genre was defined by 7. It's demographic was "all those who loved 7". So when that audience was exposed to something so different as 8 was, it was jarring and somewhat wasted on those gamers. It wasn't 7, so it wasn't as good. Most of those gamers never played 6, and most of them would never see any FF as good as 7. And at the time, the trend was the Japanese personalities, cliches, art style, dialogue, convoluted plot, etc. It's understandable that people would like 8 less. It simply wasn't trendy enough. But looking back as older adults, it's clear that it is a better game in many ways. It's graphics, story, characters, all hold up better with it's age than many other games in the series.

    Let's just talk story for a moment. Japanese games are notorious for making no sense and then having you fight in outer space at the end against a monster that has several phases, each crazier than the last. If you love that sort of stuff, great. But for the rest of us, a story that made sense, yet was still deep and full of intrigue, is and was a breath of fresh air. Outside of time-compression hanky panky near the end (which is still mild compared to weirdness in FF10 and FF7), it all makes sense without just being plain weird. Let's face it, even after crisis core, (which parts of it contradict things in ff7), 7's story in regards to cloud still don't really add up. And in 10, he's just a dream? What?

    Right now, there's forum posts full of people arguing back and forth about what actually happened in various FF games. Not so much with 8, and that is an accomplishment in the series.    … Expand
  91. 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.… Expand
  92. CReidxx
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    There is a game theory that the first Final Fantasy you play is the one that you will consider your favorite one of the entire series - I for one believe this. VIII was the first one I played and the one that made me try all of the others and, for me, none of the others come close to the joy and emotion that you get from this game.
    I understand why many people do not like the Junction    There is a game theory that the first Final Fantasy you play is the one that you will consider your favorite one of the entire series - I for one believe this. VIII was the first one I played and the one that made me try all of the others and, for me, none of the others come close to the joy and emotion that you get from this game.
    I understand why many people do not like the Junction system that this game uses but I find it great to use and fun to change everything about to ensure that you've got the best stats. I also hear people complain a lot about having to draw magic constantly from enemies so that when you do Junction spells you have enough to make a significant difference to each character, but this is not the case. Your summons (known as Guardian Forces in this game) will learn abilities that they will use to change their stats, change the characters stats that a GF is Junctioned to, abilities to use on the field, abilities to use in battle and abilities that you can use to refine items into magic/magic into stronger magic/improve items/refine cards into items etc. You will pick up hundreds of items over your journey that you can use to refine into magic spells - so there is no need to draw magic for hours and almost all magic can be refined from items in the game, Scan can't for example. Early game you will need to draw magic because you won't have the abilities/many items yet but you don't need to get 100 of each spell as you'll get them soon enough.
    The Triple Triad mini game is also a lot of fun and something to do if you're wanting a break from the story/action. It's a card game that you play against a computer opponent using cards you've obtained from enemies, given to you by NPCs, won in Triple Triad games or by turning your enemies into cards using the Card command which is an ability learned by one of the two starter GFs that you're given at the start of the game. I find that it is best to wait until you have a few decent Boss cards/GF cards as you will not win many games using the early level cards. The rules of the game are different depending on which region of the world you are playing in, which adds something extra to the games that you play - some areas of the game will have rules which make the game you're playing very easy and some will make the games very difficult. There are ways to change the rules if an area is too difficult or you simply do not like the rule, which there is information about online. There are lots of extra things that you can do that aren't required, which all give you different things - giving you the back stories, letting you challenge extra bosses, giving you GFs, the chance to ride Chocobo's, giving you extra cards and rare items.
    The story is really great too - it does get a little "weirder" after disc one but I feel that it doesn't take anything away from the game and some people think that there is no reason for this but there are some theories online explaining this, and using in-game evidence, which I happen to find really interesting and somewhat believable. The characters all have different personalities and most are memorable.
    The graphics are very good for the time, and the soundtrack is something which I still listen to today - and the opening FMV and song really get you excited for this game, and the song is one of my favorites in the entire soundtrack.
    Some of the GFs that are in the game can do ridiculous amount of damage and can be very useful to use during most battles, but all of them have a very long cinematic sequence which you must watch every single time that you use it in battle. It's nice to see the first few times, but it can get a bit boring if you like to use GFs over and over to do a lot of damage. For me, using the ability "Boost" does remove some of the boredom. This ability lets you increase the damage done by a GF by repeatedly pressing the square button at certain intervals of the sequence - I always enjoy trying to reach the limit of 250 when using each GF.
    Each party member you can use has their own "Limit Break" which is an attack that can be used to do a lot of damage to a single opponent/all opponents or to aid your party.. You cannot use them at all times, and can only use them when your character has low health or if you use the magic spell "Aura". I find it a lot of fun trying to unlock the different ones that can be used , by using certain items on Quistis, buying certain ammo types for Irvine, reading certain magazines for Zell/Rinoa or by making different Gunblades for Squall. Some of the limit breaks can be a lot of fun to execute as you need to manually do them yourself. The game play during battles could get tedious if you had no real input in yourself, other than just simply choosing commands so this helps. You can also time the R1 button when Squall is attacking to inflict more damage.
    I feel that this game is worth picking up for any FF/ RPG fan, and it will always be my favorite game of all time.    … Expand
  93. darkgriever
    May 26, 2014
    9
    not a perfect game i should admit...but i donĀ“t know the story just capture me i simpy love the progression of squall( i identify with him a LOT) and just love the way Rinoa is...my favorite RPG of all times n_n
  94. archonome
    Mar 29, 2014
    10
    14 years after, I find myself always thinking back to this game and ff7...
    These were absolutely my 2 top games of all time!
    Im so nostalgic when I think about this game. Everything was well done! 1- Music was the best I've ever heard 2- Story was perfect, serious and mature, yet fantasy without exhagerations 3- Characters were DEEP and not funny emo looking or girly 4-    14 years after, I find myself always thinking back to this game and ff7...
    These were absolutely my 2 top games of all time!

    Im so nostalgic when I think about this game.
    Everything was well done!

    1- Music was the best I've ever heard

    2- Story was perfect, serious and mature, yet fantasy without exhagerations

    3- Characters were DEEP and not funny emo looking or girly

    4- The Love story was touching

    5- The Art style was very very attractive

    6- It was made for people with a brain, intelligence is needed to play

    Sorry the game is really magical, I don't know how to put into words what I've played 14 years ago its just too much for me to describe on the spot    … Expand
  95. Wolfie1987
    Mar 24, 2014
    9
    Squall isn't a likeable protagonist at all, the magic system is super boring (drawing/casting is easily the worst magic system ever created), the cast is a mixed bag. The music, atmosphere, mini games, & satisfaction (if you do the cards into items/no level up strategy) more than make up for it though. Honestly it's my favourite PSX Final Fantasy.
  96. DrDagger
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    Simply put: One of the best games ever created. This truly defined my gaming experience not only as a child, but also an adult. From Junctioning to Drawing, to its excellent combat, this game truly innovated the gaming industry. Both this game and Final Fantasy 7 will be my favorites in the series.
  97. mozee
    Jan 27, 2014
    10
    Simply the best Final Fantasy game ever made, and maybe my favourite game of all time

    So much depth to it, i played FF7 before it but that never ever hooked me the way 8 did back in 1999

    Love the characters aswell, Squall is easily one of the coolest chars in any game and how can you not like Rinoa?
  98. RezzaDee
    Jan 15, 2014
    10
    The best Final Fantasy game ever made, bar non.
    Final Fantasy 8 is the best game in the series and it has the best character depth, the true emotions used throughout the game made it an experience I have never forgotten about since I was a kid.
    Squall, for me, Has to be the best character throughout any Final Fantasy game too. The combat system was the best used and this game had the    The best Final Fantasy game ever made, bar non.
    Final Fantasy 8 is the best game in the series and it has the best character depth, the true emotions used throughout the game made it an experience I have never forgotten about since I was a kid.
    Squall, for me, Has to be the best character throughout any Final Fantasy game too.
    The combat system was the best used and this game had the best guardian forces too, the game dosent hold your hand in any way and back on the PS1 days people had to have an imagination not a baby step guide to play games. I miss the SquareSoft games because SquareEnix just can't make a good Final Fantasy game. I praise the recent Hitman but Final Fantasy they really are killing. The best games of Final Fantasy go, FF8>10>7>9. 7 is not the best in the series!    … Expand
  99. Watersson
    Jan 2, 2014
    10
    I fell in love Final Fantasy VIII. Well done literally EVERYTHING. The combat system, story, music, bosses, graphics-in this game, everything is perfect. I look at it from the FF series fan. I know that I'm not entirely objective but this game has that something. As for me, the best RPG for PC and PSX.
  100. Kiatoto
    Dec 27, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Oh boy, This game... I remember back when I was young.
    When I was 3 my first game was FFVII and FFVIII, what Can I say about this childhood experience? Great! I love this game and everything about it. But, as a great game it does have some flaws.
    1. The Junction is very confusing, but at the mean time you'll get used to it.
    2) the Magic, since I played VII alot, this magic system and the draw system, is too easy, but hey that's my opinion.
    3)You need at least 1,000 exp to go to the next level, it's easy, but it's a pain if you need to level up the weak ones.
    4)once it's done it's done.

    But other than that, This is Impressive, and a Amazing RPG game, the story line is beautiful, and added some romance into it. The game is long as hell and you'll be playing it for at least 100-200 hours to beat it. And the Graphics are amazing for a PS1.Defentely an Amazing game, but VII is 35% better than VIII.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PS1 Game of 1999
1
#1 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1999
3
#3 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1999

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. GMR Magazine
    90
    Things were more "real" this time around. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  2. Gamestyle
    80
    Unfortunately while the game is graphically superior to FFVII, in terms of setting, story and controls it lags way behind.
    Read full review
  3. Absolute Playstation
    98
    Spanning four discs, this is a massive RPG. You can try and skate through it in 50 hours but can easily spend over a 100 hours playing if you decide to take on all of the side games, collect all of the Cards and experience all there is to experience from this game.
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