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LTTP - Final Fantasy VIII : Heart of the Cards (full game spoilers)

D

diablogod

Member
My friend and I played through a little of Final Fantasy 8 when I was younger, well I didn't actually play, mostly I just watched. (Got to around disc 2.) I remembered very little about the game. For the past year I've been replaying older games and man, Final Fantasy 8 is way more incredible than I ever remember it being.

I was hooked right from the opening cutscene. It immediately set the tone for the rest of the game. The beginning of the game starts pretty strong. Exploring Balamb Garden, taking the test to beat the crap out of Ifrit. Getting deployed to Dollet to fend off a Galbadian attack. Really cool stuff. Also besides the song in the opening cutscene this is when I really started noticing that this game has a ridiculously good soundtrack.

Here's a few of my favorites:

The Extreme (Unnerving and then bam nostalgic awesomeness):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVkcmx2l3WA

The Castle: (So sick, probably my favorite track in the game)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqtGBR80NWw

Fisherman's Horizon: (Moving...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMYisFOaz1s

Liberi Fatali: (Classic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfd9krEsr-k


The gameplay systems in the game are really fun. Junctioning magic to stats and picking what to learn on your GF is a cool mechanic. I know people have trouble with the drawing system and if you're OCD and insist on drawing x99 of everything for every character it's gonna probably be a very bad experience. You can get pretty much x99 of of all magic using GF mod abilties, stealing items and modding cards which is the main way I got magic and materials. I do like that there are a few ways to acquire material though. I kind of also like how they try to contextualize the gameplay systems through the story. Junctioning GF's over time destroys your memory, how Triple Triad seems to be a big part of the world, stuff like that.

This brings me to my next point. Triple Triad baby! It's a relatively simple minigame (minus all the crazy rules that end up getting added as you go through the game) but man is it addictive, also it's just great to use the heart of the cards on random NPCs in a Final Fantasy game. I think this has to be the best minigame the Final Fantasy series ever produced no? I spent probably 20+ hours in the game just messing solely with it. (I also spread some very very bad rules in the regions damnit!)

I really like most of the story in this game but it has some weak points. The story was flowing pretty well and then Sorcerer Adel and Sorcerer Ultimecia seem to come out of nowhere in relation to all the other stuff that seemed to be going on (Adel maybe a little less so.) I think the Sorcerer's stories should have been fleshed out more. (More lore on Adel beforehand and also more insights into Ultimecia in the future would have helped.) I also think the love story between Squall and Rhinoa was pretty weak also time compression making little to no sense lol.

Cutscenes. The cutscenes in this game are some of the best cutscenes I can remember during the PlayStation 1 era. Also being able to "play" during a couple of the cutscenes is also super impressive. When the two gardens are battling each other, the parade and the ending cutscenes are some of my favorites.

Speaking of the ending I really REALLY liked it. Ultimecia's Castle is one of the best end game dungeons I've ever played in a JRPG. It has sick art direction, cool minibosses that unlock your battle commands as you beat them, the music that I mentioned above (The Castle) and a Resident Evil like painting puzzle! Just some really cool stuff. Finally we get to Ultimecia and man that was a tough multi phase boss fight! Three random party members get chosen so everyone better have at least something decent equipped. If a member dies for more than one turn he gets banished and another random member gets thrown in. Took me 7+ tries (and a little luck from Invincible Moon) to kill her.

The actual ending cutscenes and the way the story wraps up is nice. It had some serious twilight zone horror vibes at the end. It was kind of disturbing for a little while really. I feel like it is a cool way to wrap up a time traveling tale. Future Squall setting Edea on her path and Ultimecia gifting her power to Edea. The video of all your party members at the garden party at the end is also really great, it captured the characters essences perfectly.

Overall I'm very surprised at pretty much this entire game and I think Final Fantasy 8 gets put somewhere in my top 10 JRPGs of all time.
 
A

Aleh

Member
I'm currently replaying it with a friend, and I have to say I'm enjoying it much more than my first playthrough. I guess finally understanding how to use the draw and junctioning system really helped lol.
It was a bit slow at the start but it gets better and better as you go on. Obviously the story has a few problems but I really like it overall, and the music has some really awesome tracks, but I have to say it often repeats some of them too much. The art direction is amazing too.
 
S

Scotia

Banned
FFVIII is probably my favourite game of all time. Is it perfect? Not at all, but I love every second of it regardless. I understand it's not for everyone, but it gets a lot of shit it doesn't deserve.
 
J

Jackpot

Banned
Also think it's best FF. But once it goes into space it goes off the rails. Prior to that, planning all those individual missions as a mercenary force was really engrossing.
 
B

bigbaldwolf86

Banned
I often think of Balamb garden vs Galbadia garden in an FF8 Remake and how awesome that would be

It still has my favourite opening video to any video game ever
 
Athreous

Athreous

Member
It's one of the best games ever made! It has its flaws, but still pretty good!

I replay it at least once a year, I love the junction system!
 
P

PixelatedBookake

Junior Member
I still think its the worst of the PS1 Final Fantasies, but I still enjoyed my time with it. The characters were pretty dull and forgettable and the story was okay. Triple Triad is still baller tho
 
S

Sinh_Magnus

Member
It was the best FF for me until I played IX. I didn't see that coming. But it's great nonetheless.

I liked what they did with Laguna, he is one of my favourite FF characters.

The opening with Libera Fatali is probably one of the best in gaming.
 
T

thewaffles

Member
It's unfortunately the one PS1 FF that I can't bring myself to finish. I can replay VII and IX endlessly, but VIII just loses me in the middle and I don't continue playing. I would like to try it again someday though.
 
D

diablogod

Member
Daeoc said:
My favorite Final Fantasy. Welcome to the CC Group, Diablo.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

thewaffles said:
It's unfortunately the one PS1 FF that I can't bring myself to finish. I can replay VII and IX endlessly, but VIII just loses me in the middle and I don't continue playing. I would like to try it again someday though.
Click to expand...
I would recommend finishing it, I think the ending castle alone is worth it. As for replaying JRPG's endlessly, you're a madman.
 
bigDdestruction

bigDdestruction

Member
I've been meaning to play this on my vita, i remember a friend of mine back in middle school telling me to draw 100 sleeps and equip to it to leon cause every attack will have a great chance of putting the enemy to sleep. Is that a good idea? Any other tips would be appreciated for just starting the game. Its been years since i played it
 
D

diablogod

Member
bigDdestruction said:
I've been meaning to play this on my vita, i remember a friend of mine back in middle school telling me to draw 100 sleeps and equip to it to leon cause every attack will have a great chance of putting the enemy to sleep. Is that a good idea? Any other tips would be appreciated for just starting the game. Its been years since i played it
Click to expand...

At start of game go back to the computer and withdraw Shiva and Quetzalcoatl from the computer. Learn the "card mod" ability on Quetzalcoatl. After that don't traditionally kill normal types of enemies, use the card ability on them. Proceed to mod your extra cards into all sorts of magic and don't worry about drawing magic for the rest of the game.
 
Sub_Level

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
I don"t like modding, limit breaks, or keeping my levels low. On replays I just draw a little magic here,a little there. And i actually use magic in combat.

Not an efficient way to play but it makes it fun for me!
 
D

Darkstorne

Member
diablogod said:
I also think the love story between Squall and Rhinoa was pretty weak also time compression making little to no sense lol.
Click to expand...

This folds quite nicely into one of the main reasons I love FF8 - a lot of the story is left to subtext, especially the love story. Squall and Rinoa's love story is so much more impactful when you realise the love story that circumstance refused to allow (Laguna and Julia) was completed by their children. Squall being Laguna's son, and Rinoa being Julia's daughter. I loved that element of the story, especially how the game didn't feel the need to spell it out.

The other big theory that massively adds to this and turns the whole love story into a beautiful tragedy (but is not provable, and a lot of people hate the theory for obvious reasons) is the theory that Ultimecia is Rinoa in the future.
  • Griever is Squall's crest, for some reason used as Ultimecia's GF
  • Rinoa specifically tells Squall that if she becomes a sorceress, she'd want Squall to be the one to kill her.
  • Edea tells Squall she knows there is an end to all of this, that it will be painful and tragic for him and others, but that he must fight on through it.
  • When Squall is lost in time he sees Rinoa's face blending back and forth with Ultimecia's.
  • Building on this, the weapons for Ultimecia in Dissidia all have the same names as Rinoa's weapons in FF8.
Lots more at the link above, in depth, and further discussed all over the internet. It's a wild theory, and will always be unpopular with some for how much it turns a "happy" ending into a tragic one, but there's a lot of evidence and foreshadowing pointing to this being likely. I love that the game keeps it ambiguous though so that discussions like this can happen.
 
D

diablogod

Member
Darkstorne said:
This folds quite nicely into one of the main reasons I love FF8 - a lot of the story is left to subtext, especially the love story. Squall and Rinoa's love story is so much more impactful when you realise the love story that circumstance refused to allow (Laguna and Julia) was completed by their children. Squall being Laguna's son, and Rinoa being Julia's daughter. I loved that element of the story, especially how the game didn't feel the need to spell it out.

The other big theory that massively adds to this and turns the whole love story into a beautiful tragedy (but is not provable, and a lot of people hate the theory for obvious reasons) is the theory that Ultimecia is Rinoa in the future.
  • Griever is Squall's crest, for some reason used as Ultimecia's GF
  • Rinoa specifically tells Squall that if she becomes a sorceress, she'd want Squall to be the one to kill her.
  • Edea tells Squall she knows there is an end to all of this, that it will be painful and tragic for him and others, but that he must fight on through it.
  • When Squall is lost in time he sees Rinoa's face blending back and forth with Ultimecia's.
  • Building on this, the weapons for Ultimecia in Dissidia all have the same names as Rinoa's weapons in FF8.

Lots more at the link above, in depth, and further discussed all over the internet. It's a wild theory, and will always be unpopular with some for how much it turns a "happy" ending into a tragic one, but there's a lot of evidence and foreshadowing pointing to this being likely. I love that the game keeps it ambiguous though so that discussions like this can happen.
Click to expand...

I think alot of current fan theories were debunked the other day =(

http://kotaku.com/is-squall-really-dead-final-fantasy-producer-addresses-1800007113

On the theory that Final Fantasy VIII’s Squall dies at the end of Disc 1 when he’s stabbed by Edea’s ice spear and that the rest of the game is his dream:

“No, that is not true,” Kitase said, laughing. “I think he was actually stabbed around the shoulder area, so he was not dead. But that is a very interesting idea, so if we ever do make a remake of Final Fantasy VIII, I might go along with that story in mind.”

On the theory that Final Fantasy VIII’s Rinoa is really Ultimecia:

“No, that is not true,” Kitase said. “I don’t think I’ll incorporate that even if we do remake the game. But that being said, both Rinoa and Ultimecia are witches, so in that sense they are similar, but they’re not the same person.”
 
M

Meliora

Member
Darkstorne said:
This folds quite nicely into one of the main reasons I love FF8 - a lot of the story is left to subtext, especially the love story. Squall and Rinoa's love story is so much more impactful when you realise the love story that circumstance refused to allow (Laguna and Julia) was completed by their children. Squall being Laguna's son, and Rinoa being Julia's daughter. I loved that element of the story, especially how the game didn't feel the need to spell it out.

The other big theory that massively adds to this and turns the whole love story into a beautiful tragedy (but is not provable, and a lot of people hate the theory for obvious reasons) is the theory that Ultimecia is Rinoa in the future.
  • Griever is Squall's crest, for some reason used as Ultimecia's GF
  • Rinoa specifically tells Squall that if she becomes a sorceress, she'd want Squall to be the one to kill her.
  • Edea tells Squall she knows there is an end to all of this, that it will be painful and tragic for him and others, but that he must fight on through it.
  • When Squall is lost in time he sees Rinoa's face blending back and forth with Ultimecia's.
  • Building on this, the weapons for Ultimecia in Dissidia all have the same names as Rinoa's weapons in FF8.
Lots more at the link above, in depth, and further discussed all over the internet. It's a wild theory, and will always be unpopular with some for how much it turns a "happy" ending into a tragic one, but there's a lot of evidence and foreshadowing pointing to this being likely. I love that the game keeps it ambiguous though so that discussions like this can happen.
Click to expand...

Yeah but that R=U theory was just confirmed to be not true just the other day https://kotaku.com/is-squall-really-dead-final-fantasy-producer-addresses-1800007113.

Edit: Ooops too slow :p
 
D

Darkstorne

Member
diablogod said:
I think alot of current fan theories were debunked the other day =(

http://kotaku.com/is-squall-really-dead-final-fantasy-producer-addresses-1800007113

On the theory that Final Fantasy VIII’s Squall dies at the end of Disc 1 when he’s stabbed by Edea’s ice spear and that the rest of the game is his dream:

“No, that is not true,” Kitase said, laughing. “I think he was actually stabbed around the shoulder area, so he was not dead. But that is a very interesting idea, so if we ever do make a remake of Final Fantasy VIII, I might go along with that story in mind.”

On the theory that Final Fantasy VIII’s Rinoa is really Ultimecia:

“No, that is not true,” Kitase said. “I don’t think I’ll incorporate that even if we do remake the game. But that being said, both Rinoa and Ultimecia are witches, so in that sense they are similar, but they’re not the same person.”
Click to expand...

Meliora said:
Yeah but that R=U theory was just confirmed to be not true just the other day https://kotaku.com/is-squall-really-dead-final-fantasy-producer-addresses-1800007113.

Edit: Ooops too slow :p
Click to expand...

Oh wow, thanks, I missed that! Kind of a bummer they'd end speculation like that outright though, when it seemed the game was designed specifically to create speculation. Like Mass 3's ending done right :p
 
T

thewaffles

Member
diablogod said:
I would recommend finishing it, I think the ending castle alone is worth it. As for replaying JRPG's endlessly, you're a madman.
Click to expand...

I'm sure I'll try again eventually. Hopefully they'll port it to mobile/PS4 like with VII and IX. And I don't mean I play them all the time, just that I could start a new game on either at any time and enjoy another run through the game. Not to say I haven't beaten each over a dozen times, because I certainly have.
 
D

diablogod

Member
thewaffles said:
I'm sure I'll try again eventually. Hopefully they'll port it to mobile/PS4 like with VII and IX. And I don't mean I play them all the time, just that I could start a new game on either at any time and enjoy another run through the game. Not to say I haven't beaten each over a dozen times, because I certainly have.
Click to expand...

There's only one game I can start up at any point during the day or in my life and play it over and over. Resident Evil 2.
 
A

aygomyownroad

Member
Best Final Fantasy, and criminal how it's overlooked for VII.

We get a remaster for PS4 and a remake of it yet VIII gets left on the shelf.

Also Laguna etc were amazing side characters to play and I loved the story of how everyone was connected.

Weakest point was that once you had visited a town there was no need to return...
 
P

pantsmith

Member
VIII gets a lot of points in my book for having the best character in all of Final Fantasy in Laguna. Like seriously, he's delightful.

I love the "romantic" side of the story, the notion of time and fate, finding yourself, your identity, how our beginnings shape our endings, and how Laguna couldn't be with his great love in life but Squall goes on to love her daughter. Eyes on Me becomes waaaay better with the added context.

Unfortunately the plot is bonkers and doesn't hold up to any kind of scrutiny. Like at all. None of the central plot mechanics past disc one make any sense and involve serious suspension of disbelief. The cast has serious issues with being two dimensional and ridiculous, with the older characters and maybe Rinoa being the only fleshed out or likable cast members.

Still its a really cool game, and theres nothing remotely like it. I find it hard to look past its problems when ranking it against other Final Fantasy games, buts its definately worth a play. Looooove the soundtrack!
 
H

HotHamBoy

Member
Final Fantasy VIII is the weakest PS1 FF but I love it and I think it's a better game than any mainline FF after IX. It's better than X, XII, XIII and XV.

Final Fantasy X might be the most over-rated game in the series.
 
R

Rad-

Member
I think its gameplay is the weak point. There is just so many design decisions I don't want in my RPGs. That said it has a lot going for it as well: character designs, music, setting. Overall I still very much enjoyed it and rate it way higher than recent FF titles (XIII, XV).
 
SilverArrow20XX

SilverArrow20XX

Walks in the Light of the Crystal
Always loved the setting and characters in this game. The story was really engaging too, with arguably the best romance in the series.

Never liked the gameplay though. I hate the junctioning system, and the enemy scaling system is even worse. Despite that though, I've still played it through multiple times. Its perks help overlook its flaws. Those flaws still put it on the lower side of my FF ratings though.
 
R

RRockman

Banned
diablogod said:
There was a time in my life I would have vehemently disagreed with this statement. I'm not sure that I can anymore.
Click to expand...

I sure can. This ain't topping nine breh :p

I did enjoy it for what it was and the different ideas it brought to the table, I just wish the execution could be better.
 
D

DiipuSurotu

Banned
SilverArrow20XX said:
Always loved the setting and characters in this game. The story was really engaging too, with arguably the best romance in the series.

Never liked the gameplay though. I hate the junctioning system, and the enemy scaling system is even worse. Despite that though, I've still played it through multiple times. Its perks help overlook its flaws. Those flaws still put it on the lower side of my FF ratings though.
Click to expand...

tumblr_me5ni6RfXw1r0nqyi.gif
 
K

Kuriboi2k6

Member
People shit on this game a lot but for me, FF 8 > FF7.

I count this game, Parasite eve and Shining force as reasons why I love RPGs in the first place.
 
semiconscious

semiconscious

Member
Sinh_Magnus said:
It was the best FF for me until I played IX. I didn't see that coming. But it's great nonetheless.

I liked what they did with Laguna, he is one of my favourite FF characters.

The opening with Libera Fatali is probably one of the best in gaming.
Click to expand...

laguna, for me, is ffviii. i've never really cared about all the rest of it :) ...
 
S

Shin K Dash

Member
SilverArrow20XX said:
Always loved the setting and characters in this game. The story was really engaging too, with arguably the best romance in the series.

Never liked the gameplay though. I hate the junctioning system, and the enemy scaling system is even worse. Despite that though, I've still played it through multiple times. Its perks help overlook its flaws. Those flaws still put it on the lower side of my FF ratings though.
Click to expand...

I vehemently disagree. I can understand if you enjoy the game more than the others in the series but Zidane and Garnett's love story was handed way better than theirs.
 
P

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
The setting, music, and characters (aside from Squall) were great. Fantastic story...but I don't have the patience for a combat system built around 1 minute unskippable summons. Worst PS1 Final Fantasy in my view.
 
H

hydragonwarrior

Member
Agreed on all your points *except* for the final dungeon.

Ult's castle never felt... part of this massive end journey fortress that you have to go through. It just felt like a haunted house rather than a formidable fortress. I have a similar complaint for the last dungeon in FF7 too... it' just a damn cave aghhh.

Funniest moments in FF8 for me was during the space station where it was about to blow up. Even in that countdown phase, there's still time for Triple Triad baby!
 
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