Final Fantasy VIII "Retrospective"

Damn at 4mins in and wondering how tf someone experienced thos basically identically to me. Though my parents had split, no stripper for my mum and it took until I think 2001 for me to get FF8 nut otherwise creepy how close everything is to me.

I had maxed all my characters before Ultamecia, well long before even that, then got stuck qt either ultima weapim or omega weapon. Though beaten it countless times since then, seriously no idea how many.

Rinoa was my first crush ever I'm kinda ashamed to say.

Am I the only one finding it just so stupid all the love plot was just dumped to the "pick me" Rinoa instead of the romantically makes more sense Quistis.
Dude flat-out said what I've been saying since I first played the game by Quistis teases and pushes Squall blah blah like the song, heads-or-tails she has his number.
Had she been struck possessed, missed, and loved by Squall in a I miss so much about you now that it's gone would have hit so much harder.
Especially after giving up on him at the beach on the assumption he likes Rinoa. This game would have been a chef's kiss instead of I like it, but with a side glance and sucked in cheeks.
And I don't wanna hear it about fate, daughter and son, because that is just grossly sullies the beauty of Laguna and Julia as they are not them, there is no finish where we left off 🤮. And I detest raine. FFVIII is wonderful and my second favorite to FFVI. But if they do a remake overall it to a reimagine with Squall and Quistis

8/10 the proctor in front of garden before you go to timber tells you “not to listen to anyone tell you GFs have memory side effects-it’s not proven”

Yet another data point confirming the idea that the people who love this game are people for whom this was their first. It's ok that you missed 7, since they came out when you were so young. Skipping FF9 is a shame, though. The story was a bit weak, but it oozed charm and the gameplay was a lot more fun. It's also the game that made me realize that I very much prefer character classes to open systems, especially coming after this game.

This game is my all time favorite game I beat it so many times.

While everyone's already mentioned that there are multiple foreshadows for GFs taking memories, much of the game in general gives you details but only if you know where to look. As far as that example goes, Selphie's literal first blog entry is about worries of said rumours, The Faculty member next to Cid at Squad B's graduation saying to "ignore all GF related criticism." But more than that, in a story of war orphans with a central theme about memories, these kids are being trained with a tool for waging war that Quite Literally is demonstrative of how war robs children of their childhoods, much in the same with that Ultimecia as a character taken at face value is rather flat, but is more representative of an ideal of yearning for the stillness of an arbitrary "better time" than wanting to accept and try to better the present, and accepting the transience of time.

The depiction of Galbadia as a modern empire is, frankly, way ahead of its time, the coincidence that Vinzer Deling looks like Bush is really just icing on the cake (can you imagine if ff8 came out after 9/11 like mgs2?). The ingame glossary for Deling straight up calls him a fascist. Through our view of Laguna and revisiting, we get to see the dissonance between the common Galbadian citizen vs their government. Though you never have to revisit the city after Disc 1, you can go back and hear their apathy, confusion, or worries (even if they remain ultimately passive). Ultimecia's sublimation into their consciousness either makes them wake up realize they were swept up in a craze like a political movement, or they double down on it to chase after some illusory comfort. Though they are affected by their own state's propaganda, they still remain, to a large extent, sympathetic in that regard of what it's like living in an empire. I find 12's depiction of Arcadia similar in that regard. Any of the other ff games that have wrangled trying to garner sympathy for a character from an empire (or equivalent) tend to fall flat. XIV especially is victim to it (which they could've avoided if they didn't make 99% of the civilians you run into call everyone else savages all the time)

Other things I love that aren't often mentioned:

The game is nonstop setpieces from the start until about halfway into Disc 2 when you get the Garden mobile, but for the majority of the game its pacing is full of intrigue. It puts into perspective when you're familiar with the game that the world map feels more like a grandfather clause, because really, there are very few "dungeons" in a classic ff sense, and it makes up for that for Every. Single. Town. having some sequence where you get into a fight, which I absolutely love.

Squall's moments of empathy. Despite his callous facade, he's an extremely empathetic person by nature, which makes total sense knowing how sensitive he is about being perceived. He's only as distant as he has to be, he's consistently kind to Selphie, and even during the vital mission to assassinate Edea, when Irvine freaks out, realizing that pushing him isn't going to work, calms his voice and simply assures him that it's okay to miss, "think of it as a signal to go," and he assumes Irvine's burden without complaint.

Renzokuken having unique boss animations, often emphasizing Squall targeting limbs to disable them before going for the kill (even NORG's orbs which act as his "arms"), the same way a lion would hunt. It's really the peak limit break, like in a way he's breaking conventions of the genre to nearly turn into an action game. Just wish there was a unique one vs Seifer.

Squall and Seifer's juxtaposition as a soldier vs a knight in ideal, before they switch places by the end of the game in their last encounter.

Public Transportation. I'm not kidding. Timber being a city by the coast having lots of different rail lines for commerce makes total sense (despite there being so few towns in ff8's world). Deling City having multiple bus routes that you have to actually wait for and can miss rather than them being at your beck and call like a taxi system, instead operating for themselves rather than for you makes the city feel SO alive. But again, the story is on rails for so long that you rarely ever need to revisit a town, so it's a shame.

The usage of simultaneous dialogue boxes, for characters talking over each other, the speed at which they talk when their OWN text boxes overlap with other, thoughts being displayed during exposition to show when Squall is distracted or thinking about something else, and in general, giving him dialogue without undercutting his reluctance to speak in conversations, nor making him totally silent all the time either, its just not used any more and since the advent of voice acting, is more or less a bygone practice now. The way the game presents its dialogue in these manners is definitely a unique charm to ff8

My first FF game and loved it more than any recent games

The algorithm brought me here. FF VIII is one of my all time favorite pieces of media (not just video game) ever. I love this game so much and the deep story of love, that I named my only daughter Rinoa. Amazing job on this vid, I subscribed, and this is probably one of the few times I'm not annoyed with the algorithm.

Aw man you have to try 6
Its very text based and has sprites so be prepared for its age but it's one of the best

ff8 introduced me to the series. i loved the story back then in it's still good. but goddamn triple triad sucks massive a$$

One of my favorite video games of all time. I remember reading video game magazines at the time that they named Laguna and Irvine after areas in California where the Japanese development team had spent some time during the making of the game.

Make a remake of 8 square please have the balls to do it

This guy is ME!!!

You should really try FF9... second best FF. As for the best we have identical opinion...

this is a game for sad boys like me

Honestly the remastered version on the PlayStation is amazing.

Weekly Boston market trips? You poor poor man

You and me i hate the remake of 7 im old school

Konfrontasi Squall-Ultimecia di Ultimecia’s Castle Dissidia, Squall : i only came to turn my promise.
Ultimecia : Shall we dance?

Griever = Squall?

We can name the Squall necklace as a character. As we know, Griever is the (default) name of Squall's lion's head necklace and only Squall and Rinoa know that name. It is very strange that Ultimecia, who just appeared in the Lunar Base, could just know that name, even though Griever's naming was during the Garden war that occurred before the Lunar Base. Given the shape, Ultimecia's necklace head and GF are almost the same, that means Ultimecia has been connected to the necklace and has known about Griever's history and I call the necklace and GF is ONE. Why do I say necklace and GF Ultimecia is one? Of course because the name GF Ultimecia depends on the name of the Squall necklace. I once changed the name of the necklace to another name (eg CLOUD) and it turned out that the name of GF Ultimecia changed after the name of the necklace earlier (CLOUD). But if Griever is GF, why is the status (when the name set) is CHARACTER? The answer is because in fact he is not a GF but is treated as a GF. It could be that he is a person who has been connected to Griever in the past. The only person related to Griever is Squall Lionheart. Well, this is connected again with the name Lionheart. Why do you have to use LION (lion) which incidentally is the form of Griever? Does that mean Squall is a lion that means GF Griever?

The battle theme is also related. One of the themes for Griever is Maybe I'm a Lion. There should be no word MAYBE that raises doubts if Griever is really pure a lion. That means there is another character called "I'M" who is "MAYBE A LION / maybe a lion" that is meant by that song. A litmotive in such a game is usually centered on the main character, it means "I'M" leads to SQUALL. Also pay attention to the dialogue of Squall's promise to Rinoa in the meadow of Edea's House where Squall said "even if you end up at the world's enemy,i'll be your knight" Squall promised to be his protector even in the enemy world. Before his death, it was possible that Squall changed himself to be GF to stay with Rinoa and that means Rinoa Had to lose his memory more. After becoming Ultimecia because of Adel's influence during the disc 4 event, Rinoa who felt that he had felt happiness but did not remember what and when it happened. This is Ultimecia's main goal, which is to know the past by compressing time to see the events she was looking for. Remember the location of Ultimecia's Castle, where Ultimecia and Griever live? Yup, near Edea's House, the place where Squall promised to be a "knight" for Rinoa. And as if that means Squall's promise is proven if Griever – Ultimecia is right Squall – Rinoa.
❤🎉

our final fantasy experience is eerily very very similar. I love 8, definitely has a special place in my heart

This video is a gem, I have really enjoyed it! I have played and completed FFVIII long time ago and still to this day is my favourite FF. I remember struggling to complete the game and that guide you shown was a game changer..so many memories attached to this FF era, great job!

I love this video but Rinoa isn’t the leader of the Forest Owls, it’s Zone.

Play ff7 the original you will love it brother. As well as ff9

Gamefaqs was the way back then.

Thank you for this video. FF8 has always been on I haven’t had a way to play it and I finally decided to watch someone else play it instead. It was a rather prominent Final Fantasy (and others) streamer. However, this streamer quite obviously hated FF8. They went into it “trying to have an open mind” about it. What it ended up being was a load of griping, whining, and constant bitching about FF8. It was hard to sit through and I was sick of it.

I finished the whole stream, because I was so invested in it, and the whole end sequence was just complaining. I left it irritated.

It is so nice, to hear a review of this game from someone who truly loves it. This was so refreshing to hear. Thank you for this!

The gun blade isn’t that stupid. It’s a vibro-sword with a pistol grip. Actually, yeah, that is pretty stupid.

If you do not want a new triple triad rule to spread to a new area just keep challenging and then cancelling the game offer until the opponent stops asking of you want to play with the new rules.

I think the mini card game is super fun and I always joke that FF8 is one of the most fun trading card games disguised as an RPG. As it's a core mechanic if you want to get all he magic without grinding for battles. Plus the card game quest whilst annoying it's cool to get her cards than kick her but for the rare card you had to "donate" to her by playing the game badly to give it away. Only rule I don't like is the random rule.

I played FF8 as an 6 year old and kept calling Shiva silly names to make Ifrit say stupid stuff including curse words or stuff like my Dick because it always gives me a giggle.

My mum's friend's son gave me this to play. Disc 3 was missing so I got to level 100 in Galbadia. Eventually my friend ordered a complete set online and I got to continue (he lent me disc 3). Unfortunately, 😢😢😢 levelling up makes this game harder (enemies level with you)

My mum's friend's son gave me this to play. Disc 3 was missing so I got to level 100 in Galbadia. Eventually my friend ordered a complete set online and I got to continue (he lent me disc 3). Unfortunately, 😢😢😢 levelling up makes this game harder (enemies level with you)

Almost 14 minutes before Laguna NameDrop 😂 🥳🥳👍👍

I beat the game once when I was 13 in 2000. I never beat omega. It’s my favorite single player final fantasy. But I’ve avoided replaying the game since I heard of the no-xp stat boosting method and kept putting it off as a long term goal… starting tonight 👍👍

FF8 is by far the best of the ones you've played..... but 7 and 9 are both better IMO, and i LOVE FF8. Play 7 and 9 !! You'll love em!

Final Fantasy VIII holds a special place in my gaming heart as it was the first installment I experienced in the series.

I adore the soundtrack, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, for its ability to enhance the storytelling experience. Eyes on Me, in particular, stands out as my favorite game theme, a poignant ode that elevates the emotional depth of the narrative.

Visually, Final Fantasy VIII is a masterpiece, seamlessly blending fantasy and futuristic elements. The graphical prowess of its time is still appreciated today, showcasing the timeless artistry that defines the Final Fantasy series.

The innovative Junction system adds layers of strategy to the gameplay, intertwining seamlessly with the narrative. It's not just a game mechanic; it's a dynamic element that adapts to your choices and shapes the journey uniquely for each player. And if-like me-you just go through the game normally, and slowly learn how it works, you don't break anything until much later when it's more appropriate.

The narrative delves into the complexities of its characters, offering a rich and layered storytelling experience. The plot twists, character arcs, and overarching themes leave a lasting impact, making the game more than just a momentary escape.

Eyes on Me may hold the title of my favorite game theme, but the haunting allure of One Winged Angel, Sephiroth's character theme, captures a different essence. It's a symphony of darkness, an embodiment of the antagonist's enigmatic nature that lingers in the mind long after the game is put down.

And then there's Triple Triad, a mini-game that transcends its label. Its simple yet addictive mechanics and the thrill of collecting and refining a deck create a microcosm of strategic gameplay within the larger narrative.

In essence, Final Fantasy VIII is not just a game for me; it's a profound journey that intertwines storytelling, visuals, gameplay mechanics, and musical composition into a seamless, immersive experience that I still go back to every time and enjoy.


Also, i never played final fantasy 7 until a few years ago. I loved it, and i loved the remake as well.

Um.,..... are you actually cognitively impaired? This game is fucking awful. In EVERY single aspect. Underrated masterpiece?? no. It's an absolute piece of crap with ridiculous, flat unlikeable characters, by FAR the dumbest most nonsensical story in the entire FF series, broken boring combat, an insane junction system that everyone knows was one of the worst ideas in the whole franchise, an ugly menu screen, a total lack of any equipment or means of levelling up your characters, the ridiculous decision to scale all enemies in the games levels, and by far the most boring, unimaginative empty world of any final fantasy game including the first three. Literally its only redeeming features are Triple Triad (which gets awful when you accidentally poison other regions with horrible infected rules) and a not awful but not great soundtrack.

This game is a litmus test for bad taste and dementia. if you like it, there's something wrong with you

There's actually a mention of the GFs causing memory loss thing (potentially) right from the very start. As soon as you legitimately have control of Squall in the classroom (or literally any other point where it is accessible), you can check his study panel for history on Garden, etc. one of the headings mentions that Balamb Garden in particular promotes the use of GFs, and while there are claims that doing so causes memory loss, these claims are unsubstantiated. There's also (iirc) one of the shady Garden Faculty guys near the beginning that says not to believe the "lies" some people spread about the dangers of GF use, though he doesn't give a specific reason. It kind of annoyed me when I first played FFVIII, but this kind of passive world-building is kind of cool, since you have to actually work at getting all the details that make up life in this fictional universe. This is a sentiment STRONGLY echoed in FFXV, where so much more is only found by listening to radio broadcasts or reading books/newspapers lying around.

Congrats on the new job, dude. I hope it brings you lots of joy and fulfillment. Also, this was a truly wonderful video. Thank you for helping me to better appreciate this game.

the secondary characters in ff8 were by far the worst part of the game aside from the draw system...but man I forgot how convoluted and incoherent this story was compared to its predecessors.

I bought VII and VIII on the same day. i opened VIII first and played it nonstop for years. still only about 10 minutes into VII

You got to try Final Fantasy IX now, if you haven't already since posting this video.

7 and 8 always felt like a mish mash of ideas stuffed into games. The plot derails in both a lot lol

I feel like you took the words out of my mouth this game is my life long true love , well done on explaining it right and making my day. I’m gonna go home and start the game all over for the 100th time now 😂

I'm in a weird position because I played it when I was 10 and I felt completly in love with it. First time I would spend 100+ hours on a game. I bit the hardest boss, got them all the best weapons. Did all the side quests.
I remembered it as my best gaming experience ever.

And then a few weeks ago I played it again on my Switch ... now that I'm 35 ... And long story short I really hated it 😕 For hundreds of reasons.

I loved it like nothing else when I was 10, but now at 35 I don't ...
Yet I am happy that I had such a good experience back then.

Underrated maybe but not a masterpiece

"A woman named Matrone"

Matron is a word you know. It just means caretaker of a boarding school.

"Ulteema weapon"
Okay you're doing it intentionally. Quit that.

Love you buddy. Thanks for this wonderful video and I hope you're doing well with your head space.

Take a shot every time dude mispronounces a name