Summary
Square’s PS1-era trilogy ofFinal Fantasygames is bookended by two of the most beloved titles in the series, but right between them, as the proverbial middle child, isFinal Fantasy 8. Long maligned for the ways that it eschews nearly every mechanic introduced inFinal Fantasy 7(and then being partially responsible for the nostalgic return to form thatFinal Fantasy 9represents),Final Fantasy 8is a unique outlier in the series much in the same way thatFinal Fantasy 2is. However, unlikeFinal Fantasy 2, which remains a sore spot in the franchise’s early years,Final Fantasy 8has a devoted cult following precisely for the reasons the game would prove to be so divisive – its radical differences fromFinal Fantasy 7.
Originally released in 1999 for the PlayStation,Final Fantasy 8is a unique outlier in the series in that it features mechanics that would never again be reintroduced or iterated upon in later series entries. WhileeveryFinal Fantasyexperiments with combat mechanicsand character progression systems,Final Fantasy 8’s approaches to these elements via the Junction and Guardian Force systems make the game surprisingly deep and almost endlessly exploitable (thanks to the Triple Triad card game). And it’s precisely because of the game’s mechanical depth and atypical approach to its characters and story thatFinal Fantasy 8remains a cult favorite 25 years later.
While Final Fantasy 7 is Beginner-Friendly, Final Fantasy 8 is Anything But Easy to Pick Up
It’s no wonder thatFinal Fantasy 7would be both one of the PlayStation’s killer apps and an introduction to the world ofFinal Fantasyfor millions of fans. Between its dystopian cyberpunk-meets-swords and sorcery aesthetic, iconic character designs by Tetsuya Nomura, and its natural evolution of the RPG mechanics fromFinal Fantasy 6,Final Fantasy 7is perhaps the perfect onboarding to the JRPG genre. Likethe originalFinal Fantasy,Final Fantasy 7is a perfect encapsulation of the core JRPG elements while also being a great starting point for newcomers.
And, similar to howFinal Fantasy 2abandons nearly everything from its predecessor to chart new territory,Final Fantasy 8makes a sharp U-turn away fromFinal Fantasy 7’s accessibility to present some of the most complex gameplay in the series along with a notoriously obtuse narrative.Looking back atFinal Fantasy 8in hindsight shows that the game isn’t as much of a radical departure as fans viewed it at the time, but without the patience and observation to work through every one of the tutorials the game provides for its new systems, the experience can be incredibly challenging compared toFinal Fantasy 7’s relative “pick-up-and-play” nature.
Final Fantasy 8’s Place as a Fan Favorite is Due to its Uniqueness
For years,Final Fantasy 8would languish as a PlayStation and PC exclusive, continually getting skipped over for the remaster and port treatment on modern consoles in favor of devoting resources to itsPS1-erasiblingsFinal Fantasy 7andFinal Fantasy 9.While the prevailing rumor was that the source code for the title had somehow been lost, the truth is that Square Enix understood the relative niche appeal ofFinal Fantasy 8in comparison to its predecessor and sequel.
Thankfully, though,Final Fantasy 8 Remasteredwould finally arrive in 2019. In the years since, the title has begun to reach a brand-new audience more receptive to its innovations. The talented voice actor behindFinal Fantasy 16’s Clive, Ben Starr, even wore aFinal Fantasy 8shirt to his winning appearance at the Golden Joystick Awards.Final Fantasy 8now stands as both one of the most unique and one of the most underappreciated games in the entire franchise, endearing itself to a loyal following of fans that view it in a positive light for the exact reasons it was so divisive at the time of its release.
Final Fantasy 8
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It is a time of war.The Republic of Galbadia, under the influence of the sorceress Edea, mobilizes its great armies against the other nations of the world.Squall and other members of SeeD, an elite mercenary force, join hands with Rinoa, a resistance fighter, to fight against Galbadia’s tyrannical rule and to prevent Edea from fulfilling her ultimate goal.
