Square Soft thought "outside the RPG box" and truly developed an incredible game.
THE GOOD
-Immersive story
-Exceptional graphics and musical score
-The junction leveling system has a few cool features
-Good combat system
-Fun extras
THE BAD
-The junction leveling system has a few set-backs
OVERVIEW
After the huge success of its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII had a tough act to follow but, Square Soft was able to make another stellar video game. Right from the beginning the action takes off and never looks back. Squall Leonhart (the loner and duty oriented main character) is dueling with Seifer (another student) with gun blades. The two guys pretty much hate each other which is the reason why the duel ends with each student scarred.
You see these two students are apart of the Balamb Garden military academy and have been at "each others throats" for some time now. There are a few other military "Gardens" but this game just focuses on a select few at Balamb.
Some of Squall's friends, which are also playable characters, are Quisis (his instructor with an attitude), Zell (his very overconfident friend), and Selphie (his very outgoing and optimistic friend). At this time an invasion is occurring with two other nations and Balamb is asked to help squash the conflict by sending a few SeeDs (which are Balamb's elite Special Forces). The higher-ups at SeeD decide to send Squall and the gang as a sort of "final exam". When Squall returns his real quest begins but not without the his love interest named Rinoa.
The story is very well written with plenty of depth and the characters are likable. You'll get to know each of them better as they interact throughout the entire game. Out of all the aspects of the game, the story is probably the best feature.
GAMEPLAY
This installment to the Final Fantasy series utilizes the Junction leveling system. Basically, a character can only Attack or use an Item by themselves but when you "junction" a Guardian Force (summon) to a character, they will also be able to summon the GF, use a learned skill, draw magic, and use magic. Unlike most other RPGs, Final Fantasy VIII doesn't use magic points (MP) to cast magic. Instead you have to draw magic from enemies to use later. Also, you have the option to junction the drawn magic to your characters attributes. For example, putting 25 Cure3 spells in your characters vitality attribute will increase their hit points and putting 25 Ultima spells in your characters strength attribute will increase their damage.
Now, let us get back to the whole junction and Guardian Force idea. Each of your characters gain experience based on the enemies they defeat in battle. Not only do your characters gain levels but your GFs gain levels too. You can learn plenty of addition skills from your GFs which also require a certain amount of experience to permanently unlock for each hero. Another thing that is very different than other RPGs is that you don't obtain money from enemies you defeat; instead, since you are all students, you earn money in intervals based on status. In Balamb Garden, Squall can take a series of tests in order to improve his status and thus increase his pay check for the entire party, which gets updated on a timed basis throughout the game. In my opinion the leveling system has many cool, new features like junctioning GFs to learn skills and casting summons. Drawing magic is also a really neat feature because you don't have to worry about restoring your magic points every so often. Plus, the "allowance" money system makes it quick and easy to earn currency. However, your characters don't gain enough physical attributes (health, strength, etc…) as you level up which makes it absolutely vital to junction spells to your heroes. For example, Squall could be at level 50 and only have about 2,000 hit points. With that said you can see how casting magic can hurt your characters attributes which is kind of annoying.
Battling in Final Fantasy VIII works using the active time system. In this system you have to think fast because the enemy can engage your party at any time. Random battles occur throughout the entire game with the exception of a few location specific ones (which are typically boss battles). Once in a battle, your party lines up opposite of the enemy. Like I mentioned before, each of your characters (total of 3) can attack, draw magic, cast magic, summon their junctioned GF, use an item or perform a learned skill. The Limit Breaks are back in FF8 but work much different than in FF7. A character can perform a Limit Break on any turn when their hit points are reduced to a certain percentage. Also, the user is required to perform (character specific) button timing or combinations to increase the damage of the super attack. Boss battles require more skill than the other random battles which adds a nice challenge. Plus, there are few optional "super bosses" for the hardcore gamer to tackle. All-in-all, battling in Final Fantasy VIII sticks to a good system like other RPGs with some extra goodies thrown into the mix.
If you want to learn more about the characters, there are some side quests to attempt which gives you a break from the main story. Plus the other optional mini-games keep things fresh, especially the card game called Triple Triad. All throughout the world Squall can collect or win collectable Triple Triad cards. Triple Triad is a fighting / strategy card game that pins you up against another computer player on a 3x3 game board. Each card has different attributes and the objective is to have the majority of your cards on the game board with your color. It is very easy to spend many hours on this mini-game alone.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Both the in-game and cut-scene graphics are beautiful. There is plenty of detail in the characters and environment. Plus the cut-scenes are so intense that they will blow your mind like the opening movie for the game.
This is another one of Nobuo Uematsu's finest. Final Fantasy VIII has a good combination of classical and new age pop music to fit everyone's tastes. The sound effects also make the game more realistic and incredible.
CONCLUSION
Final Fantasy VIII combines a well-written story with fantastic RPG goodness. You'll enjoy characters and really feel apart of the plot. Plus, the incredible cut-scenes just make the experience that much better and I would recommend this game to any RPG gamer. Not only will you get a great love story but an exciting adventure.