Squall Leonhart is a young man, who is in training to become of member of SeeD - a mercenary organization, the dream of all the young students in Balamb Garden. Squall is not a particularly friendly guy and has troubles with his fellow students and teachers. Currently, two countries are at war with each other; to complete his training as a mercenary, Squall and three other students are sent on a mission to aid one of those countries against the other. In the process they discover that there are some other characters pulling the strings from behind the scene, and get involved in a mystery that sheds a whole new light on their lives and ideals.

"Final Fantasy VIII" is set in a "retro" environment reminiscent of the 1960-ies, with supernatural elements mixed in. It introduces many gameplay changes compared to the previous installments of the series. You don't get money from random enemies, but instead have to earn it during your missions as a SeeD. You can customize your characters by equipping them with magic spells, which you can draw from enemies in battles. You can also cast those spells the same way you would use an item, since you don't have MP in the game. The trademark summoned monsters (called Guardian Forces in this game) play a very important role in the customization process. You can "junction" them to your characters and learn various abilities from them. They can also be summoned in battles.

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Alternate Titles

"最终幻想8 " -- Chinese Title (Simplified)
"太空戰士 8" -- Chinese Title (Tradition)
"Финальная Фантазия 8" -- Russian Spelling
"Zui Zhong Huanxiang 8" -- Chinese Title
"Finalnaja Fantazija 8" -- Russian Title
"FFVIII" -- Informal Name
"FF8" -- informal title

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Part of the Following Groups

Merchant	Title	Platform	Price
	Final Fantasy VIII
	Final Fantasy Collection : Including Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics PS, FF I II IV V VI VII VIII IX Tactics	PlayStation	$229.75
	Final Fantasy Collection - Final Fantasy VII + VIII + IX	PlayStation	$109.75
	Final Fantasy Collector's Series: VII 7 & VIII 8 for Playstation	PlayStation	$291.86
	Final Fantasy VIII 8 Game and Guide Combo	PlayStation	$49.99
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User Reviews

Pure creative genius of Squaresoft. Pure uncreative whining of gamers	JazzOleg (53182)
The fantasy to start with and it didn't disappoint	Mike Wazoski (8)
Like any true work of art...It only gets better with age.	Edward Beezy (38)
4 discs of pure fantasy	Kartanym (9971)
Possibly the most underrated game ever	Sam Tinianow (102)	unrated
Final Fantasy VIII is one of the best games I have ever seen	Fading3 (21)
Worst RPG I've ever played when I played it the first 4 times. Best RPG I've ever played after the 5th try...	Indra Depari of 'da Clan Depari (12539)
Final Fantasy meets Dawson's Creek with 112471389 hours of non-interactive videos! DUCK AND COVER!!!	Zovni (8824)
One of the best RPGs of the PlayStation. Everyone has their own opinion, but most (not all) who hate this game are just over-the-top!	Reborn_Demon (116)
This is just where this wonderfull series seriously decays	Bregalad (592)

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The Press Says

GamePro	Nov 24, 2000	5 out of 5	100
GamesFirst!	Sep 25, 1999		100
Absolute Playstation	Sep, 1999	98 out of 100	98
Game Informer Magazine	Dec, 2007	9.5 out of 10	95
Darkstation	1999	9 out of 10	90
TotalVideoGames (TVG)	Nov 30, 1999	9 out of 10	90
All Game Guide	1999		90
Just RPG	Oct 25, 2002	89 out of 100	89
Game Critics	Oct 01, 1999	8 out of 10	80
Netjak	Dec 17, 2002	4.9 out of 10	49