Summary
Pure creative genius of Squaresoft. Pure uncreative whining of gamers
The Good
Do you know Final Fantasy? If you don't, then take the next space flight available in whichever galaxy you come from and visit the Earth. We have here this little entertainment form called
video gaming, with a little sub-genre called
console-style RPGs, that includes a little series called
Final Fantasy. Those series are a part of common education for anyone who cares for the genre. Their stories, which are always cleverly written and gorgeously presented, their own approach to characters and their relationships, and their interesting gameplay ideas that vary from game to game justify the proud name the series carry. Fantasy is the main component of those games. Each Final Fantasy game is epic, drama, melodrama, fairy tale, lyrical poem and science fiction novel in one. There are hardly any other game series that embraces at once such a large number of realities, settings, conflicts, problems, feelings, actions and worlds. And you know what? "Final Fantasy VIII" is no exception.
But what do we see here? Check any Final Fantasy-related fan site or forum and you'll see negative reviews of "Final Fantasy VIII". Check out MobyGames, ***
commercial*** the world's most comprehensive online game database ***
end commercial***, and you'll find a couple of really hurting reviews written by experienced, veteran old-school gamers who are well familiar with the series. So, I guess something must indeed be wrong with the game... but is it so?
Let's see... The first thing to deal with is the story - arguably the strongest point of all Final Fantasies (although
Final Fantasy V proved story was not as essential to the quality of the series as most people believed). We have witnessed great Final Fantasy stories before, and they all revolved around characters' personal feelings and their relationships. A classic example is the story of
Final Fantasy VI, what is a demonstration of what marvels can be done with a typical and ordinary plotline if every character gets his (or her) own personal "sub-story" presented in the game. And of course, epic proportions of the main plot, true to the tradition of RPGs, has always attracted masses of players.
The story of "Final Fantasy VIII" is true to the spirit of the series: personal relationships between characters are the core of the plot. Even more, a love story, that was only an embellishment in earlier titles, became the focus of the whole game. But the change has been made elsewhere: we are no longer dealing with an epic. "Final Fantasy VIII" is a melodrama.
Is melodrama a "lower" genre, something that can't be even compared to drama or epic? I don't think so. To put it bluntly: good melodrama is good. Bad melodrama is bad. "Final Fantasy VIII" is a good melodrama. It always stays within the limits of quality storytelling. This love story is not one of those that show the main hero with big muscles killing a big bad guy and getting the girl as a result, regardless to natural processes such as gradual falling in love, mutual understanding based on common interests, etc. You will see that the love story of "Final Fantasy VIII" is about as close to a real-life love story as it can only be. People don't fall in love as if hit by a magical wand. They usually do it after a long period of conversations, time spent together, some important events experienced together, after a period of misunderstandings and doubts. This is the way the heroes of "Final Fantasy VIII" fall in love. It is not the obligatory, schematic love of an epic; it is the realistic, carefully depicted love of a good melodrama. And as in any good melodrama, there are plenty of wonderful emotion-loaded scenes in "Final Fantasy VIII" (the dance scene, the liberation scene, the ending, to name just a few). Until now, "Final Fantasy VIII" is a rarest example of a video game that is dedicated to love.
But of course, there is so much more than just the love story to find in "Final Fantasy VIII". The "epic-ness" cliché is totally absent from most other characters in the game. Squaresoft decided to get rid of the stereotypes found in most console-style RPGs. We don't have a cardboard princess-rescuing knight who saves the world just because he was "chosen" to do; instead, we have a nervous, unpleasant teenager with bad attitude who will eventually "save the world" not because it was "destined" so or because of his desire to "purge the evil", but only because of his
feelings to a woman. We don't have a bunch of hardcore adventurers who follow the lead just to bring some variety into the party, to contribute their part to the universal revenge, or to provide an excuse for the multitude of character classes; instead, we have some simple young girls and lads who first get involved in the conflict because of their jobs, and then go together with the main character because they
care for him. We don't have a good guy/bad guy conflict; instead, we have two guys who are neither too good nor particularly bad, and see how the two of them, so similar in the beginning, follow separate ways that eventually make them enemies. The development of the relationship between Squall and Seifer is perhaps even more interesting to follow than the love story between Squall and Rinoa; the ambiguous feeling of admiration and pride from one side, and arrogance and concealed insecurity from the other, are very convincingly presented and are way more detailed and realistic than anything we have seen in previous Final Fantasies.
In terms of sheer complexity and depth, the plot also doesn't disappoint: starting as a military conflict, it soon prepares the ground for the future love story and revolves around Squall, the main hero, unwillingly facing a reality that he didn't want to accept; love enters his life unexpectedly and demands from him to act and to take decisions. In addition to that, the game also has a second layer of the story, that is centered around Laguna, a seemingly unrelated character, slowly revealing the connection between the two stories. Laguna's uncomplicated character and the overall simplicity of his story (a very different, much more simple and "pure" love story, the rough life of a soldier as opposed to the "luxury" style of the elite SeeD members) is the necessary contrast to Squall's part and a very important part of the game's architecture. In the end, the story does go a bit downhill, as its new and innovative aspects fade away in order to clear the field for the traditional showdown, but it is easily forgotten when the ending animation takes over and brings us back from the "epic-ness" to the wonderful world of realistic melodrama.
The setting also says a new word. There was nothing wrong with the sci-fi setting of "Final Fantasy VII", but "Final Fantasy VIII" has this undeniable retro-feel that makes it even more original. There are some pure sci-fi parts, but generally the game is set in a sort of "alternate reality" ambiance, reminiscent of the fifties or the sixties. The main heroes are for the most part "rebel teenagers", the cities have a distinct retro look, and there is even a rock concert performance!
Maybe the big problem is the gameplay? Guess what, the gameplay also doesn't copy the systems of earlier Final Fantasies. Surely, Squaresoft could have just recycle the Esper or the Materia system, and perhaps spare the game some of the criticisms it received, but instead, they decided to be as original and as innovative here as they were in the story department. The gameplay is still hundred per cent Final Fantasy, but some of the more interesting ideas the series has had were carried to the extreme in "Final Fantasy VIII". Espers, who are now called Guardian Forces (GFs), became a kind of a universal equipment, that not only influences characters' stat gaining when leveling up, but also determines the commands he can execute in battles, the usage of magic, protection against status effects, etc.
It is hard to say where the gameplay changes of "Final Fantasy VIII" were most daring. It eliminates the unrealistic element of getting money from random battles and replaces it by regular payments (although I recently discovered this feature was earlier implemented by
Devil Summoner). Magic-casting no longer requires MP; you don't buy magical spells or learn them, but instead
draw them from enemies (a "draw" command should be enabled) and then store as equipment on your characters. Each casting of magic costs you one unit, until you run out of units and have to draw it again from somebody. Since magic is used instead of armor in the game (yes, there is no other kind of armor!), you'll spend a great deal of time thinking what is best to do with the magic units you have accumulated: equip them somewhere or use them in battles? Instead of equipping armor (in this case, magic) on body parts, you "junction" it to your characters' parameters: HP, Strength, Agility, Magic Power, Luck, etc. Naturally, various magic spells different effects on your parameters. So it is up to you what class your character will belong to. If you wish to make a good fighter, you'll junction a good strength-raising magic to his strength and probably neglect his magic power, and so on. Junctioned magic can also protect you from various abnormal conditions or raise elemental defense.
Add to that the complexity and the variety of GF-junctioning, the large amount of special abilities those GFs can learn, the usage of GFs themselves as summon spells, and you'll get one of the most interesting, unusual, and flexible systems recently seen in a console RPG.
As always, there are load of secrets to discover in this Final Fantasy game, some character-related sub-quests, many optional boss battles, and a vast choice of customization possibilities. Although not quite as open-ended as earlier Final Fantasies, this game is still far from being an "interactive movie" some people claim it to be.
The graphics of "Final Fantasy VIII" is something even the most ardent critics leave in peace (although among the most ridiculous criticisms I encountered was the fact the game's characters look like real human beings, and not like mouthless, noseless, big-headed dolls). Well, it is hard to say anything bad about the game's gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds and CG animations that make you forget those of
Final Fantasy VII. Graphical details constitute a great deal of the game's special atmosphere: pay attention to some of the characters' clothes and outfits (Selphie is the most noticeable one - a "girl from a good family" of the fifties), decorations on the streets in towns, train design, etc. Real-time 3D battle graphics surpass everything the Playstation has seen before. CG animations are not just extreme eye candy: they are often little dramatic scenes that emphasize an important event of the game and present it in a form of a movie. The dance scene undoubtedly belongs to the most wonderful moments in the history of video gaming.
The music was also among the game's aspects that were spared by the critics. No harm in admitting: the music is great, like pretty much everything Nobuo Uematsu has written for video games. The instrumentation is excellent, the tunes memorable, the harmonies original, and the usage of different musical styles is very convincing. The sheer brilliance of this particular score is in the fact that a large part of it is based on only one theme - the "Eyes on Me" melody. The way this theme varies and shifts into different forms, becoming a pastoral scene, a nocturne, an intimate piano-bar tune, and a light-hearted, pompous waltz á la Johann Strauss, is absolutely delightful.
"So, what the hell is wrong with the game?!" - you'd ask. Want to know the truth? There is nothing wrong with it. There are some story and gameplay issues that could have been better executed, but as a
whole, there's nothing that even remotely justifies seeing in "Final Fantasy VIII" the low point of the series, let alone mixing it with dirt. The sad reality is that a fairly high percentage of players (which includes many so-called "devoted" fans of Final Fantasy series in our case) simply cannot accept a game that tries to be different - even if the game in question stands alone, but mostly if it is a part of an established, long-termed series. No matter the actual bright sides or flaws of a game: it will always be bashed for being "not like those other, classic ones". We've seen this with
Ultima, we've seen this with
King's Quest, we've seen this on many other occasions, but perhaps nowhere it was so obvious and blatant as here - because precisely what was
interesting and
new in the game, what made it more than just a remake of the highly successful earlier titles was regarded upon as a flaw by a bunch of angry critics. At least the game was appreciated by some newcomers to Final Fantasy, who were free of the prejudices of the fan community.
The Bad
Of course, "Final Fantasy VIII" is not perfect. The new gameplay system might seem rather confusing, especially to unexperienced players; but anyone familiar with classic SNES Final Fantasies will easily recognize some of its aspects as enhancements to previous games: equipping abilities can be traced back to
Final Fantasy V, developing a particular character parameter by equipping a certain Esper/GF on him is clearly taken from
Final Fantasy VI, etc. However, the system as a whole is totally original - the absence of armor, magic points, or random money is something RPG players should get used to. This is hardly a flaw - rather an attempt to explain and justify at least some of the less illogical criticisms of Final Fantasy VIII-bashers.
One criticism has to be accepted as correct - the GF animations are too long. Yes, this is free eye candy, and I was personally never annoyed by the length of those gorgeous sequences, but they certainly make simple random battles drag themselves unnecessarily. A bigger problem is that summoning GFs doesn't cost you anything, and any normal player would automatically resort to it instead of searching for other solution. That was certainly a mistake - a one-time free summoning like in "Final Fantasy VI" would have made battles much more fluent.
The story of the game was for the most time wonderful, but I found the final part somewhat disappointing. I guess Square just didn't dare to continue with their new approach till the very end, and inserted a trivial obligatory "world-saving" showdown into a much more realistic and original story. Pity that a game that released itself from so many clichés still couldn't to avoid a traditional black/white grand finale. But the magnificent ending made up for it. Besides, the final dungeon was a very interesting location with some nice optional puzzles and boss fights, and the last battle was certainly
not anti-climatic.
One thing that can repel oldschool gamers is the low difficulty level of the game. The only time when I died in the game was during the final battle, which is (thankfully) quite hard and rewarding. But even though you encounter some rather nasty monsters later in the game, most bosses are too comfortable to beat, and your characters are just too powerful.
Lastly, the PC version of the game is a disappointment. The graphics were not converted successfully and the usage of the more powerful engine of a PC was non-existent. What looks like a nice colorful spot on a TV screen appears as an ugly pixel on a monitor. Generally, "Final Fantasy VIII" is a console game, and, like any other console game, it looks more poor on a PC, even if it's better converted, like "Final Fantasy VII".
The Bottom Line
Squaresoft could have easily recycled their earlier Final Fantasies, complete with their settings, gameplay system, and approach to storytelling. Instead, they tried something
different. As a result, they received an enormous bunch of inconsequent, superficial, and plainly bitchy criticisms from people who simply couldn't be satisfied with anything that didn't correspond to their videogaming ideals. If a game is a melodrama instead of being an epic it's bad; if a game is more like an interactive movie than an oldschool RPG it's bad; if character graphics are realistic and not super-deformed it's bad; if a game's main character is an annoying guy it's bad, etc. The amount of creativity and effort put into the game doesn't matter any more, as long as it is not a model RPG built according to the instruction manuals of RPG-making. If you look closely, you'll see that the entire mass of slogans directed against "Final Fantasy VIII" is based on ridiculously insignificant details: the main protagonist is too unpleasant, the armor/magic system is too confusing to understand, GF animations are too long... And for those things they are ready to ignore a game where every detail testifies the developers' devotion and the
soul they put into it.
But let's not get too sentimental. Here's the bottom line: "Final Fantasy VIII" is a great (and probably the first) example of a melodramatic console RPG set in a retro-style ambiance, with a highly detailed, rich story, an innovative and complex gameplay system, killer graphics and music and overall top-notch production values (including the most gorgeous CG animations the Playstation has ever seen); a game that remains true to the spirit of the series, introducing a cast of deep, interesting characters, and concentrating on their emotions and the relationships between them. "Final Fantasy VIII" is a high-quality product in every aspect and an unforgettable experience for all those who value
creativity in video games instead of blindly rejecting everything that is not done according to the unwritten rules.
