Final Fantasy VIII (or "Why every other RPG pales into insignificance.")
Fellow community members,
I have been asked to discuss (albeit probably not as in depth as I would verbally) the reasons why FFVIII is the masterpiece of RPG gaming that FFVII (FFVI, FFIX, FFX, etc...) wishes they could be.
Before continuing, it is worth noting that I am willing to listen to arguments against the points made but that I personally shall not warrant them any credibility.
I apologise for the fact that most of the following shall compare VIII to VII. I know it's insulting to VIII to have VII mentioned in the same sentence, so I apologise again for doing so. I can only attempt to excuse my doing so because many site VII as THE RPG to beat. My successful attempt to do so makes VIII THE RPG to beat.
Let's break it down into sections, shall we?
Music - Nobuo Uematsu is on top form (or is that "average" for him?) His skills should be noted for VII as well, but in my opinion VIII's soundtrack is only rivaled by that of Chrono Cross for the title of "Best RPG Score of all-time". The list of notable tracks for VIII include Maybe I'm a Lion, Blue Fields, Shuffle or Boogie, Heresy (my personal favourite) and, of course, Liberi Fatali. Other tracks like Compression of Time and FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC really generate an emotive atmosphere and deliver a sense of urgency to the events at hand. I haven't yet touched upon the most important themes of the game, those being the regular and boss battle themes. The most well-crafted battle theme I have ever had the pleasure of listening to is that of Grandia. However, ignoring that briefly allows me to praise the expertly-crafted battle theme of FFVIII. As I listen to it now, I can instantly and vividly see the animation sequence for the summoning of Ifrit, Shiva and Quetzacotl. The memories attached are what make the emotive tracks truly individual to each gamer.
Gameplay - The "Bread and Butter" of any game is the actual gameplay. Music and story are important when considering the game as a whole, but if you can't play the game then you don't get to experience the other aspects during the latter stages. The gameplay itself doesn't change too much from that of FFVII. By this, I mean that you have pre-rendered backgrounds which the character walks along (increasing and decreasing in size to give a sense of scale). It's a relatively cheap trick, but works very well in both games. To distinguish FFVIII from VII in the category of general gameplay would be foolish. For that reason, I won't.
Battle System - This is where many believe that FFVIII falls down. They are mistaken. The battle system in FFVIII outclasses every other RPG you can think of (with the notable exception of Grandia II - in which the use of FMV is a master stroke). The Junction System took a lot of flack initially. This was largely to do with the fact that people had spent ages generating the best combinations of Materia in the previous game. These people have my sympathy, but also generate a lot of anger in me at how narrow-minded they were about the change. The Junction System allowed people to customise each fighter for a specific fight by drawing from one area (making it weaker) to boost another. This idea of all or nothing differs from the VII approach of "let's make an all-around powerhouse with particular dominance in...!" The Junction System is too complex to keep detailing, so I'll move onto the Limit Breaks. It's the age-old question; "Omnislash versus Lionheart". Many couldn't care less, myself included, but the answer is obvious. Omnislash is a "from rest" move that delivers around 149,985 damage. Lionheart can only be delivered after the Renzokuken, which delivers between 50,000 and 100,000 on it's own. The Lionheart then delivers 179,982 extra. Attempt the mathematics and you have to concur that 229, 982 > 149, 985. As for which looks better, I simply point out that the Lionheart's opening strike knocks the opponent miles into the air. Again, no contest.
The other characters Limit Breaks in VIII are rather disappointing (excluding the omnipotent Duel). FFVII wins overall here. I won't attempt to lie.
Story - FFVIII is regarded at having the worse story of any Final Fantasy. That includes the original FF! How can anyone seriously justify such a claim? Many people like to focus on the Orphanage connection, claiming that the game is "wrapped up" with a bow here and loses a lot of credibility. Once again, they are mistaken. The seven teenagers were raised by Edea at the orphanage and then started using GF's (which we're told is like taking a potent drug). That said, if I could summon Alexander at will then I'd risk it! They were raised to be the best and eventually shone through as such. When their skills are recognised individually, they get re-united for one of the first discs incredibly political events - The Assassination. SeeD represents the best of the best. Of the best. They respond to a threat posed by a Sorceress by attempting to shoot her when she appears publicly. Anyone who claims they weren't drawn in when Squall jumped down and drove that car towards the gate tower are simply liars. But then again, people don't remember the fantastic parts of the first disc, like the superb train hi-jacking and just continue to moan about the "tie-up" in disc 2. The story is multi-layered as well, with the man seeking acceptance (Seifer) who eventually turns to Edea because she praises him when others won't. The Laguna side-story which Ellone forces you to undertake. The potential escape of Adel. The war between Balamb and Galbadia. Irrelevant, because THEY ALL WENT TO THE SAME ORPHANAGE AND NO-ONE REMEMBERS IT. Pathetic. The only real reason people want a sequel to VII is because the end wasn't satisfying enough for the amount of time invested. FFVIII does not have the same requests because there can be no sequel. The story makes sure it is self-contained (and with that, the SINGLE BIGGEST "reason" VII is better than VIII is debunked).
In Conclusion - FFVIII is (in my opinion) the best RPG to date because it is the only one that doesn't really patronise the gamers intellect during the storyline progression. For many kids, their inability to grasp the multi-layered story meant that they simply rejected it. It is almost certainly true that this game rests in the collection of many homes due to the success of it's predecessor, but those who came to it with an open mind are the only ones who truly appreciated it. The only error Squaresoft made with this game was aiming it at a market group that wasn't going to purchase it. "Tweenagers" don't get it. Females don't like the lack of cutesy characters. It's a tough break for them, really. They produced a masterpiece and lost half an audience because they opted for realism rather than "monkey-tails".
It's important to look at the Squaresoft staff as well. Many retired after VIII (happy with a job well done). XI promptly sold out to the females and then X simply sold out altogether. The new management obviously felt money was more important (I can't blame them after the disappointing movie sales), but this decision also means they will never get to make another VII or VIII.
There has to be something unique to get most people to sit down and dedicate 80 hours or so to a single game. Something they haven't had and couldn't get elsewhere. Grandia and FFVIII are two games that can deliver in this area. Many prefer FFVII to FFVIII simply because they played VII first and are stubborn. They remind me of XBOX owners. They don't like the fact that the others are ignoring their rants and claims because they are quite happy with their PS2, so they shout a bit louder.
I end with a simple question: Why is it that FFVII fanboys constantly need re-enforcement in their opinions and FFVIII fanboys don't?
I have been asked to discuss (albeit probably not as in depth as I would verbally) the reasons why FFVIII is the masterpiece of RPG gaming that FFVII (FFVI, FFIX, FFX, etc...) wishes they could be.
Before continuing, it is worth noting that I am willing to listen to arguments against the points made but that I personally shall not warrant them any credibility.
I apologise for the fact that most of the following shall compare VIII to VII. I know it's insulting to VIII to have VII mentioned in the same sentence, so I apologise again for doing so. I can only attempt to excuse my doing so because many site VII as THE RPG to beat. My successful attempt to do so makes VIII THE RPG to beat.
Let's break it down into sections, shall we?
Music - Nobuo Uematsu is on top form (or is that "average" for him?) His skills should be noted for VII as well, but in my opinion VIII's soundtrack is only rivaled by that of Chrono Cross for the title of "Best RPG Score of all-time". The list of notable tracks for VIII include Maybe I'm a Lion, Blue Fields, Shuffle or Boogie, Heresy (my personal favourite) and, of course, Liberi Fatali. Other tracks like Compression of Time and FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC really generate an emotive atmosphere and deliver a sense of urgency to the events at hand. I haven't yet touched upon the most important themes of the game, those being the regular and boss battle themes. The most well-crafted battle theme I have ever had the pleasure of listening to is that of Grandia. However, ignoring that briefly allows me to praise the expertly-crafted battle theme of FFVIII. As I listen to it now, I can instantly and vividly see the animation sequence for the summoning of Ifrit, Shiva and Quetzacotl. The memories attached are what make the emotive tracks truly individual to each gamer.
Gameplay - The "Bread and Butter" of any game is the actual gameplay. Music and story are important when considering the game as a whole, but if you can't play the game then you don't get to experience the other aspects during the latter stages. The gameplay itself doesn't change too much from that of FFVII. By this, I mean that you have pre-rendered backgrounds which the character walks along (increasing and decreasing in size to give a sense of scale). It's a relatively cheap trick, but works very well in both games. To distinguish FFVIII from VII in the category of general gameplay would be foolish. For that reason, I won't.
Battle System - This is where many believe that FFVIII falls down. They are mistaken. The battle system in FFVIII outclasses every other RPG you can think of (with the notable exception of Grandia II - in which the use of FMV is a master stroke). The Junction System took a lot of flack initially. This was largely to do with the fact that people had spent ages generating the best combinations of Materia in the previous game. These people have my sympathy, but also generate a lot of anger in me at how narrow-minded they were about the change. The Junction System allowed people to customise each fighter for a specific fight by drawing from one area (making it weaker) to boost another. This idea of all or nothing differs from the VII approach of "let's make an all-around powerhouse with particular dominance in...!" The Junction System is too complex to keep detailing, so I'll move onto the Limit Breaks. It's the age-old question; "Omnislash versus Lionheart". Many couldn't care less, myself included, but the answer is obvious. Omnislash is a "from rest" move that delivers around 149,985 damage. Lionheart can only be delivered after the Renzokuken, which delivers between 50,000 and 100,000 on it's own. The Lionheart then delivers 179,982 extra. Attempt the mathematics and you have to concur that 229, 982 > 149, 985. As for which looks better, I simply point out that the Lionheart's opening strike knocks the opponent miles into the air. Again, no contest.
The other characters Limit Breaks in VIII are rather disappointing (excluding the omnipotent Duel). FFVII wins overall here. I won't attempt to lie.
Story - FFVIII is regarded at having the worse story of any Final Fantasy. That includes the original FF! How can anyone seriously justify such a claim? Many people like to focus on the Orphanage connection, claiming that the game is "wrapped up" with a bow here and loses a lot of credibility. Once again, they are mistaken. The seven teenagers were raised by Edea at the orphanage and then started using GF's (which we're told is like taking a potent drug). That said, if I could summon Alexander at will then I'd risk it! They were raised to be the best and eventually shone through as such. When their skills are recognised individually, they get re-united for one of the first discs incredibly political events - The Assassination. SeeD represents the best of the best. Of the best. They respond to a threat posed by a Sorceress by attempting to shoot her when she appears publicly. Anyone who claims they weren't drawn in when Squall jumped down and drove that car towards the gate tower are simply liars. But then again, people don't remember the fantastic parts of the first disc, like the superb train hi-jacking and just continue to moan about the "tie-up" in disc 2. The story is multi-layered as well, with the man seeking acceptance (Seifer) who eventually turns to Edea because she praises him when others won't. The Laguna side-story which Ellone forces you to undertake. The potential escape of Adel. The war between Balamb and Galbadia. Irrelevant, because THEY ALL WENT TO THE SAME ORPHANAGE AND NO-ONE REMEMBERS IT. Pathetic. The only real reason people want a sequel to VII is because the end wasn't satisfying enough for the amount of time invested. FFVIII does not have the same requests because there can be no sequel. The story makes sure it is self-contained (and with that, the SINGLE BIGGEST "reason" VII is better than VIII is debunked).
In Conclusion - FFVIII is (in my opinion) the best RPG to date because it is the only one that doesn't really patronise the gamers intellect during the storyline progression. For many kids, their inability to grasp the multi-layered story meant that they simply rejected it. It is almost certainly true that this game rests in the collection of many homes due to the success of it's predecessor, but those who came to it with an open mind are the only ones who truly appreciated it. The only error Squaresoft made with this game was aiming it at a market group that wasn't going to purchase it. "Tweenagers" don't get it. Females don't like the lack of cutesy characters. It's a tough break for them, really. They produced a masterpiece and lost half an audience because they opted for realism rather than "monkey-tails".
It's important to look at the Squaresoft staff as well. Many retired after VIII (happy with a job well done). XI promptly sold out to the females and then X simply sold out altogether. The new management obviously felt money was more important (I can't blame them after the disappointing movie sales), but this decision also means they will never get to make another VII or VIII.
There has to be something unique to get most people to sit down and dedicate 80 hours or so to a single game. Something they haven't had and couldn't get elsewhere. Grandia and FFVIII are two games that can deliver in this area. Many prefer FFVII to FFVIII simply because they played VII first and are stubborn. They remind me of XBOX owners. They don't like the fact that the others are ignoring their rants and claims because they are quite happy with their PS2, so they shout a bit louder.
I end with a simple question: Why is it that FFVII fanboys constantly need re-enforcement in their opinions and FFVIII fanboys don't?