World Analysis-Final Fantasy 8

On my last post, I looked at the world of Final Fantasy 7- a nightmare of unchecked, unstoppable capitalism. But today, I'd like to take a look at a world that is somewhat similar, and at the same time, entirely different. Today I look at the world of Final Fantasy 8.

The world of Final Fantasy 8 is never named, so I shall refer to it as 'the world'. The world is technologically advanced, slightly ahead of our own. Television is high definition, computers are flat screen and use touch pads for keyboards. The nation of Galbadia possesses long range, intercontinental missile technology, jet packs, and militarized robotics. In Trabia, the Shumi race has managed to construct an entire village underground. And that's not even getting into the nation of Esthar, which is pretty much like something out of Star Trek or Star Ocean.

And yet, technology is slightly schizophrenic. Automobiles utilize gasoline, which makes them unreliable compared to electric transportation. And the best way to traverse between continents and nations is not by way of airships, but by train. (Though the trains are fast, to the world's credit.)

The world's trade currency is called the gil. Like every previous Final Fantasy, it is global, and can be used in every nation, even among the Shumi. This can be forgiven as a gameplay thing, but I think that this is something that requires at least a little questioning. Let's get back to that in a while, shall we?

Unlike the Planet of Final Fantasy 7, the world is divided into several nations. First off, there's Balamb, an island nation situated between the East and West continents. 

In the West Continent, there are three nations. The first is the Dukedom of Dollet, a city state that possesses the world's last fully functioning satellite. Dollet is a seaside city, possessing a marina. The city itself is full of cobbled, narrow streets. All buildings are made of stone, possessing neon lights. A ways north west of Dollet is Galbadia, the most powerful nation in the Western continent, and one of the world's strongest military powers. As I mentioned, Galbadia possesses long range missiles, but it also possesses a prison system that can dig itself into the desert sands, a missile base that can self destruct, and the world's finest public transportation system. (Those buses are free, punctual and reliable!) South of Galbadia is Timber, currently under Galbadian occupation. Timber is a nation in a crossroads, a central hub of not just the printed and broadcast media, but also the Central Station for the Western Continent's trains. Every train that passes through the Western Continent comes out of Timber, which may explain Galbadia's interest in occupying this nation.

Running between both continents is a railroad. Yes, a rail system that travels the ocean. Imagine that. Anyway, in the middle of this rail system lays the independent, and artificial, nation of Fisherman's Horizon. This entire nation, which is actually just one big city, is built in the middle of the ocean, atop many platforms and iron towers. There are very few plants, but there is a giant field of solar panels that provide the town with free, clean energy. The town is made of the descendants of several engineers that deserted the nation of Esthar when it was under the rule of the sorceress. Fisherman's Horizon's culture is based on pacifism, engineering, and fishing.

The Eastern Continent possesses two nations: Esthar and Trabia. Trabia is a small, barely populated nation comprised mostly of the Shumi and the occupants of the Trabia Garden. More on the Garden later. Esthar...

Wait, when did I start playing Star Ocean?

West of this place, the best piece of technology is flat screen computers, highly accurate long range missiles, robot spiders with machine guns, and a satellite dish. Here, people have developed force fields, space travel, hovercrafts, cryogenic freezing, etc.

No more needs to be said about Esthar. There is, however, one last location in need of discussion: the southern continent of Centra. There is no one living there. No one. No villages, no towns, no nations. Nothing. Why? Because of a natural disaster that occured fifty years prior to the game: the Lunar Cry.

Every hundred years, monsters from the Moon fall down to the world, causing untold amounts of death and destruction. These monsters fall into one spot on the world, seldom the same place. The nation of Centra, once a technological superpower, was completely destroyed by the Lunar Cry.

The world is one where magic is scarce, but present. Special beings, known as Guardian Forces, possess extraordinary abilities far beyond human capability. When paired up with a human, via the process of junction, they allow the human a limited use of magic. However, there is one human, always female, that possesses unlimited magic: the sorceress. This person possesses unequaled magic, and can transfer her power to another person upon dying. A future blog entry will delve more into this.

The world is highly divided, with every nation possessing a unique look, feel, and tone. An observant gamer may be able to observe hints of each nation's culture. For example, people from Dollet have an appreciation for arts, while citizens of Galbadia have more appreciation for consumer culture. The capital of Galbadia, Deling City, is sleek, modern, with several modern amenities like a shopping arcade located within walking distance of a giant architectural wonder: an arch like the Arc de Triumphe. Timber is very centered on every day life technology, while at the same time maintaining a sort of reverence to the woodlands that surround the city.

Alright, let's ask the burning question. If the world is so divided, if every nation is so different, and if there's a severe tension between Galbadia and everyone else, then WHY DOES THE ENTIRE WORLD USE THE SAME CURRENCY? Why is gil used and accepted pretty much everywhere? What is this, the European Union? Esthar itself is pretty much disconnected from the rest of the world, yet it uses gil? Fisherman's Horizon is located in the middle of the ocean, with the only way of reaching it is via either a boat or by walking on the railroad track, yet they use gil? What? You can make the argument that this is just a video game thing, that it requires suspension of disbelief. No. It works for Final Fantasy 7, because there are no nations and the Planet is under the direct control of a single company anyway. It works for Final Fantasy 10 because the world does not have any nations either and everyone is pretty much united under the church of Yu Yevon anyway, except the Al Bhed. But in 8? It makes no sense! You can make the argument that gil is a special currency that's accepted everywhere because it's special money that is rewarded to the main characters, but that doesn't make a lick of sense! And you can just as easily claim that gil is a special international bond that can be used as a substitute for real money, but that raises more questions than it answers! What organization makes gil? Which organization decides how much it exchanges for? Why does everything cost the same everywhere? It makes NO SENSE! But, as many of you may be telling me: it's a video game mechanic, and I should get over it.

The world of Final Fantasy 8 is a fantasy based on reality. And yes, I am aware that such a thing is currently, as of this writing's, the caption for Final Fantasy 15. Yet we need to remember that Final Fantasy 8 did it first, and did it during a time when the technology did not allow for little more than polygons on pre rendered graphics. It is a world that blends our reality with fantasy, in more ways than one. Of all the Final Fantasies, this one, to me at least, feels both the most real and the most fantastical. A future blog will be dedicated to analyzing the way Final Fantasy 8 blends reality and fantasy to create an experience like no other, and why it deserves a remake. But for now, I will end this entry here.