When it came out, Final Fantasy 8 was quickly (and unfairly) unfavorably compared to its predecessor, Final Fantasy 7. Of course following what many hailed as the greatest game of all time is no easy task, and wether FF8 is as good as FF7 is up for debate. There is no question that FF8 is fundamentally flawed, and many of these flaws bring the game down considerably. But I have compiled a short list of five elements that underscore the BRILLIANCE of FF8, and why it deserves to be hailed as one of the finest RPG's of AT LEAST the PS1 era.
Graphical presentation: I firmly believe that you don't need the LATEST graphics to be a good game, but I also believe that good graphics can make or break a game. It's true that FF8's graphics look old and blocky in this day and age; but I'm not here to make the argument that "back in the day they were cutting edge." No, I'm here to make the argument that FF8's graphical presentation has withstood the test of time.
Do character models look blocky? Yes. They also move fluidly, realistically (barring an exception or two) and most importantly, believably. FF8 was the very very FIRST Final Fantasy to SUCCESSFULLY convey character through motion; from Squall's face palming, to the way he swats Rinoa away during the Fisherman's Horizon Concert when she gets too close to him, to the way Rinoa paces around as she talks to Squall during said concert. Take a second look in that section of the game; in my opinion, it STILL HOLDS UP! Characters slump when they are feeling defeated, hang their heads when they are sad, jump up and down when they are happy, etc.
It's a beautiful game, and I don't think anyone can argue that, back in the day, it was jaw dropping. To me, it's STILL jaw droppingly beautiful in that retro-way.
Translation: We take it for granted today, but back in the 90's video games were NOT translated very properly. For every Ted Woolsey (who often made altering translations that worked in the game's favor) there were at least two Carl Maceks (whose translation works often changed the very artistic integrity of the original work). Many games that were imported from Japan were translated with varied results; some (like Final Fantasy 6) had translations that have withstood the test of time, while others (the original OFFICIAL translation for Final Fantasy 5) had received mixed reactions. Perhaps one of the most poorly received translations in a video game is Tales of Destiny, a translation that SOMEHOW managed to cut HALF THE GAME'S PLOT! FF7's translation as well is rife with many problems, from bad spelling ('off course' anyone?) to what can only be generously called "happy accident.s" ("This guy are sick.")
Final Fantasy 8's translation, on the other hand, is pretty damn impressive in regards to its content. Sure, it does have its fair of amount changes that alter our perception of a character, such as Rinoa's speech patterns. In the Japanese version, Rinoa talks in a cutesy fashion, such as saying Oharo when saying hello, a portmanteu of the Japanese ohaiyo and the English hello. That said, it doesn't take away from a translation that possessed few, if any, grammatical errors and that, changes notwithstanding, properly translated the feel of the game the best it could.
Character Design: Can I just say that I ADORE the character designs for this game? Sure, some are a bit overdone (Selphie's hair is too anime for me) but I believe they are outliers in a game where character designs are, on average, spectacular. In contrast to the "gritty, punk" look of FF7 and the "pretty boy" designs of future Final Fantasies (particularly FF10), FF8's character designs are well proportioned, realistic, and most importantly, aesthetically consistent.
Most importantly, these designs speak on the character's personalities as well. Squall's totally black leather attire is not just cool looking, it also shows off the kind of guy he is: a guy who intentionally projects an aura of aloofness. Zell Dincht looks (and ACTS) like a wanna-be hero from a Shounen manga. Irvine Kinneas looks like (and acts) like someone trying too hard to be cool.
OK, now let me gush about my absolute favorite character design: Rinoa Heartilly. To me, she is the EPITOME of beauty! That gorgeous head of hair, that soft, milky white skin. Those lips. Those eyes. That slender, shapely figure. I better slow down; I gotta remember she's 17 and I'm 31! (Also she's not real)
The Music: Does this REALLY need to be said? Come on, it's Nobuo Uematsu! Practically every track he makes is GOLD! But in all seriousness, this game contains many tracks that are unforgettable. Here's a list of my top five, in no particular order:
- The Man with the Machine Gun (quite possibly one of the BEST battle themes ever written)
- Balamb Garden Theme (light hearted, soothing, reminiscent of slow high school days where one's biggest worries were attending classes on time and doing well. Not that everyone had said experience, mind)
- Trabia Garden Theme (an appropriately heart breaking remix of the previous track)
- The Landing (JESUS CHRIST, THIS TRACK IS EPIC!)
- Liberi Fatali (the opening CGI to the game, as weird and trippy as it is, cannot be accused of being forgettable.)
Character Development: Final Fantasy is not new to developing characters. Starting off with FF4's Cecil Harvey, the franchise had long developed a healthy reputation for possessing solid, three dimensional, relatable and/or admirable characters. But FF8 stepped up the game with how its characters developed.
Simply put, unlike previous games in the series, in this game EVERYONE goes through changes. Even the LEAST developed character, Irvine Kineas, goes through some changes. But if I have to point out which two characters developed best, it's easily Squall and Rinoa.
Squall starts off as this wannabe loner, an aloof guy who acts all ice cold to his peers. Let me not mince words; Squall in Disc 1 is a DICK! He doesn't talk much to his teammates, keeps his opinions and thoughts to himself, and is generally unpleasent and anti-social. Perhaps his WORST moment is him telling Quistis Trepes, a woman in dire need of a sympathetic ear over losing her job, to "go talk to a wall." Jesus.
But he gradually grows out of it. He starts opening up once he starts trusting his companions, who by Disc 3 are unequivocally his FRIENDS! It is also his relationship with Rinoa that helps him mature into a man, one who is OPEN about his feelings, embraces them instead of ignore them, and who lets himself trust others. A future blog will be dedicated to him.
Rinoa, hoo boy. No, I NEED an entire blog entry just to talk about her! Expect one in the near future!
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