Which Version of Final Fantasy VIII Should You Play? - All FFVIII Ports Reviewed & Compared

[@mugenjie]

01:48 “Squall, you’re forgetting something... Your GF.” “No, you’re standing right in front of me.”

[@SeFu2006]

I would’ve taken Quistis over Rinoa if I were Squall

[@chaosyeshua1137]

@@SeFu2006 Quistis is mommy

[@SeFu2006]

Chaos Yeshua a sexy momma

[@skyknight0408]

@@SeFu2006 I would've chosen Selphie and I'm basically as much Squall as one can be. Never before or after this did I identify with a character as much as I did with him. It felt like they took my personality, but made it look cool! And Rinoa was always a bit too intrusive for my tastes. It felt like she was practically forcing him into a relationship and I never really liked that approach.

[@chaosyeshua1137]

@NotJo Mommy is better

[@off-meta-michael]

C'mon square patch the backgrounds with an AI upscaler. Fans have done it on the PC versions.

[@teamhebi13]

i had to stop playing bc of that

[@Nidav3]

They should be able to update it.

[@feenix1033]

I should mention Nomura has publicly floated the idea of a FF8 re-master once they're done with FF7. So not much incentive to make current versions look too great. I kind of hope they don't though. I mean I hope they do fully remaster 8. It was always my favourite. I just don't want it to run on the same engine as FF7 remake and essentially play the same way.

[@P33b4Ugo5omwh3r3]

@@feenix1033 There is nothing wrong with the game engine, it is capable of doing lots of needed things just fine. The problem is in the developers who don't know what are they doing or ignore what their job really is. I rather get nothing instead of their wasted time and resources to make another halfassed remake which is a spin-off milking it with dlc and microtransactions so as cutting the whole game into episodics which is again made to milk the naive idiots. Release the full game respecting every original aspect of it and make it onto two discs if needed or don't do anything at all. In a age where most things are auto generated and user friendly they struggle to use what is in front of their eyes. They make these halfassed craps and wonder why people don't buy enough copies. Put actual effort into your work and do your job properly so your product will sell more. I am seriously sick of this broken game products agenda that is going on, some companies takes one game to develop in 5+ years then they cut it down to episodes or dlc, take 5% or 10% and sell it of a full game price or even more. Even if the game would be on one disc complete it fails to respect the original games story, designs etc, lacks in everything. Where a 20-30 year old game offers far more then a modern day game. So thanks but no thanks.

[@feenix1033]

@@P33b4Ugo5omwh3r3 You don't really seem to accept the gravity of the basic point here. Square don't have the source code for FF8, therefore cannot do the things you're suggesting. The rest of your post is a rant about games in general and nothing to do with FF8.

[@vandyniyomkham5032]

the first game that lets you take a selphie

[@LadyNeeka]

The best kind of Selphie :)

[@Fawlker]

Underrated comment, lmao xD!

[@MoonOvIce]

Oh geez haha, here's your like!

[@Animetion293]

Haha before "selfie" was word or a thing.

[@quarreneverett4767]

remember she invtented facebook

[@Oldscoolify]

I played through 7 and 8 when they were relatively new. Amazing how much the imagination will fill in when there's nothing better to compare it to. I doubt I could play it through again in it's original form but the remaster has been great so far. I remember thinking the backgrounds were such eye candy. Interesting that the Switch version doesn't improve them. The backgrounds really made memorable for me.

[@Rubafix989]

with emulation and the built in upscaler the originals are 100% playable

[@coldheartedsnake2302]

Yea I was thinking about when it came out and suddenly felt like a dino. I got 8 since all my friends got it, psx just got cheaper so finally got one beyond my n64 and the time frame when I finally able to beat time long invested games because I had an attention span at end of grade school (ironic I've lost that now 😅..could never play any game more than 10 hrs before I'm like yea change games then end up forgetting I own it haaa)

[@johntrevor2]

Great Review.. loved it. I completed both Psx and original PC versions, tons of times.. Psx FF8 is a charming release! Aaaaaand... that trick of opening the cover of the CD drive during summoning of Guardian Forces is just incredible! It lets you scroll Selphie's special attack 'Slot' as much time as needed to let those monster abilites come up ('The End', that clears ANY battle in an instant, also boss fights...and more..). But of course, I loved PC version because of the chocobo game (easily cheatable with some easy german application for Windows pc)- the chick levels up and becomes just a monster in battles, especially useful for battles on the world map. FF8 is a lovable game, an unforgettable story, a sadly underrated title. Won't ever get the authors' truth about the Rinoa-Artemysia dualism.

[@theimortal1974]

if it wasn't for the original 8 version we wouldn't have the meme about how he's the most handsome person in the room and then shows his face up close looks it was put through a blender.

[@derp195]

I thought the same thing until I gave it a try. Give it a half hour and you probably won't think anything of it.

[@Gladson]

My favorite FF game. So many memories of the hours and hours leveling up every character/GF to their maximum levels, getting all Triple Triad cards, kicking Omega and Ultima Weapons' butts... I would love to play it again after all those years but damn this new Squall look really pushes me away.

[@VerdeAntico]

oh thanks for saying that!! I feel like no-one is/was talking about it! It is not og Squall! Why they changed him.. he was already enough edgy with his wearings.. why give him a so different head with emo-feminine hairs?!

[@ehcastro3156]

Cant wait for 2029 for the Remake...

[@zul2788]

Well with how ff7 remake is going, I'd be happy if ff8,9 get the same treatment. I dont care if they completely change the battle system, as long as they keep the junction somehow I will gladly play the game

[@HittokiriBattousai17]

They won't, they would remake 6 or 9 before 8, maybe even 10.

[@steviegynwa1490]

@@HittokiriBattousai17 10 would not get a remake before 8 as it still looks pretty good and has had HD remakes anyway its not needed imo

[@TanteiGH]

I cant even see them remaking any other FFs tbh. They remade FF7 for a reason, it’s the most famous, most sales, most fans, most nostalgia etc.....although after FF7 most ‘famous’ would be FFX then 8,13 and 15. 1-6 and 9 just don’t seem like they’re ‘remakable’ in the way FF7 is being remade just because they’re more traditional FFs. Everything after 9 looks good enough to go without being remade so actually that only leaves FF8. And now I’m going in circles cuz I started with saying nothing will be remade. 😂😂 But yeah FF8 is rly the own one I could see being remade, but in the next few years they’re clearly gonna milk FF7R as much as possible. Although if FFX was remade in a new way I wouldn’t be mad lol it was my first game years ago and still my fav. Can’t wait till 2051

[@steviegynwa1490]

@@TanteiGH 13 sucks balls to most ff fans and 9 and 6 are far more popular than 8 lmao

[@Misty25939]

I'm almost 100% sure they used the same Squall character model from the PSP Dissidia game.

[@virusd3090]

same for laguna

[@yagokain4189]

Laguna might be true, but squall is 100% not the dissidia model, i currently play it and he looks different

Don't know but I don't like it very much. Squall looks much better in the older model... Now it looks too cartoonish

[@Misty25939]

@Pokémon & FF fan I also loved Dissidia's graphic style. It reminds me so much of the booklets.

[@darkking_darklord328offici6]

🤔🤔🤔🤔 yeah different lol

[@Jed-Rix]

Squall looks so much cooler in the original version with the way his hair is brushed up. There's just something elegant about it. The remaster version makes him look like he just woke up. I really don't like how they made him look like a generic anime character.

[@juliuspalacios7182]

True

[@sandwitht6264]

Agree

[@robertlawrence9000]

In the remaster I don't like how they tried to make everyone look like they are from a boy band. They messed up how the characters eyes look. The original, even in the artwork and cinematics, the characters had a noir like look in their eyes. Kind of exotic and I really like that better. It's crazy how they have been changed, almost like the ones doing the changes didn't get the idea for the original's artwork style.

[@Jed-Rix]

@@robertlawrence9000 My first reply doesn’t seem to appear. You should check out that mod for Dissidia NT that uses Squall’s original PS1 model. There you can see his eyes up close and it does match his FMV model. It was just the low quality of technology back then that held it back. Imagine if this game was made today. Their faces in real-time graphics would look exactly like their FMV counterparts. I guess the people who worked on the remaster were not the original staff who worked on the graphics. Squall and Rinoa looked exactly like their Dissidia NT designs and that looks like lazy work.

[@MTerrence]

I actually owned the '99 Eidos PC version back in the day, along with the original FF7 PC port! I still loved them, but I never quite grasped exactly how poor they were in comparison to the PSX originals. Even the crappy .midi sound, though, couldn't stop "Man with the Machine Gun" from being an absolute banger.

[@alanlee67]

It was a decent way to play it back in the day if you didnt have a psx. I remember they had higher res fmv. I feel like they tried much harder back then with pc ports than they do now.

[@MTerrence]

@@alanlee67 I feel like a lot more effort and consideration, but not necessarily as much accumulated expertise, may have gone into it. It would have been a vastly harder job in 1999 than it is today, and the optimization (poor as it was) still would have to have been a lot tighter just because contemporary computers couldn't be counted on to be dozens, if not hundreds, of times more powerful than the old PSX!

[@scorpian007]

The PC version was also my introduction to FF7 back in the day. With the included Yamaha XG software installed, the music didn't sound too bad. Without it, sounded awful.

[@requiemforameme1]

Was this the 4-disc PC port that came in a light blue laminated paper-ish booklet? That port was *rough* 😂 Disc 2 would always make my Compaq Presario sound like a garbage disposal.

[@ABaumstumpf]

The midis did sound good with the right synthesizer used - but also the game received music-mods very very early on already.

[@AC3handle]

I was SO into this, I actually ordered the mini PS pocket version. Turns out I still have that. Gives you MASSIVE advantages. The ribbons.

[@ScarletThot]

They turned Squall into a brunette Tidus

[@MoonsideResident]

Oh, you mean anime Meg Ryan? Ugh... you're right.

[@MasterYoda389]

myeah... I absolutely hate the NT dissidia Squall look. Nomura is fucking weird sometimes.

[@VanTT01]

Peter Lazar lol isn’t he gay?

[@TheMorning_Son]

This is why I wasnt that excited about this remaster

[@Jack_80]

@@TheMorning_Son i wasn't excited for this remaster because the 2 ff remasters i have played were vastly inferior to the originals. in ffx remaster i had quite a few glitches and speech cutting out that i never had in the original and they redid the character faces for the worse, no idea why. ffxii was one of my favorite ff games because it was one of the most challenging of them all and in zodiac age that challenge is gone, it went from hard mode to very easy mode with no option to play at the original difficulty i very much preferred. for me at least, i'm convinced they can't even do a simple remaster without ruining it with unnessessary changes. if they wanted to make xii easier for casuals then add an easy mode for them, don't ruin the whole game for those who liked the challenge in the original. as for the faces in ffx, watch a comparison video and like most, you'll probably think the faces look the best in the ps2 version.

[@macbrown99]

I love that they took time to remodel Siren to cover the golden bush but left Shiva's big blue porthole covering alone.

[@blumiu2426]

And Ifrit's flaming man bush. SE is stupid

[@blumiu2426]

@Manannan anam So far it's been Rinoa's small cleavage covered entirely, of course the Tifa debacle and the girl from Dragon Quest Legend of Dai has leggings now instead of bare legs. It's the "black treatment" All the ones I mentioned are covered in black, undershirt, power bra and leggings lol!

[@dxtremecaliber]

@@blumiu2426 well they redesigning it now tifa remake looks good tho it looks better and modern imo

[@blumiu2426]

@@dxtremecaliber I've nothing against redesigns, but "modernizing" is not a good reason as it make little sense in context other than giving character designer something to do. They barely changed anything with the designs for them, though covering Tifa up on legs and boobs was priority. They covered up the legs on the one character from DQ: Adventures of Dai who hadn't for 30 years. SE has a censorship department, so no one try and argue otherwise.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

@@blumiu2426 . I Don't know, I don't care, I just know that Tifa's design in the remake is my favorite, she looks way better with all that black contrast the leggings and the bra gave her. She is my favorite character in the entire franchise, but I always thought her outfit was somewhat simple, and the reason I liked the AC outfit even more, but the remake outfit for me is a total improvement, So I won't complain about "censorship" when she actually looks better and still looks sexy. The censorship of Rinoa's cleavage was unnecessary I give you that one. About Siren, well, I am in the middle, because she actually looks somewhat cool, but at the same time it feels somewhat forced because the censorship is completely obvious there, they should have kept the Steam version, that one was already perfect (unless people really have the urge to see her completely naked).

[@ToothlessGTI]

I've had the pleasure of owning multiple versions of this game, and I have to reiterate your initial point. There is no wrong way to enjoy this game. For all its quirks and shortcomings, FF8 is a unique and entertaining game. I'm currently playing through the remaster on my Switch, and it is particularly excellent when undocked. Also, Triple Triad! 'Nuff said. Excellent comparison work as always!

[@AgosLive]

Hi , how well it runs? 60 fps ? Does have fps drops?

[@ToothlessGTI]

@@AgosLive @12:42 he states the official numbers. I can agree with these on Switch. In docked and undocked modes I haven't noticed any framerate drops or hanging, even when using 3x speed. I hope that helps!

[@CoalWurld]

That’s literally what he said.

[@VerdeAntico]

I don't like the new model of Squall in the remastered though; why they changed him?

[@bipbop3121]

@@VerdeAnticohe was heavily Leonardo Di Caprio likeness (course so was Leon Kennedy this inspired). Speculation: When the pixels are low res, they can get away with it. Maybe even though he don't look like that any more, they can't risk it?

[@jackel690]

I had the PC version growing up, my computer could barely run it. This was the fist final fantasy that I 've ever played, and I still love it.

[@CoalCoalJames]

Thats funny, I had the ps1 version but I emulated it too (never even knew there was a pc version back then). Was amazing back in the day to see a ps1 game running at 800x600 or higher with smoothing.

[@MadX8]

The PSX version is still the best. No dithering and texture wobbling should be great but it actually looks worse on those "modern" ports. Duckstation and FF8 is the way to go, if you have a PC that is.

[@bearsonwelles3407]

I agree. It's pretty crazy the number of interactions it's been through and still the original PSX version is on top. The remaster would be perfectly fine if it didn't have the terrible new character models. I mean they didn't even try to make Squall look right, and it's not like there is some ambiguity because of the pixelated original models, the game is filled with FMVs that show what he is supposed to look like. They basically just turned him into a boilerplate Disney/anime hybrid, which is what they are into ever since Kingdom Hearts. I'm playing it on Duckstation right now. Your brain adapts to the older graphics very quickly, and frankly no version of the game looks particularly good compared to modern game graphics, so who cares. If anything it's much cooler to see how they blended FMVs into the gameplay to make the original game appear better looking than anything else at the time. The train and garden battle sequences blew me away as a kid, and are still impressive today.

[@IAMBrenner]

I got the Remaster on Switch and PC via Steam. I love having VII-X and XII on Switch and hoping mods or official patches will make the PC version of the Remaster even better!

[@HirleyGuii]

IAMBrenner Im from Brazil and i can’t buy from Nintendo Store. It says that the page are dealing with some issues.

[@paperluigi6132]

Now we wait for the Pixel Remasters on Switch.

[@theimortal1974]

it's cool that with only a few different portable consoles we can play 1-12 portably.

[@theimortal1974]

@@paperluigi6132 that would be awesome because then 1-12 will finally all be on one system.

[@EmceeProphIt]

This was really well done, thank you! It's still a little hard to decide, but I'm leaning toward modded PC. Seems like there's no real 'definitive version' otherwise.

[@jesterdayplays771]

I'm playing the remaster nowadays. I finished the original PSX version back in 1999, my first JRPG and RPG is this game. I believe even just the Balamb Garden vs. Galbadia Garden portion of the game deserves a remake like the FFVII Remake. Hoping for Square to remake FFVIII next

[@blueblase9981]

Jesterday Plays Balamb Garden isn’t big enough to be its own game like Midgar

[@jesterdayplays771]

@@blueblase9981 I was talking about the battle scene between two gardens and how it would be awesome if recreated with modern technology. Solely that part of the game makes it eligible for a remake. I don't want a whole part in Balamb Garden lol

[@FollowMe4REP]

It would be a good moment in, like, Kingdom Hearts IV or something. It also would have been an awesome addition to the Mobius crossover except that it would not have fit in with what they wound up doing. Maybe if Mobius gets a proper release one day and not as a maldita cell phone app.

[@Coreisus]

@@FollowMe4REP God I hope Mobius gets a console release with all its updates and seasonal content

[@tmcttf8087]

@@Coreisus Too bad that it's dead now.....

[@ajimit8669]

1999: 11/10 would bang Shiva and Siren 2019: still 11/10 would bang Shiva and Siren

[@zacjohnson8404]

@MaztaPan nah, cactuar will do you, no lube

[@TKMRacer28]

I’d have Zell just to hear him scream.

[@MrBakedDaily]

Bro it's a cartoon basically you alright?

[@fourcrippledhorses]

@Airock the Great who care

[@MilesWilliams88]

@BBG Video87 💀💀💀

[@Bardic_Knowledge]

I think something I would have altered for a Remaster is with the magic system. Drawing and Junctioning magic would remain, but Drawing would give larger quantities (so that you're not wasting time just waiting for a Draw Point to restock) and instead of casting using up what you've got, the power of the spell is based on how much you've drawn. So, for example, having 5 Firaga would have you casting Firaga at 5% strength, rather than using up a cast of it (though that would also possibly involve reintroducing MP).

[@PlayStation360Gamer]

Steam version with mods. HD models, HD backgrounds, HD music, HD menus, HD localization, HD text boxes. The absolute best way to play.

[@louskunt125]

The only right answer. Modders care more about the game than Square. This has always been the case.

[@afxkhld]

hd music?

[@PlayStation360Gamer]

@@afxkhld Roses and Wine. Uncompressed original music files and the option for additional tracks.

[@Demiurge13]

or switch if you want portable which why not when playing such an old game? plus in the undocked mode it looks really good

[@holden6104]

God bless the nerds.

[@MrHakubi]

In case you needed clarification the definitive version of the game can be downloaded and played on PS3.

[@Whit3Wolff]

I hope one day they completely remake it

[@SeFu2006]

If they do more remakes it will most likely be next, it has some of the best art design in the series. Such a unique game.

[@joshshin6819]

I hope not.

[@swiftla]

They have said they will make remakes as long as people want them, so i think it's highly likely this will be done in the future

[@Incog2k6]

I'd rather see Square Enix remake other games. The Parasite Eve games DEFINITELY deserve remakes, as does Vagrant Story.

[@mikealangeloy]

I hope so too, but I don't know tbh. They've been working on Final Fantasy 7 for like 6 years now. Pretty sure it's stuck in development hell

[@sablephoenix4rce]

11:00 The Siren transitions I never noticed until JUST THIS MOMENT that the crotch area may as well have been pubes. The final redesigned version made such a point to redo that area that it just called extra attention to it, especially when juxtaposed with the other images. Not even once did it occur to me. SMH LOL

[@Exeeter1234]

Turning squal into a kpop band member was downright criminal. Squal was conceived from the get go to have a very strong european style to him. Normua himself directly stated river pheonix as key inspiration to his visual design.

[@jcdenton6577]

Tetsuya Nomura is senile

[@Notacka]

I agree his new look is terrible.

[@Mythicalgoon]

Idk he looks the exact same as he used to look in kingdom hearts or any cinematic imo

[@BlueLightningSky]

Then you should take that up with Nomura who designed him that way in both Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts which to him are his canon designs.

[@Exeeter1234]

@@BlueLightningSky They are trash designs. Nomura has only gotten worse over the years with the more creative freedom he has been afforded. Just because he may have had a change of mind or interest, or if there was more interveiton from others to reign him in, the fact remains.

[@alltogethernow2738]

It's not my favorite FF but it has some absolutely superb concepts that we definitely need a remake for. I played it again last year and enjoyed it a lot more playing with a guide for obtaining the best cards for junctioning.

[@BigManTate7364]

This game seems like it needs a remake more than the rest. The concepts it introduced could be a lot better in a modern release. I started playing this for the first time and it's pretty good but the obnoxious trade and play rules in the card games make it very frustrating trying to get the good stuff. A mod or remake could make that process alone easy to change and it would be a very fun game.

[@xXNightmareZero8Xx]

Wow, you got this done a lot faster than I expected. Great work! Thanks for clearing up some of the information I wasn't completely sure on.

[@michaeldy1139]

I played this game in Highschool...God time flies....Rinoa was practically my first love lolz.........:(

[@MrAndrewrock]

same man, good times

[@consolidate84]

Same ×3

[@largeyoshi]

that's just sad

[@alexlight4178]

Same

[@rietzhu]

real men loved Quistis.

[@nigralurker]

Whenever I have source data from hit titles, I usually place it on a harddrive in an unmarked shoebox and toss it into the ocean. I'll hope to find it when the time comes.

[@petitecaptain8525]

There's your mistake, shoulda put it in a bottle

[@gordonfreeman9733]

@@petitecaptain8525 and then sit on it?

[@salvatoremarino4477]

I still think it can get a lot better, its beautiful for what it is remastered esp, it just goes to show how much more it really can be brought still

[@maxmeier787]

It's crazy that Squall looks completely different...

[@xeraliZe]

They completely fucked up his character design imo. He looks like a complete different person. Not even cool anymore. No buy.

[@ItamiNamida]

It's so true. The new charakter design is shit. It's like changing the actor in your favourite tv series. Unacceptable!

[@AsakuraEX]

It’s how he looks in Dissidia..... it’s not completely different it just makes it so his face doesn’t look like a crushed sandwich

[@xeraliZe]

@@AsakuraEX Squall in the remaster looks nothing like the Dissidia NT model. You have to be either blind or just ignorant to not see that.

[@AsakuraEX]

¬ ×erαliZε ¬ Did I say NT? I’m talking about psp dissidia

[@EhCloserLook]

I really can't believe that Square lost the source code for this game and other games. It's just mindblowing to me that a VG company as high profile as they are could do that. And they and their fans have seemed to have payed the price over the years. A sad and unfortunate situation.

[@maiastniki]

it was lost during the tsunami in 2012. they lost alot more than just video games

[@smokey6292]

@@maiastniki No they didn't 🤦‍♂️ the tsunami only slowed progress of currently made games. You really think they didn't back up everything elsewhere? You're a clown 🤡

[@joebone3151]

@@maiastniki thus is why they keep multiple copies in multiple countries now to prevent you have to have the problem occur to learn from it

[@joebone3151]

@@maiastniki also their are higher ups who have it they just want it for themselves

[@acerimmer8338]

@@maiastniki They lost most of them long before that.

[@phunkym8]

oh god those remastered faces are not what i imagined the characters looking for 20 years

[@justingregorylugo5151]

It should of been done with more love.

[@monocyte2210]

They look horrible. Still prefer the original

[@Cooperal]

I could have given the faces a pass if they threw some facial animation in there but with the combination of baby-face and blank facial expressions they have never looked more soulless. It was better when the blanks were left more up to the imagination.

[@monocyte2210]

@@Cooperal definitely

[@MagnusBellatorr]

yeah, they just copy-pasted the dissidia models.

[@darrentg6]

Switch version bonus: There is a physical copy available, the twin-pack that bundles it with FF7, Asia & Europe only(but region-free).

[@PeerwasNOPE]

Even better, i got it today just as i read this.

[@johnalver]

I love JRPGs because reading text gets me into it more then just watching movie like voice acting

[@OwtDaftUK]

I actally like the pixelated look of the PS1 version. I don't understand why pixels are seen as bad for the PS1 but not older systems.

[@kascnef]

Thank God I still keep my copy I actually beat the game with a game shark CD rom on the last disc...it was the first one I beat since 7 was hard. I beat 9 10 10 2 but not 12

[@drippinwet774]

on 480p, when nothing better existed; these graphics were fucking amazing. you kinda just needed to be there at the time it was first released to understand the experience.

[@arx117]

@@drippinwet774 psx is 240P

[@drippinwet774]

Ryuzaki Raiga sorry. i spent more time trying to build social relationships than i did on understanding video resolutions.

[@xerethas]

@@drippinwet774 Instead of acting like a dick, I think what you meant is: "Thank you for correcting the false information I pulled out of my ass".

[@Maxx_XIII]

13:13 The Switch version doesn't have backwards buttons, A button was always Confirm and B was always cancel, ever since the SNES days at least, and Sony and Microsoft are the ones that swapped them.

[@jovan3686]

Yeah but FF8 originally came out for the PS1 and that was the original placement for the buttons so it is fair to say the buttons are backwards on the switch version

[@ProdigySim]

@@jovan3686 It originally came out for the PS1 in Japan, where "O" was confirm and "X" was cancel.

[@KeyToAnime]

Been waiting for this one! Thanks for all your hard work! Really appreciated.^^

[@rianlynn3854]

whatever your preferences are, are valid. I'm a 90s baby I was 9 when this came out, and 11 by the time I could play it. I love this game. Not for the graphics but for the story. I am a hard core believer that the old school bit games are wonderfully charming. You know it was a game, it didn't make the color more vivid that rl. Thats a topic for another day. I have been debating to buy a tv, a ps1 and the ff8 on cd (mine was horribly scratched and froze after you got ifrit making it unplayable, even leaving it on days to buffer) and recently i discovered switch had it. I love the old school graphics, Im obviously in the stone age cause this happened almost three years ago. Id buy a switch just for this game, i kid you not. I love that your doing a comparison of all 3 cause honestly Id still get a tv and ps1 to play the graphics I love.

[@crazymage9636]

Had ff8 on ps1 back in the day, such a great time for video games when you had the time and you didn't get as bored so quickly with a game and move on to the next hot new release the next day.

[@theimortal1974]

i was blown away by the fmv's for 8. it was the first time in final fantasy characters looked like real people outside their portrait's.

[@rogerarteaga2665]

Honestly, this remaster would've been absolutely perfect. The character models are an improvement especially the particle effects but the huge drawback to everything is the loss in quality to the backgrounds and FMV's

[@HollowRick]

Hopefully someone mods it with AI upscaling at some point :D Check out the Satsuki yatoshi mod for FF7

[@keithsimpson2685]

Remaster they look weird TBH. Like looking at the PSX vs the remaster I could tell you more about the characters motivations and background by looking at the grainy old version than the new pretty one.

[@alanlee67]

Yup. Unplayable imo. Lame excuse of losing the original source files when modders took the original compressed backgrounds of 7 and 9 and made them look great for free. Horrible job SE

[@rogerarteaga2665]

@@alanlee67 I wouldnt go as far as saying unplayable lol

[@fishfish2128]

@@alanlee67 fucking dumb fuck play it and shut up its good 👍 😊 😌

[@henrywalker7855]

Good work on the video, and pretty educational. Its never been difficult to enjoy games, and this remaster has rekindled my attachment to VIII

[@iggy9790]

You left out that starting from the moment Cid first talks to you, they frequently missed applying HD to characters models - including Cids while he's standing in front of the sign. All the people who are not walking in Deling City are all PSX quality.

[@ballroomscott]

That's because those "character models" are actually part of the background texture. They did this as a workaround to show more characters on screen than the PS1 was capable of showing.

[@kimiOfDieLinke]

I really don't know why people think the original FF VIII (and VII) PC Version has a different musictrack than on the PSX. In fact they have the same MIDI Tracks. However the PSX has a _way_ better Sythesizer than most PCs have. A simple (yet not huge) improvement is to install a different software sythesizer in Windows. Anyway great Videos :) I like the in detail comparisons you provide for the games - very good work.

[@KasumiRINA]

Software synths are a major hassle, though they are useful beyond one game... You can also use a Creative card and SoundFont, which is even harder to install.

[@chyhart]

someone let me borrow and made me play FF7, my first ever RPG game as a young gamer. I remember being so hype about the next game and going to the store and getting FF8!!

[@Samanosuke1138]

Nomura: "More core players on PC, therefore, they get more game enhancers." Also Nomura: "Here. Now you don't have to make cheat engines. Just take all this and don't mod our game."

[@smashmaster521]

PC players: Challenge Accepted.

[@lantz357]

I still use the cheat engine on remastered. There's freedom in it, like I can have Cactuar GF with Junk-Shop abillity, or I can have unlimited time on Zell's limit.

[@NeedyForMusic]

I like the cheat engines whenever I wanna scroll through the game quickly without grinding

[@Muninnfeathers]

Squall no longer resembles River Phoenix anymore. Kinda sad about that. But I'm happy to be playing it on console again.

[@blumiu2426]

Now the rumors he was supposed to look like Gackt came true lol! He just doesn't look right. I've vowed that whenever I do fanart of him, it will always be based on his first design.

[@kysierkevin]

Bought this for switch and in steam. No regret enjoyed this game so much ♥️

[@calebb7012]

Why people gush over half assed remasters is beyond me.

[@SianaGearz]

I played the EU PC version back around 2000 when it came out! It still had working transitions. The music is actually MIDI based in both versions, but the integrated sound bank in the Playstation game is based on Roland SC-88. In the PC version, the game would load custom DLS sample bank made by Yamaha instead, and if you had a Yamaha PCI soundcard, it could render them in higher quality - i didn't. It was also supposed to work like that on a handful other PCI sound cards with DirectMusic and DLS support, maybe Aureal Vortex, S3 SonicVibes, Trident 4D Wave, ESS Allegro? Not sure. I had none of those either, i had an SB Live, which was really more powerful, but it lacked that feature because Creative are rats. I seem to remember that the game force installed a Yamaha software synthesizer systemwide, in order to support all of that magic and give you a decent sound in case you didn't have the right hardware. Word of note, custom DLS for the game contains a full GM set, some patches outside of it, and some fully custom patches like the voice samples that sing "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" for a couple songs outside cutscenes, so guess what you're missing out on if the MIDI signal gets routed to an incompatible synthesizer! Besides usually all semblance of quality, especially if the synthesizer happens to be the horrible Microsoft butchered version of SC-55 built into Windows, which is subtly mistuned, downsampled, and lacks... reverb, chorus, LFO, LPF, just about every necessary synth feature you can think of. Obviously some things broke, like Yamaha S-XG50 can not be installed under more modern versions of Windows than 98/ME i think. So on Playstation, obviously everything sounds... exactly as it's intended to, and lush reverb hides the sins, and on PC with software Yamaha XG, it sounds... well, more Yamahaish, sharper attack, weaker sustain, overall i don't hate it. Very disappointing background work on the remaster. ESRGAN came out in 2018!

[@jgodden8022]

I'm glad someone else picked him up on the soundtrack.

[@joeldunnington1515]

I’m glad you commented this. I feel like such interesting details would be lost to the ever expanding marching of time if not for people like you.

[@dale117]

Well, we now have a mod called FFnX, which enables analog controls as well as vibration support for both FF7 and FF8, and so much more.

[@milo20060]

Got the remaster now on steam on sale :) Actually I bought all from 7 to 10-x2 ^^ Gonna be fun summer haha

[@mox5219]

Thanks for the video. I just couldn’t play the remastered version, I couldn’t deal with the updated model for Squall…

[@CNM3]

damn this was a super in depth review and super helpful, thanks!

[@Johnwhyplays]

Things like the lack of 60fps menus and analog movement are why I haven't played these games since the PSX days. You'd think that would be relatively easy to fix.

[@ayaanabdullah937]

FFNx atleast makes analog movement possible for the 2013 steam release, dunno about the 60fps menus tho

[@genkaiba15]

I had a lot of bad info about later releases. I appreciate this video so much!

[@kalinaanne748]

I like how Enix feminized Squall. Not. They should have stuck to making him look originally who he was based from, River Phoenix- The remastered Squall VS the CG Squall look like two completely different creations, in a bad way. Enix replaced his wind-blown hair for a anime gel haircut that is also seen on X-2 Yuna.

[@kalinaanne748]

@Final Fantasy XIII Depends on your view of masculine- but he certainly wasn't a male Yuna, may River Rest in Peace. Also, his brother is the best Joker 10/10. Also, it's spelled 'Because' & there is no Z

[@joshua.alvane]

One quick thing I want to mention is the Steam FMVs are the same as the Remastered FMVs, but are different in one respect to the 2000 PC FMVs. The FMVs in the 2000 version are higher-quality 640x480 video, not an upscale of the PS1 version at all. The Steam version took these 480p videos and "upscaled" them to 1080p by applying a bilinear filter over each movie. I wish you had managed to acquire the 2000 PC version in some fashion for a more proper FMV comparison. For the record, Kayael's fan-made FMV upscale (Which does a much better job than the official releases) is based off of the 480p videos from 2000.

[@xenghuong]

The issue I have with 90% of remastered games are the SUPER HIDEOUS fonts they keep using. Makes it look like a mobile game.

[@LunarEdge7]

Which font do you think would befit their text boxes more? I really don't know how any font can be good for this game's plain grey box.

[@mothcub]

the fonts are so much lol

[@patrickweller5254]

I agree so much. I fucking hate the menu's they use too.

[@keivkamijo]

Dude, FFVI modern ports are worse. Overall everything from the game looks like a mobile game made from RPG Maker.

[@Dhalin]

Eh, normally I would agree with you, but in FF8 .... the font is very close to what the original PS1 version had. Not exact, but close. At least it isn't like, say, FF9.

[@KiyokaMakibi]

One good thing about the remaster is they fixed Quistis's nose! Real shame about the blurry backgrounds on the remaster. I'll stick to the original discs I still own :)

[@tehs3raph1m]

Might grab the remaster and upscale all the backgrounds myself.

[@thelastofitskind3034]

They never give the love this game deserves hope one day it gets a real remake

[@solgaleooflight8703]

It doesn't deserve it

[@JakTheRipperX]

@@solgaleooflight8703 Perhaps it doesnt deserve it, but it needs it. The whole junction system can be exploited too much. FF9 deserves it, but doesnt need it for example.

[@solgaleooflight8703]

@@JakTheRipperX ff8 is a good game,(I don't like it though) but there are others who are in need of a remake more than 8, like 6. Besides, the ps1 graphics aged really well and still look good even today

[@mikeduff3431]

dude go back and actually look at ff8, and you'll find it is the worse written game in history. The game design itself the battle are actually kinda cool, then look at the world and story, and you'll find its horrible, the characters and the dialogue are horrible.

[@mikeduff3431]

When i was a kid i thought it was great, went through the remaster with no change too the dialogue and wow was i shocked. The fighting was still cool, but game is too easy but the story and dialogue were cringe worthy. Things happen without ever seeing the cause and the whole world revolves around the main cast.

[@jcfm1629]

You missed 1 more error: In PSX, when sorceress Edea appears in battle, the sound is chimes. But on the Remaster, the sound is Astral Punch.

[@densetsu4286]

Ps1 is known as both ps1 and psx at least in north america.

[@zeroa69]

@@densetsu4286 no its just Playstation/psx. the psOne is the final updated edition of of the psx. not only was it tiny, it had overclocked hardware just like the previous revision, but more importantly it was a portable system with a lcd screen n speakers that came with a car 12 volt power adapter. that and it touted their high end track skip protection from the diskman.

[@densetsu4286]

@@zeroa69 um no. Nobody besides sony has ever called playstation just playstation since the ps2 era. It's been referred as ps1 or psx since then. However it started getting its psx moniker when psone released to distinguish between the two.

[@MrHakubi]

Alright. That did it! Not getting the remastered version.

[@HowlingMad86]

*Witch

[@XellithUS]

Why the hell isnt analogue added yet? Its been 20 frikin years!

[@LIONREV7]

lazyness

[@ath3lwulf533]

Because they had to use the PC version code from what I understand.

[@XellithUS]

@@ath3lwulf533 and they cant add analogue controls to the PC version?

[@ath3lwulf533]

@Frank Marano Pretty much, but im sure modders on PC will look forward to getting their hands on the PC remaster version and mod that. I would much rather have widescreen support over analogue controls tbh

[@ath3lwulf533]

@Frank Marano Well you dont really need a super PC to be running FF8 remaster so a cheap laptop could run this or the highly modded FF8 steam release with no problems at all.

[@devak45167]

Awesome breakdown, really appreciate this as I was debating between the 2013 steam port vs remaster. This gave me all the info I needed thanks

[@lucasmroczynski5543]

which one of you guys played final fantasy VIII when it came out? gimme high five, also you guys remember Vagrant Story? Square made my childhood thank you Square!!!

[@akiinmoonlight79]

i love the remaster ♡ (maybe someone will do the backgrounds justice with a A.i gigapixel mod on steam)

[@UNKNOWNBYTE]

Should go to Qhimm, the main site for FF mods, awesome peeps are already working on a number of things for it right now. ^_^

[@RatusMax]

that's exactly what i was thinking...

[@liokCT]

I was waiting for this video! Thank you

[@minicampell7726]

Every single track in ff8 is memorable.

[@carlotta4th]

The blurry backgrounds are unfortunate and I agree they could have done better improving that--but my god, the remaster looks worth it for the character models alone! HUGE improvement!

[@YuraCura2006]

This is a very special FF game for me. A very special game for me in general. It was my very first RPG, its story is so rich, the characters are relatable and so real, the music is amazing, monster designs and clothing and areas etc - superb! and the gameplay was nothing i had every experienced before (at the time) . i was completely emersed into it. i was obsessed with it. i played until i beat everything, got every item, maxed out all my characters, HP, spells, weapons, cards (well almost lol - missed ONE CARD because of the stupid trade rules!! the guy just wouldnt give it to me), got every item (minus the chocobo mini game thing obviously), defeated every extra boss and got all GFs and maxed them out. Took me two years to beat. i even cosplayed as Rinoa years ago at GenCon Indianapolis. It almost feels like the characters are old friends when i look back on it. good times... oh! and I also have cosplayed as Yuna from FFX (another FF game close to my heart) that turned out to be my most popular cosplay (folks said i looked just like her at the time and my super shy personality apparently helped?). plus, my mother made my costume and staff for that one btw . thanks mom

[@XofHope]

If there's ever a remake I hope they finally use all they had planned for Laguna, which was to take up half the game and had its own maps and all.

[@BenWillock]

I don't get why they didnt just use ESRGAN on the backgrounds.

[@DirectorHMAN]

@Justin Saephan lol maybe they should have spent months working on it ??

[@buianh5083]

Well Raijin now makes me thirstier than before...

[@Peter_1986]

The PSX version looked less pixelated on CRT screens. This is one major reason for why a lot of people insist that old games should be played on CRT screens - because modern screens make old games get blown up pixels, and this is made even worse by the much larger modern screen sizes, and this gives younger generations an unfair impression of what older games actually looked like.

[@dansmith1661]

They still looked looked bad. Let's not kid ourselves. Those rosy goggles needed taken off.

[@Peter_1986]

@dansmith1661 They looked decent for the time. Also, the cutscenes definitely still look good.

[@Sickentist]

Hmm, my takeaway from this video is that the best way is still to play the PSX version through an emulator where you can run it at a slightly higher resolution which makes the 3D models look great and keeps the 2D backgrounds looking good as well. But since I’ve already played it like that a few times over the years I guess I’ll check out the Remaster on Steam Deck.

[@pboytrif1]

The biggest issue with the remaster is the cartoon look they gave Squall. In the original FMV’s.. he had a sharp, chiselled look.. he looked serious and grown up. In the remaster he looks so young and cartoony, completely different feel to the guy

[@don-by6rh]

To be fair he’s 17

[@ranzigerkaefer]

isn't he like 17? What do you expect?

[@randalthor6872]

It's why I can't play the remastered! I think I'll just stick to the steam release with mods.

[@hardgay7537]

Squall was based on River Phoenix. I'd as easily argue he's supposed to look like a 20-something Hollywood actor playing a 17yo.

[@shinra358]

best version is the original emulated with high resolution textures which is now possible with emulation.

[@corehazard4709]

xD no. fuck emulation. emulation is the worst thing you can do. i never enjoyed an emulated game. cause you are using savestate and speedhacks. and thats not how its supposed to be played. crt tv, original psx with original or copy of the game. thats the best version.

[@cookiesontoast9981]

@@corehazard4709 You do know that you don't have to use any save states or speed hacks when using emulators, right? they're just options for if you want them. Also your distain for emulators is completely unwarranted, emulators are amazing because they're the ultimate game preservation, tonnes and tonnes of games kept readily available to anyone to be played at high resolutions and framerates, instead of being completely forgotten on old systems that will all eventually stop working. If it wasn't for emulation then countless games would disappear to the winds of time, never to be played again. Also, you will grow out of that mentality eventually, i did, was obsessed with playing on the original hardware and stuff, until I realised... Why? Why the fuck am I doing this?, wasting time, money and space buying old hardware that won't last forever anyway, and output the games in their worst possible appearance, when i can just have them on my PC at 4K and really appreciate these games how they're meant to be appreciated, the original developers never would have said "yes yes, the best way to experience our game for the rest of time would be on this hardware it's released on now" they would be very happy to know that people are enjoying their game in ways that makes them better than they have ever been. So glad I got over that stupid hardcore console collector phase, took me 10 years to grow out of it but so happy I finally did.

[@zul2788]

@@cookiesontoast9981 i agree with your last paragraph. I'm a big console gamer but after I upgraded the ram of my laptop, I find myself enjoying pc gaming more than consoles Tired of spending money only for games to not be able to be played once the cycle life of the console is done

[@corehazard4709]

@@cookiesontoast9981 ok but i hate emulation anyways. i dont have to use these options, i know but i do everytime because i have the opportunity. i want to play on crt with the original controller. i just dont like emulation.

[@corehazard4709]

@Street Smart Dave yeah im an idiot, because i dont like emulation. sega saturn is the only thing, that im emulating on the pc. i want the original controller you know? i cant play with a xbox controller super nintendo games. i never got a n64 game work properly on an emulation. so i bought an everdrive 64 and playing my downloaded games on a original n64 hardware. its a half emulation i guess ^^

[@rpproductions6241]

I really enjoy your port reviews. There are things I haven’t noticed or known about before. But as I’m sure as someone else has said, you can still get all GFs in the game even if you miss drawing them the first time.

[@Art_and_Logic]

god i love these older games. There's just something about them...more than nostalgia that makes me go back. I played Deus Ex 1 earlier this year and had a blast!

[@ultimategamer4969]

3:26 “you would have to go out of your way to get your hands on this version” Well, about that… Went to the movies today, and my friend told me she went to the thrift store, and got me a copy of the game… so now I have the Eidos PC Version! And I’m determined to play it now too!

[@00Resev]

Honestly, the thing that (really) bothers me, is not having analog movement in the remaster, otherwise, its everything i wanted or was expecting of it.

[@cameron2900x]

Too bad you can’t switch like you could on the ps3. That helped me when I was playing mgs1 for the first time

[@ShockerTopper]

This game is so under rated. I loved it’s continuation of the futuristic theme of FF7. I like a lot of people could relate to Squall as a kid playing this. I did a 180 as I got towards my later teens. But it’s a great game overall, I thought it had a great story overall that at first was confusing but after playing through it enough time everything was very understandable. My party was the “no icky girls club” lol…I used Zell, Irvine and Squall. But to be fair they were the best of the 6 characters. Quistis was a blue mage that was “ok” and had 3 useful spells but the strongest one you didn’t get til the end anyways. Selphie I though was just terrible she annoyed me so much as a character and she was weak, however I know it you tried hard enough you could use her to really wreck…like for example using her random spell to cast Ultima, Triple, Aura, and one other that escapes me at the moment. And then there is Rinoa who was just terrible in my opinion all around even with her witch powers late in the game (theme of all the female characters) she still wasn’t good at all. On the other hand you could just totally wreck enemies using Squall, Zell and Irvine. Especially because you could get their best weapons by the 2nd disc if you worked your ass off. Squall if I remember right you could get Lionheart in the first disc before leaving the Balamb area (if I’m not mistaken).

[@mattstorage7805]

Fuck off, wannabr macho hipster. Quistis, Rinoa and Squall are the best team. The boring males suck. Fuckin do one.

[@mattstorage7805]

The storyline makes NO FUCKIN SENSE, start ro finish. Sorry.

[@bloodrafa3106]

The first FF that i played in my life. Soo good!

[@fvneral666]

Well, I play the original PSX version on Duckstation and the upscaling looks amazing. I also use Lossless scaling on top of it to get more FPS. Resuming - looks beautiful with all the original version features.

[@justmeok2]

I got the switch version along with ff7 twin pack, cant wait to finish digimon cybersleuth to start them both. Loved these games as a kid

[@altrogeruvah]

I don't know, I'm a simple guy, I like the PS1 version best

[@Tavernadolobo]

I also prefer the ps1. It's more charming idk

[@pizzaofdarkness4041]

Of course you think you're a simple guy for preferring the PS1 version because blind nostalgia makes people fucking stupid with their choices.

[@chrisfrench9257]

@@pizzaofdarkness4041 calm down Pinocchio, lol

[@ddnava96]

The cursor "that's supposed to flicker" is actually supposed to look translucent. Many games used 60 fps flicker as a way to achieve pseudo-translucency. You can see this technique in use even in NDS games

[@KooriGraywolf]

Highly doubt it. These games were able to produce actual transparency, so they shouldn't have had to resort to flickering. If you leave the flickering programming but just increase the FPS, then the flicker is so fast that it is unnoticeable and you get transparency instead. A specific example I remember is when playing A Link to the Past in SNES vs GBA. Whenever there were tremors, there was a 2-frame diagonal shaking of the ground. In the GBA version this was too fast, so instead of a clear shaking motion all you would see is the environment getting diagonally blurred.

[@PNWAffliction]

super metroid uses it a lot, so much so that if you record gameplay and lock it to 30, samus is invisible through huge chunks of the game unfortunately along with lava and a bunch of other things. :/

[@b3z3n14]

without a doubt, the original steam version with mods is the best hands down! the modding community have done an amazing job!

[@bonelessthincrust]

10:25 Fujin actually looks cute, and smiles on the PS1 version. Remaster is a completely different person. T_T

[@brandon_leeroy135]

Just bought this on PS4. Last day of Big in Japan sale.

[@MrVidau]

I'll always have a special place in my heart for this game since it was the first Final Fantasy game I really played and finished. It's not my favorite, but you always remember your first. I'm not looking for a remake, though. I hated that consumable magic system and the summons that come, hit once and vanish are also probably the worst iteration of summon you can have in a FF game.

[@Torinna_]

This game has such a special place in my heart. I absolutely love it

[@nifftbatuff676]

The psx version is still the best, in particular if it is emulated with a modern free emulator.

[@miyalys]

17:30 "Final Fantasy VIII remaster doesn't tackle the core issues that would otherwise make it a definitive experience" What do you consider core issues, and have any of those been patched since then?

[@simonvolle]

Oh boy, THIS is the beste review/comparison for Final Fantasy VIII! I love it, that you took your time to go into all the (relevant!) changes in the different versions. I do have a Playstation 2 and the original game, unfortunately I have to stick with it. The missing 60 fps in the battle menus in the PC-Versions is an absolute catastrophe and having only 8 directions to move is just laughable. I am truly disappointed with the new Remastered Version - I do love the new models, but that's about it.

[@excelion3073]

I dont like that new Squall look :/

[@AleksandreMzhavia]

Me neither... /:

[@Ccodebits]

The PC 2000 version looks like its being played on bleem! emulator.

[@jawstrock2215]

The original ff7 and 8 PC ports were pretty much that, an emulator to run the PS game on PC. (Using better 3d card so better graphic -_-;)

[@videodoodler]

4:57 I wouldn't say the Chocobo World game was "unique" to the PC version. The PAL release of the game on PS1 included the game. I purchased a PocketStation from Japan purposely for that mini game. It was the only way to collect all the GFs!

[@elvickRULES]

If you had to buy the pocket station then it is unique to the Pc version as you didn’t need that for PC. It was available on the anA version too, but the pocket station wasn’t released here either. So it’s effectively not released since the amount of people able to use it depends on a Japanese only product

[@thomasdean302]

Being my second favorite (behind 12) as soon as i saw it on the psn for my ps3 and psp i immediately bought it and was pleased that it was almost identical to the psx with the new option for analog movement

[@MoisesAlmeida]

Squall's look in the remastered version is a crime.

[@larrote6467]

Barely any difference and even so it matters little

[@youtubeperson199]

@@larrote6467 It matters a lot i have not picked it up because that is not squall its the kingdom hearts character if you watch the cgi cutscene in the original ff8 then he looks completely different then i hate his voice in disidia he sounds like a Italian gangster like that movie actor Ray Liotta

[@thommccarthy1139]

It is so bad it is unplayable due to it lol