The Complete Story of Final Fantasy VIII

Welcome to the complete story of Final Fantasy VIII, a game that many consider to be the black sheep of the Final Fantasy series while others consider it among the best it has to offer. As a game, Final Fantasy VIII has come under attack for its innovative junction system that proved too complicated for some to master, or even give a chance, while others found a system that is infinitely fun to play around with and greatly increases the game’s replayability.
The story itself features an intricate plot filled with personal drama and romance, set in a fantasy world wherein military force is considered necessary enough to justify the establishment of private educational facilities that train children and teenagers to become mercenaries for hire, but at least it lets us live out our fantasies of being students in a high school anime. Yay!
But anyway, I’m Pétur from Birds of play, and in this video I hope you’ll join me as we celebrate one of the more underappreciated entries in the Final Fantasy series. It’s time to go back to school. We have a lot of material to cover but I hope you’ll be with us every step of the way.
The script for this video was made in part by incorporating the great work done over at finalfantasy.f....
CG Intro created by our very own Redbird Pétur Breki Bjarnason in Unreal Engine 4.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to the channel! You can also support us over on PATREON: www.patreon.com/birdsofplayYT We're a small channel but looking to do big things! Hopefully you can be a part of the journey! Caw-Caw!

[@AmanTheDisciple]

Thanks for this , it was a really good story explanation.

[@MichaelJones-rz5sw]

To this day Cid in VIII to me looks like Robin Williams.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Then all is right with the world. - Nökkvi

[@nc86prod]

we were saying that since back in 1999 when I was in the 8th grade lol (gosh I'm getting old).

[@dan89156108]

Sh*t, you right

[@miasmia4968]

I literally said exactly that and went looking for the great mind who inevitably posted the comment before me.

[@ravinraven6913]

I can see that, was Cid one of the few characters we didn't get a chance to name?

[@bumpotato1922]

Even to this day, you can see how ambitious this game was. The visuals, soundtrack though story's a little crazy, you can't help but be blown away by the atmosphere it creates

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Love it!

[@olthadir]

I don’t like FF8, It really is my least favourite. That said, the soundtrack is AMAZING. And I constantly try to replay it hoping my mind will change. I agree, quite strongly: I like what they tried to do. I like the ‘idea’ of the story. But they didn’t achieve it.

[@CrackSparrowGaming]

Love this game so much, great video. Fingers crossed it gets the remake treatment because this game could be something special.

[@joshuar.4168]

My first final fantasy I ever played....a classic.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Probably the Final Fantasy I've replayed the most times... a classic.

[@Classiqmusic910]

Same here

[@Kurasai56]

Bro, it's technically the second one I played, but it was the first one I got that was truly mine. Great memories from this amazing game, even if people give it hate.

[@tarancehill651]

Same. Only ever played 8 and 10. Finished and loved both equally in different ways.

[@TheNinjaNiky]

​@tarancehill651 I would recommend 12, a lot of people didn't like the open fighting mechanics but I think they did it well. 8 and 10 are my favorites so I would assume we have similar tastes if you like them as well. Story isn't as rich in 12 I'd say, but gameplay is great

[@mochabearry]

Already know I’ll love this video. I know this is a super unpopular opinion but FFVIII is my favorite entry in the entire series. 💜 I have it on the PS4/5, on the PC, the original discs for the PS and recently got it on the Switch and am so happy that I can take it everywhere with me now. Triple Triad definitely bumped it up for me in rankings. VIII, XII, X, and VII are my top ones, in that order.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I have great respect for Final Fantasy VIII. Hopefully the video does it some justice, even though it doesn't include Triple Triad. Everything should include Triple Triad.

[@Ironica82]

@@BirdsOfPlay As soon as I read the words "Triple Triad", the music just kicked into my brain and I haven't played it in about two decades. That should tell you how great the game was.

[@be88nzdeanzz5]

Same bro this is my favorite adventure game hands down!

[@IndigoVagrant]

The game had a lot of emotional impact. I remember loving the soundtrack and also listening to Jimmy Eat World's 2001 album while playing it.

[@bombermanp978]

Just like squall you are not alone. This is my favorite FF game and one of my favorite jrpgs EVER

[@AndSpaceY]

One of the most underrated games. One of the best soundtracks and openings. Forever one of the greatest. I hope they remake this game one day.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I think VIII could benefit greatly from a remake. Not in the sense that it's bad, but rather that there is just so much there that could be expanded on a little bit more.

[@garethjones4433]

@@BirdsOfPlay well the new combat style they going with will be epic in a lot of moments in FF8 especially the garden battle, that could be so much fun!!!

[@eric_the_red5600]

Would you really want a remaster though?..

[@quananginh9446]

I can't agree with you more. Eyes on me is the most iconic FF soundtrack. This may not be very good of a game, but the story is true to the title of "final fantasy", a fantasy made visible and vivid. The elements of this game just work together so well that the game feels so real.

[@Alexriga]

It is amazing but I hate draw command and spending hours drawing spells. It is booooring. I used gf basically in all battles but animations are too long. Amazing world and vibe but gameplay sucks big time... ff9 aged better because it is easy

[@Shady_NZ]

Having the music change to suit the location of the story being told was a great touch. This was awesome to watch!

[@reallytiredmachinist]

Laguna battle theme

[@dakotawinston7677]

Honestly, the story in this game is pretty bonkers and I absolutely love it

[@joebeast15]

The old Square crew in general was very good at this. They start off with, what seems to be , a pretty simple premise but just expands and gets ever crazier. FF7 is similar in that regard

[@Aerensianic]

I think the game came out at like the perfect time in my life. I was like 8th grade (just before high school) and the more introverted Squall and the developing romance really got me lol. I will always hold 7 and 8 as my two personal favorites.

[@ravinraven6913]

the commercial really sold it for me, hopeless romantic...I will be waiting...I will be waiting here for you, so sappy its good, but this video showed me it was a bit forced and not organic. It happened in the past so it happens now, why get emotional and share feelings when all we had to say was...it was meant to be why fight?

[@laurencebarnes1322]

I can relate to this as well. It really helped me feeling like an outcast in school and struggling with being an introvert before I really ubdtood what that meant.

[@reekhavoc2932]

i miss the days of getting off the school bus, walking in the house, throwing my backpack on the couch, and looking to my right side & seeing the ps1 and the double disc of ff8..mann

[@srirulean]

This is INCREDIBLE. Thank you for this retelling of the story in the most digestible, accessible, and interesting way. I listened to this at work, and it helped my work night fly by. You've got a voice made for this, and your passion for this game shows. I appreciate this game even more so than I ever would've thought thanks to you. I just completed this game for the first time back in February after never getting past disc 2 maybe back in 2000. The way you were able to succinctly and simply summarize some of the plot points helped me gain new perspective on the moments and in turn makes me less incredulous than I was of certain aspects to begin with. Again, thanks for this. I'd instantly jump at another one of these if you summarized other Final Fantasy titles or similar games. Subscribed;

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I can't believe I missed this comment at the time! Thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you've enjoyed some of our other Final Fantasy complete stories by now :) - Pétur

[@hakunamatata3214]

This game is beautiful. I love Rinoa and Squall. Their story is so sweet.

[@kodykitchens7425]

Same. I was 10 when I played this game. Squall and Rinoas pretty much molded my views on romantic relationships.

[@rominabisio1137]

They're my favorite couple 👫😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@DemonSlayer_ISTJ]

Yes it is. Me and my love can relate. It's our favorite FF and 1st I've ever played in 1998.

[@DemonSlayer_ISTJ]

​@@kodykitchens7425I was 10 also.

[@changvasejarik62]

They we’re a cute couple. It disappointed to no end that she never appeared in kingdom hearts.

[@christopherb.patterson1508]

Great summary but it missed one of the most important links in the game - that Squall is Laguna/Raine’s son, and Rinoa is the daughter of Julia, who Laguna fell in love with as a soldier. Their romance also reaches across time and space and is stronger for it.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Yeah, it just tells the story as the game tells it. Would have been interesting to see Squall and Laguna have a father son moment. Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it. Love FF8!

[@christopherb.patterson1508]

@@BirdsOfPlay thanks for the reply! Yes to me their romance over generations was the crux of the whole story, and explained how they survived time compression, and all the other outrageous things that happen in the story. 8 had some flaws, but I always thought it had one of the best romances of any video game, as all roads eventually lead back to it in some way.

[@miruku6939]

That fact is mostly for when fans realize it, since Laguna didn't know his wife Raine was pregnant or that he has a son at all (correct me if I'm wrong!). After Raine dies, Squall was sent to the orphanage.

[@c.k.mcknight8921]

@@miruku6939 I don't recall which characters have the dialogue, but one of them mentions that Raine had wanted Laguna to see their son before she died. I'm inclined to agree that Laguna didn't know anything about his son. I think this is one of the main things that Ellone was trying to accomplish -- changing the past so that Laguna, Raine, and Squall would have that connection; perhaps to keep Raine from dying altogether. But as she later pointed out, while one can't change the past, she was able to view it from different perspectives and see how much she was loved. After her parents were gunned down in Winhill, Laguna and Raine were the ones who raised her before she was sent to live with Cid and Edea. I'm certain she found great comfort in seeing that again.

[@LN-Lifer]

I was going to call you out for spoiling it for me... Then I remembered I was watching a video that tells the story

[@kalebmccauley9578]

I can’t imagine someone not liking this game. It’s a masterpiece.

[@lauriperamaki5354]

Some might think it's too dark compared to other FF games. The dark elements made FF8 just the best. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4qwen-jjpaLiNk&ab_channel=Nano soundtrack still gives me chills 😨

[@bukojoetheslapsoils8273]

I loved it when I was young. I replayed it as an adult, and found it being one of the worst-written JRPGs. "Hey, Squall! I know we're in the middle of a war and you're the general of our army, but stop thinking about the lives of everyone here. You should flirt with Rinoa first." I honestly regurgitated a bit during that part in my replay, and that's just scratching the surface. No one aside from Squall gets any character development. The junction system is very unbalanced too. If you take your time drawing magic from enemies, you can easily plough through the game. All those negatives aside, I'd say that FF8 soundtrack is a masterpiece, AND it gave birth to the BEST MINIGAME in gaming history: TRIPLE TRIAD. (The compound rules gets confusing at times tho.) Is the game a masterpiece? No. Do I like the game? Yes. But only for the music and Triple Triad.

[@duhvidian2369]

I really don't like this game at all. Literally nothing about it

[@bukojoetheslapsoils8273]

@@lauriperamaki5354 what's "dark" about FF8? I can't think of anything from it that's really darker than compared to other FFs. I can say that there are brighter FFs such as FF9 and FF12 but. If you're saying that it's dark because they're using teenagers as soldiers in FF8, you should take that contextually as it seems to not be an issue in their world and it's very teen-flicky, actually. Odin's and Ultimecia's are indeed dark places but that's not really a story tone. FF8 is nothing compared to the dark brutalities of war of FF2 and FFT. Massacres regulary occur in FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7, FFT. Human experimentations in FF6 and FF7. FF8 is probably the tamest FF in it's time as its target demographic back then are teenagers and youngsters which makes sense of the teenflicky story writing.

[@lauriperamaki5354]

@@bukojoetheslapsoils8273 I might be wrong. When I was a kid and played FF8, Ultimecias castle gave nightmares. I didn't understand any deeper meaning.

[@rayusingame]

The Balamb Garden theme makes me super nostalgic, this is my first PS1 Final Fantasy so this is my fave FF ever.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Such a great theme! The music in FF8 is some of the best in the series!

[@LD77forlife]

the way you tell the story is so great. i feel like im reading a book when im listening to you, great job sir!

[@joshuar.4168]

My first ever jrpg.... man the memories.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

"Man with the machine gun", step aside! The "Man with the memories" is here!

[@BirdsOfPlay]

What do you think of Final Fantasy VIII's story? Also, if you like the video and are in the market for more Final Fantasy content, don't forget to subscribe to the channel to become a part of of our growing Final Fantasy family!

[@johncarlolacson3420]

my favorite ff.

[@Jman703]

This was my first FF game as a kid, so the story always has a special place in my heart. Thanks for making the video, it was great!

[@TEDDYBEAR-fb1fg]

great game, it's my childhood

[@rumpelcasiel9292]

you talk to much interpretation about Seifer and little about what ACTUALLY happened in the game between Rinoa and Squall

[@Davidc10]

@@Jman703 not trying to be a dick but I’m at the end of disc 3 and had to come here just to understand the story.

[@JamesAColemanFan]

I watched my friends older brother play this as a kid and thought it was amazing. Then I played it and couldn't find my arse from my elbow with the junction system :) thanks for this video gents

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Thanks for watching! And thanks for sharing your story!

[@Strrroke]

Wait. Junction was hard to understand? I was 13 when I completed the game, and English is not even my native language.

[@awapowell]

*shrug* the average person isn’t that bright, and I believe the tutorials were kinda lengthy; I’m not one of these people, but I’m equally not surprised.

[@justingomez5843]

Wow I'm replaying it now and I'm still learning new ways to use the junction system lol this game is super fun! And the music is top tier

[@atheist101]

I loved the idea of the junction system but it made me not use magic. My stats would lower if I used magic that was junctioned so I didn't bother. I ended up just using GFs since they were so powerful. Made combat get boring and repetitive. Still love the game and it has one of the best FF stories in my opinion

[@johncarlolacson3420]

ahahah. magic was the best stat booster and i too felt like there was no point to actually using magic. gust crit attacks with squall and everyone else on gf summoning duties.

[@ravinraven6913]

It seems like you still don't get the junction system, most characters in the game take more physical dmg than any other...why would you use magic when a normal attack does more? The amount that stats are affected by using magic in FFVIII is so miniscule, you don't have to worry about it. Ultima is great to use as it increase str and magic on a 1:1 scale, if you're using the same thing for the whole game, whats the point of having other stuff? And if the enemy can hit for more than 9999, does it really matter if you have it junctioned or if you're using something SLIGHTLY less powerful?

[@mipsuperk]

I was wondering why in spite of playing the game and loving it as a teenager, I couldn't remember really what the story was. With this compressed version, I know why this utter stream of nonsense was hard to remember.

[@DevicCypher]

This game was never a black sheep of the series. The only thing people got wrong was calling cloud from ff7 emo when he wasn’t but squall was the definition of emo.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Just a perceived black sheep in terms of the reception. But a great game! My favourite Final Fantasy when the mood strikes!

[@cheesekwis]

I was a kid when i played the game. Hardly understood the story and couldn’t get pass disc 2 😢 forgot where i got stuck in the storyline. Still its a nostalgia of my first final fantasy experience 😌

[@krispy3681]

I love it. 8 is hooked to my childhood

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Sounds like you had a great childhood!

[@ravinraven6913]

you make 8 sound like a pedo

[@LadyYautjaSpacePirate]

This is my favorite Final Fantasy! I always had a crush on Squall! ❤

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I always had a crush on this game!

[@jahithber1430]

If only Squall and friends has voice-over this would sound like Thomas the Tank Engine. This is my favorite FF in the series. Very nice voice hehe

[@SebasTian58323]

FFVIII was the first one I played, and I absolutely adore it. I love the soundtrack, I love the visuals, I love the junction system, I love the story, and Eyes on Me is my favorite theme of a game ever, though One winged angel is my favorite character theme. And Triple Triad is still my favorite mini game from the series

[@BirdsOfPlay]

There is a lot to adore about the game! Adoration well spent!

[@eeebee6166]

I love 8, it was my first FF. The junction system isn’t “complicated”, it’s tedious. The fact that you have to choose between using a specific magic spell but lowering your stats if it is junctioned is really stupid. I love the game, but the system is ass

[@dramaquinn14]

Thank you so much for this. I cried so much while watching this recalling my childhood how I played this when I was a child... during my naive mind at that time, I always wanted to find someone to love and receive the kind of love that Rinoa had experienced from Squall. I am grateful enough to find the man of my dream... again, thank you so much for this nostalgic video 🧡🧡🧡

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Thanks for sharing your story! It's always lovely to hear how these games have impacted people's lives in different ways. And thanks for your tears, we feed off them.

[@mezzuna]

#metoo

[@brittani6720]

#methree I hope one day I’m strong, my own self, and find my person to dance with in times of grief and triumph just like then. My dream when I was 14, my dream now and forever.

[@gustavodesramos]

I never finished this title. It was my second ff ever, but i think i was too young to catch the complex storytelling this one has. But man, the graphics were incredible at the time, I watched the opening CGI a thousand times haha. A couple years later I finished ffix, the next title from ps1. Good old memories

[@Maltozombie]

I remember my dad taking me to K-Mart, (yes they sold games) and pointing to Final Fantasy IX, and the cashier grabbed VIII out of the case instead and being too shy to correct her, I went home with what will arguably always be my favorite Final Fantasy. ....Whatever. lol

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Love this story!

[@KrakenIsland64]

45 minutes to narrate can you imagine the gameplay time with sidequests? It's a 100 hour game in godamn 1999. How many memory cards did this game sell 😂

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I've definitely thrown more than a 100 hours into a single playthrough of FF8!

[@QuetzalcoatlMexica]

The black sheep of the ff series, lol, that's why it was my favorite, I was the black sheep in the fam 😎 Love the melody you got playing in the video too, nostalgic as hell

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Black sheeps gotta stick together! Glad we were able to induce some nostalgia! - Nökkvi

[@CoolCatDoingAKickflip]

Final fantasy 8 is the best final fantasy game of all time and that's coming from a guy who has played every final fantasy game

[@xaein9515]

108 hours played, if I remembered correctly, all characters lvl 99, gf 99, all weapons, chocobos, cards collected.. If there was a platinum back then, I would've gotten it.

[@brianvernon249]

Remember, this game is in Charlie’s Angels where Drew stumbles into the boys playing a video game. This is what they are playing. Looks like the Balamb Garden battle

[@nOT_sURE08]

I played the ever living crap out of this game when I was 18 and mastered the junction system. I played through it again at 36 and couldn't figure out wtf was going on.

[@jasper5878]

God I loved this game.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Loving the love!

[@jasper5878]

@@BirdsOfPlay it's going to sound weird, but I was thinking, I really want to play this game again but could not be assed to fight that last battle again. This was about 3 hours before finding your video, which is when. I figured I wonder if there is a play through or a storytelling of this game. Since playing it I have always wanted someone to create a live action of this game. This was also the 1st time coming to your channel

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Welcome to the channel! Hopefully you enjoyed the video. We have a lot of other complete story videos mixed in with other Final Fantasy stuff, so feel free to visit us again!

[@Kefvid]

I believe FFVIII had the best story of the series. Back then the combat system wasn't considered complicated but broken in how overpowered you can get early.

[@AlexLopez-pk3ix]

So broken you could easily grind AP at the beach right at the start this game was so fun

[@azureking2980]

There really shouldn't be any theories at all about this game. They are stuck in an infinite time loop, with the divergence in the timeline pinpointed at the conception of Ultemecia's birth. Upon her birth, her future self had already injected her mind into the past; and, due to those actions? Instilled the need for Cid to create SeeD to kill the sorceress. By her future self's actions, caused a reverberation that made all future Sorceresses conceptualized as evil monsters, that should be persecuted. Then when Ultemecia is born? She is abused and persecuted as a child, hunted by the very thing her future self created. SeeD. Thus, she follows the path of her future self to inject her mind into the past to change things, which only made such an endeavor her own downfall. Luckily Squall and company manage to go to the future to finally put a stop to her machinations, because she had created a time paradox that would eventually lead to the compression, and end of all time. Had future Ultemecia instead went back in time to sway the masses to not persecute and subject Sorceresses to inhumane abused? She would have ceased to exist as the timeline would have corrected itself in her future. She was always meant to create her own downfall, thus why there was a Legend of a SeeD member that would cause her downfall. Because it would have been left behind by word of mouth, upon the downfall of a sorceress to future SeeD that they were being forcefully controlled, and they would need to keep the hunt going until they finally reached the one controlling them all.

[@JeffUK]

One thing I've realised from watching this... I did not not understand this story as a child.

[@Monkeymon51991]

Thank you for the video, was always super interested in this game's story but I really couldn't get into the gameplay itself as it was too different from FF6 and FF7. Great job on this!

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Glad we could be of assistance!

[@outlawgt3045]

I am playing this now. I bought it from the PS store. It's my favorite Final Fantasy even though I never beat it. I played it when I was a teen, got to 4th disc, and it wasn't working. I beat FF7 like twice. I liked FF8 better. These 2 games and Legend of Dragoon made me think I was a JRPG guy but after playing a bunch of others, I learned those 3 games and Chrono Cross were anomalies. I hate JRPG games. I'm like 5 hours in FF8 now and I love this game. I don't care what anyone says. It's $10 in the PS store. 1.8 GB download.

[@gbanks6924]

Damn dude your games listed are everything that i played back when this came out. Chrono Cross was just a different beast entirely. Legend of Dragoon was also incredible. Id add xenogears which never gets its shine. But out of FF, FF* is definitely my favorite and completely underrated.

[@H2Obsession]

I was surprised how much detail you went into and thought "wow, he will have to start cutting things short ... " but then realized your video is way over 30 minutes! Respect for your dedication. I don't see why it gets a "bad rap", there were a few convenient plot contrivances, but not any worse than many other RPGs? Maybe because the story is so good most of the time (I've heard many blame it as Final Reality) those contrivances are seen as blaring mistakes / suspension of disbelief when they happen? Outstanding soundtrack, regardless (hearing the music makes want to play again). The draw/junction system is very diff from 7 but not bad once you learn how to exploit it. People complain of Draw, but the secret is not to draw (at least if in a hurry) and use card/item refinement. I do see how Junction Swap makes characters interchangeable except for limits, but I think the fun out-ways the lack of realism. I still love seeing Quistis in her officer's uniform, and love when Edea joins the party! I kill the others SeeDs and let her go on a one-woman rampage through the plains of Estar. (P.S. she is great for collecting spells, items, cards, and AP w/o raising your party's level if they're all dead.) Ice Strike isn't a great limit break, but I think she is sexier than LuLu from X. The final battle is much better than 7. I have everybody with an awesome setup and enjoy the random selection of party members, occasionally fun to see a character evaporate into time! More fun than switching back-and-forth between parties of 3 like end of FF7.

[@jaybyhop]

I didn't realize this game had such a bad rep? It was my favorite and still is. When I was younger my grandparents said they couldn't find this one for us for christmas (I think it was there but they were cheap) and bought us ff7 instead. I didn't get to play ff8 until years later. I love ff7, but ff8 is the best IMO. The story is a little convoluted but it's visuals, setting, and the aesthetic were really cool. Amazing game. BTW, I watched the whole video in one sitting.

[@Shangori]

Romance-wise, this IS the final fantasy story to focus on. But it obviously is focused on teenagers. It's fleeting, it's flimsy, it's exactly what you want a teenage romance to be. And as a fleeting teenage romance, it's perfect. That's why I love ff8. Yeah, it's not perfect, by any stretch. That is, the story isn't perfect. But I do enjoy the card game, I do enjoy the gameplay. And I like the story for what it is. It's nothing great, but it touches on what teenage romance is. And, as such, I can enjoy it

[@Mashangi]

Just found this channel, this guy sounds like James Earl Jones mixed with Sir Patrick Stewart. Every time he says "Timber" it felt like Mufasa talking to Simba

[@BirdsOfPlay]

That last part made me laugh

[@Ahramanyu]

First of all, I have yet to watch the video, but considering your FFVIII content so far, I am sure it will be entertaining! What I would like to ask beforehand: Would you mind if I made a reaction video to your content? Not sure how the internet etiquette works here, so I figured I should ask in advance.

[@JRTIntervencion]

One of my fav Final Fantasy ❤ i love the relationship of Squall and Rinnoa, and everyone here is so... Flawed. Squall is a mess, but he's truly relatable. I think hearing his internal thoughts is key too, makes him a much more appealing person instead of a flatout jerk

[@steffengoelitz]

Thanks for the great summary.👍 I played FF8 over 20 years ago on the PS1 (WOW - Where has the time gone?) & was not able to finish it back then as a kid. But nowadays I don't have the time to watch, let alone play the whole thing again. Looking back I only played FF8, FF10 (complete), FF12 (complete) & FF14 (a little bit) but the 8th part will always be special to me.

[@NarokathCrimzonAE]

VIII Forever

[@BirdsOfPlay]

The continued existence and appreciation of VIII is the only valid reason to cast time compression.

[@backupschmliff1156]

This game along with Parasite Eve could definitely benefit from a remake. I feel as though FF8's world didn't feel as deep or immersive as FF7's for whatever reason, and it could be greatly expanded upon with a remake. Not like the FF7 remake project, but more so like Ever Crisis, minus the gacha system. A big reason for me is for voice acting as well. Takahiro Sakurai made me love the character on such a deeper level.

[@mabszy]

Thanks! This was certainly a trip down memory lane. 2 details I picked up was the beginning fmv with Rinoa is in fact the end when she sends the petal to find Squall and the narrative where Squall makes a promise to Rinoa is broken by him which I found a really nice touch because she saves him for once after he has saved many people.

[@blackbearddmh1277]

It's one of my favorites 7,9,10,8,6 for me - the process of getting magic was the only downfall, imo

[@Dwakey]

Sheeeesh FF writers need to relax. Sending consciousness across time, frozen prisons in space, an entire cast with amnesia... 🤣

[@bobbydee30g]

Love the junction system. Summons are top notch. Hate the magic with an absolute passion. Love the 3 love stories for the price of one. Straight up classic.

[@actingislife100]

Perhaps if this game didn't follow 7, which became the most popular ff series it would've been more appreciated

[@nicksandz3209]

FF7, 8 and 9 are my favorite games of all time

[@BirdsOfPlay]

The Holy trinity! - Nökkvi

[@nicksandz3209]

@@BirdsOfPlay 🤣

[@JustinHeronMusic]

This game was my best friend, my mentor, and my own private kingdom as a 13 year old.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

You picked a good one 😉

[@JustinHeronMusic]

@@BirdsOfPlay More like it picked me ❤️

[@janocronismo]

Black sheep or not, VIII is my fave of them all. Even above VII or Tactics... Because I was so into cute brunettes, short hair fun gals and tall girls with glasses... Oh, and also teen angst and drama, back when I first played it. So yeah, it clicked hard!

[@jamie4099]

This ff definitely needs a remake ff6 8 and 9 need to be remade for current gen just to add all seeds where fully trained in dancing for diplomatic reasons

[@RedTygon]

There was a lot unsaid between Squall and Laguna, I was really hoping for a sort of stand alone Epilogue game, similar to Dirge of Cerberus, where you control Laguna and get a bit more interaction between him and Squall but oh well.

[@ravinraven6913]

I still don't know what the point of Laguna was, They really needed a better way to tell the story. Quick bubbles that go with random conversation is a great way for people to tune out. By the time I was in the castle at the end, I had no clue what was going on

[@RedTygon]

@@ravinraven6913 You probably missed out on some side missions. There was a few big clues how Laguna was linked to Squall in a side mission at the Shumi village. And also the text boxes were very common back in the late 90s. Just how it were.

[@mazem2981]

I didn't know it was not popular but i kind of guess bc after that VII people's expectation should have been huge. VII and X can attract anyone i guess but maybe not VIII. That said, I am from Japan and I bought and played it on the release date. I loved this romantic story so much. Thanks for the recap. I def play this again on steam in the next vacation.

[@amorarein]

this was the first og final fantasy game that i have finished so this game is pretty special to me. i hope that after the 7 trilogy, they follow up with this one. ❤

[@vincentcrusoe3227]

I hate the fact we all pronounced the names of characters like ellone so different but Thankfully that's all in the past.

[@booradley6832]

"Master Sniper Irvine" So, FromSoft arent the only ones to rip off Berserk for Ideas, eh?

[@thomgeru]

I played all final fantasy games. Even nog, i'm 35, i'm still looking forward to ff 16. Ff8 was great. Maybe, imo not the greatest, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It brings back so many memories.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Looking forward to 16 as well! Double 8 sounds great!

[@entropybear5847]

The people who said this game's plot was too trippy are playing FF7 Remake.

[@jefflinton9851]

I first played this in high school on the PS1. The story still feels like a fever dream.

[@don63]

I thought the battle system was awesome and the story excellent. A masterpiece.

[@LackaJudgment]

Incredible narration! Simple straight storytelling of a polarizing game I wasn’t crazy about when I was younger but have come to really appreciate in recent years. Can’t wait to hear more!

[@MegrimsPR1D3]

this game means a lot to me, thank you very much for making this great video :)

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Thanks for checking it out! So far this is our most popular video. Hopefully that means there is a lot of love for Final Fantasy VIII out there! - Nökkvi

[@erneztortiz6719]

since im a fan of role playing games...new subs here from Ph. i really love the way you summarizes the story.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Glad you like it and thanks for the support! We have quite a few Final Fantasy summaries on the channel, and working on more, so feel free to go nuts!

[@LN-Lifer]

15 hours in and honestly I still don't know what the heck the story is about.

[@alexshinra8406]

For me ff13 is the Black sheep. I love ff8. The best Charakter couple of the entire franchise

[@BirdsOfPlay]

The romance in VIII is great! - Nökkvi

[@jerellhayes2886]

I never liked final fantasy 8 but after hearing this. . . . . I still don't like it

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Haha, well at least you tried! Thanks for watching! 🙏

[@jerellhayes2886]

I love your videos man been a final fantasy fan 30 plus years and counting

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Thanks so much! Glad you like them! Looking forward to many more years of Final Fantasy!

[@nasmakkiya7158]

This was the first final fantasy I ever played, I played it 3 years after it came out, and I was 8 years old, and did not speak English at the time. This is why It is so mind boggling to me why people think it is confusing. We, probably, will never see a remake of this game, because of the negative sentiment it had received way back when, and it is a shame. Such a masterpiece of story telling, and innovation. Kinda makes me feel sad, and frustrated with current culture of easy video games with high financial reward. I think Square did the right thing remaking Final Fantasy 7, and I hope they continue this trend My apologies for the mini rant, this video just reminded me of how much I loved this game.

[@kereksfishies7621]

I love this game so much I played it back when I was 8-10ish because it was a game with ms2 for xmas (I know rightt?!) But It was absolutely amazing now im watching it slightly drunk and like "yeah that happened and so did that" qnd realizing this game was a big part of me growing up

[@Dale-jr7oj]

The junction system is one of my favs. You can definitely get op pretty early

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Would love to see it make a comeback in some shape or form!

[@Faceless_XIV]

The music I spent 200+ hours listening to…..! FF8 was excellent.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

The music in FF8 is top tier! 🎶

[@dreadpirates_]

I always liked the idea you have to beat your summons to use them.

[@Beastlango]

FF8 is my favorite and the only reason I got into the series as a whole.

[@kaincenteno3609]

wow i never understood FFVIII cuz the story was so complicated but this totally made sense thank u :D

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Glad we could help!

[@MichaelFlare]

I have beat this game at least 4 times when I was 9 years old. Recently I’ve been playing FF7Remake and decided to actually read the entire plot to fully understand and appreciate the game. Since FF8 was my most favorite FF (and I’ve played 8 FFs), I decided to watch this video to fully understand and appreciate it too. I tell you right now, OMG! No matter how many times I beat this game, I realize after watching this whole video that I was way too young to really understand the story. Love this video, thank you.

[@Viborgdk]

Damn it, even in Final Fantasy fireworks-kun will mess things up with the girl..... 🤣 On a serious note though, this has always been my favorite and only FF game I've completed. The story is great, and I never did care about this game being pre voiced characters. All the characters had there own unique voice is my mind, just as if reading any book or novel. Also, absolutely love the junction system! Takes a bit of time to get into and understand, but once you do, this game can be so broken! You can have so much fun with it, it's absolutely crazy how well made this game is.

[@bolsaparaprincipiantes]

Thank you

[@BirdsOfPlay]

You're welcome!

[@derekray3384]

Great video! Please do one for Final Fantasy 9 & 10

[@BirdsOfPlay]

There's already one up for FFX, but FFIX is totally on our list, thanks for watching! - Pétur

[@Ranixo286]

Everyone acts like "oh the GF memory loss plot line is soooo out of nowhere" when it's literally in your class terminal that Quistis tells you to check and some of the students talk about it too. Call it unrealistic or contrived, sure, but it was an established thing in universe if you were paying attention.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I generally appreciate how it was subtly foreshadowed, but I also understand that the more difficult it is to access certain information, the less likely it will be for players to find it. That being said, the way FF8 often places information off the beaten path is also one of the things that gives the game such great replayability!

[@reallytiredmachinist]

It's a lot to get used to but it's not as bad as everyone makes out.

[@FUall19956]

I was gonna watch this in its entirety but now that I can't play ff16 and that I've never beaten any ff game, I might play this and get the story that way

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Best of luck on your Final Fantasy journey!

[@JackalTornMoons]

I hadn't played this one; this plot is fuckin' wild rofl 32:48

[@jr3120]

Black sheep? lol. More like my ALL TIME FAVORITE of them all tbh.

[@BirdsOfPlay]

Love me some black sheep!

[@sirownzalotgaming3025]

Never played this game. Maybe I shouldn’t have spoiled it for myself and tried out the remaster I bought and switch years ago

[@BirdsOfPlay]

It's never too late to give Final Fantasy VIII a go! Maybe being somewhat familiar with story might even help, since some people seem to get a bit lost in the plot.

[@jcnunez25]

What: I didn't know that. FF8 was the best FF8.

[@azurebluegames]

7:16 Rinoa & Zell waiting for Squall They never fixed it from the demo 😅 I never properly finished FFVIII but it was the first game in the series that I played so it will always be special to me. Even though most fans don't like the gameplay/story, I love it for the characters~

[@vino.vvveeee]

okay PLEASEEE DO A COMPLETE STORY VID FOR WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY!! ..please??

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I've actually been working on the script! Stay tuned!

[@ianpaduada7259]

The narrator voice kinda intriguing, what country is he from?

[@BirdsOfPlay]

We're from Iceland! 🇮🇸

[@vulcan4d]

It is very unrated because people judged it by the first few hours of the game. This really needs a remake!

[@BirdsOfPlay]

I agree that a FF8 remake has great potential!

[@JarhadiJarau]

wut too complicated? the easiest FF game i ever played compare to 7/9/12

[@BirdsOfPlay]

People probably just didn't bother reading the junction tutorial. Which to be fair to them is fairly long, making it seem more complicated than it actually is.