Final Fantasy VIII: The Misunderstood and Innovative Successor

[@Kurainuz]

FF8 was the first videogame that blew my mind as a kid, the cutescenes, reveals like esthar and the music was amazing. Something i noticed seeing friends play it for the first time is that the less they know about the systems the more they enjoy the game,not knowing how enemies scales lead to most of them not having a complain as they though it was the dificulty progresion of the story, not breaking the game with certain card/junction combos helped the pace and led some of them to explore in seach of new magics,

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

Man balamb taking off was crazy

[@JoeyJoverAgbayani]

you should tell your friends about the drawbacks of the game they might think this game are linear and a traditional JRPG but its not. that why if one my friends or someone asked about playing FF8. i told them its not a traditional JRPG. you will enjoyed it if your into flexibility system of the game.

[@Mallowolf]

This is how I played it as a kid, not getting any of the systems much, pairing characters with GFs based of “vibes” 😂 etc. I enjoyed it a lot until I got completely stuck in the fight against Adel

[@CoolCatDoingAKickflip]

​@@Mallowolf You spammed the GF's didn't you? 😂

[@fallenwing25]

I felt the same way about the twist on disc 2 at first. However, on one of my many playthroughs of this game, i spoke to ALL NPCs multiple times, and that's where you get the missing pieces of the memory loss thing. The garden master tell squall to ignore the gf rumors. Students have rumors about memory loss from gfs. On disc 2, squall meets someone then minutes later, he forgot him already.

[@j.m.3600]

Totally agree, I came to the same conclusion exactly one week ago when I started and finished it for the first time. I thought it was the best FF I’d played and I had played 7, 9 and 10 back to back previously. so that’s saying a lot. I picked it last because it looked stupid. By this point I’d beaten VII, IX and X inside and out. So when I found VIII to be more complex and unusual I enjoyed it that much more. It felt like Final Fantasy for committed experts. The aesthetic of this whole game leaves me wonderstruck and it’s so much fun to collect all the triple triad cards and play cards for hours for elnoyle cards lol

[@tarrmusreviews]

Yeah that would be an interesting experience playing it straight after marathoning 3 of the fan favorites. In comparison to those games it definitely is unusual, but that in of itself is what makes you love it so much. I find the world so fascinating, even the things left unexplained story wise, make for some fun fan theories.

[@supersaiyanzero386]

Dude I never played 10 I watched my cousin play blitz and kill some giant sea monster but that's all. Weird I missed out because I played 7 when I was like 5-30 years old and liked the aesthetic of 10. I played 10-2 though because I liked Paine.

[@stevenrohttis4202]

​@@supersaiyanzero386 I approve of this Paine love

[@robbaskerville253]

This was my favourite FF until I played 14. The Junction system is the GOAT if you play it they way it was designed.

[@tarrmusreviews]

It's crazy watching people bust the game with how they utilize Junctions. I definitely think there's a lot of merit to the system if you take it on its terms.

[@dmann1982]

I played FF8 back in the late 90's on PS1, when I was a teenager about the characters in the games age (17/18). And I was completely unaware of how to break the game back then, so I played it traditionally, levelling to 100 with everyone and everything, getting all the Guardian Forces before Disc 4, all the side content, etc. Only thing I could never do was beat Omega Weapon. It was an experience back then I played it, even with those grainy graphics. And each character does have a story, albeit not always visible...

[@TheBayzent]

I did level them up to 100, but I remember realizing how limit breaks worked quite quickly and sticking with having my chqracters bleeding pretty much every battle. I was 13 at the time, Ultimecia's castle pretty much forced me to learn how to actually play when I couldn't rely on limit breaks/aura for a while.

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

8 was my first rpg and it will always be a masterpiece to me. Usually people complain that the draw and junction mechanic are tedious, and that the game is to easy. Square probably didnt intend for players to draw 3 full stacks of each spell when they find it lol, or for players to have full stacks of the best spell for each stat while spamming limit breaks. If you just play naturally, the game is neither tedious nor easy. It might get a little to hard towards the 4th disk thouggh I completely understand the gf memory loss thing comes out of nowhere but if you can forgive that the rest of the story and world is excellent. As for how it holds up today? I thoroughly enjoyed every ff from 6 to 9 when i just played them recently. Maybe more than i did as a kid.

[@jamesgravil9162]

"It might get a little to hard towards the 4th disk thouggh" Tell me about it. I played FFVIII when I was 13, and didn't understand the Junction System on my first playthrough. Got to the end of Disc Three and got stuck at the battle with Fuijin and Raijin. Ended up having to start again and play the whole damn game from the beginning, since I only had one save on my memory card. Good times!

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

@jamesgravil9162 lol what a coincidence that's where I got stuck when I was 11. Up to that point I basically scraped by with gfs. When I played as an adult I understood the junction mechanics and found a nice balance by not breaking it

[@jamesgravil9162]

@@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725 The other boss I couldn't beat was Diablos. Since FFVIII was my first RPG, I didn't know about status ailments which is the one effective way to defeat him. (Diablos has two attacks, a physical attack which misses if you inflict Blind on him and a gravity spell which takes most of your HP but won't actually KO you. Thus, he's easy to kill if you simply cast Blind and then rinse-repeat Limit Breaks.) Trying to beat Diablos the usual way, when your party is a high level and has low stats, is impossible unless you get lucky. Unlike most JRPGs, you can't grind or brute force your way through every encounter in FFVIII. That's one thing I love about the game. The problem is once you _do_ understand the Junction System, it becomes too easy. I'd like to see a remake or a mod that makes it more balanced for new players and more challenging for experienced players.

[@kylederbymacinnis742]

It's probably my favourite game. I started playing it 22 years ago, and it's stuck with me ever since. I never beat it until probably 10 years after I owned it because I didn't realise I was shooting myself in the foot, but I finally did and it was worth it. However, I think the final disc is just mostly wrapping up the story plot but the main meat and potatoes is the first 3 discs. I love the story. I think it is so relatable and easily the most realistic world they have built. I feel like the magic system was well thought out from a story perspective but not necessarily correct in its implementation. I dont mins it though. I can have a hard game or an easy one and I don't understand the love of souls games that are designed to punish mistakes so people complaining it's too easy when clearly you could just make it harder on demand is silly. The music is amazing. Truly phenomenal and deserving of awards. The entire thematic elements just work so well with the visuals and the songs. I cannot think of a more perfect soundtrack. The characters are some of my favourites and I appreciate their differences and how they introduced them. I would buy this game and whatever hardware I needed to have a 'proper' remake done. Do not mess with the story, the music, the world, the characters....just modernize the gameplay slightly.....and add more side quests and perhaps a real weapon modding system.... More GFs ...and more about leguna....leguna side quests for example would be awesome when you get to village.

[@FuzzMustard]

Damn, I can't wait for the Echo-8 mod. This game is going to be even more amazing with voice acting.

[@ashleyellis8875]

Always loved this I have the HD remaster so more beautiful than it was before

[@PaigeGaming19]

FF8 is my favourite Final Fantasy game, I love the world and the lore and the fmv the music that stays with you long time after you've finished it. Till this day, almost no other JRPG come close to beating it, probably apart from Legend of Legaia which is another classic of the PS1 era

[@Syenthros]

Final Fantasy 8 wasn't my first game in the series. It's not the game I would consider to be the best in the series. It is, however, my favorite game in the series. Everything from the characters, to the music, the GFs and the way game knowledge is rewarded and how the game is super customizable, it all comes together in a unique package that makes me fall in love with it every time I play it. Sometimes the story stumbles, sometimes the systems are a little obtuse, but I love it. Every day I both wish for a remake of the game, while simultaneously wishing they stay the hell away from it.

[@kenlee2746]

As a kid, I believed that FF8 would make a great online MMORPG the way it is set up.

[@penrar]

I skipped school to get this on launch day. Took 10hrs to get off disc 1! Glorious memories 💚💪🏻💚

[@jamesgravil9162]

Final Fantasy VIII is Nobuo Uematsu's greatest soundtrack. Change my mind.

[@Kinda_ANastyDude]

After 7 being my first FF and falling in love with that game, I remember being so excited to rent 8 one day after school. Only to find that the game starts in a school and is such a slow start that I was overcome with disappointment. It wasnt til a friend basically forced me to borrow it from him that I was able to give the game the time it deserved and while I did prefer the materia system in 7, once I figured out the junction system, I really did enjoy the game. Nowadays its easily one of my favorites to revisit and absolutely break and become OP in. I would love to see it get a remake on par with 7s.

[@aaronmcclease805]

Man been thinking that since 7s movie and graphical power has increased since its release although the FMVs imo were ground breaking at the time but i didnt play 7 to know about it, this was my first ff

[@WandererEris]

At about 19 minutes in you talk about how it feels intentional that Laguna's story contrasts Squall's and so on, so I have some news for you. The devs have confirmed that Laguna is Squall's father, and the original plan for the game more heavily leaned into the ideas of the two stories and how they'd interact. They've also said that if they ever revisited the world of VIII, they would rather tell Laguna's story in full than make a sequel. For a long time they'd wanted to do a game with a father/son dynamic, but didn't have the time to flesh it out as much as they wanted, so a lot of it is left implied.

[@TheBayzent]

Dissidia NT definitely delves heavily on this dynamic between the two.

[@jamesgravil9162]

"They've also said that if they ever revisited the world of VIII, they would rather tell Laguna's story in full than make a sequel." I'd play that, although I'm not sure how long I could put up with Laguna as a main character. He's such a bumbling idiot most of the time he's a close second to Tidus from X for Most Cringeworthy Final Fantasy Protagonist Of All Time (and VIII doesn't have voice acting, which is part of what makes Tidus so irritating.) Laguna is kind of like the Forrest Gump of the Final Fantasy series. Over the course of the story, he goes from being a soldier to a journalist to a movie star to the leader of a rebellion to the president of the most advanced nation in the world, despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed! In a game full of crazy moments, Laguna's character arc surely stands out as one of the craziest.

[@rosaheartlily]

This is my absolutely favourite game. I enjoy the drawing and junctioning systems. I love the story, despite its plot holes. My only real issue is the underdevelopment of the supporting cast.

[@johanandersson8252]

Have you ever realized, what is going on inside Squall’s head

[@ballroomscott]

FFVIII is my favorite game and the only game that I play again and again to experience the story instead of just the gameplay. I desperately hope that FFVIII gets a remake similar to FFVII that expands it's story and deepens it's characters!

[@aaronmcclease805]

I feel like 90% that love this game, had it as their first installment from the series, like myself. This is my definitely top 10 favorite goat. Favorite of the series and loved the junction system after not being able to beat Adel on 2 seperate playthroughs and restarting. But i was 9 in 1999(pre-mainstream-internet)when this game came out to reading and understanding conplex systems like the junction system wasnt my forté back then, but on my 3rd start i took my time to understand the jucntion system and them busted the fame wide open, such a great feeling having done that as a child back then on my own. But i also remember thinking that all previous 7 games were in the same universe and how much story i still needed to play/learn. I love this game still to this day

[@dawsonbusenbark3945]

Grew up playing the very first FF and every iteration since. However when I played 8, I WAS an angsty, quiet teenager who had fallen for the mysterious new girl at school - we got married in highschool and it was the first video game we played TOGETHER 🥹 Needless to say, Squall and Rinoa's story hit unbelievably hard and cemented 8 as my favorite FF and one of my 5 all-time favorite games 💘

[@matthewphoenix6372]

FF8 Was my first entry into the series and even back then, I can remember 13 year old me wondering why Draw didn't just enable you to 'Vampirise' (for lack of a better word) magic from an enemy you have just defeated rather than be stuck in an eternal battle just to stock up on Thandaras before the Dollet mission.

[@aroccoification]

Because then you would only get so many per kill or only get one of the multiple spells they have

[@VandalHeart26]

Great and informative video, thank you! FF8 was my first experience in the series and in my opinion the game was way ahead of its time. The inclusion of cars on the overworld map, which you can drive freely, the use of trains to travel to different locations, the party members who follow you on the field and are not just invisible like in FF7 and before. The draw and junction system was a very unique and interesting task, for the first time no MP in the series. Also the graphics look way better than the ones from FF7, more realistic proportions of the characters, the backgrounds, the FMVS were groundbreaking at that time and I remember after seeing the opening I was just speechless. Never had I seen anything like this before, so realistic. Sure, the game still has its J-RPG/Anime moments (like in the prison, once the party got their weapons back and suddenly grow overlarge lol) or some of the character's personalities like Selphie's, but still I think that made the game special. I'll ignore all the hate and proudly say that this game has a special place in my heart, with all its flaws. Still, I hope one day we will see a full remake of this. But I think to produce a remake they have to do some parts from scratch or entirely new, because some parts in the game make absolutely no sense storywise. The story is great on its own, but the telling leaves a bit to be desired. Also, the tutorial section from the beginning makes it even worse and confuses new players even more than they already are.

[@TheBayzent]

Cars for the overworld were already a thing at least in Fallout 2

[@Stevewebstermusic]

Ff8 was my first in the series, I was 14 and absolutely fell in love with it. As I’ve gotten older 8 is one of my favorites to revisit because of the junction system! Seriously if you put in the work in disc 1 you can become an unstoppable behemoth! It’s so fun to break this game in half

[@hortchester1255]

U can create anything with all the tools available today (so many text editors, art apps, irl art tools, voice recorders, etc). So feel free to create anything u want, theres nothing wrong with taking what u like and adding or subtracting it to make it how u want it

[@bryanforsyth1986]

Final Fantasy 8 was the first game I played in the Final Fantasy series. I never played an RPG before this game, but once I got the hang of it. This game quickly made itself at home in my heart. The second game i played was FF7, to me, it was amazing, but using MP for magic was new to me, but i quickly addapted. Then 9 came out, and then I rented Final Fantasy Anthology and fell in love with 6. All these PS1 games hold a special place in my heart, and will love them forever. I do hope that FF8 gets a remake like that of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

[@PauloBranco-i4b]

I think the first FF game you play tends to have a special place in your heart.. This was my experience, and the experience of a lot of other people here in the comments. Thus, we overlooked technical and plot details (most of us were too young to even notice them) in awe of the way story telling could be told through a videogame. I now realize I played super sub-optimally, but didn't even care! Great video by the way, your channel will blow up soon :)

[@TheBayzent]

Dunno, my first FF was VII, but the whole enviromentalist plot lost me half way, my favorite has always been VIII because love to me is an easier concept to grasp.

[@alexanderblum9882]

I remember my uncle having it on PS1 and thinking how cool it was to have an adventure game so long that it took 4 discs. The story is fun and despite being a little wild towards the end

[@rommyremus9650]

This was my first final fantasy. I loved it then, and I replayed it 10 years ago and still enjoyed it. The draw system wasn't as annoying as I remembered oddly. Since I had never played 6 or 7, I didn't know anything else and once I got to that parade scene, I was hooked!! I've played every FF since then expect the MMO one and the hack n slash newest one which I won't ever play sadly. Hack n slash takes no strategy or forethought. When I replayed 9, I didn't enjoy it as much as 8, so 8 was my favorite pre speech FF mainline game

[@williansnobre]

FF8 is one of my favorites. I love the GF system, I like how enemies level up and give better rewards and better challange as you level up, I like Triple Triad and the world building and look of the game is among my favorites. Even the Junction system is cool, although I would prefer if the magic worked like GF, drawn once and equipped instead of being a stock, or if stocked give some wiggle room such as as long as you have more than 50 charges the junction effect is 100%, it would make things less boring for people who like to use spells instead of junctioning them to physical attacks.

[@facundomorera9762]

The juction system gives you amazing build variety and freedom but the draw system heavily limits gameplay. You can't use spells at all because you become weaker and have to farm them again. Also they are weak. You also don't have physical amping stuff like counters, multiattacking, etc. You are expected to only use limit breaks and skills like recover and revive

[@supersaiyanzero386]

Beat it and did a lot of the secrets very early on. Only once in 2022 after getting confused by junctions in 2018. I got all that down and I gotta say I am very ignorant of the story. It was an experience that I am willing to have again. I was enraptured by the plot yet I've already forgotten nearly the entire thing. Balamb, cards, early grind, cafe, sorceress. The only things I remember well are 1. Bosses 2. Characters 3. Flashback 4. The actual peak love scene that involves floating (won't spoil it because idk if the video covers it yet) 5. Some piano girl and that standing out for some reason. 6. THAT BOSS. The only optional big boy I haven't beaten in FF games I've played. I don't even think I beat it with the cheats lmao I remember resigning it. 7. That INSANE SEARCH THING. I forgot but I'm basically pressing X on one EXACT SPOT in a continent with absolutely mind boggling confusion until I got into a guide (how did anyone find out) I'm somewhat glad I forgot some major plot because I want to experience it again just for some of the above stuff. It's like when you read a book in school as a kid and you remember you like the book but don't remember the details much. Like that one with the castle and that beast guy..Igor or something, and Fahrenheit 9/11 and Tuck Everlasting. (NY public schools were pretty great in the 90s and 00s in terms of actually being educated sadly I moved at 12 so I ended up with an SC middle and high education lol but my point remains!) (That book thing is probably the way I'd describe my experience with this game in total and I'll probably play again. Maybe in a week, maybe 5 years. Life.)

[@fallenwing25]

Ff8 was the first game I played on ps1. It was my first rpg and my first ff. While i love ff9, 8 will always be my top favorite! It's so fun, and i love how customizable the game is!

[@anniarry131]

Ive always says this, but i will never tired of it; Everyone needed to know that ff8 were made under a year time. In an interview (i forgot which one), it is said that the staffs were having so much 'fun' making ff8 because they just discovered high quality motion capture and were being silly about it. Also,it is also said that they were preparing for the making of ff9 also (remember, ff9 was released at 99). And thus the reason why ff8 was full of plot holes.

[@reloadpsi]

This is my guilty pleasure game. I admit the game's balance deserves all the criticism levied against it, but that doesn't stop me finding the mechanics insanely fun to play around with.

[@RedlineF80]

I was one of those players that hated junction first play through. 7 was my first FF and I constantly complained that 8 wasn't 7. Then it all clicked and junction became my favorite combat system. I then spent hours breaking the game using it and triple triad. Farming items to get ultimate weapons on disc 1. To this day, draw and junction are still my favorites.

[@DibsEquipped]

I love FF8

This is still my favorite game ever

This was my first FF

[@fallenwing25]

This was lovely! Thank you for this video

[@jachcoff]

my first ff7 and back in the day when it first came out the graphics were insane for that time, it really looked like unreal engine 5 back then

[@blackmagekongs2588]

You spoke my mind. I was always interested in ff8's story, but I absolutely hated the draw system and the level up system. I know I could just playthrough the game ignoring all of that, but also I shouldn't have to. I would love to play the game if they remade the battle system.

[@jackiemiller7265]

I have loved this game for over 20 years ❤

[@adammskii]

This will always be my favourite, I played it so much as a kid. I couldn’t play FF7 past where the weapons come out (ultima weapon flying around scared me too much) so I used to feel safe playing this one. 😂

[@75190255508]

To further dive deeper into the idea of focusing on Squall and Rinoa if you look at the OST there are no character themes. Instead you have a couple of main melodies that come back in different versions throughout the game. Most notably is Eyes on Me. Waltz for the Moon, the song played during the dance scene is a waltz rendition of Eyes on Me. The song Julia plays on her piano is an instrumental of Eyes on Me, and Eyes on Me's lyrics are about their encounter at that bar. There is a lot more around this and Liberi Fatali, from small things like chord progressions to reuse of entire segments, but there is no song dedicated to any of the other party members. Uematsu said in an interview that it was refreshing not having to write character themes. Also, there is a theory around memory loss and Irvine during the assassination mission. He says it is his first time, but not only that, he knows who he is about to kill because he still remembers the orphanage making the shot much more difficult.

[@blueberrymagick]

Im not gonna deny that this game does a lot of weird things, but I will say that when it comes to the DRAW system, there's other ways around it aside from Drawing from enemies, as some GFs can convert Cards into Items, or even Vise Versa, allowing different ways to play even with its main battle mechanic which I deeply appreciate because if you go deeper into the layers of that system, maxing out Spell slots is much faster than what you'd think by playing casually

[@mikishomeonyoutube2116]

Enc None + Card Mod turns FF8 into Yu-Gi-Oh with bosses

[@captainsquarters1030]

FF8 has always been my favorite Final Fantasy. In fact I'd say I am more an 8 fan than a FF fan in general. I love the world, the characters, and the wonderful lore.

[@MagnoDragon8]

For me even though FF7 was my first dipping into the FF series, FF8 was actually the one I really played wholly with my full attention. And it was quite an ordeal.

[@tonymighalls9667]

I played this game back in the day and it was amazing, had it after ff7 and really liked the junction system. Would love to play it again very soon if I get the chance!

[@Bevtone]

Ill never love another game as much as I love FF8! It's a unique game and that is understandably polarising but what it does well it does very well yet rarely gets credit for it. I think there's accurate and good faith criticism of this game but also abertry and pety criticism that could be made of any title, It is what it is but for as much as people hate this game to me warts and all its still somhow one of the most incredible video games I've ever played

[@WhoTao00]

8 is my favorite on PS1

[@WacoAndBery]

I became a JRPG fan because of FFVIII. I remember considering trying it as it featured realistic proportioned characters unlike those chibi sprites before it I couldn’t take seriously 😂 the lifelike cutscenes was the best thing I ever saw in a video game during that time. I loved it so much I spent more than 100 hours finding every secret I could, anything from the ufo, lake, hell island, deep sea center, triple triad, encountering the secret GFs by accident, the list goes on. While some may not like the draw mechanic, I have no issues with it apart from occasionally getting just 1 magic while the other 2 party members draw anywhere from 6-9 😂

[@fallenwing25]

I've always loved the draw and junction systems

[@villainpriest]

favorite ff game 😌 .. if not favorite game of all time.. maybe tied with Chrono Cross

[@SkelvinKnight]

When I was a kid I hated the Laguna sections of the game. As an adult they are my favorite part of the game.

[@NickEnlowe]

I played through FF8 when it first went out. Spoiler-free. Went internet-dark for a week. I had a fantastic time and thought I had just played the best game ever made. The ending being the best ending I've ever experienced to this day just further cinched the deal. Then I went online and was shocked so many people didn't like it. I was like, "Did we even play the same game?" Still enjoy it to this day. And I think a lot of folks overanalyze the battle system and get bogged down by popular opinions. For example, the memory loss is foreshadowed if you pay attention, and the game is not designed for you to sit there drawing 100 spells from every enemy. etc. etc.

[@shayoko6]

it was innovative...not in a good way. but it was NOT a misunderstood experience. this isn't a complex thing.

[@andrewblackmon1574]

Out of 7,8 & 9 I always liked it the most. It was the first one with "real people" and idk...I like the junction system. The menu play was dope.

[@Netist_]

I never really understood the complaints with the draw system and "grinding." It's really a non-issue, and there's no reason to grind unless you force yourself to. Use a few cures during a boss fight? It's really not an issue. Your HP is barely impacted, and next time you run into an enemy that has the spell, you draw a couple. In fact, that's how you should approach the entire system. Draw once or twice per battle and you'll have no problems. When people complain about the draw system, I get the same vibe as people who save their items for "the right time" and then finish the game never having used an item once. The system isn't poorly designed, you're mostly just hindering your own experience.

[@FF8FansChannel]

Simply amazing, isn't it?

[@fallenwing25]

The enemies leveling up with the characters, never bothered me and i never do low level runs. People tend to say this makes the game too easy, and thats why they dont like it. That doesn't make sense to me because they chose to play it that way.

[@metiscus]

Well done on your video, you earned a sub.

[@undeadmaster666]

one thing i pick up on early on with ff8 is its audio que's. during the intro when squalls blade falls from the sky and hits the ground there is a steel like ring from the gunblade. what most, including my friends who also love this game as much as i do missed is that the same steel like ring of the blade hitting the floor is heard during the ending of the game. its very easy to miss it. i personally think from the time you hear it in the intro squall has to fight, but once you hear it in the outro squall has no reason to fight anymore after finding what was missing in his life. its sparked a fair number of debates with me and my friends.

[@santerisalmivuori3872]

Good work big dog.

[@tarrmusreviews]

Thanks boss 🫡

[@tylerconley8761]

Great video man..I recently played through the PC HD port on steam(which I believe you did as well for your footage)..and I will admit I had alot more fun than I expected.. FF9 was my first rpg, and among one of my first games ever..I will ALWAYS love it but its impossible for me not to compare other FF games to it when I talk about my likes and dislikes.. truthfully I avoided this game for 25 years due to negative word of mouth, negative reviews, and low rankings among other titles.. I knew EVERYTHING about it prior to playing so I was on board with the whole plot, but I wanted to experience it for myself, to finally give it a go... and honestly..no its not perfect..its a messy incoherent badly written game, with a plot that far exceeds its station.. but does it deserve to be chastised and pushed down to the bottom of the franchise, no I dont think so.. its a beautiful game, with an outstanding soundtrack that is in my top 5 now, characters that DID warm up after I got to know them, and a genuinely fun customizable battle system that, after much studying to use, does feel VERY intuitive and unique, and can change up how the game plays for you with everything you junction and not junction... you're video proves alot of positive points and I'm excited to see what else you put out mate

[@tarrmusreviews]

Thanks heaps! Yeah there is definitely a stigma around FF8 but I do think like you said it is a beautiful game and I'm really hoping someday Square does remake it. Because I feel like those issues with the writing could be fixed. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with the game and the video! 😁

[@wiezel16204]

ff8 best love story. ff7 best antagonist. for me.

[@tarrmusreviews]

Agreed 🤝. I feel like 7 and 6's antagonists are tied for me haha

[@ricardohuff8774]

I'm glad that this game getting some love, i too love this game as well. I wish this got a prequel and a sequel, i'm tired seeing ff7 get too much attention. I rather have a check than looting a enemy, plus i wish the junction system was permanently maxed.

[@Locke9611]

FF8 Missions really good and excite.

[@Jchillin757]

FF8 is my favorite game ❤

[@aozf05]

I love when people appreciate FF8 but please, for the love of god, I wish people would realize that the Draw system is not the be all end all for obtaining magic. And I don't blame people for thinking you need to sit there drawing magic all day to strengthen yourself. The game does a terrible job showing off its systems. If anyone reading this ever replays FF8, please make use of the Card command. Like in every monster battle. With Card Mod and Magic refinery. It solves the issue of obtaining magic by drawing, and it also allows you to fight monsters as you would in any other JRPGs. If you Card the enemy for the final blow, you still get to have normal fights AND you won't gain experience for it. AND you can mod and refine the card for easy, plentiful magic. For comparison, Card works exactly like catching Pokemon: the weaker the enemy is, the more likely it will succeed. And there's some fun to be had learning what monsters become what items and what items become what magics. I did a casual playthrough a while back and you don't even have to try that hard to avoid leveling or to stock up on magic this way. And using your junctioned magic doesn't impact your stats as much as people fear it does. When you have 100 of a magic, you can use like 10 or so and not feel much difference for it. Also, make use of transferring magic between characters. Stock up more than 100 of a magic and keep the extra on your reserve characters so when you use it in battle, you can just quickly transfer some over and top back up after battle. This game is not as frustrating as people think it is.

[@MagnoDragon8]

You calling Edea...Ada... made me feel like I was watching a resident evil video rather

[@tarrmusreviews]

LOL 😂.

[@Joe_334]

I only ever got into the card just to get the items for the weapons. I only ever had a playthough where I was able to get Rinoa's Ultimate weapon the Shooting Star, on Disc three. The junction system is easily exploitable. I got curagas to junction by the time of reaching Deling City, refined them from Tents from the item shop...Late game HP numbers early on, lol.

[@Masta-Blasta86]

I remember playing this day one when it came out when I was 13., I think it was 9/9/99. At the time the graphics were a big step up I thought from ff vii since they a actually resembled normal people on the map. I never really had any complaints with the game except how the car game rules would change. I know there are guides now but at the time there weren't guides day 1 online with all the stuff. Back then you bought the brady guide and then hit up different places online to find secrets. lol there was always so much bs floating around.

[@AngryStraightWhiteMale]

VIII is my favorite in the series. I started with Mystic Quest, then VII, then VIII then IX, then IV, V, VI, X…VIII was the one that blew my mind. I went from pixel characters to ugly af 3D polygon characters to the absolute beauty of VIII’s characters. I always thought it was stupid the characters jumped into Cloud’s body, b7t in VIII your party members follow you 🤯 you can see them climbing ladders and shit. Way more realistic, way better graphics, way better FMV movies.

[@tuerceviolines]

I do LOVE that game.

[@ProjectIdeal]

For me final fantasy vii // viii // ix are all at same level masterpieces! I think the main problem with ffviii was the beginning of the game. It was difficult to understand gf and junctions. I think this forced a lot of people to hate the game since the beginning of it and created a bad environment for those who were talking about it. It was my first final fantasy at the age of 10-12 and I didn't like it because of that. Once I played FFVII and moved to VII time later I really loved it!! and when played final fantasy IX Is the junction complexity. In terms of story and graphics all these 3 FF are masterpieces! IMO draw system should be less "rewarding" giving you the possibility to draw and draw and draw was rewarding and frustrating at same time, It didn't allow you to enjoy the pace of the game

[@redinthesky1]

FF8 is a great game, only suffering from a lack of gear and skill selection/complexity compared to 7. So, what are your thoughts on 12 ?

[@raphaelcalado4335]

FFVIII hate was a big surprise to me. I always had it in high regard. I struggle to accept it because in my view it kind of overshadowed VII, and as a stupid kid I couldn’t accept this. My PlayStation broke circa 99 and I got a new one in 2000, my dad gave me 8 and 9, I’ve quickly dropped eight to play 9 and it took a couple months before I played 8, I finally did play it in 2002 and it was a revelation, I loved the themes and systems and while the story was convoluted, I’d still enjoy it. Now I think that IX is very overrated, while it is a great game, it can’t be compared with 5 to 8, it is in the same league as 4, a great game just shy of the greatness of the masterpieces within Final Fantasy. FF had an amazing run till Final Fantasy 10, but then we got mmos, the linear nightmare that was FFXIII (in my opinion X suffers a lot of the same problems, but 10 still allows more freedom than 13 which make the game more enjoyable even being so similar), more mmo, and 15 that while fun, still feel bad to play with its poor man action game gameplay. 7 remake to me is a bloated travesty, in a way as linear as 13, with great potential to be great but hold down by the way they sold the game, limiting the evolution and the possibilities within its gameplay and mechanics, I already said that it was bloated? Feel games made me want to drop it so much because boredom, I had to keep on because I really wanted to like it and see the end, as FF7 is my favorite game ever. I think that rebirth have the chance to be better and a more enjoyable experience, I know it can’t touch the true FF7, but I hope for the best, even knowing that Squenix can’t make a great FF even if their lives depend on it.

[@chrysm6842]

I love FF 8.

[@IAmNVA92]

Yeah, I'll watch any 45-minute video defending ff8. Sign me up

[@solonec.4285]

Drawing is definitely annoying. I bypass most drawing and get magic through GF abilities to convert items and cards. You can get some very powerful spells early on that junction better anyway. I don't bother with low level spells besides what I anticipate I will use up on early bosses because it takes up space that you later need to get rid of later to make space for better spells. It also helps if you do the only meteor and support spells on Rinoa.

[@michaelsmith2619]

The weirdest thing for me with ff8 is that you're clearly supposed to be mercenaries. The game leaves no question on that, but there's no system for taking on mercenary missions outside of the main story.

[@mmo4754]

Why would there be anything that alluded to the memory loss? The thing about memory loss is that it creates a blind spot. I thought it was fine. I don't really understand.

[@tarrmusreviews]

Yeah I understand that, but I guess my critique comes more from the perspective, that it's definitely plausible within the world of FF8, but it feels like the revelation is so out of left field, that it can feel contrived. I don't know if you've played FF7 but I feel like there is a similar sort of revelation, which I feel you can kinda sense, but not predict (if you go into it blind). But FF8's memory loss feels more like a macguffin, you could replace memory loss, with a different plot device and it still feels as inconsequential. Keen to replay and reconsider perspectives from comments though. Thank you for watching

[@NickEnlowe]

There actually are quite a few subtle hints and foreshadowing through NPC dialogue and if you read carefully. It becomes clear this is a secret the Garden school administrators don't want the students to know.

[@iyziejane]

Square made so much money from FF7 and other early PSX titles, which in a way was overdue money that they never saw for their SNES masterpieces. FF7 was also more mysterious and weird than their previous games (the storyline of Cloud's past, not being who he / we thought he was). FF8 and Chrono Cross represent Squares eccentric phase where they had unlimited budget and unlimited weirdness. When those games failed to grow the sales compared to FF7, they went back to basics with FF9. Then they merged with Enix and didn't make any more FF games after that.

[@ben9965]

8 is definitely the best

[@acliffy7939]

I dont really get the criticism that junction / draw system was too complicated. I played it through first when I was 12 without the internet /othera to discuss with and figured it out.

[@romeo7577]

if you play it right. you can get 3 super OP characters using junction. the only reason as to why junction dont work for you is because you got used to how easy it should be like in fixed job classes. they did that again in ff9 wherein characters have their fixed skills or abilities and its boring. in ff8 you can build them however you want by learning/unlearning some of the GF skills to suit your liking. junction to st atk can inflinct status abnormalities to enemies like sleep, blind, poison, etc. u can have squall do it, or the other two. its up to you. in short, ff8 junction is for pros.

[@fallenwing25]

One doesnt always have to draw, they can play cards and refine items to make magic 😊

[@triumphoverdeath]

My favorite ff game :) wish it would get a remaster

[@tarrmusreviews]

I'm hoping it gets the remake treatment at some point 🙏

[@shivur5073]

The only issue I really had with the game wasn't a big issue. Irvine not having any reaction whatsoever to all of his orphan childhood friends randomly showing up in 1 place never sat well with me. Atleast make it like where he sort of has a reaction but then tries to play it cool lol

[@Demonskunk]

I just finished playing FF8 for the first time and I HATE it. But unlike most games that I hate, I can absolutely understand WHY people who love FF8 love FF8. My specific issue with it is that I'm not interested and don't have time to figure out the deep and involved mechanics, but I also don't want to use a guide. The game is difficult to play blind unless you have a lot of time and curiosity. It doesn't present a lot of important information (like the gf refining abilities, or that enemies level up with you so leveling too fast is bad) in the tutorials and you're expected to experiment and dissect the game's systems on your own. The translation is rough, and like you said the supporting cast feels stapled on and the memory loss sequence felt extremely out of nowhere. I think there is a good game in here, but I think the people that love it CAN love it because they learned how to avoid or minimize the bad parts of the game. Or they enjoy experimenting with character builds, which is something I personally have little patience for.

[@mattpace1026]

I've recently been on the fence about trying this game, and I'd like to thank you for convincing me it is absolutely not worth my time. Any RPG where leveling up is detrimental to the player is fundamentally a hot mess.

[@gignaksmarfdown4210]

If the Junction System confuses someone they have brain damage cause it's so simple

[@DelectableDays]

Spoony is rolling in his grave

[@tarrmusreviews]

Didn't Spoony hate the game?

[@MrDiscane]

In this game you can hit your allies with a healing whip. 8 of 8

[@__-tz6xx]

I wish they make a FF8 inspired game instead of a remake which is in the same universe as FF8 but with different characters and a much better modern battle system.

[@FastrThanYou77]

No.. 12 is their most experimental. 8 isn't even more experimental then 7 considering 7 was the first more life like futuristic FF.

[@TheBayzent]

Most of the magic should come from refining not drawing.

[@JoeyJoverAgbayani]

well my friend your ranting about the junction systems theres a way to maximize it without using your magic you accumulate and put into your stats. just use item commands to heal not using magic at all. if you need triple magic. use cerberus. for me as i played the game im purely Physical limit breaker party. and item user to maximize the stats i build from my magic jucntions. like i said junction system is very flexible and can be exploited. not like mediocre ff7 and i like flexibility. on the other hand the drawing magic thing is for dumb people. easiest way is to refine from cards its easy as a breeze. those people complains on ff8 games is not understood the game at all. that why i love ff8 of its non traditional jrpg that not conform to traditional. its not might be the good story but its not the worsts. im still playing at my age of 41. since 1999 when i 1st played it. love this game and it will be.

[@tarrmusreviews]

Well my friend based on your rant about Junctions it sounds like you're saying to ignore many of the key mechanics of the game to play it a certain way. Again, I did say FF8 is a good rpg if you play it on its terms. But at the same time, despite being able to draw from Triple Triad cards, that doesn't negate the fact drawing in of itself is a tedious and slow mechanic. Also if you follow my ranting I do have a lot of positives and can appreciate the Junction system, and I agree with you that I can appreciate how it doesn't follow traditional norms within the genre, and it is that reason I can respect the Junctions even if I can mention aspects that didn't click with me. But nice to hear you're still enjoying it after all of these years, that's awesome!

[@JoeyJoverAgbayani]

​@@tarrmusreviews well theres other way about drawn magic aquisition. im just saying thats its more about exploring all options in the game instead on linear and traditional aspects of other title represents thats why replayability is high on FF8. cuz you want to play another way around like exploring what if, posibilities like some speedrunners here on youtube doing in FF titles. thanks the comment by the way. i appreciate your reply. and godbless.

[@tarrmusreviews]

That's a fair point and one I'll keep in my mind next time I replay the game. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! Have a good one 🙂

[@tonymathers8161]

U draw magic like materia. Then junction said materia to stats like 7. If u are dumb u cast magic... but why? The GFs cover whatever elements u would want and more. Like for example triple is a broken spell but why cast triple when cerberus (a GF) can cast it for u. also u can cast directly using a monsters own abilities against it. 8 is just like 7 just more freedom to do what u want. Also limit breakes are the main source of damage just like 7. I played the game 20 some years ago and besides drawing being kind of boring and slow at first.. it really is one of the best.

[@thelastofitskind3034]

To me best final fantasy game ever made but it was sabotage straight up unfinished masterpiece

[@andyb1653]

I loved the storyline, wasn't a fan of the gameplay (the leveling system in particular). If they'd told this story with more traditional FF systems in place, it'd be an all-time classic.