Preach SHOOK by Squall's date in FFVIII

[@russpc9739]

Puts on earpieces and blasts limpbizkit

[@diode_wow]

"Bullshit"

[@kurousagi1239]

"I'm here to kill Chaos, not to hear your bullshit"

[@diode_wow]

Quistis awakened something in me when I was a kid playing this game.

[@mat5669]

Yeah, really liked Quistis and couldn't stand Rinoa.

[@Harkz0r]

Ironically, as a child I had a friend who was really into Quistis because he liked the whole 'hot teacher with glasses' vibe, but I wasn't a fan. I had mixed feelings about Rinoa for the same reason I did about Aerith (I'm not as big of a fan of the flirty, playful types, and I think Rinoa is fairly realistic representation of some teenage girls, which is to say immature). As I got older though, I really started to like Quistis a whole lot more. That feeling of isolation she has, despite being the same age as her peers, is something I can relate to. In fact, the more that I think about it, the more I think maybe she and Squall aren't all that different in that regard.

[@Eric998765]

@@mat5669 Same except I replayed FF8 about a year and a half ago and found I hated Rinoa even more. She might be a bottom five in the entire FF franchise for me.

[@Orih9]

I honestly really enjoy 8's characters. They went for a setting that was meant to feel more real-world in a sense, and the characters reflect that pretty well in my opinion. They are somewhat caricaturesque, but they were the first set of characters to actually feel more like real people and are still some of the most real characters in Final Fantasy. And by real, I mean accurate to how teenagers are in real life.

[@seekittycat]

I shipped Rinoa and Seifer way more as they're both kinda naive but sweet like that. I love Quintis and think she's way too good to date any of the guys in lol she way outta their league 😂. Zell is great though 👍.

[@cheffdonty]

This is it. This is as deep as deep as Quistis character ever gets.

[@Rakka5]

"BULLSHIT" - Squall

[@hortehighwind8651]

As a broody guy I’ve reacted the same as Squall and people reacted the same as Preach has. Sometimes you just aren’t ready for it but can’t convey it that well.

[@PetarBladeStrok]

This is some of the funniest shit I've seen. 😂

[@LobsterFusion]

I love watching someone who hasn’t played the game before playing for the first time. I first played as a teenager so a lot of the cringe dialogue my brain just accepts because that was so long ago. It’s great having a fresh perspective that’s also the same age as me. 😂

[@Scionofgreyhaven]

Always felt bad for Quistis

[@vante2]

"Then go talk to a wall." is one of my favorite lines in video game history *to this date*

[@RadimuxCisco]

Never considered it but Batman's voice fits so well for Squall.

[@KamiSlayer86]

Rofl. God I love this game. It was my first step into FF and will always be #1.

[@equipbasicsword]

Because most people will usually rank their first FF game as their number one, even when there's objectively better FF games. It's this weird thing that so many people somehow end up doing.

[@brennanlable]

@@equipbasicsword "objectively"

[@vteccomplex]

Best and favorite can be two completely different things. 7 was my first, 8 was my favorite, but I thought 10 was essentially the best.

[@jackjohnson8305]

@@equipbasicsword Factually wrong, my first FF was FF15 and that game was garbage.

[@equipbasicsword]

@@jackjohnson8305 must have missed the part where I said "most"

[@vexkin3286]

The writers were in their edgy phase writing this game xd

[@ixtinx]

To be fair, Squall is more of a character in the original language, the translation isnt amazing

[@vexkin3286]

@@ixtinx probably true. Both ff7 and 8 had bad translations but for the record i really don't mind 8 i really like the game

[@justinkam9729]

I think that's a fair assessment for Squall early-game but he does warm up considerably later on. That's his character development.

[@TheAssirra]

There is a reason he is like that though. Not just edgy to be edgy.

[@vexkin3286]

@@TheAssirra i know^^ i played 8 multiple times. Even kinda speedrunned it for platinum in 19h

[@Trebolf]

Holy GIGACHAD

[@diode_wow]

Squall ascended to Terachad

[@seriade]

Squall in na and jp are completely different characters. Somone localized him to be brooding emo compared to the jp character that has lines whenever we see ...

[@azurekite6547]

Even Squall from the french version is quite different compared to the english one.

[@Kazedor]

How did I forget this? My god !

[@hub1986]

Gotta play ff8 it seems fun

[@undecidedtoystore3003]

def give it a go! It's a fantastic ride

[@hub1986]

@@undecidedtoystore3003 I will just finished ff7 last week now im playing some other games but all ff is on the table for sure

[@Angryshooter85]

i cant wait to see when preach will meet the other characters, irvine in particular will be interesting.

[@patsg1146]

Man, that's the best voice for Squall. That's it.

[@zerogold8717]

I love watching Squall shut her down, haha.

[@damnsahn]

Best reaction!! XDXD

[@lvl0adventurer910]

unpopular opinion: I liked 8 more than 7 but still thought both of them were great.

[@davelzdr]

This is great, now I gotta see the stream, lol

[@Caen-MK]

Never thought I'd see Preach go full Tiduslaugh.wav. This was hilarious.

[@anids1988]

mans firing sots at her and shes weak at the knees.....gotta love the bad bois :P

[@Malkezar86]

Then Squall walked away doing the Dr Livesey walk...

[@ijuka]

When I first played this game when I was young, it didn't really bother me. But going through this again like this after doing some writing myself, studying writing, reading books on storytelling and so on... FF VIII's writing is a total mess. The character interactions are completely unrealistic and the dialogue's terrible. All the characters are very weak. Story's a mess. As for the positives, I personally love the junction system, at least it's something different and you can become very powerful if you know what you're doing. The OST is also the best out of all FF games in my opinion. Still, this game could have been so much better with even passable writing.

[@urazz7739]

Yeah, I would love a remake/reboot of the game where they completely overhaul the game's dialogue and story to make more sense. It would also be nice to see some actual development for the other characters as well.

[@TheoVorster]

Oh so he chose to do FF8 next. That’s cool. Wonder what he has planned next (before he tries Crisis Core and the 7 Remake)? I assume the next most well liked single player FF and/or significant to FF14 would be FF12 or FF Tactics, or FF5 if Mike is in the mood for a 2D FF.

[@whiskeyjack02]

FF8 was chosen by the viewers. Next games on the list are XCOM 2, FF5, and Return to Monkey Island. There's no particular order yet, will probably be another poll in chat about which one's next, like it was for FF8.

[@TheoVorster]

@@whiskeyjack02 Neat, hope he can eventually get around to FF Tactics considering how influential that title was/is. It's arguably viewed like an unofficial mainline numbered FF in terms of importance.

[@treebush]

@@TheoVorster he should wait for the remaster

[@TheoVorster]

@@treebush Remaster for Tactics? Tactics already had a remaster for the PSP (that was also ported to iOS/Android) subtitled "The War of the Lions".

[@aschryu1682]

funfact you guys check squall real voice on dissidia final fantasy which is legit close to mike impression of him

[@invokeur15]

I played the french version and I didn't remember Squall being this harsh, so I went back and check the french translation... I guess the dude in charge of the english translation didn't like Squall or just misunderstood him. That "Go talk to a wall" line is bullshit, he's actually trying to be nice to Quistis saying that he is incapable of comforting her. Don't get me wrong Squall is really stupid at times, but he's a bit more talkative about his feelings and just doesn't say "Whatever" everytime.

[@ExireHG]

This helps my nostalgia goggles haha. I always felt it was a great scene...but to Preach I guess its just stupid xD

[@davidguerrero4519]

What a date

[@dailyrip]

She's a very patient teacher. They shouldn't have fired her.

[@CielBlanche]

as a teacher she abuses her unequal power relationship over an obviously extremely uncomfortable student under her authority to coerce him into a romantic setting under false pretenses they couldn't fire her fast enough lol

[@dailyrip]

@@CielBlanche Was a joke about how patient she was being with his attitude. No real content to respond to so thoroughly. Thank you for attempting though

[@urazz7739]

They shouldn't have made her a teacher as young as she is in the first place. A teacher that is the same age as your students (teenagers) is not going to be all that effective as a teacher.

[@HollowedKnight66]

Quistis had the bad luck to have Siefer in her class, I mean who puts the student who failed the exam several times in the class of the youngest instructor

[@Kuhazan]

Preach is discovering that FFVIII is the ultimate comedy

[@JMagnumZero]

Squall truly is a Sigma Male

[@AxelFireDancer]

The most awkward date in gaming

[@zach6395]

This was my first FF game, this one always have a special place in my heart. I miss having more mature story lines on my games like this.

[@CielBlanche]

it must suck to witness it being received with the emotional intelligence of a bowl of clam chowder lol

[@ralstlin939]

Mature story lines... you mean plots right? I can get the idea that some plots are interesting, but the writing di not aged well, is so bad. Every modern RPGs has mature stories now days, from Triangle Strategy and War over resources, Pillar of Eternity, Nier, Witcher 3... Having a good plot is not enough this days, how you deliver the story is key and FF8 dialog is pretty bad at times.

[@CielBlanche]

@@ralstlin939 what's bad about it?

[@Plasmacat1]

Bruh I like this game and I actually finished this before 7 as a kid and sure the music makes it cool but if you go back. It's one of the worst ones not only story wise but also mechanically, the junction system mixed with draw is hot trash.

[@CielBlanche]

@@Plasmacat1 What's wrong with the story and junction system?

[@dillasoul2228]

This is the perfect example of why squall isn't that popular, but I get that he's introverted with some severe ptsd, but I blame the writers for taking the edgy route instead of building on his character traits to make that case more compelling, but instead we have a cringy ass dialogue for what could have been a "well developed character"

[@ggg21201]

Not going to defend the overall writing, but in that particular case it was a localization decision. Squall was much different and more talkative in the Japanese version.

[@Harkz0r]

This is probably his worst point in the story imo, but at the time I played it as an older child/young teen, for the most part he really spoke to me. He may not be my favourite character in the series, but I'll always have a fondness for him. I just figure the people that dismiss him as "emo" don't bother to look beneath the surface or could never personally relate themselves.

[@mikeoakeshart3823]

Would be cool if he was gay. But he has sister complex though.

[@glx3846]

I hate Squall here. I felt bad for Quistis

[@Great.Gospel]

Spoiler alert - Squall is actually Batman.

[@RatchildUK]

Squall has childhood trauma and is also introverted. He's not gay because he doesn't want to deal with women, it's about not wanting to get close to anyone.

[@Plasmacat1]

Trauma or not he is an asshole all the way through. Worst character by far.

[@kendel1171]

He's probably not gonna get it and complain on how this 17 year old boy with mental trauma and abandonment issues somehow sucks at social skills. Characters with flaws am i right?

[@CielBlanche]

sorry, any evidence of a character having a psychologically-motivated unflattering quality or vulnerability will just be met with confusion as the apes swing from the jungle by their gamepad cords

[@LethalShadow]

@@CielBlanche People are allowed to dislike something you like, you know. Doesn't make them apes. In this case I understand what y'all are trying to say, but the fact remains the lines as they are written make for a completely unrealistic conversation. Nobody straight up says "Are you done yet?" and "Go talk to a wall." without it turning into a fight or the conversation ending right there. Someone who is introverted and distant or has trauma would still at least go through the motions and pretend to not be a complete asswipe. Or better yet they would likely find an excuse to avoid the conversation entirely. In other words, the idea behind it is not bad, but the way it is executed (at least in English) is poor.

[@CielBlanche]

@@LethalShadow i'm glad you've exclusively had interactions with neurotypically functioning people in your life, but something existing outside of your experience doesn't make it unrealistic

[@svenornitier]

Does Quistis deserve the hate tho

[@meriwidget3474]

hahahahahaha

[@knightish]

lol

[@ChannelRaznoff]

And yet he hated Zidane...... I guess his dialogue wasn't as comically bad.

[@Zephhi]

Oh he played 9 already? Imagine hating Zidane though. That's the goat

[@karamarakamarama]

@@Zephhi ye he played it like in may-june. You can find VODs on KZbin

[@ChannelRaznoff]

@@Zephhi He didn't exactly like the experience. I understood not liking the slow combat, but he really misunderstood Zidane as a character and moaned every time he even remotely appeared interested in the opposite sex. Don't know if he actually liked the game or not, but he rates it the lowest so far.

[@Zephhi]

@@karamarakamarama Yeah I saw

[@Zephhi]

@@ChannelRaznoff I actually looked at the Terra part and yeah... he doesn't get it. Also that's funny... it's like the best out of those. It's a million times better than 8 and for sure better than 7. Honestly tied with 6 or better in my book, probably the best single-player FF game.

[@serisothikos]

When I say FF8’s story is a mess, this is one of my key examples Still had a blast playing it though

[@CielBlanche]

what about this is a mess? i''m curious

[@serisothikos]

@@CielBlanche "I'm curious" has to be the internet equivalent of a tunnel painted on the side of a mountain

[@Ellierienna]

@@CielBlanche It is one of the worst cases of writing lines instead of writing people or characters that I've ever seen. People don't interact like this, and this game is littered with intensely uncomfortable scenes like this. You can only ask your audience to suspend their disbelief this much if what you are showing them is entertaining enough for them to turn their brain off - this does not accomplish that. It's a cringe comp disguised as a video game, really. It is easy to see how it'd appeal to a very particular younger crowd though.

[@Nelogenazea]

I can't believe I ever actually thought Squall was cool. Yeah, I was in my early teens back then, but holy shit, I would've slapped myself so hard for ever thinking this was a thing worth imitating later in life. That people would actually appreciate having these things said to them or that they'd want to stick around. Not sure about the JP version of this, but how in the hell would the English translation team go "Yeah, this is good, this'll make the character work.". I mean, sure, it'll serve to illustrate the difference and change and evolution in Squalls character arc, but if your main character is a total dick for 50% of your game which translates to probably well over 30 hours or so... how do you expect your audience to still care about him when character development eventually does set in?

[@CielBlanche]

He was never supposed to be cool. Nobody around him thinks he's cool or treats him like he is cool. Good characters aren't the same thing as likeable characters. The human capacity for empathy means you can care about someone even when their behavior is disagreeable, because you understand the reasons motivating it (like Quistis does) and they are often more of a victim of it than you are, like a parent who suffers from depression or a brother with alcoholism. It makes so much sense that 8 has a lot of female fans because even today women are typically socially conditioned into higher emotional intelligence, meanwhile millions of gamers are scratching their heads the second a protagonist isn't written as a hero power fantasy

[@whiskeyjack02]

@@CielBlanche Bruh. First off, you've been replying to every single comment that's even remotely critical of this game, calling people apes and other unsavory things just for disliking a fucking video game character. Second, the problem isn't that we don't understand that Squall's supposed to be unlikable/insufferable; the problem is that he's insufferable - get the difference? It's literally the same issue people had with Ellie in TLOU2. Most people understand why she was miserable and depressed and angry and a dick, it still doesn't make it easier to listen to her, watch her, and worst of all play as her for dozens of hours. Why would I ever pay money, then sit down and play as some obnoxious, edgy, irrational cockhead, when in real life I try my best to avoid people like that? And all this only partially addresses the problems with Squall as a protagonist, not to mention other problems the game has, be they mechanical or in the writing department. Flawed games can still be enjoyable and even beloved/remembered fondly. There's no need to go on a crusade on its behalf.

[@CielBlanche]

@@whiskeyjack02 just having the conversation for fun. if people are allowed to shit talk it then other people are allowed to push back, that's how discourse works. squall isn't supposed to be unlikable or insufferable and he isn't, he's actually considered by many to be one of the most sympathetic and endearing characters in the medium. the people that misinterpret his behavior so badly that they hate him typically demonstrate really bad reasoning that just blows past any kind of basic understanding of humanity and descends into slapping their gigantic hairy hands on the ground shouting 'gay' or 'edgelord', and to be fair i was wrong in my polemics because i've seen apes with more insight and empathy

[@Plasmacat1]

@@CielBlanche my dude it's not that deep. It's a 90s JRPG that tried to be deep but it's just subpar sophistry BS. Ironically the twist many fans speculated at the end makes the game better but the devs flat pit say it isn't true lol. It's not that people disliking are "apes" it's just that the writing is atrocious in all levels even for a game in the late 90s.

[@adognamedsally]

I mean, playing through it, you want him to open up, you want him to be better. I think that's the point. He's like super repressed. And eventually he does.

[@25xxfrostxx]

Have you seen Squall's hair and jacket? Of course he's turbo gay.

[@Elban19]

Squall is based; then, he lets the women sink their claws into him making him very breaded by the end #feelsbadman

[@MD-xe2xj]

Got his video through YT recommendations, and it just reinforced my decision to unsub.

[@Plasmacat1]

Squall is by far the worst protagonist of all 3D final fantasy, I'll argue even Lightning has more of a character and she sucks so bad too. Ff8 is fun because of Laguna and the music but it's so bad at the same time, the story makes no sense and tries super hard to push Squall as a charismatic leader by the others, the romance also is kinda out of left field. And the junction, draw system oof.

[@frostmourne1986]

Ironically Squall gets better characterization/growth in the non-FF8 games.

[@ralpbeez8414]

Part of the problem is the English translation, he's more talkative and not 'emo' in JP. That's why he's still popular in Japan as one of the more liked protags

[@MetalSmith]

I think the story pushes really hard to make squall be not charasmatic. I think thats the entire point of the plot up til disc 3. That he lacks all social skills needed to be a functioning member of society. Fact is that he was groomed to be the leader from a young age in the orphanage after he came from the future and told Matron what was going to happen. The whole thing is a literal paradox of squall not wanting to become what he already was.

[@treebush]

Have you played the Japanese version? How are people in this date and age not aware how extremely different jp 8 and En 8 are as well as many other 90s jrpgs which are botched translation jobs in that they are competely different games?