To be honest, I wasn't very interested in playing Final Fantasy VIII at first. Fortunately though, it got me hooked rather quickly and I stayed till the end; Final Fantasy VIII's story starts off quite well and it stays consistently interesting for at least the first half of the game, and its characters serve the story just fine.
Also, the music is great and the visuals are miles better than the visuals in Final Fantasy VII, especially the character models.
Unfortunately for Final Fantasy VIII though... this is where I already run out of positive things to say about the game.
First of all, the second half of the game feels rushed and the story gets very convoluted and straight up nonsensical, with many dumb moments or just badly written plot points, and for a story that emphasizes on the theme of love first and foremost, Final Fantasy VIII's love story is surprisingly weak.
While the characters's personalities are mostly fine, almost all of them lack depth and are incredibly uninteresting.
The Junction System brings some interesting ideas on paper, but the execution falls short. Overall, it's kinda tedious and its tutorials are so goddamn tiring. It's unique though and I can see why some people enjoy it.
Lastly, the game does have some minor outdated elements like the other older Final Fantasy games.
Pros:
+ Intriguing plot points
+ Very good music
+ Improved visuals
+ Serviceable characters
+ Unique mechanics
Cons:
- Very weak writing
- Characters lack depth
- Junction System
- Outdated minor elements
Narrative: 3/10
Gameplay: ?/10
Content: 8/10
Characters: 5/10
Music: 8/10
Graphics/Audio: ?/10
Final Rating: 6/10
- Decent -
Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VIII falls flat in almost every way, however, I really appreciate it for being experimental and trying to execute unique ideas, I just wish these ideas were executed properly.
At the end of the day, Final Fantasy VIII is an experience that's better than the sum of its parts, with a very solid build-up, but an unsatisfying pay-off.
Do I recommend it?:
I would recommend it only to those who want to get deeper into the series.
Also, the music is great and the visuals are miles better than the visuals in Final Fantasy VII, especially the character models.
Unfortunately for Final Fantasy VIII though... this is where I already run out of positive things to say about the game.
First of all, the second half of the game feels rushed and the story gets very convoluted and straight up nonsensical, with many dumb moments or just badly written plot points, and for a story that emphasizes on the theme of love first and foremost, Final Fantasy VIII's love story is surprisingly weak.
While the characters's personalities are mostly fine, almost all of them lack depth and are incredibly uninteresting.
The Junction System brings some interesting ideas on paper, but the execution falls short. Overall, it's kinda tedious and its tutorials are so goddamn tiring. It's unique though and I can see why some people enjoy it.
Lastly, the game does have some minor outdated elements like the other older Final Fantasy games.
Pros:
+ Intriguing plot points
+ Very good music
+ Improved visuals
+ Serviceable characters
+ Unique mechanics
Cons:
- Very weak writing
- Characters lack depth
- Junction System
- Outdated minor elements
Narrative: 3/10
Gameplay: ?/10
Content: 8/10
Characters: 5/10
Music: 8/10
Graphics/Audio: ?/10
Final Rating: 6/10
- Decent -
Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VIII falls flat in almost every way, however, I really appreciate it for being experimental and trying to execute unique ideas, I just wish these ideas were executed properly.
At the end of the day, Final Fantasy VIII is an experience that's better than the sum of its parts, with a very solid build-up, but an unsatisfying pay-off.
Do I recommend it?:
I would recommend it only to those who want to get deeper into the series.