I just beat FFVIII! Here is my review.

You raise an excellent point, good sir, but even so, I would have to cast Triple, then Protect on everyone, so that basically means I just cut down the casting of 3 spells into 2. That's a negligible amount of time-saving there. I think the developers could have easily remedied this problem by allowing you to refine Protect into a higher-grade spell that would effect everyone, and I'm puzzled as to why they simply didn't do this small thing. I can only assume it was an oversight.


I've never noticed my SeeD rank go down through use of GF's though. Are you sure that's correct? I know every time you get paid you lose 10 SeeD points, but it's nothing an exam couldn't fix. Also, I shamelessly abuse the Med RF trick to sell megapotions. ;)) Works a charm, that.
 
...I hate to sound like the nerd who takes tough games and steamrolls them, but why would you need to abuse Protect and Shell so much? ._. And there ARE team-wide protection spells, actually, they just happen to be part of Limit Breaks. Selphie's Wall is great at low levels and the much more versatile Mighty Guard of Quistis, which could also cast a lovely Aura on you sometimes.

But honestly I never really bothered much with them--I really only cast Protect and Shell on any character that was particularly wanting in terms of defence during boss fights, or PERHAPS if I needed to make sure someone stayed in the HP butter zone (that is...in the yellow) for extended periods of time during a fight for the benefit of Limit Breaks.

I find it funny that people fret so much over things like conserving magic and money--honestly people, I've tried this. The game is PROGRAMED to take into account the fact that you actually CAST magic. If you drop one or two Triple in a battle your stats won't suddenly plummet to zero. You won't be casting all 100 or even 50 or even 20 Triples in one battle unless you suck beyond all mortal levels of suckage or you're just outrageously out of your mind.

Abusing the GF is also lazy playing, imo, beside the SeeD reduction but honestly, the SeeD rank is overrated. After a certain point in the game you don't need that much cash.

Frankly I like FF8's magic and management system a LOT better than I've liked the equivalent systems of subsequent FFs, with a possible exception of 9's. 8's just feels that more engaging and yes, it probably does appeal better to my inherent OCDing nature. At any rate, I'm really glad you liked the game, Caitling ^_^
 
My answer is simple.

For the purpose of abusing limit breaks, you can get more mileage out of them if you cast Protect and Shell on your chars so that the damage they take is minimal once they are in critical HP, thus prolonging the useful time they have left to spam limit breaks like a mad mofo.



Yes, yes, yes, yes yes, I already know what you're going to say. "Use Aura!" I'd prefer to use Aura when I actually need it, not against a bunch of low-level Chimera.
 
Well a very cheap way to level without wasting any of your precious auras is quite simple. All you need is four things and your set. 1. Quitis must be in your party. 2. Have her in the yellow hp zone so she can limit break as soon as her turn comes up. 3. Pandemonium one junction ability initiative, this gives whoever has it the ability to act first in battle. 4. Quitis's degenerator skill. Now go to your area of choice mine was the islands of heaven and hell so I could draw magic from the hidden draw points as well. Now just wander around as you get into battle Quitis gets to go first and just degenerator. Rinse and repeat to your pleasure and watch as you get your levels fast.
 
Vircon said:
Well a very cheap way to level without wasting any of your precious auras is quite simple. All you need is four things and your set. 1. Quitis must be in your party. 2. Have her in the yellow hp zone so she can limit break as soon as her turn comes up. 3. Pandemonium one junction ability initiative, this gives whoever has it the ability to act first in battle. 4. Quitis's degenerator skill. Now go to your area of choice mine was the islands of heaven and hell so I could draw magic from the hidden draw points as well. Now just wander around as you get into battle Quitis gets to go first and just degenerator. Rinse and repeat to your pleasure and watch as you get your levels fast.
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You don't really need to level that much in this game though so grinding wouldn't serve much of a point other than collecting magic. The whole monsters/bosses adjusting to your level kind of just lets you move through the story without too much worry of that.

People who use protect/shell and spam GFs in this game wouldn't be considered as playing lazily as that's what those resources are for and people have their own battle styles. >.> I wouldn't say a person sucks if they're using those defensive spells all the time but as time wasting as it seems it's good to be cautious. ^^

Although contrary to GM's review I kinda thought the AP made up for the not receiving exp in boss battles XD At first I didn't like it and would go "wtf?!" after every boss, but when you've got your GFs learning the right abilities and they master them after the boss battles from gaining a nice boost of AP I find that a bit worth it :P One thing I swear I'm addicted to in this game is the little GF learny a skill box and the little sound effect that plays with it. I go crazy over that XDDD But seriously if you're GF is learning a refining magic from item skill or a HP boosting skill instead of me gaining exp I wouldn't be as happy but not disappointed.

GMs review was kind of nicely done as I'm playing through 7 right now and it's so different from what I was expecting after playing this game XD

~rawr
 
First time FF VIII player, beat it in a month, you can see my review on the link in my signature :)
 
I do agree with everything you said, I personally could'ent stand Rinoa's character, she just seemed really weak personality wise, and Ultimecia was a poor villan, aside from that, I find FF8 to be amazing.
 
Ultimecia does fall into the surprise villian category like Necron. Some final boss that shows up almost randomly. If I'm not mistaken I think there was a similar one in FFIV. It would have been better if there was more of a concrete definition of her plans other than half conjecture. That and some more screen time instead of at the very end.

As for Rinoa, I didn't care for her much. Partly because I have a thing for Squall.
 
Gavin AEtherae said:
Ultimecia does fall into the surprise villian category like Necron. Some final boss that shows up almost randomly. If I'm not mistaken I think there was a similar one in FFIV. It would have been better if there was more of a concrete definition of her plans other than half conjecture. That and some more screen time instead of at the very end.

As for Rinoa, I didn't care for her much. Partly because I have a thing for Squall.
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Yeah you're right, FFIV was Zeromus, who is kinda like Ultimecia in VIII, hes mentioned later through the game, but they are very vague on who or what he is, other than he's controlling Golbez, very similer to Ultimecia, and Necron was pointless in my opinion.
 
Summoner Yuna said:
Ok, so I completed FFVIII, which marks lucky number three in the FFs I've beaten so I want to review it.

First let me start by saying that I had somewhat of a hard time getting into this game. I started at least three times never got past the Fire Cavern, until now.

Graphically, the game was awesome for its time. It's obviously outdated now, but even so the FMVs still impressed me.

The gameplay of FFVIII is one of its most controversial aspects, but I must say I was quite satifisfied with it. Once I got the hang of it, the Junction system was a joy to use. Two downsides: magic was pretty much useless in the battlefield (except for support magic like Aura and Protect) because it was junctioned to your stats and second it made the game easy. I can safely say this is the easiest FF I've played. Even Omega didn't give me that much trouble. As for sidequests, the game didn't have many others aside from the card game, but it was awesome so no biggie.

Now the story is a mixed bag. I loved the relationship between Squall and Rinoa and how it developed, but the Ultimecia-time compression subplot left much to be desired, mainly because Ultimecia felt like tacked on villain just because the game needed a villain, but she had no motivation whatsoever.

The characters were great. I liked their personalities, especially Irvine's. Each of the characters brought something new to the table when they were introduced, so they complemented each other nicely.

Overall FFVIII gets a B-

I want to hear everyone's opinions ^_^
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i believe square expected us to think that rinoa is ultimecia which is what I firmly believe
 
BEST FF EVER POINT. Reason? i dont need one whatever reason i have im sure people will bash at me or something like that so why bother ;)
 
I've just started playing FFVIII, still on D1, getting close to finishing that disc. I just remembered how long the old FFs were, it's crazy! But I still like it. The junction system does require some getting use to, but it's not bad once you get the hang of it, although at times it can be somewhat bothersome and confusing when junctioning magic (IMO). Nevertheless, I too, am still impressed by the graphics for its time, the FMV is still breathtaking.

I do have a problem with Squall though, I don't really like his coy 'too-cool-for-school' attitude, but I guess during that period of FF games, the protagonists did tend to stick to that traditional personality. I'll still see this game through though.
 
klauss said:
I've just started playing FFVIII, still on D1, getting close to finishing that disc. I just remembered how long the old FFs were, it's crazy! But I still like it. The junction system does require some getting use to, but it's not bad once you get the hang of it, although at times it can be somewhat bothersome and confusing when junctioning magic (IMO). Nevertheless, I too, am still impressed by the graphics for its time, the FMV is still breathtaking.

I do have a problem with Squall though, I don't really like his coy 'too-cool-for-school' attitude, but I guess during that period of FF games, the protagonists did tend to stick to that traditional personality. I'll still see this game through though.
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Im sure that when you find the reasons for his behaviour you will actually sympathize with him. Also if you want help junctioning magic to each stat pm me! I can give you some advice and make the game a piece of cake for you.
 
klauss said:
I've just started playing FFVIII, still on D1, getting close to finishing that disc. I just remembered how long the old FFs were, it's crazy! But I still like it. The junction system does require some getting use to, but it's not bad once you get the hang of it, although at times it can be somewhat bothersome and confusing when junctioning magic (IMO). Nevertheless, I too, am still impressed by the graphics for its time, the FMV is still breathtaking.

I do have a problem with Squall though, I don't really like his coy 'too-cool-for-school' attitude, but I guess during that period of FF games, the protagonists did tend to stick to that traditional personality. I'll still see this game through though.
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Dont worry if this game excells on something is in Squalls character development.
 
So, when you say you finished it, does that mean you did everything? Because I had a real tough time with the 'queen of cards side quest' (%$#& random law!) I'm not proud to admit that I ended up skipping that one...
 
klauss said:
I've just started playing FFVIII, still on D1, getting close to finishing that disc. I just remembered how long the old FFs were, it's crazy! But I still like it. The junction system does require some getting use to, but it's not bad once you get the hang of it, although at times it can be somewhat bothersome and confusing when junctioning magic (IMO). Nevertheless, I too, am still impressed by the graphics for its time, the FMV is still breathtaking.

I do have a problem with Squall though, I don't really like his coy 'too-cool-for-school' attitude, but I guess during that period of FF games, the protagonists did tend to stick to that traditional personality. I'll still see this game through though.
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I totally agree! I just beat FFVIII for the first time last week (I skipped it back in 1999 as I was just entering high school and I was also too-cool-for-school XD). I definitely disliked Squall's overall 'tude, but I admit I enjoyed watching his character development over the course of the game. And yes, I agree the FMV was quite impressive for its time, especially considering the amount of time between its release and its predecessor, FFVII.

Like the OP, I also gave the game a B/B-. There were some aspects of the game I really liked (the love story *fangirl swoon*, GFs and junctioning), and several elements that I disliked (holes in the plot, unanswered questions, the whole leveling up BS). Definitely not my favorite FF, but I still had fun. ;)
 
Final Fantasy 8 Review - Why is it a good game?

FF8 Review by Rowan Maurice 2013:




This game has been discredited for all the wrong reasons and I think we need to bump it up a few notches because it *is* a great game.

I've heard people saying the story makes no sense..? The story is, in my opinion pretty darn good. Not to mention, it's almost set like a novel as there are many interpretations as to how certain things happened. It is never mentioned that **SPOILER ALERT**
Laguna is Squall's father, but we recognise this because we've engaged in the story and learnt of the characters.
There are subtle hints of 'memory loss' early on in the beginning chapter of Disc 1 'glad we have a leader with a good *memory*.' 'We should equip our GFs.. You haven't *forgotten* have you?' Subtle hints that tie in with the events of the game.

When Squall even hears the name 'Edea', we, being the omniscient following Squall can hear him questioning this name. "...Edea?" The whole time-compression concept, and the ideology of fate and destiny intertwine and create something incredible.

Ultimecia knows her own fate is to be destroyed by the 'legendary SeeD', however, she is the cause for her own death. This generates some level of sympathy for her, especially at the end as she preaches her last words. Truth be told, is she really that generic as people make her out to be? What if her hatred and her anger came from the general fear of death; put yourself in her shoes for one moment and actually learn to understand the characters.

These things are never brought up clearly, but allow us to actually theorise and think about the what if's and what is happening. There are a lot of conspiracy theories for this game, does that not immediately tell you that this game's story is engaging? One thing that always interested me was the world. Esthar being Xenophobic ever since the fall of Adel, Centra being obliterated and again hinting at more to come.

To me, this conveyed a strong motif of 'time'. We could see what was going to happen, because of the marks of the present. Is that not clever...?


Let's look briefly into the romantic aspect of this game and its wonderful colours, after all the game's concept was set to be a more “colourful” Final Fantasy.


The romance element of the game, being Squall falling in love with Rinoa, is actually a crucial part in the character development and further conveying an overall message: love and friendship has the power to change you, change also flowing with the motif of time. We get to see Squall change from this closed-off, caricature of an anti-social teenager into a young man who cares a great deal for the 'future' and the safety of his 'comrades'. Characters are more realistic with flaws and are even better once they have been resolved and actually learn from their experiences. For this reason, Squall Leonhart is probably my favourite character because of his great change.


Granted, we get some cliché moments and at times you want to murder the characters, but that's a good thing- having a character we dislike adds depth, especially if we begin to like them towards the end.










Another element of this game that seems to really take a beating is the gameplay. ...When I first played, I had no quarms with it. The Junction system is no way complicated at all, how could it be? You junction magic to your stats, based on the magic you drew or refined via cards; which is something else I'll get onto later. It was hardly rocket science to work out which magic was the best and actually- the drawing system was easy if you had opened up config, set the battle to 100% speed and cursor to memory. Also, you'd eventually realise you could junction magic to your base 'mag' stat to increase the number of magic you're likely to draw.


This game was about discovery, and again people will always argue that they want stuff pointed out, which, I always consider to destroy the game and I'm sure many would agree.


Final Fantasy VIII was completed in 1999 for the playstation, which actually meant we didn't have much in terms of the internet back then, not enough to usually have complete guides or a Facebook or a YouTube to simply learn stuff relatively quickly. If you were that observant and were keen to learn the functionality of the game, you could get the Lionheart on Disc 1. Obviously back then, it was never mentioned how- and you could take shortcuts to max out your stats very early on, if you were that observant to work out how to actually do it.


If you think about it, Square must have deliberately set these items out knowing you could obtain it, including the elusive 'Card Mod' which you can learn via Quezacotl.


Cards were another great way to obtain the powerful magic in the game, but of course, you had to be patient. Is this really 'busy work'... Yes, but- for every RPG, albeit another Final Fantasy look-alike, is a “grinding” system. Grinding is basically a term for levelling up and increasing stats somehow, in which, “The Triple Triad” function offers. So, you could use card mod to refine the best magicks and even obtain 255 str, which is the maximum value for the Final Fantasy series at the time.


Symmetry; Final Fantasy VIII has a system much like Final Fantasy VI. Why do I suggest this? Well, do you remember that you had to equip certain espers to obtain greater stat gains? This function returns, there are certain Guardian Forces, such as Ifrit and Siren that can offer bonuses in certain stats. This would discourage you from levelling up until you get them if you were again aware of this. I'm done.


Yes, that's right I'm done talking about this 'Junction' malarky- why? There are many various ways to complete this game and in-fact there are many challenges associated with the game such as the 'No-Level No-Junction challenge'. You could beat the game without it if you really wanted to- but at the same time, it adds so much diversity to how you play the game. You might be a power-gamer who wants to just max out his/her strength and slash everything to bits with a blade. Or somebody who likes to scan and cast various status magic on their enemies just to watch them and how they react. I used to find it hysterical, just by casting silence and blind on Galbadian Soldiers.


I could go in great detail as to why I believe this game deserves more credit, but I guess there is a little than can be said, but more than can be done.


Thank you for reading.


~LIonGraphiK aka Rowan Maurice aka Mortael
 
One big advantage of the game is that you can refine spells from items later in the game. You don't need to farm in the beginning as monster levels only increase with ur Party level so you can relax and get all good items/spells/junctions from CD3+

I'd say the game deserves an A+! Great stories and characters :)
 
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