Final Fantasy VIII: Fans/My Reveiw



Game Producers

Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C.
Producer: Shinji Hashimoto
Executive Producer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Director: Yoshinori Kitase
Music: Nobuo Uematsu
Battle System Designer: Hiroyuki Itou
Main Programmer: Ken Narita
Art Director: Yusuke Naora
Character Design & Battle Visual Director: Tetsuya Nomura
Scenario: Kazushige Nojima
Image Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
CG Supervisor: Satoshi Tsukamoto
Movie Director: Motonori Sakakibara
Character Modeling Director: Tomohiro Kayano
Movie Character Model Director: Hiroshi Kuwabara
Battle Effect Director: Shintaro Takai
Real-Time Polygon Director: Akira Fujii
Motion Director: Tatsuya Kando
Card Game & Battle Camera Director: Takayoshi Nakazato
Lead Field Designers: Tetsuya Takahashi & Kenzo Kanzaki
Lead Field Designers: Kazuyuki Ikumori & Yukio Nakatani
VFX & Composite: Hiroshi Matsuyama
Event Script Programmer: Shum Moriya
Event Director: Hiroki Chiba
Battle Programmers: Hiroshi Harata & Kentarow Yasui
World Map Director: Ikuya Dobashi
Map Directors: Takeshi Endo & Masaru Oka
Sound Programmer: Minoru Akao
Sound Editor: Eiji Nakamura

Review - Written by Vega

The highly anticipated, and highly acclaimed 'Final Fantasy 8' is yet another success in Squaresofts books, going platinum and bringing in a steady income, FFVIII did help keep Squaresoft on their feet, before the slip ups soon to come.

Final Fantasy takes place in an ever so similar world to the usual fantasy clique. Full of marvellous magic design, majestic character design and a steady battle system, the only system that didn't do the game much justice was the malicious: "Junction" system, leaving first time gamers in a sense of helplessness as they gained an amassing migraine from both the confusion this system had to offer, and the time wasted in the tutorial (Which would even have to be reviewed a couple of times!) the least you could get out of speeding through such tutorials was five minutes, in which you'd most likely learn nothing...

Anyway, off of the game systems for now, the game starts with what was then, the most advanced FMV that playstation gaming had to offer. Afew screens of the mind-puppet; Sorceress Edea, The beautiful Rinoa Heartilly, And both rival gunblade wielders: Squall Leonheart, and Seifer Almasy. Basically the scenes involved focus around the 'training' fight that both Seifer and Squall are having, with some small revelations of what's in stall for our hero, Squall.

As the intro slowly progresses, you finally find yourself in control of Squall, before he is visited by the ever-so lovely Quistis Trepe, whilst he is hospitalised from the wound in which Seifer delt him in the opening FMV, anyway, after Squall recovers and you can name him to whatever you want (Curse Words are popular amongst the less dedicated gamers ^.-). You are then brought to class, where nothing much happens... Now I don't wanna reveal too much so, the game just slowly progresses, through an amazingly crafted story line with brilliant graphics, fantastic weapons and mighty beasts.

The goal really of this game is the usual 'Save The World, Get The Girl' routine, as there is a strong romance shown between Rinoa and Squall, and although the romance is heartwarming, I'd suggest FFIX for a more romantic plot between lead male and female roles. Anyway, saving the world in this game is a progression through, where the most basic of roots, lay the mysterious black outs that the party shares, whilst they all take on the roll of a certain character who's past has already been made, yet living out these affects the future for Laguna Loire, Kiros, Ward, Squall and company can somehow see these people's past, and live it out in their blackouts as if it were their own life.. So what of the characters that take part in these dreams? There are afew with direct relation to such characters as Rinoa and Squall.. hell, it even leads to a further relationship which involves each and every party member, but what of this mysterious girl Ellone? You'll have to play on and find out. (There is even a link to Sorceress Edea!)

Anyway, as the secret is revealed and the plot thickens, the evil sorceress Ultimecia is revealed to wanting to aquire the perfect time magic.. Which is the 'Time Compression'. Merging both past present and future, into one distorted world where no one can possibly exist... However, Squall and company must find a way to stop her, but how can one stop the powers of a sorceress from the distant future? Further more, how can that sorceress come back in time to prevent the progress of Squall? I guess you'll have to game on to find out more.

Staff Ratings

Storyline: 9.0
Graphics: 8.0
CG Effects: 9.0
Battle System: 6.0
Sound: 7.6
Music: 7.5
Characters: 7.4

Fan Ratings

Storyline: 7.2
Graphics: 7.3
CG Effects: 6.3
Battle System: 8.0
Sound: 7.6
Music: 6.4
Characters: 9.0

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1