Final Fantasy 8 (playstation)

Squaresoft's eighth installment of the hallowed Final Fantasy series has to be the most hyped game i have ever witnessed.  Much like Final Fantasy 7, FF8 frequently appeared via magazine ads, television commercials, and anywhere else the age 13-25 members of the population could be found.  But does FF8 live up to its hype? Does a deep, emotionally involving story match the supposedly revolutionary graphics and FMV cut scenes? In a word, no.  Although FF8 is by no means a bad game, it has some pretty big shoes to fill after the compelling adventures in FF7, and, while it does TRY to be an epic rpg, FF8 just doesnt measure up to my standards of a truly excellent rpg. 

Initially, gamers will be drawn to the graphics, and for obvious reasons.  Taking the graphical scheme in a new direction atypical for the FF series, Square has made the move to sharp, realistic looking polygon based character grapics.  While, the new graphics are sharp and more "realistic" looking than in previous FF's, the overall color scheme in FF8 is stale and bland.  Basically, there are no vivid colors to be found in this game...everything is pastel colored and very pixellated, which is NOT conducive to a warm, inviting gaming world.  The FMV cut scenes, on the other hand, are stunning, albeit in the same drab color scheme. 

While FF7 had emotionally driven, memorable music that stuck in your head even after you finished the game (who can forget Aeris' theme, or One Winged Angel?), FF8's music is of lesser quality, and doesnt quite exude the same amount of emotion.  One interesting addition to the soundtrack was the theme song that was played during the infamous scene with Rinoa and Squall in the space ship.....that was a "good" scene, in my book.  If FF8 would have had more scenes of that kind of palpable emotional quality, it would have been the epic game it should have been.

Also new to the series is the junction system, which adds a whole new slant on the way that items and magic is used in a traditional rpg.  Returning from previous FF's are the summon spells, this time called Guardian Forces.  The GFs are almost pokemon-like, meaning that, as they gain experience, they gain abilities which can be applied to your party members.  Also returning from FF7 are Limit Breaks, although they are weaker, and accordingly, are less effective than in FF7.  My main gripe about FF8's gameplay is that, since the enemies gain levels as you do, there is no point in leveling to gain an advantage over them.....in fact if you reach any level over 65 or so, the random encounters become quite difficult and frustrating.  Some may say this adds challenge to the game, but i for one, play an rpg for the story, not to be repeatedly "challenged" in such unimportant aspects of the game.  Also, there are no weapons or magic to be bought, which removes another "fun" customization that is typically sought after in rpgs. 

Overall, the quality of both the story and characters is somewhat lacking as well.  Contrary to FF7, the characters dont have that "spark" that truly makes them unique individuals worthy of attention.  Although Squall is developed fairly well, the rest of the characters seem to be cookie-cutters.  Also absent in this title is the strong presence of a villain, which really takes away the needed tension and drive to beat the game.  What bothers me the most about this game is that the plot is, well, "absent." Although there is some mystery initially in the story, it quickly fades away and doesnt continually pull you deeper and deeper into the world of the game, in the manner that FF7's plot did. For me, this was the biggest disappointment of Final Fantasy 8. 

All in all, FF8 is not a bad rpg.  However, the washed out graphics and somewhat uninspiring story fail to draw you into the game in the same manner as its predecessor. 

Score:  7.5