The story is great, the junction battling system is extremely flexible and the rest of it is good too. This game is excellent.

The story starts quietly; you are Squall Leonheart, a young man training at a giant boarding school called Balamb Garden. As you become a SeeD (kind of like a soldier) you slowly become tangled up in a war between a country (Galbadia) and the rest of the world. During your adventure you forge new friendships, make new enemies and reveal stunning secrets. Each of the characters has their own personality, which brings them to life.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Squall Leonheart: quiet but extremely determined guy and the hero of FF8. Often described as a lone wolf, Squall has to learn to overcome his rather snobby attitude.

Quistis Trepe: An instructor at Balamb Garden. Quistis is friendly but strict. She has been at the garden for many years, but is unhappy with being an instructor.

Seifer Almasy: Squall’s rival. A blonde haired disobeying guy. Seifer always does what he wants and only has two friends: Rajin and Fuujin.

Zell Dincht: A blonde haired hypo guy. Zell has been at the Garden since he was 13, and fights with his fists. He is extremely energetic and has a tendency to jump up and down punching the air.

Selphie Tilmitt: Selphie is a spunky girl that is new to Balamb Garden. She has a rather childish attitude, but can be extremely determined when she needs to be.

Irvine Kinneas: Irvine is a sharp shooter from Galbadia Garden. He has long brown hair, and is very much a ladies man.

Rinoa Heartilly: Rinoa has an extremely free sprit and is Squall’s main love interest. She is the leader of a resistance group, the Timber Owls.

Laguna Loire: This mysterious man appears in Squall’s and the other’s dreams. He is originally a Galbadian soldier, but wants to become a journalist.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like I mentioned before, the graphics in this game are like no other. They outdo every other Final Fantasy game to date, even the sequel - Final Fantasy IX. The battles feature stunning animations, particularly when you summon GF’s (Guardian Forces) into the battle. The movies are extremely real, and give a moving cinematic effect to the game.

The sound in this game is also greatly improved. The background music is very modern, but still features some that has been used in previous instalments (such as the victory music). Many sound effects have also been added such as the sound of people clapping and walking.

The game play is a slight downer for the game, especially the junctioning battle system. This is extremely complex battle set-up requires a lot of fiddling with to perfect. However, this can be good in a certain way, as it lets people customise their players in exactly the way they want to.

One of the main features of the battling system is Guardian Forces (as mentioned before). These monsters are received by drawing them from enemies, finding them or battling them yourself. Once you have them, you can summon them into battle to attack enemies or defend you and your allies. They can also learn abilities that your party can use in and out of battle.

Overall, Final Fantasy VIII is a truly stunning game with all the aspects of easily becoming a classic. I guarantee just about all RPG players will love this game. A definite for your collection.