Turning off battle encounters, maxing out HP and granting unlimited Limit Breaks, while fun, also give the game a somewhat watered down flavour to it. Much like the Final Fantasy VII re-release, some of the gameplay enhancements dramatically reduce the grind and make the game a lot easier to plough through. This is a particular problem for things like the menu screens which continue to adopt the usual greys and whites that were inherent in the original game. Make no mistake about it, this is a remaster designed for fans of the franchise and newcomers, while still likely to be gripped by the story, may find some of these controls a little archaic. Gameplay-wise, some of the controls still feel a little clunky and compared to some of the later titles in the Final Fantasy franchise, especially those with more organic and fluid movement, VIII does feel cumbersome by comparison. Suffice to say, it’s a memorable tale and one with a pretty decent pacing, although some of the flashback segments do feel like they drag on a little. Between President Deling, a powerful sorceress and fellow cadet Seifer, there’s an awful lot going on plot-wise and spoiling all the twists and turns along the way would discredit the story if you’ve haven’t played this before. Following the lone-wolf archetype so inherent with these protagonists, Squall eventually teams up with a handful of colourful characters, including love interest Rinoa.

Of course, if you’re looking for a complete experience, that’s here too and for those who’ve never played this before, the story revolves around a military cadet named Squall. Make no mistake about it, this is a largely unchanged game from all those years ago, with some touched up graphics and a few gameplay tweaks that’ll certainly appeal to those looking to enjoy the story and eliminate the grind. I distinctly remember the original cinematic and seeing it here, with updated graphics and a slicker frame-rate, certainly brought home that nostalgia. Armed with one of the best soundtracks of the series and a surprisingly addictive side-quest card game, Final Fantasy VIII successfully rode that wave of expectation and delivered an impressive follow up to the juggernaut that came before it.įast forward to 2019 and the recent announcement of VIII’s digital remaster was met with a lot of excitement from this reviewer. After Final Fantasy VII’s blocky graphics, I was blown away by the graphics, story length and thought provoking themes around love and fate. At the time of its original release I was 11 and distinctly remember buying this in GAME during its first week of release. I have very fond memories of Final Fantasy VIII.

Final fantasy viii review