Final Fantasy VIII
SquareSoft has always had a sure-fire hit when releasing any of their
Final Fantasy
titles, and
Final Fantasy VIII
should be no exception. The basis of a good RPG (role-playing game) has always been the story; spectacular graphics are secondary.
Final Fantasy VIII
's involved and interesting story line is filled with great twists, well-developed characters, suspense, and romance. As an added bonus, the graphics are beautiful. Everything--from the low-lit jazz club to the steam-filled railroad tunnels--is gorgeous and perfectly sets the mood and tone of a scene.
The game mechanics are standard fare for an RPG: acquisition of items and spells, turn-based combat, experience points earned in combat allowing advances in levels. From exploration to battles to dialogue,
Final Fantasy VIII
has it all. However,
Final Fantasy VIII
falls to that great weakness of RPGs: random battles. While necessary for advancing in levels, the battles occur with such frequency that they can grow annoying, making for a tedious game experience.
The epic storyline spans four discs--over 40 hours of gameplay--and is based around a mercenary cadet who finds himself caught up with an underground rebel faction. He winds up in a plot to assassinate the sorceress who has just seized power from the president.
You could complain of limited replay value, but this gripe is of no consequence: the game is such a satisfying experience, it doesn't require replay.
Final Fantasy VIII
is easily worth both the hype and the wait. You can't buy a much better game.
--John Cocking
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f2b cf0 Pros:
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ls1ilvl0cf0 {listtext 'a5 }A story to beat all stories
{listtext 'a5 }Characters worth caring about
{listtext 'a5 }Hey--it's from SquareSoft
{listtext 'a5 }Stunning animations
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f2b cf0 Cons:
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ls2ilvl0cf0 {listtext 'a5 }Too many random battles
{listtext 'a5 }Combat is, as always, turn-based and offers minimal excitement
{listtext 'a5 }Weak souls might give up after two or three discs of play
| uuid: |
A086BF27-3EC9-439D-85CA-57A90BEA8B3C |
| upc: |
0662248999043 |
| title: |
Final Fantasy VIII |
| purchase date: |
16-04-2006 |
| publisher: |
SquareSoft |
| published: |
22-09-1999 |
| price: |
$19.99 |
| platform: |
PlayStation |
| net Rating: |
4 |
| last lookup time: |
166917323.297994 |
| genre: |
Role-Playing
PlayStation |
| fullTitle: |
Final Fantasy VIII |
| esrbrating: |
Teen |
| currentValue: |
$10.95 |
| created: |
166917320.042654 |
| country: |
us |
| asin: |
B0000296O5
|
