Final Fantasy VIII (psx: 1999): Reviews

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Final Fantasy VIII


9.0

based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 57 votes
Read user comments
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GAMES:

Final Fantasy XII

Cheat Code Central

Official Website

A revolutionary new Battle System has been created to add more customization to your characters by way of the Junction System. The latest features such as Dolby Surround Sound, Pocket Station compatibility and CG movie integration have also been incorporated into this masterpiece, making this title a showcase in technological game advancements. [Square]

PUBLISHER:	Squaresoft
DEVELOPER:	Squaresoft
GENRE(S):	Role-Playing Game
PLAYERS:	1
ESRB RATING:	T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE:	August 31, 1999

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Adrenaline Vault

This game looks amazing. There is simply nothing out there that can even compare to it on the PlayStation, and it's unlikely that we're going to see anything to rival it any time soon.

100

GamePro

Involving and exciting characters, storylines, and battles keep you glued to your seat - and keep you from noticing the many hours you spend playing this amazing game.

100

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Pack[ed] with stunning FMV, well-developed characters, and a touching story that revolves round the theme of love. [Nov 2001, p.46]

Absolute Playstation

Spanning four discs, this is a massive RPG. You can try and skate through it in 50 hours but can easily spend over a 100 hours playing if you decide to take on all of the side games, collect all of the Cards and experience all there is to experience from this game.

TotalGames.net

A work of Tolkeinesque proportions and not only the greatest RPG of our times, but one of the greatest games of all time. Wholeheartedly recommended.

GameSpot

Cast all fears aside: the latest Final Fantasy is the greatest game ever to bear the name.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Teens in clam diggers save the world again. Doesn't have "FFVII's" rep, though. [Jan 2004, p.188]

Armchair Empire

Between the story, the beautiful graphics, music score, and the insanely enthralling card game mini-game, Final Fantasy VIII does the series proud.

GameShark

My baby, my sweet, precious little FF8. How I love thee, let me tell the ways; Triple Triad, Rinoa, the incrediblly sweet and fresh magic system and Junction, the beyond jaw-dropping FMV's, Rinoa, the biggest surprise Air Ship yet in any FF..

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

This is, in all possibility, the most stunningly attractive game the PlayStation has ever known.

Game Revolution

A great game, but not a perfect one. The battles and junction system have their flaws. At times you'll be too powerful; at other times, you'll just be drawing spells to gain strength. But the long ending that waits in store will make up for most of the negatives.

Gaming Age

Aside from the true graphics engine, Square has gone above and beyond the call of duty with FFVIII's Full Motion Video sequences. The CG's quality is unmatched.

Total Video Games

A must get for any serious RPG gamer. Looks great sitting next to Final Fantasy VII.

All Game Guide

Though complicated and with the occasional fault, it could be remembered as the greatest Final Fantasy game through the 32-bit era.

Hot Games

The game's major weakness is in the combat system - there's too many loopholes that can be exploited with the Draw technique, making combat tedious and mundane after a while.

GMR Magazine

Things were more "real" this time around. [Feb 2003, p.97]

Games Domain

May not be the perfect game everyone expects from Square, but I challenge any FF player to get into it and not get hooked.

IGN

For every moment of breathtaking delight, there are a dozen predictable, endless battle sequences.

Gamezilla!

I just can't say enough about the graphics in this game either. After you play all the way throuugh this game, you will not be able to say that you did not get your money's worth.

GameCritics

For all its depth, though, I quickly discovered that I had little control of the game after the early part of it.

Gamestyle

Unfortunately while the game is graphically superior to FFVII, in terms of setting, story and controls it lags way behind.

Electric Playground

Somehow, a little bit lost in the beauty and the emotion of Final Fantasy VIII is the actual game system.

Happy Puppy

Final Fantasy VIII has been called an epic game. And it is, if epic means "boring."

netjak

A travesty. A mockery of the good name of Final Fantasy.

The average user rating for this game is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 57 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Barry Pressland gave it a10:
Possibly my favourite game in the series. It's adult approach makes it a pleasure to play and the love triangle with the characters involed is something different compared to the other games. The relationship with all of the characters make sense, especially with Rinoa and Squall. [***SPOILERS***] they meet on the dance floor, you see something between them as Squall looks over to Rinoa as she walks away. It's not until disc 3 that they fall for each other (even though Rinoa liked him since the start; Squall wasn't giving anything away and didn't get Rinoa's cues. There's so much to see and do, with 16 GF's to capture and much magic to collect. Where as other titles had similar power systems where MP (mana points) was the main focus for use of magic It has a different approach on the power system, where the player must junction their magic in the best suited abilities to raise their status and effects. It does get ridiculed for a few flaws and major differences to the others but what makes it so marvelous to play is it's originality. People claim Final Fantasy VII and IX to be head and shoulders above VIII and the rest of the series but they are wrong. This game stands alone, comparing it to the likes of Final Fantasy VII is somewhat wrong due to their differences. VII set the benchmark for all of them released on PS1/2 but this one shows just as much character in my opinion. I completed the game a dozen times and i seem to be finding more things every time i embrace it. The game is simply epic production that every Final Fantasy fan should try and admire the work Square have put into developing this masterpiece.

Tyler H gave it a10:
This game is truly a masterpiece. The characters, story, combat system, and graphics are top notch. Never have I played a game that kept me so interested in what was next.

Brad W. gave it a10:
Simply amazing. This game is everything you'd expect from Final Fantasy, most notably a great story with an amazing ensemble of characters. This, along with FF7, are among my most favorite games to date.

Andrew N. gave it a9:
The characterization in Final Fantasy 8 is incredible. In terms of storyline and setting,its one of the most sophisticated games in the series. An unforgettable epic.

Phil M. gave it a10:
This along with Final Fantasy VII are both the greatest games I've ever played in my life. The only downside I have to point out in this game is that it ends. A lot of people whinge about the battle system, I never had any issues with it. The only mechanic that didn't seem to work too well was that you always only need 1000exp to level up meaning you can't really "catch up" to higher level characters.

Stephanie R. gave it a0:
One word.. Boring!! Stopped at Disc 2.

Conca C. gave it an8:
The graphics are decent, the story unfolds quite nicely, the characters are developing towards uniqueness the end, a large thing bothering me is the linear story approach. Of course you have lots of sidequests that can expand the gametime to 80 hours plus and the final boss is really a challenging one. The replay-factor is large, I completed the game about 8 times. The design of the venues is genius. Esthar, Galbadia Garden, Ultimecia's Castle and the Ragnarok are my fav spots. The soundtrack has a couple jewels, for example the Esthar song, the End battle and the tear-jerking "Eyes On Me". Still I couldn't say I had this much "fun" playing it through. It felt too serious to me. It is a great game, still I had more fun with other FF titles.