Thirty-One of Fifty-Two

Games

Final Fantasy VIII

Final Fantasy VIII is the first final fantasy game I ever completed. Lots of people didn't like this one because of it's differences to FF7, but I came late to the game with Final Fantasy so by the time I played FF7, FF9 was on it's way and I just didn't care about 7. It looked awful. graphically it's one of the worst games I've ever played so, try as I might, I never completed it. As I expressed in Wednesday's podcast I'd love for them to re-make it exactly as it was but with next gen and beyond graphics so that I can complete it and have the awesome .

But Final Fantasy 7 isn't why I'm here today, Final Fantasy 8 is. FF8 is the story of Squall Leonhart a member of the Garden school, a mercenary system that trains young people to fight wars and go on missions. Early in the story he graduates to the elite SeeD and is caught up in a series of events that lead him to face off against the evil witch that's taking over the world.

It's a long story that took me well over a hundred hours to complete that delves into the main characters histories and their futures to show how intertwined everyones lives were. From soldiers in the last real war right up to the witch from the future.

It's a love story, an action story, a detective story, and a high school story and I think they work really well together. Plus; Squall uses a gun-blade, that's a sword that fires bullets. you can't beat a sword that fires bullets!

I loved the gameplay I loved the story I loved that it took a significant portion of your life - not like the games these days that you pay £50 for and your done before the day is over.

Not only that but it has some of the best CG animation, even to this day. I'm fairly sure I've posted this scene before but it's well worth watching it again, I can't stop. Dance dance. It's such a simple idea, a graduation dance, but I'd never seen it in a game before and it's still awesome... for the most part.

Anyway; if you have a PSP or a PS3 (or possibly vita, I'm not sure) it's on the PSN, so go buy it.

FF8-Opening-sequence. It's-Awesome.
- James