{{{{{{ {{{{{{ | Infobox CVG/requirements | (Windows version) Windows 95, Pentium-class CPU, 32 MB RAM, 8X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 6.1}} {{{{{{ Final Fantasy VIII Developer(s) Square Co., Ltd. Publisher(s) Square Co., Ltd. (Japan) Square EA (North America) SCE Europe (Europe/Australia) Eidos Interactive (EU Windows) Release date(s) February 11, 1999 (Japan) September 7, 1999 (N. America) October 27, 1999 (Europe) January 25, 2000 (Windows) Genre Role-playing game Mode(s) Single player Final Fantasy VIII (Japanese: ファイナルファンタジーVIII Fainaru Fantajī VIII) is a computer role-playing game created by Square Co., Ltd. for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows-based PCs. It was the eighth installment of the Final Fantasy series, and the second installment of the series to be released for the PlayStation,as well as the second installment to be ported to Windows. Three weeks after its release in 1999, Final Fantasy VIII had earned more than $50 million USD in sales, making it the fastest selling Final Fantasy title to date. To date, Final Fantasy VIII has sold over 6 million units worldwide [1] Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Junction system 1.2 Limit breaks 1.3 Experience levels 2 Story 3 Characters 3.1 Other appearances 4 Locations 5 Fanbase and criticism 5.1 Game reception 6 Musical score 7 Packaging artwork 8 External links Gameplay Final Fantasy VIII is a further development of the RPG engine seen in series predecessor Final Fantasy VII, and comprises three main modes of play: the world screen (a fully 3D visual where the player may navigate freely across the scaled-down gameworld), the field screen (one or more 2D pre-drawn backgrounds representing a location such as a town, with overlaid 3D characters under player control) and the battle screen (a fully 3D visual of a discrete location such as a street or room, where a fight between the player and enemy parties takes place). A menu driven interface drives the mechanics of the game, and it is in these that various departures for the series occur, most notably in the comparative deemphasis on traditional weapons and armor, and in the Draw/Junction magic system. Final Fantasy VIII was also the first game in the series to introduce a "collectible card"-based minigame, named Triple Triad. Junction system This new system revolves around summonable monsters, called Guardian Forces (GFs). A character must have a GF assigned to them ("junctioned") before he or she can use the standard Final Fantasy battle command abilities, such as Magic or Item; only Attack can otherwise be performed. While previous Final Fantasy titles used a pool of magic points (MP) consumed by each spell to limit magic use; in Final Fantasy VIII, spells are "drawn" from enemies or special Draw Points, and then consumed one at a time. GFs also allow characters to "junction" these spells to their own statistics for significant bonuses (a doubling of the base stat is not uncommon). Because of the sheer flexibility and depth of this system (combined with the ability to draw unlimited stocks of a spell from a single enemy), it is possible to build one's party up to incredible levels of power fairly early into the game and, in most cases, inflict much more damage than the GF itself. This alternative use of GFs (previously, summoned creatures were used almost exclusively to deliver a single devastating attack) was a major departure for the series. Armor has completely disappeared in favor of statistic junctioning. While each character does retain a specialized weapon, that weapon cannot be unequipped, unlike previous games. A limited number of upgrades can be performed on each character's weapon to increase its power and effectiveness throughout the game (as well as alter its appearance), however. Limit breaks Rinoa's second limit break, Angel Wing. As in Final Fantasy VII, every character has a unique special attack, called Limit Breaks, that are only available under certain conditions during battle. Unlike the previous game, limit breaks become available randomly every time a command is issued during battle, provided your character's current health is below 32%. As the character's health depletes, the probability of accessing that character's limit break increases. Alternatively, the magic spell "Aura" increases the probability of limit breaks appearing regardless of a character's remaining hit points. In the original Japanese version of the game, these moves were called "Special Arts," shortened to "Special" in the Status Menu. They were renamed "Limit Breaks" in the North American and European versions of the game. Experience levels As in most role-playing games, and in most previous installments of the Final Fantasy series, experience points are awarded following successful battles. If 1000 experience points are accumulated by a character, that character gains a "level," which increases that character's statistics. Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, however, the levels of enemy encounters are calculated based on the level of player characters. In other words, the higher the level of the player, the higher the level of the random monsters the player encounters. Higher level enemies are capable of dealing and taking more damage and may have new and stronger attacks available. However, increase in stats as a result of "leveling-up" is minuscule compared to the stats boost one gains from the Junction system. Some players take advantage of this fact to avoid leveling up, so enemies will remain weak while the characters will get stronger as better magic and Junction abilities become available. The Guardian Forces themselves also gain levels and win Ability Points (AP). APs are used to learn special abilities and when a specific ability of a specific GF has enough AP, it becomes available for any character to use. Also, when a GF is summoned regurlarly by the same character, it will take less time for said character to call the GF. In addition to all of that, when a GF is summoned, the player will get the chance to boost up the power of said GF. By pressing select and rapidly hitting the Square button on the PlayStation controller, a number in the lower right hand corner of the screen will increase. Not all GFs have this ability, however. Story Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. The nation of Galbadia initiates inexplicable hostilities against nearby nations Dollet and Timber. Both request aid of Balamb Garden, an elite military academy that trains mercenaries called SeeDs. Three newly-commissioned SeeDs, led by Squall Leonhart, are dispatched to deal with the conflict, which proves fortuitous: Galbadia, as it turns out, has fallen under the power of a Sorceress named Edea. Sorceresses are extremely dangerous, and the Gardens were founded to counter them. And Edea does not seem content with only one nation to rule. However, Edea is not the only one after Squall and the gang... Characters Main article Most of the major characters of Final Fantasy VIII are students, and later SeeDs, of Balamb Garden. Chief among them is Squall Leonhart, a quiet young man with a reputation of being a solitary loner. His fellow SeeDs include Quistis Trepe, Zell Dincht, and Selphie Tilmitt. Irvine Kinneas also joins the group, but despite the fact that he was trained at a Garden like Squall and his friends, (albeit Galbadia Garden instead of Balamb Garden) Irvine is a sniper and not a SeeD. The final primary playable character is Rinoa Heartilly, the daughter of a powerful general of the Galbadian Army. Rinoa is a member of the Forest Owls (not its leader, as is often misinterpreted), a resistance movement fighting against Galbadian military power. She enlists the aid of Balamb's SeeDs in her efforts, and falls in love with Squall. The relationship between Squall and Rinoa is one of the central themes of the game. Laguna Loire, Kiros Seagill, and Ward Zabac are playable characters in the "past scenes" in the game. Seifer Almasy is the rival of Squall, even a SeeD candidate, who later will become an ally of Sorceress Edea Kramer, primary enemy of SeeDs. Other appearances Characters from Final Fantasy VIII have made cameo appearances in four other games: Squall (renamed Leon) and Selphie (but as a child and with a different personality) are encountered in Kingdom Hearts, Squall is a secret character in Chocobo Racing, and Squall and Rinoa are playable characters in Itadaki Street Special. Squall also appears randomly (yet rarely) in the title screen of the PlayStation port of Final Fantasy VI. Gilgamesh, a recurring villain from Final Fantasy V, reappears as a Guardian Force in Final Fantasy VIII, with a possible oblique reference to the earlier game taking place in an "alternate dimension." Recently, Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin have been spotted in the latest Kingdom Hearts II trailer at the Square Enix Party. However Fuijin and Raijin's names have been changed to Fuu and Rai respectively. Also returning to Kingdom Hearts II is Squall (still renamed Leon) and Selphie, who is considerably older from her previous appearance. Locations Main article Final Fantasy VIII takes place primarily on a large, unnamed world, which has one moon. The planet comprises four major landmasses: the largest covers most of the eastern map, and includes a northern polar region; a large secondary continent lies to the west, and contains a large proportion of the game's places to visit. The remaining two landmasses are smaller and mostly desolate: the southernmost is long and thin, and the other, a short distance north, is the broken remains of a continent that underwent an impact event, in fact it could more accurately be seen as an archipelago. A number of larger islands flesh out the game world, and a smattering of off-world locations round out the game's playable areas. Fanbase and criticism The Final Fantasy VIII fanbase is rather large. The backstory produced by the game's writers is believed to be substantial, with the segments used in the game merely the tip of the iceberg. While the game's storyline is vast in itself, some aspects of the characters' backgrounds, as well as the political and historical settings of the game, are not fully explored, leaving much open to interpretation and extension. Significant differences in the gameplay of Final Fantasy VIII from previous installments in the series (such as the "draw" and "junction" systems) have made it one of the more controversial games of the saga. Although many gamers cite it as their least favorite game of the series, others cite it as the best of all. Game reception Final Fantasy VIII sold between 150,000 to 200,000 copies (between $7.5 million USD to $10 million in sales) on its first day in the US. By the end of its first week, it had sold 400,000 copies or $20 million in sales in the US. In Japan, Final Fantasy VIII sold 2.57 million units in its first four days on sale. Recently, sales of Final Fantasy VIII have somewhat spiked, along with renewed interest in Final Fantasy VII. These two games in the Final Fantasy saga, arguably the two most popular, are perhaps benefitting from greater interest in RPG's altogether, such as World of WarCraft, Neverwinter Nights, Guild Wars, and the upcoming Final Fantasy XII. [2] The factual accuracy of this section is disputed. Please view the article's talk page. Musical score Cover art for the Japanese soundtrack Nobuo Uematsu composed and directed the soundtrack for Final Fantasy VIII, which was released on four compact discs by DigiCube in Japan, and by Square EA in North America. Additionally, a special orchestral arrangement of selected tracks from the game, performed by Shiro Hamaguchi, was released under the title Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec. The score is best known for two of its songs: "Liberi Fatali," a Latin choral piece that is played during the introduction to the game, and "Eyes on Me," a pop song performed by Chinese singer Faye Wong. The latter song was released as a CD single in Japan and ultimately sold over 400,000 copies, making it the best selling video game music disc ever released in that country until the release of "Hikari" by Utada Hikaru for Kingdom Hearts. Packaging artwork Final Fantasy VIII Sony PlayStation Japan, 1999 Final Fantasy VIII Sony PlayStation North America, 1999 Final Fantasy VIII Sony PlayStation Europe, 1999 Final Fantasy VIII Microsoft Windows North America, 2000 Final Fantasy VIII Microsoft Windows Europe, 2000 External links Wikibooks has more about this subject: ]] Square-Enix's Official Final Fantasy VIII website Final Fantasy 8 Hybrid Final Fantasy series Main series: I – II – III – IV – V – VI – VII – VIII – IX – X – XI – XII Compilations and collections: I-II – Collection – Anthology – Chronicles – Origins – Dawn of Souls Spinoffs and related titles: Before Crisis – Crisis Core – Dirge of Cerberus – X-2 – Rise of the Zilart – Chains of Promathia – Treasures of Aht Urhgan – Crystal Chronicles – Mystic Quest – Tactics – Tactics Advance – Kingdom Hearts – Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories – Kingdom Hearts II Film and television: Advent Children – Last Order – Legend of the Crystals – The Spirits Within – Unlimited More info: Creatures – Characters – Designers – Items – Magic – Minigames – Music – Places – Races – Weapons es:Final Fantasy VIII Search Term: "Final_Fantasy_VIII" Categories: Accuracy disputes | Final Fantasy VIII | PlayStation games | Windows games | Eidos Interactive games | 1998 computer and video games | 1999 computer and video games