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Even to this day, you can see how ambitious this game was. The visuals, soundtrack though story's a little crazy, you can't help but be blown away by the atmosphere it creates
I don’t like FF8, It really is my least favourite. That said, the soundtrack is AMAZING. And I constantly try to replay it hoping my mind will change. I agree, quite strongly: I like what they tried to do. I like the ‘idea’ of the story. But they didn’t achieve it.
i miss the days of getting off the school bus, walking in the house, throwing my backpack on the couch, and looking to my right side & seeing the ps1 and the double disc of ff8..mann
I think VIII could benefit greatly from a remake. Not in the sense that it's bad, but rather that there is just so much there that could be expanded on a little bit more.
@@BirdsOfPlay well the new combat style they going with will be epic in a lot of moments in FF8 especially the garden battle, that could be so much fun!!!
I can't agree with you more. Eyes on me is the most iconic FF soundtrack. This may not be very good of a game, but the story is true to the title of "final fantasy", a fantasy made visible and vivid. The elements of this game just work together so well that the game feels so real.
It is amazing but I hate draw command and spending hours drawing spells. It is booooring. I used gf basically in all battles but animations are too long. Amazing world and vibe but gameplay sucks big time... ff9 aged better because it is easy
Bro, it's technically the second one I played, but it was the first one I got that was truly mine. Great memories from this amazing game, even if people give it hate.
@tarancehill651 I would recommend 12, a lot of people didn't like the open fighting mechanics but I think they did it well. 8 and 10 are my favorites so I would assume we have similar tastes if you like them as well. Story isn't as rich in 12 I'd say, but gameplay is great
Already know I’ll love this video. I know this is a super unpopular opinion but FFVIII is my favorite entry in the entire series. 💜 I have it on the PS4/5, on the PC, the original discs for the PS and recently got it on the Switch and am so happy that I can take it everywhere with me now. Triple Triad definitely bumped it up for me in rankings. VIII, XII, X, and VII are my top ones, in that order.
I have great respect for Final Fantasy VIII. Hopefully the video does it some justice, even though it doesn't include Triple Triad. Everything should include Triple Triad.
@@BirdsOfPlay As soon as I read the words "Triple Triad", the music just kicked into my brain and I haven't played it in about two decades. That should tell you how great the game was.
The old Square crew in general was very good at this. They start off with, what seems to be , a pretty simple premise but just expands and gets ever crazier. FF7 is similar in that regard
I think the game came out at like the perfect time in my life. I was like 8th grade (just before high school) and the more introverted Squall and the developing romance really got me lol. I will always hold 7 and 8 as my two personal favorites.
the commercial really sold it for me, hopeless romantic...I will be waiting...I will be waiting here for you, so sappy its good, but this video showed me it was a bit forced and not organic. It happened in the past so it happens now, why get emotional and share feelings when all we had to say was...it was meant to be why fight?
I can relate to this as well. It really helped me feeling like an outcast in school and struggling with being an introvert before I really ubdtood what that meant.
This video is like the game. The first 10 minutes are like "Squall got a cut on his face and decided to sleep" and the last 10 minutes are like "the time dimension changes reset the world order while the protagonist's mind endures the concept of human fate all while being connected in a lucid dream of uncertainty."
This is INCREDIBLE. Thank you for this retelling of the story in the most digestible, accessible, and interesting way. I listened to this at work, and it helped my work night fly by. You've got a voice made for this, and your passion for this game shows. I appreciate this game even more so than I ever would've thought thanks to you. I just completed this game for the first time back in February after never getting past disc 2 maybe back in 2000. The way you were able to succinctly and simply summarize some of the plot points helped me gain new perspective on the moments and in turn makes me less incredulous than I was of certain aspects to begin with. Again, thanks for this. I'd instantly jump at another one of these if you summarized other Final Fantasy titles or similar games. Subscribed;
I can't believe I missed this comment at the time! Thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you've enjoyed some of our other Final Fantasy complete stories by now :) - Pétur
Great summary but it missed one of the most important links in the game - that Squall is Laguna/Raine’s son, and Rinoa is the daughter of Julia, who Laguna fell in love with as a soldier. Their romance also reaches across time and space and is stronger for it.
Yeah, it just tells the story as the game tells it. Would have been interesting to see Squall and Laguna have a father son moment. Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it. Love FF8!
@@BirdsOfPlay thanks for the reply! Yes to me their romance over generations was the crux of the whole story, and explained how they survived time compression, and all the other outrageous things that happen in the story. 8 had some flaws, but I always thought it had one of the best romances of any video game, as all roads eventually lead back to it in some way.
That fact is mostly for when fans realize it, since Laguna didn't know his wife Raine was pregnant or that he has a son at all (correct me if I'm wrong!). After Raine dies, Squall was sent to the orphanage.
@@miruku6939 I don't recall which characters have the dialogue, but one of them mentions that Raine had wanted Laguna to see their son before she died. I'm inclined to agree that Laguna didn't know anything about his son. I think this is one of the main things that Ellone was trying to accomplish -- changing the past so that Laguna, Raine, and Squall would have that connection; perhaps to keep Raine from dying altogether. But as she later pointed out, while one can't change the past, she was able to view it from different perspectives and see how much she was loved. After her parents were gunned down in Winhill, Laguna and Raine were the ones who raised her before she was sent to live with Cid and Edea. I'm certain she found great comfort in seeing that again.
Some might think it's too dark compared to other FF games. The dark elements made FF8 just the best. th-cam.com/video/UYMILmY1XRw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Nano soundtrack still gives me chills 😨
I loved it when I was young. I replayed it as an adult, and found it being one of the worst-written JRPGs. "Hey, Squall! I know we're in the middle of a war and you're the general of our army, but stop thinking about the lives of everyone here. You should flirt with Rinoa first." I honestly regurgitated a bit during that part in my replay, and that's just scratching the surface. No one aside from Squall gets any character development. The junction system is very unbalanced too. If you take your time drawing magic from enemies, you can easily plough through the game. All those negatives aside, I'd say that FF8 soundtrack is a masterpiece, AND it gave birth to the BEST MINIGAME in gaming history: TRIPLE TRIAD. (The compound rules gets confusing at times tho.) Is the game a masterpiece? No. Do I like the game? Yes. But only for the music and Triple Triad.
@@lauriperamaki5354 what's "dark" about FF8? I can't think of anything from it that's really darker than compared to other FFs. I can say that there are brighter FFs such as FF9 and FF12 but. If you're saying that it's dark because they're using teenagers as soldiers in FF8, you should take that contextually as it seems to not be an issue in their world and it's very teen-flicky, actually. Odin's and Ultimecia's are indeed dark places but that's not really a story tone. FF8 is nothing compared to the dark brutalities of war of FF2 and FFT. Massacres regulary occur in FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7, FFT. Human experimentations in FF6 and FF7. FF8 is probably the tamest FF in it's time as its target demographic back then are teenagers and youngsters which makes sense of the teenflicky story writing.
@@bukojoetheslapsoils8273 I might be wrong. When I was a kid and played FF8, Ultimecias castle gave nightmares. I didn't understand any deeper meaning.
Thanks! This was certainly a trip down memory lane. 2 details I picked up was the beginning fmv with Rinoa is in fact the end when she sends the petal to find Squall and the narrative where Squall makes a promise to Rinoa is broken by him which I found a really nice touch because she saves him for once after he has saved many people.
FFVIII was the first one I played, and I absolutely adore it. I love the soundtrack, I love the visuals, I love the junction system, I love the story, and Eyes on Me is my favorite theme of a game ever, though One winged angel is my favorite character theme. And Triple Triad is still my favorite mini game from the series
I watched my friends older brother play this as a kid and thought it was amazing. Then I played it and couldn't find my arse from my elbow with the junction system :) thanks for this video gents
I have beat this game at least 4 times when I was 9 years old. Recently I’ve been playing FF7Remake and decided to actually read the entire plot to fully understand and appreciate the game. Since FF8 was my most favorite FF (and I’ve played 8 FFs), I decided to watch this video to fully understand and appreciate it too. I tell you right now, OMG! No matter how many times I beat this game, I realize after watching this whole video that I was way too young to really understand the story. Love this video, thank you.
Still my fav above ff7 as this was my first full play/owned Ff game. Spent many hours and afternoons neglecting my homework to get to the next save point. Even just listening to this while I’m working, I can picture every scene and line. Might have to dust off the discs and go a round for nostalgias sake
Thank you so much for this. I cried so much while watching this recalling my childhood how I played this when I was a child... during my naive mind at that time, I always wanted to find someone to love and receive the kind of love that Rinoa had experienced from Squall. I am grateful enough to find the man of my dream... again, thank you so much for this nostalgic video 🧡🧡🧡
Thanks for sharing your story! It's always lovely to hear how these games have impacted people's lives in different ways. And thanks for your tears, we feed off them.
#methree I hope one day I’m strong, my own self, and find my person to dance with in times of grief and triumph just like then. My dream when I was 14, my dream now and forever.
Incredible narration! Simple straight storytelling of a polarizing game I wasn’t crazy about when I was younger but have come to really appreciate in recent years. Can’t wait to hear more!
What do you think of Final Fantasy VIII's story? Also, if you like the video and are in the market for more Final Fantasy content, don't forget to subscribe to the channel to become a part of of our growing Final Fantasy family!
I was surprised how much detail you went into and thought "wow, he will have to start cutting things short ... " but then realized your video is way over 30 minutes! Respect for your dedication. I don't see why it gets a "bad rap", there were a few convenient plot contrivances, but not any worse than many other RPGs? Maybe because the story is so good most of the time (I've heard many blame it as Final Reality) those contrivances are seen as blaring mistakes / suspension of disbelief when they happen? Outstanding soundtrack, regardless (hearing the music makes want to play again). The draw/junction system is very diff from 7 but not bad once you learn how to exploit it. People complain of Draw, but the secret is not to draw (at least if in a hurry) and use card/item refinement. I do see how Junction Swap makes characters interchangeable except for limits, but I think the fun out-ways the lack of realism. I still love seeing Quistis in her officer's uniform, and love when Edea joins the party! I kill the others SeeDs and let her go on a one-woman rampage through the plains of Estar. (P.S. she is great for collecting spells, items, cards, and AP w/o raising your party's level if they're all dead.) Ice Strike isn't a great limit break, but I think she is sexier than LuLu from X. The final battle is much better than 7. I have everybody with an awesome setup and enjoy the random selection of party members, occasionally fun to see a character evaporate into time! More fun than switching back-and-forth between parties of 3 like end of FF7.
I never finished this title. It was my second ff ever, but i think i was too young to catch the complex storytelling this one has. But man, the graphics were incredible at the time, I watched the opening CGI a thousand times haha. A couple years later I finished ffix, the next title from ps1. Good old memories
One of my fav Final Fantasy ❤ i love the relationship of Squall and Rinnoa, and everyone here is so... Flawed. Squall is a mess, but he's truly relatable. I think hearing his internal thoughts is key too, makes him a much more appealing person instead of a flatout jerk
Love the junction system. Summons are top notch. Hate the magic with an absolute passion. Love the 3 love stories for the price of one. Straight up classic.
My favorite FF of all time. I happened to search for it 1 day it crossed my mind that I've missed it since 1998 and boom it's remastered. I fell in love with it all over again and completed it this time.
The black sheep of the ff series, lol, that's why it was my favorite, I was the black sheep in the fam 😎 Love the melody you got playing in the video too, nostalgic as hell
I was a kid when i played the game. Hardly understood the story and couldn’t get pass disc 2 😢 forgot where i got stuck in the storyline. Still its a nostalgia of my first final fantasy experience 😌
Remember, this game is in Charlie’s Angels where Drew stumbles into the boys playing a video game. This is what they are playing. Looks like the Balamb Garden battle
Just found this channel, this guy sounds like James Earl Jones mixed with Sir Patrick Stewart. Every time he says "Timber" it felt like Mufasa talking to Simba
Thanks for the great summary.👍 I played FF8 over 20 years ago on the PS1 (WOW - Where has the time gone?) & was not able to finish it back then as a kid. But nowadays I don't have the time to watch, let alone play the whole thing again. Looking back I only played FF8, FF10 (complete), FF12 (complete) & FF14 (a little bit) but the 8th part will always be special to me.
I will always have a soft spot as this game being my favorite next to X. X was my first final fantasy and it’s hard to top that. But VIII was just so crazy in thought and you never knew what was going to happen next, a true masterpiece in my opinion!
I am playing this now. I bought it from the PS store. It's my favorite Final Fantasy even though I never beat it. I played it when I was a teen, got to 4th disc, and it wasn't working. I beat FF7 like twice. I liked FF8 better. These 2 games and Legend of Dragoon made me think I was a JRPG guy but after playing a bunch of others, I learned those 3 games and Chrono Cross were anomalies. I hate JRPG games. I'm like 5 hours in FF8 now and I love this game. I don't care what anyone says. It's $10 in the PS store. 1.8 GB download.
Damn dude your games listed are everything that i played back when this came out. Chrono Cross was just a different beast entirely. Legend of Dragoon was also incredible. Id add xenogears which never gets its shine. But out of FF, FF* is definitely my favorite and completely underrated.
This game still looks amazing.i loved how during cut scenes all this action is going on and your still able to move your character back then it blew my young mind
This was the first final fantasy I ever played, I played it 3 years after it came out, and I was 8 years old, and did not speak English at the time. This is why It is so mind boggling to me why people think it is confusing. We, probably, will never see a remake of this game, because of the negative sentiment it had received way back when, and it is a shame. Such a masterpiece of story telling, and innovation. Kinda makes me feel sad, and frustrated with current culture of easy video games with high financial reward. I think Square did the right thing remaking Final Fantasy 7, and I hope they continue this trend My apologies for the mini rant, this video just reminded me of how much I loved this game.
Thank you so much for the recap! As a kid I only made it to cd 2 but al the songs and sounds are printed so deeply in my brain.. pure nostalgis.. I am curious if as an adult I still love this game after finishing it
I played all final fantasy games. Even nog, i'm 35, i'm still looking forward to ff 16. Ff8 was great. Maybe, imo not the greatest, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It brings back so many memories.
I love this game so much I played it back when I was 8-10ish because it was a game with ms2 for xmas (I know rightt?!) But It was absolutely amazing now im watching it slightly drunk and like "yeah that happened and so did that" qnd realizing this game was a big part of me growing up
Thanks for checking it out! So far this is our most popular video. Hopefully that means there is a lot of love for Final Fantasy VIII out there! - Nökkvi
Love this game; it's my all-time favorite. Not to say it doesn't have flaws, like the draw and juncitoning systems, but they can be easily modified. Draw once, you have the spell; get rid of finite uses and using the spells won't affect your junctioned stats. A bit more foreshadowing during the story would have been nice, too, especially since the GFs are supposed to affect memories, which is kind of a big deal in the story. It'd be nice to actually experience this memory loss along with the characters during the journey. There's so much room for expansion! I fear I will be an old lady before they get around to remaking this one, though, with how slowly the 7 remake is going.
I didn't know it was not popular but i kind of guess bc after that VII people's expectation should have been huge. VII and X can attract anyone i guess but maybe not VIII. That said, I am from Japan and I bought and played it on the release date. I loved this romantic story so much. Thanks for the recap. I def play this again on steam in the next vacation.
This is an amazing video, an awesome effort on your part and I’m thankful you’re making these types of videos!! Subscribed shared and imma watch all of these final fantasy recaps you got great job
This has got to be the most convoluted final fantasy of all time definitely most fans of this game were between 7-9 years old and live it’s and sing it’s greatness through rose tented goggles😂
I didn't realize this game had such a bad rep? It was my favorite and still is. When I was younger my grandparents said they couldn't find this one for us for christmas (I think it was there but they were cheap) and bought us ff7 instead. I didn't get to play ff8 until years later. I love ff7, but ff8 is the best IMO. The story is a little convoluted but it's visuals, setting, and the aesthetic were really cool. Amazing game. BTW, I watched the whole video in one sitting.
108 hours played, if I remembered correctly, all characters lvl 99, gf 99, all weapons, chocobos, cards collected.. If there was a platinum back then, I would've gotten it.
cant count how many times i played this game across decades. the story and gameplay is superb. best ff for me, alltime. and top3 best game ever for the ps. im almost 50 and played this maybe 2 or 3 times on mobile.
I loved the idea of the junction system but it made me not use magic. My stats would lower if I used magic that was junctioned so I didn't bother. I ended up just using GFs since they were so powerful. Made combat get boring and repetitive. Still love the game and it has one of the best FF stories in my opinion
ahahah. magic was the best stat booster and i too felt like there was no point to actually using magic. gust crit attacks with squall and everyone else on gf summoning duties.
It seems like you still don't get the junction system, most characters in the game take more physical dmg than any other...why would you use magic when a normal attack does more? The amount that stats are affected by using magic in FFVIII is so miniscule, you don't have to worry about it. Ultima is great to use as it increase str and magic on a 1:1 scale, if you're using the same thing for the whole game, whats the point of having other stuff? And if the enemy can hit for more than 9999, does it really matter if you have it junctioned or if you're using something SLIGHTLY less powerful?
I remember my dad taking me to K-Mart, (yes they sold games) and pointing to Final Fantasy IX, and the cashier grabbed VIII out of the case instead and being too shy to correct her, I went home with what will arguably always be my favorite Final Fantasy. ....Whatever. lol
omg i have chilllllllzzzz, i played all of this game as a kid and squall was my favorite mc. Thank you for saving me at least 20 hours just to relive the story. :)
Thank you for the video, was always super interested in this game's story but I really couldn't get into the gameplay itself as it was too different from FF6 and FF7. Great job on this!
I finally just beat it on the switch. A friend let me borrow back in highschool in the 2000’s. Never beat it because I had to get it back to him. I really enjoy the story. I’ve always liked Squall. Renamed him Leon in homage to Kingdom Hearts. The draw system is fun. Junctioning is fun and in a technical sense, makes sense. My first tattoo I got when I was 18 was my own version of Griever. I remember playing triple triad when my best friend was over, back in highschool, and I read “Armadodo” out loud and she just laughs and looks at me and says “yes, you are a dodo” 😅
this was the first og final fantasy game that i have finished so this game is pretty special to me. i hope that after the 7 trilogy, they follow up with this one. ❤
My favorite song in viii is fisherman horizon. Such a nostalgic and sad feeling. Although viii isnt my favorite in the series it does have a special place in my heart
FFVIII “The Thinking Man’s Final Fantasy,” as my college buddies and I called it. It’s the easiest game to get OP in, but you have to understand how it works and can’t just grind it out like every other game in the series before it. I love it because of that.
Holy crap!!! So the feather that found Squall in the time compression was sent by Rinoa in the opening FMV. 🤨 dude, you gave me so much perspective on that ending sequence right there. Thank you for that.
![The Complete Unabridged Timeline of Final Fantasy VIII [The Legend of Hyne]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/beThSIO6dWU/mqdefault.jpg)
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Thanks for this , it was a really good story explanation.
To this day Cid in VIII to me looks like Robin Williams.
Then all is right with the world. - Nökkvi
we were saying that since back in 1999 when I was in the 8th grade lol (gosh I'm getting old).
Sh*t, you right
I literally said exactly that and went looking for the great mind who inevitably posted the comment before me.
I can see that, was Cid one of the few characters we didn't get a chance to name?
Even to this day, you can see how ambitious this game was. The visuals, soundtrack though story's a little crazy, you can't help but be blown away by the atmosphere it creates
Love it!
I don’t like FF8, It really is my least favourite. That said, the soundtrack is AMAZING. And I constantly try to replay it hoping my mind will change.
I agree, quite strongly: I like what they tried to do. I like the ‘idea’ of the story. But they didn’t achieve it.
Love this game so much, great video. Fingers crossed it gets the remake treatment because this game could be something special.
i miss the days of getting off the school bus, walking in the house, throwing my backpack on the couch, and looking to my right side & seeing the ps1 and the double disc of ff8..mann
One of the most underrated games. One of the best soundtracks and openings. Forever one of the greatest. I hope they remake this game one day.
I think VIII could benefit greatly from a remake. Not in the sense that it's bad, but rather that there is just so much there that could be expanded on a little bit more.
@@BirdsOfPlay well the new combat style they going with will be epic in a lot of moments in FF8 especially the garden battle, that could be so much fun!!!
Would you really want a remaster though?..
I can't agree with you more. Eyes on me is the most iconic FF soundtrack. This may not be very good of a game, but the story is true to the title of "final fantasy", a fantasy made visible and vivid. The elements of this game just work together so well that the game feels so real.
It is amazing but I hate draw command and spending hours drawing spells. It is booooring. I used gf basically in all battles but animations are too long. Amazing world and vibe but gameplay sucks big time... ff9 aged better because it is easy
My first final fantasy I ever played....a classic.
Probably the Final Fantasy I've replayed the most times... a classic.
Same here
Bro, it's technically the second one I played, but it was the first one I got that was truly mine. Great memories from this amazing game, even if people give it hate.
Same. Only ever played 8 and 10. Finished and loved both equally in different ways.
@tarancehill651 I would recommend 12, a lot of people didn't like the open fighting mechanics but I think they did it well. 8 and 10 are my favorites so I would assume we have similar tastes if you like them as well. Story isn't as rich in 12 I'd say, but gameplay is great
This was the first Final Fantasy I ever played and thus, for me, it will always be the best.
Already know I’ll love this video. I know this is a super unpopular opinion but FFVIII is my favorite entry in the entire series. 💜 I have it on the PS4/5, on the PC, the original discs for the PS and recently got it on the Switch and am so happy that I can take it everywhere with me now. Triple Triad definitely bumped it up for me in rankings. VIII, XII, X, and VII are my top ones, in that order.
I have great respect for Final Fantasy VIII. Hopefully the video does it some justice, even though it doesn't include Triple Triad. Everything should include Triple Triad.
@@BirdsOfPlay As soon as I read the words "Triple Triad", the music just kicked into my brain and I haven't played it in about two decades. That should tell you how great the game was.
Same bro this is my favorite adventure game hands down!
The game had a lot of emotional impact. I remember loving the soundtrack and also listening to Jimmy Eat World's 2001 album while playing it.
Just like squall you are not alone. This is my favorite FF game and one of my favorite jrpgs EVER
Having the music change to suit the location of the story being told was a great touch. This was awesome to watch!
Laguna battle theme
Honestly, the story in this game is pretty bonkers and I absolutely love it
The old Square crew in general was very good at this. They start off with, what seems to be , a pretty simple premise but just expands and gets ever crazier. FF7 is similar in that regard
I think the game came out at like the perfect time in my life. I was like 8th grade (just before high school) and the more introverted Squall and the developing romance really got me lol. I will always hold 7 and 8 as my two personal favorites.
the commercial really sold it for me, hopeless romantic...I will be waiting...I will be waiting here for you, so sappy its good, but this video showed me it was a bit forced and not organic. It happened in the past so it happens now, why get emotional and share feelings when all we had to say was...it was meant to be why fight?
I can relate to this as well. It really helped me feeling like an outcast in school and struggling with being an introvert before I really ubdtood what that meant.
The Balamb Garden theme makes me super nostalgic, this is my first PS1 Final Fantasy so this is my fave FF ever.
Such a great theme! The music in FF8 is some of the best in the series!
This video is like the game. The first 10 minutes are like "Squall got a cut on his face and decided to sleep" and the last 10 minutes are like "the time dimension changes reset the world order while the protagonist's mind endures the concept of human fate all while being connected in a lucid dream of uncertainty."
This game is beautiful. I love Rinoa and Squall. Their story is so sweet.
Same. I was 10 when I played this game. Squall and Rinoas pretty much molded my views on romantic relationships.
They're my favorite couple 👫😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Yes it is. Me and my love can relate. It's our favorite FF and 1st I've ever played in 1998.
@@kodykitchens7425I was 10 also.
They we’re a cute couple.
It disappointed to no end that she never appeared in kingdom hearts.
This is INCREDIBLE. Thank you for this retelling of the story in the most digestible, accessible, and interesting way. I listened to this at work, and it helped my work night fly by. You've got a voice made for this, and your passion for this game shows. I appreciate this game even more so than I ever would've thought thanks to you. I just completed this game for the first time back in February after never getting past disc 2 maybe back in 2000. The way you were able to succinctly and simply summarize some of the plot points helped me gain new perspective on the moments and in turn makes me less incredulous than I was of certain aspects to begin with. Again, thanks for this. I'd instantly jump at another one of these if you summarized other Final Fantasy titles or similar games. Subscribed;
I can't believe I missed this comment at the time! Thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you've enjoyed some of our other Final Fantasy complete stories by now :) - Pétur
This game was my best friend, my mentor, and my own private kingdom as a 13 year old.
You picked a good one 😉
@@BirdsOfPlay More like it picked me ❤️
Great summary but it missed one of the most important links in the game - that Squall is Laguna/Raine’s son, and Rinoa is the daughter of Julia, who Laguna fell in love with as a soldier. Their romance also reaches across time and space and is stronger for it.
Yeah, it just tells the story as the game tells it. Would have been interesting to see Squall and Laguna have a father son moment. Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it. Love FF8!
@@BirdsOfPlay thanks for the reply! Yes to me their romance over generations was the crux of the whole story, and explained how they survived time compression, and all the other outrageous things that happen in the story. 8 had some flaws, but I always thought it had one of the best romances of any video game, as all roads eventually lead back to it in some way.
That fact is mostly for when fans realize it, since Laguna didn't know his wife Raine was pregnant or that he has a son at all (correct me if I'm wrong!). After Raine dies, Squall was sent to the orphanage.
@@miruku6939 I don't recall which characters have the dialogue, but one of them mentions that Raine had wanted Laguna to see their son before she died. I'm inclined to agree that Laguna didn't know anything about his son. I think this is one of the main things that Ellone was trying to accomplish -- changing the past so that Laguna, Raine, and Squall would have that connection; perhaps to keep Raine from dying altogether. But as she later pointed out, while one can't change the past, she was able to view it from different perspectives and see how much she was loved. After her parents were gunned down in Winhill, Laguna and Raine were the ones who raised her before she was sent to live with Cid and Edea. I'm certain she found great comfort in seeing that again.
I was going to call you out for spoiling it for me... Then I remembered I was watching a video that tells the story
the way you tell the story is so great. i feel like im reading a book when im listening to you, great job sir!
I can’t imagine someone not liking this game. It’s a masterpiece.
Some might think it's too dark compared to other FF games. The dark elements made FF8 just the best. th-cam.com/video/UYMILmY1XRw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Nano soundtrack still gives me chills 😨
I loved it when I was young. I replayed it as an adult, and found it being one of the worst-written JRPGs.
"Hey, Squall! I know we're in the middle of a war and you're the general of our army, but stop thinking about the lives of everyone here. You should flirt with Rinoa first." I honestly regurgitated a bit during that part in my replay, and that's just scratching the surface. No one aside from Squall gets any character development.
The junction system is very unbalanced too. If you take your time drawing magic from enemies, you can easily plough through the game.
All those negatives aside, I'd say that FF8 soundtrack is a masterpiece, AND it gave birth to the BEST MINIGAME in gaming history: TRIPLE TRIAD. (The compound rules gets confusing at times tho.)
Is the game a masterpiece? No.
Do I like the game? Yes. But only for the music and Triple Triad.
I really don't like this game at all. Literally nothing about it
@@lauriperamaki5354 what's "dark" about FF8? I can't think of anything from it that's really darker than compared to other FFs. I can say that there are brighter FFs such as FF9 and FF12 but.
If you're saying that it's dark because they're using teenagers as soldiers in FF8, you should take that contextually as it seems to not be an issue in their world and it's very teen-flicky, actually. Odin's and Ultimecia's are indeed dark places but that's not really a story tone.
FF8 is nothing compared to the dark brutalities of war of FF2 and FFT. Massacres regulary occur in FF2, FF4, FF6, FF7, FFT. Human experimentations in FF6 and FF7.
FF8 is probably the tamest FF in it's time as its target demographic back then are teenagers and youngsters which makes sense of the teenflicky story writing.
@@bukojoetheslapsoils8273 I might be wrong. When I was a kid and played FF8, Ultimecias castle gave nightmares. I didn't understand any deeper meaning.
Thanks! This was certainly a trip down memory lane. 2 details I picked up was the beginning fmv with Rinoa is in fact the end when she sends the petal to find Squall and the narrative where Squall makes a promise to Rinoa is broken by him which I found a really nice touch because she saves him for once after he has saved many people.
FFVIII was the first one I played, and I absolutely adore it. I love the soundtrack, I love the visuals, I love the junction system, I love the story, and Eyes on Me is my favorite theme of a game ever, though One winged angel is my favorite character theme. And Triple Triad is still my favorite mini game from the series
There is a lot to adore about the game! Adoration well spent!
I watched my friends older brother play this as a kid and thought it was amazing. Then I played it and couldn't find my arse from my elbow with the junction system :) thanks for this video gents
Thanks for watching! And thanks for sharing your story!
I have beat this game at least 4 times when I was 9 years old. Recently I’ve been playing FF7Remake and decided to actually read the entire plot to fully understand and appreciate the game. Since FF8 was my most favorite FF (and I’ve played 8 FFs), I decided to watch this video to fully understand and appreciate it too. I tell you right now, OMG! No matter how many times I beat this game, I realize after watching this whole video that I was way too young to really understand the story. Love this video, thank you.
Still my fav above ff7 as this was my first full play/owned Ff game. Spent many hours and afternoons neglecting my homework to get to the next save point. Even just listening to this while I’m working, I can picture every scene and line. Might have to dust off the discs and go a round for nostalgias sake
Thank you so much for this. I cried so much while watching this recalling my childhood how I played this when I was a child... during my naive mind at that time, I always wanted to find someone to love and receive the kind of love that Rinoa had experienced from Squall. I am grateful enough to find the man of my dream... again, thank you so much for this nostalgic video 🧡🧡🧡
Thanks for sharing your story! It's always lovely to hear how these games have impacted people's lives in different ways. And thanks for your tears, we feed off them.
#metoo
#methree I hope one day I’m strong, my own self, and find my person to dance with in times of grief and triumph just like then. My dream when I was 14, my dream now and forever.
Incredible narration! Simple straight storytelling of a polarizing game I wasn’t crazy about when I was younger but have come to really appreciate in recent years. Can’t wait to hear more!
The story for this game was so good they could make a movie about it and it would hit hard.
My first ever jrpg.... man the memories.
"Man with the machine gun", step aside! The "Man with the memories" is here!
What do you think of Final Fantasy VIII's story? Also, if you like the video and are in the market for more Final Fantasy content, don't forget to subscribe to the channel to become a part of of our growing Final Fantasy family!
my favorite ff.
This was my first FF game as a kid, so the story always has a special place in my heart. Thanks for making the video, it was great!
great game, it's my childhood
you talk to much interpretation about Seifer and little about what ACTUALLY happened in the game between Rinoa and Squall
@@Jman703 not trying to be a dick but I’m at the end of disc 3 and had to come here just to understand the story.
I honestly love this one so much
it resonated with me more than 7 when I was a teenager
really good themes
I was surprised how much detail you went into and thought "wow, he will have to start cutting things short ... " but then realized your video is way over 30 minutes! Respect for your dedication.
I don't see why it gets a "bad rap", there were a few convenient plot contrivances, but not any worse than many other RPGs? Maybe because the story is so good most of the time (I've heard many blame it as Final Reality) those contrivances are seen as blaring mistakes / suspension of disbelief when they happen? Outstanding soundtrack, regardless (hearing the music makes want to play again).
The draw/junction system is very diff from 7 but not bad once you learn how to exploit it. People complain of Draw, but the secret is not to draw (at least if in a hurry) and use card/item refinement. I do see how Junction Swap makes characters interchangeable except for limits, but I think the fun out-ways the lack of realism.
I still love seeing Quistis in her officer's uniform, and love when Edea joins the party! I kill the others SeeDs and let her go on a one-woman rampage through the plains of Estar. (P.S. she is great for collecting spells, items, cards, and AP w/o raising your party's level if they're all dead.) Ice Strike isn't a great limit break, but I think she is sexier than LuLu from X.
The final battle is much better than 7. I have everybody with an awesome setup and enjoy the random selection of party members, occasionally fun to see a character evaporate into time! More fun than switching back-and-forth between parties of 3 like end of FF7.
I never finished this title. It was my second ff ever, but i think i was too young to catch the complex storytelling this one has. But man, the graphics were incredible at the time, I watched the opening CGI a thousand times haha. A couple years later I finished ffix, the next title from ps1. Good old memories
This is my favorite Final Fantasy! I always had a crush on Squall! ❤
I always had a crush on this game!
If only Squall and friends has voice-over this would sound like Thomas the Tank Engine. This is my favorite FF in the series. Very nice voice hehe
The flash backs… I played this when I was 11-12 years old. I am now 32 now. The memories of this are unreal. Thank you for this video.
I first played this in high school on the PS1. The story still feels like a fever dream.
One of my fav Final Fantasy ❤ i love the relationship of Squall and Rinnoa, and everyone here is so... Flawed. Squall is a mess, but he's truly relatable. I think hearing his internal thoughts is key too, makes him a much more appealing person instead of a flatout jerk
Love the junction system. Summons are top notch. Hate the magic with an absolute passion. Love the 3 love stories for the price of one. Straight up classic.
Sheeeesh FF writers need to relax. Sending consciousness across time, frozen prisons in space, an entire cast with amnesia... 🤣
My favorite FF of all time. I happened to search for it 1 day it crossed my mind that I've missed it since 1998 and boom it's remastered. I fell in love with it all over again and completed it this time.
The black sheep of the ff series, lol, that's why it was my favorite, I was the black sheep in the fam 😎
Love the melody you got playing in the video too, nostalgic as hell
Black sheeps gotta stick together! Glad we were able to induce some nostalgia! - Nökkvi
I love it. 8 is hooked to my childhood
Sounds like you had a great childhood!
you make 8 sound like a pedo
since im a fan of role playing games...new subs here from Ph. i really love the way you summarizes the story.
Glad you like it and thanks for the support! We have quite a few Final Fantasy summaries on the channel, and working on more, so feel free to go nuts!
I was a kid when i played the game. Hardly understood the story and couldn’t get pass disc 2 😢 forgot where i got stuck in the storyline. Still its a nostalgia of my first final fantasy experience 😌
Remember, this game is in Charlie’s Angels where Drew stumbles into the boys playing a video game. This is what they are playing. Looks like the Balamb Garden battle
Thanks for taking the time to put these together man, they're really good
Glad you like them! They take a while to make 😁
Just found this channel, this guy sounds like James Earl Jones mixed with Sir Patrick Stewart. Every time he says "Timber" it felt like Mufasa talking to Simba
That last part made me laugh
Thanks for the great summary.👍
I played FF8 over 20 years ago on the PS1 (WOW - Where has the time gone?) & was not able to finish it back then as a kid. But nowadays I don't have the time to watch, let alone play the whole thing again. Looking back I only played FF8, FF10 (complete), FF12 (complete) & FF14 (a little bit) but the 8th part will always be special to me.
I've been playing opera omnia on mobile and getting a refresher on the characters im using is amazing. Thank you!
I will always have a soft spot as this game being my favorite next to X. X was my first final fantasy and it’s hard to top that. But VIII was just so crazy in thought and you never knew what was going to happen next, a true masterpiece in my opinion!
The world that was dreamt up to make this game is astonishing.
I am playing this now. I bought it from the PS store. It's my favorite Final Fantasy even though I never beat it. I played it when I was a teen, got to 4th disc, and it wasn't working.
I beat FF7 like twice. I liked FF8 better. These 2 games and Legend of Dragoon made me think I was a JRPG guy but after playing a bunch of others, I learned those 3 games and Chrono Cross were anomalies. I hate JRPG games.
I'm like 5 hours in FF8 now and I love this game. I don't care what anyone says. It's $10 in the PS store. 1.8 GB download.
Damn dude your games listed are everything that i played back when this came out. Chrono Cross was just a different beast entirely. Legend of Dragoon was also incredible. Id add xenogears which never gets its shine. But out of FF, FF* is definitely my favorite and completely underrated.
One thing I've realised from watching this... I did not not understand this story as a child.
This game still looks amazing.i loved how during cut scenes all this action is going on and your still able to move your character back then it blew my young mind
Homie narrating ff8 like an episode of earth on BBC. Fucking awesome.
This was the first final fantasy I ever played, I played it 3 years after it came out, and I was 8 years old, and did not speak English at the time.
This is why It is so mind boggling to me why people think it is confusing.
We, probably, will never see a remake of this game, because of the negative sentiment it had received way back when, and it is a shame.
Such a masterpiece of story telling, and innovation. Kinda makes me feel sad, and frustrated with current culture of easy video games with high financial reward.
I think Square did the right thing remaking Final Fantasy 7, and I hope they continue this trend
My apologies for the mini rant, this video just reminded me of how much I loved this game.
I LOVE the fact that the narrator sounds like the guy in 12. Cant remember his name right now, but I could listen to this way more. I love it!
Balthier? He was the sky pirate with Fran the rabbit lady.
Marquis Halim Ondore
Thank you so much for the recap! As a kid I only made it to cd 2 but al the songs and sounds are printed so deeply in my brain.. pure nostalgis.. I am curious if as an adult I still love this game after finishing it
Thanks for watching! Glad we could be a part of your Final Fantasy VIII journey! 🐦
The junction system is one of my favs. You can definitely get op pretty early
Would love to see it make a comeback in some shape or form!
I played all final fantasy games. Even nog, i'm 35, i'm still looking forward to ff 16. Ff8 was great. Maybe, imo not the greatest, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It brings back so many memories.
Looking forward to 16 as well! Double 8 sounds great!
I love this game so much I played it back when I was 8-10ish because it was a game with ms2 for xmas (I know rightt?!) But It was absolutely amazing now im watching it slightly drunk and like "yeah that happened and so did that" qnd realizing this game was a big part of me growing up
I always liked the idea you have to beat your summons to use them.
FF8 is my favorite and the only reason I got into the series as a whole.
Your recaps are phenomenal. Thank you so much for your hard work!
Thanks for noticing our hard work! We work hard. Maybe we should be called Birds of Work... But anyway, if the video is appreciated then we are happy!
SO far I'm 2 videos in from you and each one is very well done and I can see it's done with alot of care.
this game means a lot to me, thank you very much for making this great video :)
Thanks for checking it out! So far this is our most popular video. Hopefully that means there is a lot of love for Final Fantasy VIII out there! - Nökkvi
Love this game; it's my all-time favorite. Not to say it doesn't have flaws, like the draw and juncitoning systems, but they can be easily modified. Draw once, you have the spell; get rid of finite uses and using the spells won't affect your junctioned stats. A bit more foreshadowing during the story would have been nice, too, especially since the GFs are supposed to affect memories, which is kind of a big deal in the story. It'd be nice to actually experience this memory loss along with the characters during the journey. There's so much room for expansion! I fear I will be an old lady before they get around to remaking this one, though, with how slowly the 7 remake is going.
I didn't know it was not popular but i kind of guess bc after that VII people's expectation should have been huge. VII and X can attract anyone i guess but maybe not VIII. That said, I am from Japan and I bought and played it on the release date. I loved this romantic story so much. Thanks for the recap. I def play this again on steam in the next vacation.
I played this game without a memory card several times, was so fun. There was 4CD. Took a while to finish it. One of the best game ever made
Wow, impossible
This is an amazing video, an awesome effort on your part and I’m thankful you’re making these types of videos!! Subscribed shared and imma watch all of these final fantasy recaps you got great job
Junctioning made you op so early, I loved it
I love this comment!
8 is the best. You'll never change my mind
You have our full support!
Watched the whole thing, just recently got Into FF and this helped me understand FFVIII story a lot, THANK YOU 😊
Thanks for having the patience to watch all of it! Glad we could assist a fellow FF fan!
This has got to be the most convoluted final fantasy of all time definitely most fans of this game were between 7-9 years old and live it’s and sing it’s greatness through rose tented goggles😂
Thank you for reminding me why i loved this game
If that's the effect then this video is a raging success! Thanks for watching!
Has always been my favourite title in the mainline series. Thank you for the video, it was great.
my first final fantasy game, it holds so many memories, I cherish everything about this game ❤
I didn't realize this game had such a bad rep? It was my favorite and still is. When I was younger my grandparents said they couldn't find this one for us for christmas (I think it was there but they were cheap) and bought us ff7 instead. I didn't get to play ff8 until years later. I love ff7, but ff8 is the best IMO. The story is a little convoluted but it's visuals, setting, and the aesthetic were really cool. Amazing game. BTW, I watched the whole video in one sitting.
108 hours played, if I remembered correctly, all characters lvl 99, gf 99, all weapons, chocobos, cards collected.. If there was a platinum back then, I would've gotten it.
cant count how many times i played this game across decades. the story and gameplay is superb. best ff for me, alltime. and top3 best game ever for the ps. im almost 50 and played this maybe 2 or 3 times on mobile.
My favorite ff of all time. Music is timeless and so perfect with the story
Your voice is so perfect for the story narration. Thank you so much
I loved the idea of the junction system but it made me not use magic. My stats would lower if I used magic that was junctioned so I didn't bother. I ended up just using GFs since they were so powerful. Made combat get boring and repetitive. Still love the game and it has one of the best FF stories in my opinion
ahahah. magic was the best stat booster and i too felt like there was no point to actually using magic. gust crit attacks with squall and everyone else on gf summoning duties.
It seems like you still don't get the junction system, most characters in the game take more physical dmg than any other...why would you use magic when a normal attack does more? The amount that stats are affected by using magic in FFVIII is so miniscule, you don't have to worry about it.
Ultima is great to use as it increase str and magic on a 1:1 scale, if you're using the same thing for the whole game, whats the point of having other stuff? And if the enemy can hit for more than 9999, does it really matter if you have it junctioned or if you're using something SLIGHTLY less powerful?
I just started watching and I love your voice! I hope your videos blow up so everyone can hear it!
That would be great 🥲
lately been on a binge for final fantasy and your videos has definitely helped and entertained me. Thank you
I remember my dad taking me to K-Mart, (yes they sold games) and pointing to Final Fantasy IX, and the cashier grabbed VIII out of the case instead and being too shy to correct her, I went home with what will arguably always be my favorite Final Fantasy. ....Whatever. lol
Love this story!
omg i have chilllllllzzzz, i played all of this game as a kid and squall was my favorite mc. Thank you for saving me at least 20 hours just to relive the story. :)
Thank you for the video, was always super interested in this game's story but I really couldn't get into the gameplay itself as it was too different from FF6 and FF7. Great job on this!
Glad we could be of assistance!
Amazing amazing video! Well done.
Perfect amount of detail and completely refreshed me on this game.
Thank you thank you!
Thanks so much for watching! So glad you liked it! If it worked as a good refresher then I'd say it's done it's job!
I finally just beat it on the switch.
A friend let me borrow back in highschool in the 2000’s. Never beat it because I had to get it back to him.
I really enjoy the story. I’ve always liked Squall. Renamed him Leon in homage to Kingdom Hearts.
The draw system is fun. Junctioning is fun and in a technical sense, makes sense.
My first tattoo I got when I was 18 was my own version of Griever.
I remember playing triple triad when my best friend was over, back in highschool, and I read “Armadodo” out loud and she just laughs and looks at me and says “yes, you are a dodo” 😅
Fantastic video, thank you for documenting one of the greatest games and insanely fun stories of all time
this was the first og final fantasy game that i have finished so this game is pretty special to me. i hope that after the 7 trilogy, they follow up with this one. ❤
My favorite song in viii is fisherman horizon. Such a nostalgic and sad feeling. Although viii isnt my favorite in the series it does have a special place in my heart
wow i never understood FFVIII cuz the story was so complicated but this totally made sense thank u :D
Glad we could help!
Love this game played from a kid now at 35 it stills makes me happy everytime i replay it
Completed the whole video as I never completed the game. Thank you for the explanation of the story!
The people who said this game's plot was too trippy are playing FF7 Remake.
FFVIII “The Thinking Man’s Final Fantasy,” as my college buddies and I called it. It’s the easiest game to get OP in, but you have to understand how it works and can’t just grind it out like every other game in the series before it. I love it because of that.
Holy crap!!! So the feather that found Squall in the time compression was sent by Rinoa in the opening FMV. 🤨 dude, you gave me so much perspective on that ending sequence right there. Thank you for that.
thanks for these videos