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Date |
: Jan 28th, 2002 |
| Genre |
: RPG |
| Developer |
: Squaresoft |
| Author |
: Jin-Ning Tioh |
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Additional Hints & Tips
Hint #1
Kiros comments on how much Squall looks like his mother. Ward adds silently that it's a good thing he doesn't look like his father. Laguna has "something important" to tell Squall, but it can wait until after Ultimecia is defeated. Ellone, Laguna's adoptive daughter, ends up in the same orphanage as Squall. Squall calls her "Sis". Laguna has Squall's triple triad card. Seventeen years ago, while Laguna was away, his wife, Raine, died in childbirth. Squall, as it happens, is 17 years old. Though the game never comes out and says it, the answer is there for those who choose to look : Laguna is Squall's father.
Hint #2
Another secret is the lengthy quest of Timber Obel Lake. This adventure will take you all over the world, decoding word puzzles and solving mysteries. The reward for solving the quest is small, but the friends you make will last forever. You'll never forget Mr. Monkey - Not after he tells you that "You suck!"
Hint #3
Return to the second-floor homeroom periodically to check up on the Balamb Garden network. Selphie keeps her online diary up to date with her perspective on the party's goings on. There's also a public bulletin board and Selphie's own shrine devoted to Sir Laguna. This is where all those Timber Maniacs you read end up! While completely optional, the virtual web sites make for some interesting reading.
Hint #4
Looking for a real challenge? The Omega weapon is for you. Before fighting the Omega weapon, make sure your party is prepared. Give every character in your party 9,999 hit points. Junction 100 death spells to all characters' status resistance. Get a lot of hero medicine. Give characters initiative, auto-haste, Spd-J junctions, and Spd+ percentage abilities. Revive and recover commands are a must. Make sure Squall has his best weapon, the Lionheart.
The Omega weapon resides in Ultimecia's castle. Take your real party to the party exchange spot before the fountain. Your dummy party should head to the hallway to the right of the main lobby. Pull the string in the bottom left of the screen. Switch back to the real party and take your party north. Enter the battle, cast aura on Squall and Irvine, and then use the hero drink on your party to render them impervious to attacks. Keep on casting aura and using hero drinks to keep your party in prime fighting condition. Revive and recover deceased characters. Learn his timing, then summon guardian forces right before his deadly Omega flare. Have Irvine pound bullets into him and hope that Squall's Lionheart continually connects. Good luck!
Hint #5
The western-most and eastern-most islands commonly known as the Islands Closest to Heaven and Hell on the world map are littered with dozens of hidden, high-powered draw spells. They're also littered with the most difficult random encounters the game has to offer. Equip Diablo's enc-none ability to clean up on draw points. Fight the enemies to clean up on experience - Sometimes more than 2,000 EXP in a single battle! Odin's deadly attacks can come in handy, especially against a Malboro.
Historical Facts
Final Fantasy VIII marked a dramatic shift for the series toward a more cinematic paradigm. Characters are realistically proportioned, and all three members of the party are always present onscreen; no longer do they walk "into" and "out of" each other like Russian nesting dolls. FMVs are also more smoothly integrated into the gameplay and environments than it was in Final Fantasy VII. So, despite the realistic presentation and well-developed characters, Final Fantasy VIII is still clearly a fantasy game with fantastic elements. Just about anyone open-minded enough to appreciate a well-crafted story with excellent characterizations will enjoy Final Fantasy VIII.
It also drastically changed many of the gameplay standards RPG fans had grown used to over the past decade, shaking the very fundamental underpinnings of what most if not all RPG fans expect. Armor was removed entirely, and the need to "level up" was drastically reduced as your enemies' level always match your party's. Money is also no longer gained from random battles; instead, Squall and his party periodically receives a big fat check from SeeD. Magic spells are consumable, not learned permanently. Spells and Guardian Forces are gained by "drawing" them from the various enemies and from draw points scattered throughout the world. Characters "junction" Guardian Forces to themselves, opening up a variety of new abilities and techniques. Once junctioned to a Guardian Force, characters can then junction drawn spells to different attributes, increasing their strength, defense, and agility, adding status ailments to their attack, and more.
Reaction to the new style and systems was mixed. Most gamers accepted the new style of characters without too much protest. The elimination of weapons, armor, money, and levels drew some initial protest, but it was soon apparent that the game provided the same functionality these old systems did, just in different ways. The draw and junction systems, the most drastic gameplay shifts of all, engendered the most debate. Some found the systems to be quirky but ultimately rewarding, while others found them to be an overly complex, annoying hindrance.
Even so, Square deserves credit for the stylistic, gameplay, and narrative risks it took with Final Fantasy VIII. After the blockbuster success of Final Fantasy VII, Square was at the forefront of the RPG industry, if not the entire gaming industry. It would have been easy to toss out "just another" Final Fantasy game, but Square chose to take risks in an attempt to push the genre forward. Individually, not every change may have succeeded. Holistically, the game is an unabashed success. Kudos to Square for a valiant attempt on their part.
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