rionaleonhart | I Saved My Soul To A Memory Card.

Crossposts: https://rionaleonhart.livejournal.com/557639.html

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I Saved My Soul To A Memory Card.

Riona's Head: Hey, you should get back to one of the games you've started but never finished. Tales of the Abyss? Tales of Berseria? Spirit of Justice? Steins;Gate? Lucid9?
Riona's Heart: Hey, how long has it been since you last played Final Fantasy VIII?

I told myself a few years back that I couldn't possibly justify ever playing Final Fantasy VIII again. I'd played it so much that I almost knew it by heart. I don't need to replay this game; it's written into me. But the Persona series, with its combination of attending school and fighting monsters, left me thinking about Balamb Garden, and somehow I've found myself back here.

(I'm playing the original, ported without changes to PS3, rather than the remaster. I was excited for the remaster when I first heard about it, but then I learnt it had blurred the backgrounds and reduced Squall's range of movement to eight directions, so I decided against getting it. It's just not Final Fantasy VIII if you can't run around in smooth circles and watch your teammates follow you in perfect step. I'm glad a version exists on more modern consoles, though, so new players can still discover this beautiful catastrophe of a game.)

The fight between Squall and Seifer in the opening cutscene is still rad as hell, over two decades later. Pretty incredible stuff for 1999 3D animation in a videogame, even considering that it's an FMV.

Look at all of Squall's movements! I love him. The realistically proportioned models in Final Fantasy VIII allow for more human, subtle body language than the ones in the original Final Fantasy VII, which had to rely on large gestures, although we're not yet at the point of being able to see facial expressions outside FMVs.

Considering that Final Fantasy VII came out on the same hardware, two years earlier, Final Fantasy VIII is a remarkable graphical upgrade. Square had obviously learnt a lot from their early efforts at 3D modelling and animation.

Balamb Garden! This place feels so familiar. It's good to be home.

Love that this late-nineties game includes an in-game school intranet forum that ends up being shut down because the pupils just use it for arguments and talking about how hot the teachers are. Truly ahead of its time.

The way background NPCs move around, and sometimes appear in a particular area and sometimes don't, is a really cool touch that helps the world feel more alive. I don't remember seeing anything like it before I played this game. In the other games I'd played, characters were either programmed to be in an area or they weren't; there wasn't this element of chance.

This was also the first game I played in which you could overhear conversations NPCs were having amongst themselves, without actually being involved in the conversation. Again, a nice little touch that makes the world feel more real. People aren't just standing around, waiting to talk to you; they've got their own lives going on!

Still can't believe I got lost straight out of the gate on my first playthrough, spent four literal hours wandering Balamb before I found the Fire Cavern, and somehow still stuck with this game. I'm impressed both by thirteen-year-old Riona's patience and by her lack of observational skills.

It's hard to express how much this game means to me. I'm glad it exists.

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Awww, now I want to replay VIII! It's been years for me. I loved the game fiercely when I was younger, and still remain very fond of it. I definitely feel it's the better game over the original VII (I have yet to complete FFVIIR so jury's still out on it). Enjoy your play through!

I do think Final Fantasy VII is stronger than VIII on plot, and I feel the Junctioning system is a bit too confusing for new players, but I love Final Fantasy VIII so passionately and it makes me a bit sad that it's so often put down in comparison to VII. I love the characters of VIII, and how deeply inside Squall's head the perspective is. I also think Final Fantasy VIII's better English translation, in comparison to Final Fantasy VII, made a real difference; the clunky translation of the original FFVII made it hard for me to immerse myself or understand what was going on.

Oooh hearing you talk about it makes me all nostalgic too! Although I didn't play FF8 nearly as much as you! Wow!

For all its flaws, it's the single work of fiction I've got the strongest emotional attachment to, and it's the only game I've ever bought three times (the PS3 port and two copies of the PS1 version; I played my original copy so many times that the discs stopped working). In the (admittedly unlikely) scenario of someone telling me, 'I'm erasing every game but one from existence and human memory; which game do you want to keep?' I'd choose Final Fantasy VIII. I wouldn't even hesitate.

You know, I'd never really considered the link in concept between Persona and FF8, possibly as I played them with such a time between them. In fact, that's really an oversight on my part - even with Cold Steel, I compared it (due to its calendar system) to Persona, but FF8 is probably a more apt comparison, since it also takes place at a military academy. Huh.

The fight between Squall and Seifer in the opening cutscene is still rad as hell, over two decades later. Pretty incredible stuff for 1999 3D animation in a videogame, even considering that it's an FMV.

Yeah, it's still one of my favourite game openings, and it looks beautiful. I also like the quotes without context, and the introduction of our more important characters. I used to think the scene with the feather transmuting into the sword etc was absolutely amazing. The sheer step up in graphical quality between FF7 and FF8 always baffled me.

Love that this late-nineties game includes an in-game school intranet forum that ends up being shut down because the pupils just use it for arguments and talking about how hot the teachers are. Truly ahead of its time.

Good times. All the funnier that it is such a 90s looking place, in a game world that has technology like Esthar. (Granted, non-Esthar places don't have that tech!)

The way background NPCs move around, and sometimes appear in a particular area and sometimes don't, is a really cool touch that helps the world feel more alive. I don't remember seeing anything like it before I played this game. In the other games I'd played, characters were either programmed to be in an area or they weren't; there wasn't this element of chance.

It is a nice touch. It's also very funny when you consider certain scenarios, like trying to play Triple Triad against that little kid who sprints in circles around Balamb Garden's ground floor, and you have to run after him to catch him. I imagine we're just yelling from behind, "HEY, PLAY ME IN TRIPLE TRIAD!" (Think of it like Neku's "Hey, wanna play me in Tin Pin?" in TWEWY Another Day.)

This was also the first game I played in which you could overhear conversations NPCs were having amongst themselves, without actually being involved in the conversation. Again, a nice little touch that makes the world feel more real. People aren't just standing around, waiting to talk to you; they've got their own lives going on!

Yes, I used to like going listening to conversations, it was just a nice touch. I think it helps that it's without voice acting too: I'm watching an LP of 13 Sentinels currently by one of my favourite LPers, and it also likes background dialogue on occasion, and because it's voiced they can find it rather distracting as if you're mid conversation, that dialogue can be being played over the conversation your character is having. Which is realistic, as that's how it works, but can make it hard to divide your attention - though it doesn't happen too often where it's overlaying your own dialogue!

There's actually a LOT of flavour dialogue in general in FF8 too that the vast majority of people playing the game won't ever see, as you won't generally be revisiting specific locations at times when new dialogue is available. I was really impressed to find that out.

Still can't believe I got lost straight out of the gate on my first playthrough, spent four literal hours wandering Balamb before I found the Fire Cavern, and somehow still stuck with this game. I'm impressed both by thirteen-year-old Riona's patience and by her lack of observational skills.

I did this too. It's very impressive since I'm pretty sure they literally tell you what direction to go. I did not go in that direction. I went to Balamb instead. (Later, I reprised this by getting stuck on the world map for hours after getting off a train, again after being given specific directions for what direction to go. In my defense, I was looking for a town, not a forest. In modern games, you'd be able to pull up a dialogue recap so at least we could recheck the directions. Not being able to check back was infuriating when you forgot!)

-timydamonkey

Yeah, it's still one of my favourite game openings, and it looks beautiful. I also like the quotes without context, and the introduction of our more important characters. I used to think the scene with the feather transmuting into the sword etc was absolutely amazing.

Yes! Gorgeous music, too. I went to a videogame concert some years ago, and they played 'Liberi Fatali'; the guy running the event (I think it was Tommy Tallarico, who's scored a lot of games I haven't played) mentioned that it was his all-time favourite piece of videogame music. (I was one of the, er, very few people who cheered when he announced they were going to play a piece from Final Fantasy VIII.)

like trying to play Triple Triad against that little kid who sprints in circles around Balamb Garden's ground floor, and you have to run after him to catch him.

YEP. Can't believe this game gave a rare card to someone you have to chase after to challenge. Magnificently monstrous.

(Think of it like Neku's "Hey, wanna play me in Tin Pin?" in TWEWY Another Day.)

This also works very well when you challenge Ellone during an emergency in space and her response is 'You wanna play cards now?'

There's actually a LOT of flavour dialogue in general in FF8 too that the vast majority of people playing the game won't ever see, as you won't generally be revisiting specific locations at times when new dialogue is available.

And so many NPCs who'll say something different the second time you talk to them! It got me into the habit of speaking to everyone twice in every game I played for years afterwards.

I'm glad someone else also heard 'The [Fire Cavern] is located [east of here]' and promptly ignored it.

I replayed Final Fantasy VIII just last year, and every single time I come away from it with two overall emotions. 'This game is so much fun', and 'this game is absolutely bonkers'. Does the game make sense? Yes, technically, in-so-much as every that happens is justified within the setting. But does the game... y'know, make sense? God no, and I wouldn't change a damn thing. (well, maybe one or two things, but that's a dangerous slope right there!)

My most recent playthrough is the first time I've ever actually collected all the Triple Triad cards! Man, you can really break this poor game wide open when you start transforming cards into magic and all that. And yet it's still so much fun! It should feel like a chore, and yet I can just slip into hours of drawing and junctioning and watching my stats reach their ultimate potential and never stop having a blast. God bless the mysterious NPC who follows Squall and friends to the ends of the earth (and beyond!) to keep delivering their salary.

Do you have a regular team you like to play with, or do you change it up each time? One of the things I've found with Final Fantasy VIII in particular is that I feel extra compelled to try and make IC party selections. I can no longer choose who I want to send to the Missile Base on Disk 2. I have to consider who Squall would send. And then I have to consider how he would inevitably torment himself with his decision. It's the Squall Leonhart way.

My most recent playthrough is the first time I've ever actually collected all the Triple Triad cards!

Oh, wow. I love Triple Triad (to the point of making my own physical cards and forcing my friends to play it in school), but I've never been that ambitious. I do know the joy of transforming cards in order to make battles far too easy, though.

I love that you can basically play Final Fantasy VIII as a card game, physically battling as little as possible and winning cards to power up.

My preferred team nowadays is Squall, Zell and Rinoa, which is also the first team I ever used. During Rinoa's long absence from the party in my first playthrough, I replaced her with Irvine, as he had the highest level of the remaining characters, and I stuck with him until the end, because Rinoa was underlevelled when she returned. In subsequent playthroughs, I tried out Squall-Zell-Quistis and Squall-Zell-Selphie teams, because I knew Rinoa would spend so long unavailable. (It's very important for Zell to be on my team at all times.)

And then I realised that, given the 'enemies level up as you do' mechanic, it's entirely feasible (in fact, it's beneficial) to avoid levelling up completely in Rinoa's absence, meaning it's totally feasible to return her to my party when she comes back.

So now it's Squall, Zell and Rinoa whenever she's available. In her absence, I usually go with Selphie.

I've also refused to send Rinoa to the missile base ever since discovering that you get extra scenes in that part of the game if she's at Garden. Although, sadly, that does mean I miss out an incredible Squall dialogue option:

Rinoa: I miss'd ya. ...You know, I thought I was gonna die at the missile base. ...That's when I really missed you.
Squall: .........
Squall: Why?

Who does Squall send to the missile base when you play? (ALSO TELL ME HOW HE TORMENTS HIMSELF WITH HIS DECISION, THIS IS IMPORTANT)

Edited 2021-04-05 09:59 (UTC)

See, I want to be all like 'nah, getting all the Triad cards is not so bad!', but I had to use a guide for it and legitimately restarted my entire file after reaching Galbadia Garden because the wrong card rules had spread to different regions, so... I don't know, maybe it is that bad. I'm glad to have done it once, though! Especially for the sake of seeing all the NPC and lead character cards together at last.

to the point of making my own physical cards and forcing my friends to play it in school

this is adorable, god bless you

(It's very important for Zell to be on my team at all times.)

THIS IS FAIR. My recent file is the first time I've ever played through without running Zell in my main squad, and let me tell you, it felt wrong. Although I was dreadful at using his Duel limit using the Switch controls, so maybe it was for the best. (I did, indeed, play the Remaster. I'm a sucker for convenience.)

Squall: Why?

Oh, Squall. Honey.

BUT OKAY, MISSILE BASE PARTY COMPOSITION. First of all, I don't think I've got much more to add about Squall's inner turmoil than what the game already gives us! Everyone else nominates Squall to pick the two parties during that part of the game, and it's incredibly clear that it's a responsibility he absolutely does not want (an unfortunately recurring theme for him). Then we have those weeks of Garden adrift at sea where he's lying on that bunk slipping further and further into internal reflection, wondering how Those Three felt about him choosing them, if he's going to see them again, of course they all know the risks so it's fine whatever the outcome (so why is he still thinking and thinking and thinking about this) and my heart just breaks for that poor boy.

And he's so SO relieved when he sees them again in FH! Like, he does actually say out loud that it's great to see them, but his first internal reaction is so immediate and impassioned and he is just a good boy, Riona. He is a good boy.

WHO DOES SQUALL SEND TO THE MISSILE BASE? Obviously this is going hard into my own headcanons at this point, but it goes something like this.

Selphie insists on going, so that's one settled right away. Squall is going to Balamb Garden, and that means Rinoa is going to Balamb as well. Rinoa is the client, her contract with SeeD hasn't ended yet, and she herself isn't a mercenary for hire. He doesn't have the authority to send her anywhere, and he has a duty toward keeping her safe as per the ongoing contract. Which all works out great for him, because that means he doesn't have to let personal feelings get involved with that part of the decision-making. So far so good. (also good OOC, because extra scenes together at Balamb Garden!)

This is where it gets a bit more complicated... although only just. The remaining choices are Quistis, Zell, and Irvine. Those three are all fine and capable choices for sending to the missile base, right? But there is another convenient factor that allows Commander Squall to take over from Emotionally Invested Squall—Irvine is assigned to Galbadia Garden, not Balamb, and he isn't even a qualified SeeD. If three people have to go behind enemy lines for this extremely dangerous mission, the correct answer has to be three people who have successfully graduated from Balamb's SeeD program. Selphie, Quistis and Zell can be trusted to get this job done. They can be trusted to understand what's required of them. And maybe, just maybe, they can be trusted not to confuse any of this with personal feelings. They can mentally step back from this in the same way that Squall is trying to.

There's more reasons to justify taking Irvine to Balamb. I don't think Squall necessarily distrusts Irvine at this point in the game, but I wouldn't say he especially trusts him either. Certainly he doesn't have much reason to place a great deal of faith in him. If Squall trusts himself to always get the job done, better that Irvine and Rinoa should be with him. And there's still the matter of reporting back on the failed assassination attempt, carried out in conjunction with Galbadia Garden. Irvine is the closest thing they have to a Galbadian Garden representative and a key figure in the failed attempt—his input is relevant. It makes sense that he should come to Balamb. Who knows—maybe from there he'll be transferred back home, n'er to be seen or heard from again.

OR MAYBE NOT. Who can say. But that, right there, is a breakdown of what goes through my Squall's head on that dusty desert roadside. And damn, but it sure does get me thinking about other obligatory RPG party splits. I'm not sure if any others are ever quite as weighted as this one, though...!

Late but - I love this comment, and I usually split the teams exactly as you've described for those very reasons.

At the risk of leaving increasingly late comments on this post that's already a week old—thank you! And I'm glad to find someone who relates, hahaha!

I made a 'reply to this' note and then got distracted by amnesiac time-travelling teenage mech pilots; I'm glad

pict reminded me of this great comment!

legitimately restarted my entire file after reaching Galbadia Garden because the wrong card rules had spread to different regions

oh no oh no

Everyone else nominates Squall to pick the two parties during that part of the game, and it's incredibly clear that it's a responsibility he absolutely does not want (an unfortunately recurring theme for him). Then we have those weeks of Garden adrift at sea where he's lying on that bunk slipping further and further into internal reflection, wondering how Those Three felt about him choosing them, if he's going to see them again, of course they all know the risks so it's fine whatever the outcome (so why is he still thinking and thinking and thinking about this) and my heart just breaks for that poor boy.

I love absolutely everything about this. It just expresses his state of mind so well. I'm sitting here now and fondly reflecting on his suffering.

he is just a good boy, Riona. He is a good boy.

I have learnt from this that I'm prone to misreading my own name as 'Rinoa' when talking about Final Fantasy VIII.

I really like your reasoning! It makes absolute sense. Although of course I cannot follow it in my own playthrough because it means that Squall and Zell are not in the same party, which is illegal.

got distracted by amnesiac time-travelling teenage mech pilots

There is certainly a memory loss joke to be made here, but I am not awake enough to determine what it is. Although I am thrilled that you are distracted from playing Final Fantasy VIII, a science-fiction RPG that deals with teenagers in combat situations afflicted with memory loss, to instead play this 13 Sentinels game which seems to be, from what I can glean, a science-fiction RPG that deals with teens in combat situations afflicted with memory loss.

Squall suffers so well in this game! Not helped at all by the people around him just relentlessly piling on more and more responsibility regardless of his input. It is the worst but also please do not stop FFVIII.

Final Fantasy VIII >>>> all those other games!

Although if we're talking Tales, Tales of Vesperia remains my rec for you, because it has Troy Baker becoming a murdering vigilante and eventually suffering an emotional breakdown. And it lacks Abyss's blocking problems.

I agree with you on the remastered version. The blurred backgrounds were such a disappointment when there was nothing wrong with them as they were before, and I missed being able to pick out all the little mechanical details of the wider world. There's one hilarious moment where Cid, done speaking, goes from being a character model to being part of the background, and reverts to high pixelation. Since they didn't change the backgrounds, quite a few static characters remained blocky - you could practically hear Squall being all, "listen up fives, a ten is speaking."

I also didn't love that some of the GF abilities became ingrained in the game. Like, no, I will not just hit L3 on my controller to turn off enemy encounters! I need to wait until after Diablos learns Mug and then I can learn ENC-NONE! The lack of respect, I swear.

Edited 2021-04-03 18:38 (UTC)

Oh, man, I do love emotional breakdowns. And, you know, murder.

I suppose they might have gone, 'Well, the original backgrounds might look weird and pixellated against the new character models,' but blurring them is such a bad solution! It's such a disappointment to have a 'remastered' version that's graphically worse in some respects.

Like, no, I will not just hit L3 on my controller to turn off enemy encounters! I need to wait until after Diablos learns Mug and then I can learn ENC-NONE!

I'm simultaneously outraged and envious, because I'm so impatient to learn Enc-None in this playthrough. But, yes, you have to earn it!

VIII is my favorite, hands down. Its coming-of-age story (and romance) meant so much to me as I was passing through my teens, especially when my boyfriend and I grew to bond over it. I occasionally watch the opening FMV because it's just so effective and beautiful.

I also passed on the remaster when I heard about the changes.

It warms my heart when I see other people who have a strong relationship with this game! Being able to spend time inside Squall's head did a lot to help me feel understood as a similarly quiet, socially inept thirteen-year-old.

It has been far too long since I replayed Final Fantasy VIII, and as it is on my backlog ... all right, I'll play it too. Time to see if I remember just how crazy this game gets.

I'm delighted by how many Final Fantasy VIII icons I'm seeing in the replies to this post. So many of us remember this game!

I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on your replay!

So far my thoughts are:

1) Garden is Messed Up;
2) Squall is ... actually pretty functional for someone who has grown up in an institutionalised setting since he was five, but also needs to leave Garden and pursue a career that allows him to have a family and friends;
3) Seifer needs to leave because you can see how he's being shaped to be willing to go along with his plot role, and he should seek a career that encourages his independence;
4) Whoever put affection-starved Quistis in a role of authority is an asshole, because she is not emotionally mature enough for it and Squall is suffering for it;
5) Zell is the best and should also join a better military academy.

I share a lot of fondness for FFVIII. The cutscenes still look beautiful today imo. (And I've never liked any redesign of Squall since. I don't know why, they just never seem to properly capture his face.)

(And I've never liked any redesign of Squall since. I don't know why, they just never seem to properly capture his face.)

Agreed! Things like his hair and his jawline are never entirely right. Looking at screenshots of the remastered version feels like looking at an admittedly dedicated Squall cosplayer.

"Still can't believe I got lost straight out of the gate on my first playthrough, spent four literal hours wandering Balamb before I found the Fire Cavern, and somehow still stuck with this game"

I think that sums up my experience!

That and, 'okay I'm gonna get that murdertrain monster. And that giant cactus. Oh and there's another giant monster I can get, brb'.

I admire your dedication to catching them all. Getting Doomtrain is a faff.

It's a giant train of DEATH called Doomtrain. Of course I was going to get it.

Oh, FF8. What a lovable mess. (I too have thought a lot about the parallels between 8 and SMT.)

So much of this game is kind of terrible! And yet it's perfect and it permanently resides in my heart.

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I Saved My Soul To A Memory Card.

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