I came to fancy Final Fantasy VIII way back 2004 after reading a K-Zone article about “The Best RPG of All Time” or somewhat like that. Since then, I can’t get rid of it from my PC for over four years now. If I’m not doing anything like watch an anime, make some web designs or particularly browse the internet, I’d be holding my gamepad and go through my saved Final Fantasy VIII adventure.

Final Fantasy VIII was the first ever Final Fantasy installment I’ve ever played with since Final Fantasy VII wasn’t able to impress me that time. To be honest I fell in love with the thing between Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly. There’s something about them that truly cause to feel an immense influence on the game player and its spectators.

There are six main playable characters in the game, Squall a loner type who keeps his thoughts for himself and played no attachment to other individuals as to stay away from susceptibility. There is Rinoa, a loving and candid sort who sincerely open up her thoughts for every situation she’s involved with. She’s in fact the exact opposite of Squall. Quistis Trepe, once was Squall’s instructor who joins him on his mercenary quest to defeat the evil sorceress from the future. Here’s Zell Dincht, he just loves hot dogs. He slaughter his opponents through his powerful fists and Seifer Almasy (one of the major antagonist of the game…) calls him “chicken wuss”. Also, part of the playable character is SelfieTilmitt, a cute young mercenary lady who is constantly in cheerful mood. And there is Irvine Kinneas, who thinks of himself as a lone sharpshooter but all throughout the game, he acts like a womanizer type of cowboy. You may also play temporarily with Laguna Loire, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac on those flashback settings, plus Sefier on the earlier part of the game and Edea Kramer at Esthar City.

Part of the game is the junction system wherein the players get to have their own Guardian Forces (GF) to summon while defeating the enemy. These GF enables them to cast magic against the enemy than just using the attack mode using their weapons. Thru the GF “junctioned” to each character, their ability becomes twice as powerful. Likewise, they can cast spells suchlike protection and healing for themselves or for their comrades. These GF gives them the command to draw magic from the enemy or snatch a special item from them. And my favorite GF will always be Shiva, which possesses an ice ability to cast great damage on the player’s enemies.

The characters get to release their limit breaks when they are about to die or when they are casted with an “aura spell” and that is something I’m really fond of. Squall’s limit breaks depends on his level and the modifications of his Gunblade, he’s definitely on his peak when he uses Lion Heart and expect a “9999” per enemy slashes. Rough Divide, Fated Circle, and Blasting Zone are also part of his limit breaks. Rinoa get’s to have the prettiest execution during his limit breaks because she gets to acquire Angelo Wings. Although that execution isn’t much like her Angelo Rush, Angelo Strike, Angelo Recover, Angelo Cannon, Invisible Moon, Angelo Reverse, Angelo Search, and Wishing Star which allows her to send for shooting stars and demolish her adversaries several times. Each of the playable characters owned distinct and awesome limit breaks; you’ll certainly love to taste their bittersweet enemy annihilation. After all, that’s what we are playing for.

As I’ve said earlier, the thing between Squall and Rinoa triggers me to take part in the game. Both characters met in a formal gathering, after Squall passed his SEED examination and became a true fully pledged elite mercenary of Balamb Garden. Lovely Rinoa, in a yellow dress easily persuade a cold soldier like Squall to dance among the crowd with her. Apparently, they weren’t given enough time to introduce each other. Later, Squall’s first mission is with Zell and Selphie that is to aid a group of people who wishes to assault a president. Squall then found out that Rinoa is the sole person who leads the group. He was actually quite annoyed to help a crowd of amateurs but they have to assist them at all costs as it was stipulated on the contract. Given that circumstances, Squall couldn’t get rid of Rinoa as it is fate who binds them together. On the concluding part, both became madly in love with each other to a degree where Squall refuses to follow governments’ orders and converted into Rinoa’s Knight when she became the enemy of the state and was possessed by the evil sorceress from the future. In the end, it is love that gets to conquer everything; the feelings between two individuals in two analogous worlds.

There has been some idle talk about the movie version of Final Fantasy VIII which will be produced and developed by its very own franchiser, Square Enix Co., Ltd. Though, there isn’t any official statement yet but fans all over the world are extremely anticipating to check out this awesome role playing game on the big screen, which includes me of course. I only wished it’ll surpass the astounding output of Final Fantasy VII:Advent Children.

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