September 22, 1999
Web posted at: 9:13 a.m. EDT (1313 GMT)

Review by Brad Morris
CNN Interactive Systems Engineer

Final Fantasy VIII is a major achievement in role-playing games and all indications are that this fantasy is in no way final. Combining elements of graphical adventure games, role-playing games, and even a card game, FF8 weaves a rich tapestry of entertainment. It surpasses other games in the genre in terms of graphics, plot and originality. With four CD's to play through, expect many hours of serious play.

The game's plot advances when the player completes puzzles and battles. Because the game has many movies that tie all of the places, battles and puzzles together, the game is linear. A disadvantage of this is that sometime the player must wait through a long stretch of dialog before they can control the action. It would be nice to be able to skip these sequences, especially if something unfortunate happens and a section must be repeated. The emotional depth of the characters is rare, and the mysteries of the plot keep the action moving along. The plot is more accessible to American audiences that some of the other Japanese RPG games.

The most compelling part of Final Fantasy VIII are the wonderful visuals. In most other cinematic adventure games, there is a large difference between movie cutscenes and the graphics during gameplay. With Final Fantasy VIII, SquareSoft has improved the level of graphics so that sometimes it is hard to tell when a cutscene is playing. The characters are shown from many unique angles which adds to the movie-like feeling of the game. The depth and variety of game locations are amazing. I highly anticipate what the talented artists and programmers will come up with on the next generation of gaming hardware. The music and sound effects are impressive, but perhaps not quite up to the outstanding level of previous Final Fantasy games.

The fighting system uses so-called Guardian Forces, which can be combined with different characters to give new abilities and strengths. They are the manifestation of elemental powers, such as Quezacotl, the thunder force; Shiva, the ice goddess; or Ifrit, the fire demon. Each one of these elemental spirits has their own hit points, level, and special attack. Fortunately, there is a built in tutorial that explains everything.

Also included is a card game called Triple Triad. Falling somewhere between dominoes and "Magic, the Gathering," Triple Triad can provide some extra fun as well as help by adding items for the regular game play.

Role-playing standards, such as a variety of armor or weapons, have been removed from the game. Die-hard role playing junkies may miss the ability to upgrade the character with the best armor and weapons gold pieces can buy.

Final Fantasy VIII lives up to its lineage and combines a wonderful graphical environment with good action and fantasy elements. Players will quickly find themselves absorbed in this detailed, realistic fantasy adventure and they will wonder where the hours went.

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