Final Fantasy VIII

 

Game Overview

Essentials

Genre(s)

Traditional RPG

Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows, Sony PS Vita, Sony PSP, Sony PlayStation, Sony PlayStation 3

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Publisher(s)

  • 🇺🇸 Square Enix
  • 🇪🇺 Square Enix

Release Date(s)

  • 🇺🇸 September 9, 1999
  • 🇪🇺 October 27, 1999

Following a group of students from the paramilitary academy known as Balamb Garden, Final Fantasy VIII explores a world of both machinery and magic. Players take control of Squall Leonhart, a young mercenary of Balamb prone to brooding, whose missions lead him to aid Rinoa Heartilly, the leader of a resistance group called the Forest Owls fighting for independence against the oppressive Galbadian government.

Battles utilize the ATB system common to Final Fantasy games at the time, wherein players enter combat and wait for meters to fill in order to execute attacks. The unique mechanics of Final Fantasy VIII include having to acquire magic from enemies using the “Draw” command, which in turn makes certain attacks more powerful and allows players to use spells. The game also gave the characters more realistic proportions and featured a number of cutscenes where the transition from gameplay to cinema was nearly seamless.

Related Articles

Article Author Date Category
RPGFan Music of the Year 2024: Top 5 Arrange/Remix Albums Mike Salbato September 5, 2025 Feature Sub-Page
Final Fantasy Piano Collections, Ranked Patrick Gann August 23, 2025 Highlight
Final Fantasy x Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond Set Visual Overview: An Impressive Tribute to the Storied Series Hilary Andreff May 31, 2025 ICYMI, Preview
Stats, Maps, and Strats – An Ode to the RPG Strategy Guide Rob White May 7, 2025 Highlight
The RPGs That Made Us: Des Miller Des Miller April 25, 2025 Feature Sub-Page
The RPGs That Made Us: Rob White Rob White April 25, 2025 Feature Sub-Page
A Cut Above the Rest: 10 of the Best JRPG Hairstyles Rob White October 25, 2024 Highlight, ICYMI
Patrick Gann’s Top 25 RPG Soundtracks Patrick Gann December 31, 2023
Ranking the Mainline Final Fantasy Games Aleks Franiczek May 19, 2023 Highlight
The History of Final Fantasy Music Ben Schuster February 16, 2023
Best Final Fantasy Valentines Daniel Hernandez February 14, 2023
Emet-Selch and Final Fantasy XIV Win Big in Niconico Popularity Contest Tom Cox December 27, 2022 News
You Can Pre-order the New Final Fantasy Music Boxes Releasing 2023 Tin Manuel December 22, 2022 News
Exploring Zell and Rinoa’s Friendship in Final Fantasy VIII: You Don’t Have To Know You’re Best Friends To Be Best Friends Neal Chandran December 21, 2022
So you want to get into the Final Fantasy Series… Part 2 (FFV–VIII) Wes Iliff December 7, 2022 Feature Sub-Page
It’s Complicated: How Final Fantasy VIII & XIII Explore the Complexities of Relationships Neal Chandran November 23, 2022
Masayoshi Soken Interviews Nobuo Uematsu on Modulation, His First LP Tin Manuel October 4, 2022 News
Top 20 RPG Summer Towns (Part 2) Zach Wilkerson August 20, 2022 Feature Sub-Page
Modulation – Final Fantasy Album Composed by Nobuo Uematsu Set to Release in August Tom Cox June 28, 2022 News
FemPower Up: 48 Amazing Women in RPGs (Part 2) Zach Wilkerson June 1, 2022 Feature Sub-Page
A 16-Shirt Final Fantasy x UNIQLO Collection Got Leaked Gio Castillo April 14, 2022 News
Defending Champions: The Best RPGs of Every Year Since Dragon Quest (1987–1999) Zach Wilkerson October 7, 2020
Year of the Dog 2018: The Best RPG Dogs Alana Hagues August 8, 2018
This is Your Story: RPGFan Reader Tales Mike Salbato May 20, 2018
Un-Tradition: On Final Fantasy’s Identity and Reinvention Robert Fenner January 19, 2018
Memoria: Our Favorite Final Fantasy Memories and Moments – Final Fantasy VIII Mike Salbato December 15, 2017 Feature Sub-Page
A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy Concert Impressions Hilary Andreff November 28, 2017
The Best Games of the PlayStation Store: PSOne and PS2: Part Two Mike Salbato September 11, 2016 Feature Sub-Page
Our Favorite RPG Couples Mike Salbato February 13, 2013
Project Majestic Mix Interview with Stephen Kennedy Patrick Gann January 21, 2000

Game Reviews

Review Author Platform Score
Final Fantasy VIII Cameron Hamm Sony PlayStation
94
Final Fantasy VIII Esque Sony PlayStation
95
Final Fantasy VIII Ken Chu Sony PlayStation
89
Final Fantasy VIII Robert Steinman Sony PlayStation 3
80
Final Fantasy VIII Ryan Mattich Sony PlayStation
92

Music Reviews

Review Author Released
#SQkawaii Sounds -Final Fantasy- Patrick Gann March 5, 2025
20020220 music from Final Fantasy Liz Maas May 9, 2002
A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy Brigid Choi August 22, 2014
Battle SQ Stephen Meyerink July 4, 2012
Benyamin Nuss Plays Uematsu Patrick Gann September 17, 2010
BRA★BRA FINAL FANTASY BRASS de BRAVO Brigid Choi March 4, 2015
BRA★BRA FINAL FANTASY BRASS de BRAVO 2 Ronald Buie March 23, 2016
Buried in the Snow: A Melancholy Tribute to Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX Kyle E. Miller September 30, 2013
Compi de Chocobo Neal Chandran September 21, 2013
Crystalline Resonance – Final Fantasy Piano Collection Patrick Gann January 15, 2025
Distant Worlds II: more music from Final Fantasy Patrick Gann June 1, 2010
Distant Worlds VI: more music from Final Fantasy Patrick Gann August 21, 2023
Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy Patrick Gann December 4, 2007
Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy Returning Home Stephen Meyerink January 19, 2011
Final Fantasy Remix Patrick Gann August 6, 2008
Final Fantasy S Generation: Official Best Collection Lucy Rzeminski October 22, 2001
Final Fantasy Series Acoustic Arrangements Greg Delmage February 22, 2023
Final Fantasy Solo Guitar Collections Jerry Williams April 2, 2010
Final Fantasy Solo Guitar Collections Vol.2 Jerry Williams January 18, 2011
Final Fantasy Solo Guitar Collections Vol.3 Jerry Williams July 20, 2012
Final Fantasy Song Book “mahoroba” Patrick Gann March 10, 2004
Final Fantasy Tribute ~Thanks~ Jerry Williams December 5, 2012
Final Fantasy Triple Triad – Final Fantasy Remixes From VI VII VIII Patrick Gann July 2, 2013
Final Fantasy VIII Chips Jerry Williams September 19, 2012
Final Fantasy VIII Music Collection Musashi January 1, 2000
Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack ArchAngel March 1, 1999
Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack Ben Schweitzer March 1, 1999
Final Fantasy Vocal Collection Neal Chandran January 30, 2013
Final Symphony II – music from Final Fantasy V, VIII, IX and XIII Patrick Gann August 4, 2023
Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec: Final Fantasy VIII Neal Chandran November 20, 1999
Fragments of Memories: A Melancholy Tribute To Final Fantasy VIII Neal Chandran June 5, 2013
GAME – Piano Squall Eric Farand June 30, 2007
GAME – Piano Squall Patrick Gann June 30, 2007
Guitar solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection CD Book Patrick Gann September 20, 2008
More Friends music from Final Fantasy ~Final Fantasy Orchestra Concert in Los Angeles 2005~ Patrick Gann February 15, 2006
More SQ Neal Chandran March 2, 2011
Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII Patrick Gann January 21, 2000
Piano Cover Collection from Square Enix Music Channel Patrick Gann September 26, 2024
Piano Opera Final Fantasy VII/VIII/IX Jerry Williams April 23, 2014
Potion 2: Relaxin’ with Final Fantasy Damian Thomas December 19, 2001
Potion: Relaxin’ with Final Fantasy Damian Thomas February 21, 2001
Project Majestic Mix: A Tribute to Nobuo Uematsu – Gold Edition Lucy Rzeminski June 22, 2002
Project Majestic Mix: A Tribute to Nobuo Uematsu – Silver Edition Robert Bogdanowicz May 9, 2002
SQ Chips Derek Heemsbergen September 21, 2011
Square Enix Battle Tracks Vol.3: Square 1999-2000 Patrick Gann September 15, 2010
Square Vocal Collection Damian Thomas June 20, 2001
SUCCESSOR: Final Fantasy VIII Remixed Emony Tjan February 11, 2016
The Best of Final Fantasy 1994-1999: A Musical Tribute Stahn Mahn September 26, 2000
The Black Mages Andy Byus February 19, 2003
The Black Mages II: The Skies Above Jesse Jones December 22, 2004
The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight Logan Castonguay March 19, 2008
Video Games Live: Level 2 Patrick Gann October 19, 2010

Media