Final Fantasy VIII is one of the few games that has had its soundtrack released in North America. The CDs in this set are identical to the Japanese Final Fantasy VIII OST.
The music of Final Fantasy VIII is simply amazing. From the moment I saw the opening movie, I found I was completely drawn in by the opening theme, Liberi Fatali. Its combination of singing voices, drum beats, and brass instruments sets the scene for an epic struggle perfectly. The soundtrack is further supplemented with a wide variety of different pieces that bring the adventure/love story to life. For example, the song Blue Sky uses flute music to create a peaceful setting for the town of Winhil, whereas the song The Castle has a combination of bass drums and odd sound effects to provide Ultimecia’s castle with a dark, mysterious feeling. Finally, the love song Eyes on Me, sung by pop singer Faye Wong, beatifully emphasizes a key moment shared by Squall and Rinoa.
This package contains a small 9-page booklet filled with full-color conceptual pictures as well as CG stills from Final Fantasy 8. Also in this booklet are a track list, Latin and English lyrics for Liberi Fatali and Eyes on Me respectively, plus an interview with Nobuo Uematsu translated to English!
This soundtrack can no longer be purchased (the domestic version, that is)…it comes up on eBay every now and then, but that’s about it for this one.