Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite game in the Final Fantasy series and one of my favorite games of all time. I intend to post a full review of it here someday, along with essays about it, screenshots, and more. For now, enjoy the GIFs and links below!
Character GIFs (Found via GifCities):
External Links:
FAQs, Guides, Scripts, Etc.
- Plot Analysis FAQ by falsehead: A classic FAQ about the plot of Final Fantasy VIII. This may be the original source of a certain fan theory about the game that has been somewhat popular since the mid-2000s.
- Game script compiled by LightSoul (AKA Mark Wong) in 2000: Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3, and Disc 4. Unlike Shotgunnova's script of the game (see below), this version contains the text from the study panel (see the Disc 1 script), as well as Selphie's site updates, text from the collectible in-game magazines, subquest dialogue, all of the test questions, Information menu entries, and more (see the Disc 4 script). This makes it a very useful resource!
- Shotgunnova's script: Not as comprehensive as the above script, but still useful if you need to search for specific lines of dialogue, I suppose.
- A comparison of Ultimecia's lines in the English translation and the original Japanese: I strongly disagree with this translator's assertion that "the plot feels confusing and pointless in English," as I think the underlying themes of the story are readily apparent if you pay attention to the plot. I would also argue that even the stilted English translation of Ultimecia's lines doesn't obscure the larger points she's making, but this is still an interesting comparison.
Fanfiction
- I'm currently in the process of putting together a collection of links to my favorite FFVIII fanfics here. Check it out!
Music
- TPR - Fragments of Memories: A Melancholy Tribute to Final Fantasy VIII (YouTube): A wonderful album of slow, sad piano covers of tracks from the Final Fantasy VIII OST. My favorite track is Blue Fields, which features cellist Roxanne Genot. The album can also be found on Spotify.
Playthroughs
- VODs of a Final Fantasy VIII playthrough by the Twitch streamer Karkalla: My favorite playthrough of FFVIII that I've found online. Karkalla plays FFVIII thoroughly and to near-completion without a guide or any hints, engaging with it on its own terms, taking lots of notes, challenging every NPC to at least one game of Triple Triad, and playing it like an attentive gamer with little or no Internet access probably would have in 1999. The whole thing is worth watching, but the last stream is the best part.
Final Fantasy VIII on the Old Web
- RPGamer's Final Fantasy VIII page as it appeared on August 16, 2000 (Internet Archive)
- FF8 Source as it appeared on November 10, 1999 (Internet Archive): A site dedicated to covering FFVIII in the months leading up to its release and afterward. There is a cool timeline of news reports and press releases about the game on the Archives page.