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The Vindication of Final Fantasy VIII

Alleyway Jack

97,101 views

In my first comprehensive Final Fantasy 8 review in over 10 years we take a look back at the innovations and evolutions it brought to the JRPG genre and the Final Fantasy series. We consider the changing perception and reception of Final Fantasy 8 over time, and the enduring mystery of its ambitious if convoluted story.

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Chapters in this episode:
0:07 - Introduction
5:01 - Production Team
12:10 - Setting & Design
21:11 - System Design
29:21 - Narrative Structure
52:30 - Themes
59:29 - Characters
1:51:10 - Final Thoughts

Playlist of Final Fantasy VIII Discussions:
Final Fantasy VIII Analysis

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Final Fantasy VIII Character Analysis series:
Final Fantasy VIII Character Analysis

In this episode we'll cover the following topics:
final fantasy VIII lore
ff8 story theory and analysis
ff8 character analysis
ff8 gameplay analysis
Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy theory
Squall Leonhart and Laguna Loire analysis
Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly

Thanks for watching,
Alleyway Jack

#finalfantasy #ff8 #finalfantasyviii #ffviii #ff8remastered #squallleonhart #rinoaheartilly #ffviiiremastered #squareenix

20 Comments

@AlleywayJack Creator 9 months ago Pinned

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@LucasChiew-r4t 1 month ago

I love how Squall straight up murders the garden master and everyone just forgets they were having a garden master vs headmaster civil war 5 minutes ago

@VelvetSnail 9 months ago

As a former child myself I saw Laguna as the standard cringey dunce archetype in my youth, but now recognize his ability to navigate high stress situations, and provide levity for morale.

@MichaelTolandFF8 9 months ago

I'm loving the appreciation for FF8 as the years go on. It has always been my personal favourite FF game not to the detriment of other FFs, but man, my FF7 friends from School to College were always giving me the business whenever I brought up FF8 😅

@sxztube 9 months ago

FF8 has this amazing calm set against a backdrop of vibrant drama. I love it.

@AirGear888 9 months ago

Once you learn how the Junction System works, you’re golden.

@amecomi1020 9 months ago

Fun fact: After finishing development, the FF8 team joined the Chrono Cross team to help out, allowing them to dramatically increase their development speed. Before they joined, they hadn't gotten much done at all.

@Dillon1099 9 months ago

I always felt like The Tomb of the Unknown King is the most traditional dungeon in FF8.

@Tenchinu 9 months ago

Square not caring for FF8 really cements how much ‘if not profitable, not touching’ attitude they aggressive pivot and dived into the ravine for

@mauricebeacham4824 9 months ago

Final Fantasy VIII pretty much defined the core of my teenage years. The soundtrack was incredible. Squall was such a relatable main character. I had the most fun playing Triple Triad and collecting the most powerful equipment before the final disc. Drawing magic and GFs from enemies was annoying and time consuming but it's still a memorable experience.

@tocovski 9 months ago

FF8 has one of the most unique atmospheres in any game I've ever played. Even though I think other FF titles are better technically, there is none that I could lose myself in like FF8.

@Youknowcho 9 months ago (edited)

2:09:04 “a SLIGHTLY more comprehensive look” he says 2 hours in 😂. Dude this was gold thank you for this

@nicolasray1571 9 months ago

There's a calming quality to your videos--not unlike how I suspect many of us also feel about FFVIII. Incidentally, dreams and alternate realities permeate the game, which have a way of keeping the player entranced in a kind of otherworldly state of mind without ever fully resolving the mystery. Your videos have helped me appreciate the game even more.

@ianadam1841 9 months ago

I literally just finished this game for the first time not even a week ago.
The timing could not have been more perfect. 😎

@m4r_1991 9 months ago (edited)

Well I be damned, this is your Magnum Opus! Great work!

@leonvalentine3748 9 months ago

At 1:53:50.
I never thought it was convenient that the party wound up together. Cid started the Garden program, and everyone from the lighthouse except Zell remained Orphans. I just assumed everyone was enrolled in the Garden program by Cid and Edea, and it makes complete sense

@BOSIE321 9 months ago (edited)

Playing it again right now and the potential for a remake is insane given how crazy, iconic and unique the set piece events are in VIII. You have the gunblade duel, the weird and beautiful garden school hub, The Landing battle, the famous ballroom dance, the high speed train kidnapping, the Laguna drama, and the ultra gothic sorceress parade. This is disc 1 alone. Later you have flying gardens, Space adventures, an advanced hi-tech city and time compression. The visual flair on show just seems to beg for a modern retelling.

@Isbilen-w5f 9 months ago

Looks like I no longer have to wonder what I'll be doing tonight

@Reigning_Fire 9 months ago

To this day, I love this game with all my heart.

@tylercafe1260 9 months ago

Irvine and Squall also share a very important moment. Where Squall realizes Irvine is just like him. A man worried he won't live up to others expectations. That's why him missing the shot was so important in seeing Squall's growth as a person and a leader when he was motivating Irvine that even if he misses it's the fact you tried that matters.