Retry

Final Fantasy VIII, released in 1999, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), serving as the eighth main installment in the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with science fiction elements, the game follows a group of young mercenaries, led by Squall Leonhart, who become entangled in a conflict sparked by a sorceress named Edea Kramer. As they fight against Edea and the forces manipulating her, Squall grapples with his role as a leader and develops a romance with Rinoa Heartilly. Visually, the game utilizes 3D graphics and pre-rendered backgrounds. It notably features realistically proportioned characters, a vocal theme song, and removes magic points for spellcasting. The battle system revolves around 'Guardian Forces' (GFs), where magic is drawn and 'junctioned' to characters for stat boosts. A card-based minigame called 'Triple Triad' is also included. Final Fantasy VIII was a commercial success and received critical acclaim. It has been re-released and ported numerous times on platforms like PlayStation, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and mobile.