Final Fantasy VIII

"Final Fantasy VIII sports fancy new 3D graphics (no more blocky characters), a completely fresh magic system, and an engaging romantic story that will have you instantly drawn to the characters, making it one of the best traditional RPGs you can get your hands on."

"...menu and play system is instantly familiar... fun to gain new Guardian Forces, but the game relies way too much on them... overly convoluted menu system... Characters are beautifully detailed and expressive, but they are utterly silent... lot of depth and gameplay value..."

"...characters don't seem like base archetypes or generic "heroes," but like actual people... field models always match the battle models, which always match the FMV models... Battle sequences are nicely textured... sound...is perhaps the game's weakest point..."

"Final Fantasy 8 is a travesty. A mockery of the good name of Final Fantasy rivaled only by that awful Spirits Within movie. While the Final Fantasy series continues (deservedly) to dominate the RPG landscape, this is one title that deserves to be lost and forgotten."

"An RPG that had potential - but at the same time, suffered from a terribly done plot, and a terribly executed gameplay system."