ff8 was my first game on the playstation............and what a game it was....absolutely loved it........there was just so much to explore and do......even the card game was pure genius....loved it...remember spending hourse just challenging people at cards...........it was and still is my fav final fantasy.........hmmmmm...think i'll  give it another shot........off to the psn store

All final fantasies are good games. VIII if feel is one of the better ones (I've played).

I did just play through the game over Christmas. Tried to unlock as much as I could remember without looking at guides. The Junctioning system I always thought was great and with GF abilities, easy to manipulate to your desires. If you think it's all about drawing magic, you don't understand the use of GFs.

Although, I also find it the easiest FF game, having the monster level with you then cast Meltdown, Aura etc and battle won in most cases.

I loved it when I played it on PS1 (pretty much on release). I definately prefer it to XIII. I remember preferring it to IX as well due to the art-style differences and settings.

However, it has it's fair share of problems. The Junction system for one made the game far too easy. Junction Ultima to Strength and Curaga to HP and your sorted. It's also not that difficult to stock 100 of each magic and then never cast a magic again because you don't want to lose the stat benefits. In fact, the only magic I remember casting any decent amount was Aura to get limit breaks. Using this tactic meant I beat Omega Weapon, the hardest boss in the game, on my first attempt.

The Junction system also had the problem of being overly complicated for new users. On a few occasions of trying to get some friends to try the demo (where they give a tutorial of the junction system) and most said they couldn't understand the system.

Also, Squall is one of the most annoying and depressing protagonists in any game ever. I think only certain members of FFXIII are worse. The Laguna sections were far more entertaining then Squall's moany attitude to life.

One of my favourite game of all time, my eyes still get glassy everytime I play Eyes On Me.

right up there with my all time favorite games, just behind ff7 prob.   played through ff8 probably 3 times at least probably closer 5 though and even beat  omega and ultima weapon.  great game.  idk why people put it down so much.

I remember that used to love the intro so bad. Actually the cinematic intro made me buy a ps1, something I regretted later on, since I couldn't find a game in that console that I actually like during that time.

Edit: WOW, it've been a lifetime since I listen to "Eyes on me". Love that song. Has a nice mixture of Disney songs, with late 70s/80s Shojo animes theme into it. Going to play it again :P

(Now that I saw the Squall and rinoa dancing scene again, It actually look similar to the Beaty and the Beast waltz scene too)

Surely that makes him different to most other main characters, the guy had inner conversations with himself which none of the other characters knew about. For the first 2 discs he was a guy wondering why everyone was depending on him and seemed very cynical. Not usual characteristics of the main protagonist of a game. That Squall I like because he had a personality that differed from all the characters we usually get.

Then he changed in disc 3 to a whiny love sick guy, when he showed little interest in Rinoa before then, which when I played it not long ago seemed really weird change in his personality.

Yeah, it was nice we heard his inner thoughts. I just didn't particularly like his inner moanings about everyone depending on him. The only bit I remember liking was when he's having that inner conversation after they think Seifer has died and he suddenly bursts out with "I won't be a memory" (or words to that effect).

And yes, I particularly hated the love sick puppy stuff after disc 3. That was what really made me hate him as a character. Still managed to play through the game twice so it wasn't a deal breaker, but his personality grated on me. It also meant I found the relationship between Rinoa and Squall less believable and based solely on immature lust rather than actually liking each other. This in turn meant I didn't like the ending!

Oh man, thanks so much!

Anyway, what I noticed about people hating FF8 is that they do it in comparison with other FF's. And something that I noticed too is the passion it generates. (And yet I know some people may jump to post that they are totally indiferent to FF8, that it is like it never existed, LOL).

I said that it is very subjective, very personal. I am not trying to prove anything.

And I really don't know why, but I love this game. Maybe it has to do with some particular time in my life. Or maybe, to my personal taste, it hit the sweet spot between realism and fantasy... (FF7 seemed to me way to cartoonish, but in a bad way, FF9 tried to go back there, but then I found it way too perfect as a cartoonish design... Gee I don't know)

About the Squall hate... Don't get it either. I like the guy. I can relate with him. (I may looked like him when I was his age, without the scar and with a dirtier hair. But hey, everybody is handsome when 17, right?) He hardly talks and some people find that annoying. Maybe he's too cute for a male protagonist.

Rinoa... Oh my.... she's so beautiful. I barely can hold my breath when i see her LOL!

Anyway, I repeat that I am not trying to prove anything, but it is nice to meet people who share my feelings. Too me it is more than a game. It is Not just a game. It is way something more.