All of the FF games are flawed in some way; but these games excell in certain areas that other series' do not. Square-Enix, to me, are by far the most important third party developers; it isn't even close.
Final Fantasy 8 captures something in its setting, its locations, its atmosphere that other FF games do not (except perhaps the opening areas of Midgar in FF7). The techno-victorian era society really blows away anything I have ever seen before in a game. The characters mesh very well into society, and it is one of the few romance stories that I ever REALLY loved. I like the short, seemingly irrelevant, portion involving Julia and Laguna; Laguna stepping out the door not knowing he'd never see her again - but her theme remains throughout the game. Then there is Raine whose story is less obvious and more powerful when it is thought about - and ultimately the centeral reasoning for the entire game's plot.
I hate using the word "epic", but I can't think of another word to accurately describe the game. I found it very powerful in a way that no game I have played since has been.
I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
