Final Fantasy VIII was my first intense video game experience. I had only played fighting games or other games for a short amount of time, but this was the game that started my passion for games and love of RPGs. I played it as an unhappy middle-schooler.

One of my classes this semester is about stories in games. We had to present the narrative from a game, and, when someone else chose Okami, FFVIII seemed the natural choice. The only problem: I didn’t have the game. I had sold my PSone in high school after it had sat, abandoned, for three years. I sold the memory card with my final FFVIII save. It was all gone, but this would not stop me. I found the game and guide on Amazon.com for just over $25. I received it in the mail today and began a new game.

I did not have nearly enough time to play through the game again, but I wanted to at least get the feel for it again. I was overcome with wave after wave of nostalgia, but this did not make the game good for me the first time I played it. Why did I love this game so much? What makes a game so great that it can convert a normal girl into an RPG fanatic?

The graphic quality on FFVIII during gameplay is by no means great for today, but it was incredible for its time. Released in 1999, this game was years ahead of its predecessor, FFVII, in terms of its graphics. The cutscenes look great today, and it has been over seven years since the game was released. The pre-rendered backgrounds still look fantastic. The colors on the characters, especially those of the guardian forces, are beautifully colored. Much like the colors in FFX, the colors FFVIII have a wonderful way making the game feel like a beautiful, almost believable fantasy.

Also, the gameplay itself is incredibly refined. During battles, the player can interact by having a timed trigger for the main character’s weapon. The customization system is incredibly complex and returned to me almost immediately. Magic is not measured in points – there is a draw system where characters take spells from monsters and can then cast it or save it for later. I really love this system because it changes the way players manage magic and the way they cast it. They must think ahead to enemies they will encounter later and prepare by drawing the right spells.

Seeing these characters again made me feel like I was meeting old friends. As a reclusive middle-schooler, I spent a lot of time with this game. Part of the reason why I became so engrossed in this game was because it was an entire complex system. The characters had distinctive personalities – they were complex and conflicted. They used the right amount of stereotyping to seem believable but not flat. People betrayed each other and changed sides. As a quiet young girl, I could relate to the reclusive main character, but I also saw parts of myself in many of the other characters, such as spirited Selphie and the focused Rinoa. I got to play as (who I consider to be) the coolest villain in the game and she was on my side. There was a deep underliying mystery and the fate of the world was at stake.

If great graphics, a complex and dynamic battle system, an original and intuitive character customization system, vibrant characters, and a compelling story cannot make a good game, I don’t’ know what can. FFVIII really took me by surprise and created an unforgettable game experience for me that took my life in a new direction: that of the gamer.