You see, in Final Fantasy VIII, character levels don't really matter that much. Final Fantasy's trademark Active Time Battle system returns, but it's connected to an ambitious, almost free-form means of character development. Just like the story, the actual gameplay is good - great at times - but it's not without its flaws. There are interesting themes and concepts at play here - and there is an enjoyable madness to it all - but the momentum of the title's first half is long gone.

By the end, Final Fantasy VIII is basically a love story with some mental apocalypse happening in the background. It's not until about halfway through the game that the plot loses its masterful pacing, and from that point, events become a little less engaging. Once Squall's free of the Garden and he's busy fulfilling his first contract as a mercenary, the story slowly starts to branch out into weird (and sometimes wonderful) territory. Back in 1999, this was a pretty unique setting - it was a slice of school life long before later Persona games took the concept and ran with it. The first few hours introduce you to the concept of the Garden, which is essentially an academy for budding soldiers. Everything starts out surprisingly grounded as you guide Squall to his goal of becoming an elite mercenary.

Final fantasy viii remastered ps4