{"id":160448,"date":"2019-09-05T22:37:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T14:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geek.com\/featured\/-1802925\/"},"modified":"2019-09-05T22:37:39","modified_gmt":"2019-09-05T14:37:39","slug":"review-final-fantasy-viii-remastered-is-as-frustrating-and-amazing-as-the-original","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/test\/wordpress\/2019\/09\/05\/review-final-fantasy-viii-remastered-is-as-frustrating-and-amazing-as-the-original\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: \u2018Final Fantasy VIII Remastered\u2019 Is as Frustrating and Amazing as the Original"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019ve often joked that the reason Final Fantasy VIII<\/em> never got remade is because it’s a terrible game. That\u2019s hyperbole on my part, but FFVIII<\/em> is the most controversial of the PS1-era Final Fantasy<\/em> games. Final Fantasy VII<\/em> is an enduring classic<\/a> and most hold Final Fantasy IX<\/em> in high regard. FFVIII<\/em>? To say it\u2019s divisive would be an understatement. As someone who isn\u2019t exactly fond of this entry, I find myself in the unique position of having to review its remaster. To get it out of the way: Yes, this is the best version of Final Fantasy VIII<\/em>, but don\u2019t expect it to change your mind if you were never a fan.<\/p>\n

Final Fantasy VIII<\/em><\/a> is an inconsistent remaster. Let’s talk about the good first. Character models and cutscenes come to life in stunning, vivid detail. Gone are the comically pixelated faces that generated a thousand memes. Menus have gotten a bump in resolution, as have the character portraits. While the character\u2019s textures look crisp and detailed, their polygon count isn\u2019t any higher. Blocky arms and legs are very visible from certain angles. Small polygonal count aside, the characters look better than ever.<\/p>\n

While characters and cinemas are up to modern-day graphical standards, the same isn\u2019t true of backgrounds. As before, FFVIII<\/em> features static CG-rendered backgrounds. These backgrounds looked absolutely fantastic back in the day, especially compared to the characters. Unfortunately, the backgrounds are the most disappointing aspect of this remaster. Though given a resolution boost, backgrounds are noticeably blurry and washed-out. It’s a shame because they are among some of the best backgrounds from the PS1 games. They should have looked much better than they do here.<\/p>\n

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Along with enhanced visuals, the remaster has a number of gameplay tweaks. Players can disable random encounters and explore the world at their leisure. They can also play at three times normal speed. This is a great way to level boost and grind for magic. Players can also enter battles with maxed out HP and ATB and enable Limit Breaks at any time. The Steam version lets users possess all items (with some exceptions), have all abilities, maximum Guardian Force level, maximum Gil and Magic, and possess all Triple Triad Cards. These features allow players to have a more tailored experience.<\/p>\n

Aside from better graphical and gameplay tweaks, this is still very much the same Final Fantasy VIII<\/em> experience of old. As I said up top, this is one of the more controversial entries of the series. Gameplay-wise, the biggest point of contention is the Draw and Junction system. While there is still a traditional leveling system (to an extent), players can only get the most out of their characters by “junctioning” them to Guardian Forces. These powerful beings enhance attributes like attack and defense. Though one can automatically distribute magic and junction abilities, it is a more involved process compared to other FF<\/em> games. The added complexity is great for some, annoying for others.<\/p>\n

I never had a problem with the Junction system because you can easily hit \u2018Auto\u2019 and call it a day. My main beef lies with the Draw system. You don’t automatically have magic like in previous installments. Instead, you draw magic from enemies. As with other entries (and most RPGs), you use magic to cast spells on enemies and on yourself. Magic also boosts your stats. The more magic you add to a stat, the stronger it becomes. This is where the problem comes in. If you want to max out your characters\u2019 stats then you\u2019ll have to spend a good portion of battles sucking up magic from enemies. Having to do this for every character is one of the most annoying grinds I’ve ever experienced in an RPG and it’s still a pain now.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019re free to use magic against enemies and to heal and boost yourself. However, since magic affects your stats, using magic will make you weaker. This effectively forces players to hoard their magic and rely on Guardian Forces to dish out heavy damage. You\u2019ll have to watch the same summoning sequences countless times during battles since you cannot rely on magic. Yes, you can set the game to play three times faster, but it\u2019s still annoying to repeatedly watch the same cinematics. Pun heavily intended, but the Draw system sucks.<\/p>\n

My other beef comes with leveling. Attaining a high level is almost not worth the trouble since enemies scale with you. That means foes from early parts of the game are every bit as strong as the ones in latter portions. You\u2019ll have better equipment and stronger GFs at your disposal, but having enemies scale with you drains the fun out of an RPG for me. But I realize this is a personal grievance and that some players appreciate how enemies scale with them.<\/p>\n

Other than the Draw system and enemy scaling, I like everything else FFVIII<\/em> has to offer. The cinemas still look awesome and the score is easily one of the best in the series. The more realistic art design still holds up and continues to conjure the same sense of wonder it did before. I even enjoy the convoluted storyline thanks to the colorful cast of characters that drive it forward. Everything people loved about FFVIII<\/em> remains intact.<\/p>\n