If you know me, you know that I have not played many JRPGs. I've been told through friends and reading online discourse that Final Fantasy VIII was contentious. I get it.
I do not agree, though.
I've been interested in this genre much longer than I have actually been playing them. There's no way of getting around it, most of my close friends are aware of this. The first two that I played (Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Trigger) had me feeling emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum; amazed, and underwhelmed, respectively. Funnily enough, both of these games have notoriously risky successors. Anyways, I digress, because the point that I am trying to make here has nothing to do with narratives in video games (something that FFVII and Chrono Trigger are of course rightfully praised for).
Before I started playing JRPGs, I knew I liked the idea of games being experimental. I like seeing game developers take risks! Have fun with it! I saw plenty of gameplay where I didn't understood why people even visited this genre because it all just felt so same-y to me. If I'm playing a game where I somehow don't get annoyed by random enemy combat, you did a damn good job at making your game. Square did a damn good job at making this game.
Final Fantasy VIII takes whatever you knew about the genre and says "fuck it - let's do something new". I absolutely adore that mindset and creativity that gave us this game's mechanics. The junction system. AP and GF. Triple Triad. The limit break mechanics. It's all just so charming to me. This is the most fun I have ever had in a game's combat system, and I mean that. The concept of enemies leveling up alongside you REALLY kept me immersed as well, and I found myself doing less mindless fighting and really strategizing my team's next move.
A lot else of what else is criticized is the story. What is most baffling to me is that despite Square taking a similar approach to Final Fantasy VII, dealing with complex characters with complex emotions, the reaction to what this game does and says seems to be downright despised. If you are not a fan of this video game's storytelling, then that's fine. But is your journey entirely ruined because of the end result?
Let's say there are two people walking. Person 1 enjoys walking, but has no destination in mind. Person 2 also enjoys walking, but just cares about getting from point A to point B. Which of them more than likely had a memorable experience? Hopefully you see what I am getting at here.
Art as a whole should not solely be about the endpoint. If it was, then what is the point of experiencing art? What's stopping someone from just going on Wikipedia and reading the synopsis of a game and saying "ah, 5/5, best game I ever played" if they're not even thinking about the journey they took to get there?
Maybe this is just all cope for the bashing I see Final Fantasy VIII get, I really don't know anymore. My adderall is wearing off, and I'm hungry. Regardless, I love this game. I can't wait to play more experimental PlayStation games.
(i'm looking at you, Chrono Cross and Xenogears...)
I do not agree, though.
I've been interested in this genre much longer than I have actually been playing them. There's no way of getting around it, most of my close friends are aware of this. The first two that I played (Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Trigger) had me feeling emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum; amazed, and underwhelmed, respectively. Funnily enough, both of these games have notoriously risky successors. Anyways, I digress, because the point that I am trying to make here has nothing to do with narratives in video games (something that FFVII and Chrono Trigger are of course rightfully praised for).
Before I started playing JRPGs, I knew I liked the idea of games being experimental. I like seeing game developers take risks! Have fun with it! I saw plenty of gameplay where I didn't understood why people even visited this genre because it all just felt so same-y to me. If I'm playing a game where I somehow don't get annoyed by random enemy combat, you did a damn good job at making your game. Square did a damn good job at making this game.
Final Fantasy VIII takes whatever you knew about the genre and says "fuck it - let's do something new". I absolutely adore that mindset and creativity that gave us this game's mechanics. The junction system. AP and GF. Triple Triad. The limit break mechanics. It's all just so charming to me. This is the most fun I have ever had in a game's combat system, and I mean that. The concept of enemies leveling up alongside you REALLY kept me immersed as well, and I found myself doing less mindless fighting and really strategizing my team's next move.
A lot else of what else is criticized is the story. What is most baffling to me is that despite Square taking a similar approach to Final Fantasy VII, dealing with complex characters with complex emotions, the reaction to what this game does and says seems to be downright despised. If you are not a fan of this video game's storytelling, then that's fine. But is your journey entirely ruined because of the end result?
Let's say there are two people walking. Person 1 enjoys walking, but has no destination in mind. Person 2 also enjoys walking, but just cares about getting from point A to point B. Which of them more than likely had a memorable experience? Hopefully you see what I am getting at here.
Art as a whole should not solely be about the endpoint. If it was, then what is the point of experiencing art? What's stopping someone from just going on Wikipedia and reading the synopsis of a game and saying "ah, 5/5, best game I ever played" if they're not even thinking about the journey they took to get there?
Maybe this is just all cope for the bashing I see Final Fantasy VIII get, I really don't know anymore. My adderall is wearing off, and I'm hungry. Regardless, I love this game. I can't wait to play more experimental PlayStation games.
(i'm looking at you, Chrono Cross and Xenogears...)