The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we scrutinize the PSOne Classic RPG, Final Fantasy VIII.
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Developer: Square
Region(s) available: North America, Japan
Players: 1
While most gamers are only too happy to wax lyrical about Final Fantasy VII when taking a nostalgic glance back to the late 90s, the more discerning FF aficionado has been known to highlight FFVIII as the series’ most competent PlayStation offering. Often overlooked in favour of Cloud’s magnum opus, FFVIII is certainly no slouch, and for many represented a more traditional take on the venerable Square RPG behemoth. Fortunately, you can decide for yourself, with the game now available on PSN.
Originally released in the U.S. in 1999, FFVIII stars now-iconic floppy-haired hero Squall Leonhart, a gunblade-wielding student of the military academy Garden. Joined by teammates including Zell Dincht, Seifer Almasy and Rinoa Heartilly, FFVIII weaves an intricate, sprawling tale that starts out innocently enough before expanding into a globe-trotting extravaganza. The game is also noteworthy adopting fully non-SD (super deformed) character aesthetics following its predecessor’s half-baked visual approach. Likewise the game’s aural onslaught is equally memorable, right down to the pop sensibilities of Faye Wong’s “Eyes on Me.”
In terms of gameplay, FFVIII sticks to the traditional “active time” battle system employed by most RPGs of the time. Squall and co will take turns with their foes to attack/defend, though Square has injected a number of fresh features to spice up the proceedings. These include the draw system (replacing Magic Points), guardian force system (essentially FFVIII’s take on the summon ability of old, where a creature acts as a sort of sub-member of the team complete with HP and skills) and finally, the junction system (works in conjunction with the GF system, augmenting you with varying skills and abilities).
The differences don’t stop there, either. FFVIII eschews the traditional levelling system of past iterations; as such, there’s no distinct numerical advantage you can gain over enemies, with your foes level always equal to that of your own. Also, the weapons and armor system has also received some tweaking. Characters now wield a single weapon that can be upgraded via junk parts, while armor has been elbowed out of the equation entirely. Consequently, currency no longer plays such an important role in the game, with what little cash you earn via Squall’s SeeDused to purchase rudimentary supplies.
FFVIII also plays host to a particularly compelling card battle outing named Triple Triad. Cards can be won by dispatching opponents, while others can be scooped up by utilizing the ‘card’ command on a weary battle foe. There’s hundreds to collect and swap, while local spins on the bog-standard rules work well to inject some variety into the proceedings. Players can convert rare cards into precious items, which can in turn be switched for some meaty weaponry. As you’d expect, the game is a decidedly lengthy affair, and certainly doesn’t disappoint in the meat-and-potatoes of any decent RPG, delivering equal measures of mammoth boss battles, exploration and character development.
Join us again tomorrow as we take another leisurely stroll Inside PlayStation Network.