I’ve always felt that this was a creative way to give the players the means to earn the ability to walk freely without hindrance, so to speak. Once you unlock the Guardian Force Diablos, he can learn the “Enc-None” ability that lets you bypass encounters entirely. My problem with it is that this option actually exists in the base game. Adding the ability to avoid them was probably crucial in drawing in potential new players. Yes, I understand that random encounters are considered an inconvenient trapping of a bygone era in JRPGs. The other two modes, on the other hand, gave me some mixed feelings, especially the option to disable random encounters. Not only was it useful for grinding, it helps to be able to speed up some of the story sections that are bogged down by backtracking and long walks up and down certain areas. I definitely appreciated the option to speed up the game. The remaster gives players the option to speed the game up to 3x speed, disable random encounters, and to keep their ATB and HP maxed out. Also included are a few “cheats” that are available right from the beginning with the simple press of a few buttons. Graphical updates weren’t the only addition to the remaster, however. RELATED: Why Did Final Fantasy VIII Take So Long To Remaster?įINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered_20190901212933 For those of you who also have not given it a try as of yet, I whole-heartedly recommend it. It offers a fun minigame that’s entirely optional, yet provides hours of enjoyable playtime as a game-spanning sidequest that even offers substantial benefits to the main gameplay should you decide to pursue it. My delayed verdict is that it’s brilliant. Besides, it’s actually quite intuitive and fun once you get past the tedious tutorial.Īt the risk of being proclaimed a fake FFVIII squad member, this Remaster is the first time I’ve attempted to play Triple Triad, the card minigame. For all the criticism the Junction system gets, you can’t deny that it was a creative step out of the ordinary. The gameplay is still the perfect balance of the quintessential classic Final Fantasy experience and innovative new mechanics. The story is still the heartfelt exploration of trauma and loneliness hidden behind the veneer of an angsty teen romance that receives an unfair amount of flak (as if JRPG plots aren’t just like that in general). The setting is still the strange mishmash of outlandish sci-fi fantasy and a mundane 90s aesthetic that I adore. FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered_20190901213446īeneath the graphical makeover, it’s still the game I know and have loved since before I was old enough to play a game on my own.

Final fantasy viii review