Square Enix has never given FFVIII very much love or attention. When youвЂ™re a fan of what some people call the вЂњWorst Final Fantasy Ever,вЂќ you learn not to expect too much. However, the remaster brings a new set of parameters and standards that I didnвЂ™t feel were lived up to. ItвЂ™s engaging, fun to play, heartfelt, but not without its flaws. If I were to be rating the base game, I would give it a solid 4 out of 5, as IвЂ™ve always done. The increased disjuncture between character models and the environment make it even more difficult to navigate certain areas of the game.

The game has multiple sections that require the player to interact with the environment in a way thatвЂ™s not immediately obvious, or donвЂ™t have the most optimal paths programmed in.

This actually makes the game harder to play. Even if they were improved upon in actuality, itвЂ™s impossible to tell because they look comically low-resolution behind the detailed character models. In fact, fans have posted some beautifully HD renders that they made in their own time with AI, and many modders have made progress in upscaling backgrounds of older games.В And yet, as with the FFVII and FFIX remasters, they remain as pixelated as ever. I donвЂ™t believe it would have cost Square Enix much to re-render the backgrounds of the game as well. The render upgrades to the characters were amazing and brought me not a small amount of glee, but for some reason, the rest of the game didnвЂ™t get the same treatment. Having this option from the onset of the game takes away a bit of the charm of unlocking Diablos and investing time in him.ДЇINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered_20190901213203Дespite the fact that I have been waiting and begging for a remaster of my favorite Final Fantasy title for years, I did find myselfвЂ¦ disappointed in many aspects. IвЂ™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 вЂњEnc-NoneвЂќ 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 keepВ their ATB and HP maxed out. Also included are a few вЂњcheatsвЂќ that are available right from the beginning with the simple press of a few buttons.

Graphical updates werenвЂ™t the only addition to the remaster, however. RELATED: Why Did Final Fantasy VIII Take So Long To Remaster?ДЇINAL 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 thatвЂ™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 itвЂ™s brilliant. Besides, itвЂ™s actually quite intuitive and fun once you get past the tedious tutorial.ДЄt the risk of being proclaimed a fake FFVIII squad member, this Remaster is the first time IвЂ™ve attempted to play Triple Triad, the card minigame. For all the criticism the Junction system gets, you canвЂ™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 arenвЂ™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_20190901213446Д«eneath the graphical makeover, itвЂ™s still the game I know and have loved since before I was old enough to play a game on my own.

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