Final Fantasy VIII has now joined its fellow Final Fantasy games in getting the remake treatment. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is now out on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Final Fantasy VIII is a bit of a controversial entry, especially considering that it followed on the heels of its iconic predecessor. However, with its expanded availability, maybe it is time for the game to be re-evaluated.

Final Fantasy VIII follows Squall Leonheart, who is a cadet for the private military force SeeD. He and his fellow SeeDs are commissioned to halt the military advances of Galbadia, culminating in an attempted assassination on the Sorceress Edea, the mind behind Galbadia’s sudden hostilities. The world builds off the mix of fantasy and modern day (at least, modern at the time) stuff that Final Fantasy VII’s world presented, while going a bit more crazier with the plot, for better or for worse.

Final Fantasy VIII was a noticeable visual upgrade from the predecessor, with more detailed models and realistic proportions. Of course, the models haven’t exactly aged well. In true remake fashion, these models have been upgraded, with the official Final Fantasy Twitter highlighting the visual upgrade by acknowledging the “You’re the best looking guy here,” meme.

😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/7e0cNgOeZg

— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) August 13, 2019

However, it runs into the same problem as other PS1-era Final Fantasy remasters in that backgrounds are low-quality compared to the character models due to being pre-rendered, On top of that, the game runs in 4:3, which has made some gamers angry. Well, they’re also mad about the Siren summon being covered up, but who cares.

Much like the other remasters, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered comes with a bunch of quality of life features. Battles going too slow? Just speed it up. Just want to experience the story? You can make yourself invincible and turn off random encounters entirely. It certainly makes revisiting the game easier.

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