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Final Fantasy VIII

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Foreword

By
Nathan Garvin

The story of Final Fantasy VIII follows the exploits of Squall Leonhart, the game’s protagonist and a young gunblade wielder who is currently training to become a SeeD at Balamb Garden. After taking his field exam and encountering the aggression of the Galbadian Empire, Squall and his fellow SeeDs are sent to aid a rebel leader fighting against the Galbadians. As the struggle intensifies, Squall will uncover the power instigating Galbadia’s aggression, a dark secrets about the Gardens, the true purpose of SeeD and ultimately encounter a foe that threatens the very flow of time itself. Along the way Squall will also have to come to terms with the toll the source of SeeD’s power - Guardian Forces - impose on their masters, a forgotten past, a love interest with a hidden power and an implacable rival.

Final Fantasy VIII released twenty years ago this year, following on the heels of the incredibly successful Final Fantasy VII, the next entry in the Final Fantasy series had big shoes to fill. Attempting to reinvent the wheel as much as possible, Final Fantasy VIII kept the Active Time Battle system familiar from previous games, but tweaked the Limit Break system, tied enemy strength to the party’s advancement, abolished Magic Points in favor of the draw-and-stock system, and refreshed the summon system somewhat by replacing them with Guardian Forces and junctions that provided stat boosts, abilities and passive effects. Most memorably, perhaps, Final Fantasy VIII also had one of the best minigames in Final Fantasy history - Triple Triad.

This guide includes a full beginning-to-end walkthrough that will provide enough power-gamey information to satisfy hardcore min-max gamers, but not be insistent upon such strategies and grinding so as to drive away more casual gamers. In addition the walkthrough will include the obligatory enemy information, boss strategies, directions and instructions necessary to complete the game.

Other features of this guide include:

– How to win every Triple Triad card in the game.
– How to manipulate Triple Triad rules, potent items and magics that can be obtained via Card Mod.
– How to acquire every ultimate weapon and limit break in the game.
– Strategies for defeating the game’s superbosses.
– Where to find every Guardian Force and how to prioritize their abilities.
– How to keep from leveling up as much as possible to gain an advantage over your foes.
– Information on min-maxing stats.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Square Enix
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS1, PS4, Switch, XB One
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    15 March 2019
  • Last Updated
    4 June 2022
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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Follow the exploits of Squall, a resident of Balamb Garden and SeeD aspirant whose first contract as a professional mercenary expands into a fight to save the world from an evil sorceress.

This guide will cover the main quest-line chronologically, giving advice on leveling (and how to avoid it), where to find the best spells, how to acquire all GFs and defeat all bosses. In addition the guide will cover all side quests and will also include in-depth mini-guides for Chocobo World and Triple Triad. By following this guide you can aspire to the following:

  • Complete walkthrough of the main questline.
  • All side quests and optional content.
  • How to defeat both of the game’s superbosses.
  • Information on how to acquire each GF and a discussion of their abilities, including where to assign them.
  • Information on Triple Triad, including the location of every card in the game and how to best use them.
  • Low-level run information.
  • Information on min-maxing stats.
  • A mini-guide for Chocobo World.
  • Information on all characters, including stats and how to acquire all their weapons and limits.
  • Triple Triad guide.

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