Which Final Fantasy has the best opening? Subscribe here and Follow me on twitch.tv/philiphartshorn Join my discord to help me choose my next video: discord.gg/J85mKhG Watch my film work here: ruclips.net/video/FQg5b6bagGs/видео.html Follow my Twitter: twitter.com/philipharts
I agree on ff8 for the ps1 since it was the first true FF that Square fully explore the capacities of the PlayStation platform. I thought it was a beautiful movie trailer the first time I saw it. I also like FFX bc it uses the full capacity of the PS2. That being said, I wish to have a FFII open scene with Cecil on the airship from the SNES days. If only.
It's so emotional. I feel like the little kid I was when I first saw it but yet so new and beautiful, ever single time. This game really changed me (it was my first FF ever) and still loved it so much
I hated the junction system… I mean you could make your load outs super OP, but then you never wanted to use your high level magics because you would be nerfing your own stats.
One thing he didn't mention - and I'm actually surprised he didn't - is that the logo reveal at the end is more impactful because it concludes the cliffhanger from just before: When Rinoa is falling towards Squall, it builds an expectation of them falling into each other's arms, but we don't get to see the climax and instead are left on a cliffhanger, as the screen cuts to black. Then, after a pause where the audience is holding its breath, the logo is revealed giving us the conclusion of them holding each other, and thus the opening comes to a satisfying end.
At that time, we only got pirate burned to CDs (6 or 8 if i remember correctly). And how unfortunate, they seems to burn from one version in my city, so I got crash in the scene where squall got stabbed. It make me so angry, it's on CD 2 or so, I run around the city, bought like 10 others 2nd CD to continue, but it's in vain. Then I tried to start from beginning, and it didn't help. I got so freaking angry, but after 4th try, I become so in love with this OP that I don't care anymore, just playing again and again. So in the end, I have played the 1st CD like 80 times, and watch this OP like 100 times =)), break 2 CD 1 in the process.
I love how they integrate both their limit breaks into the fight scene. Squall presses hard against Seifer putting him on the back foot (low HP), Seifer uses No Mercy to counter, Squall takes a devastating hit (low HP) and counters with Rough Divide. A great way to show off the limit break game mechanic.
Whats amazing looking at a 25 year old cinematic like in FF8 is not only the jump in quality from FF7 to FF8, but to also know that in the 90's, there was no motion capture. The fighting was all hand animated. Sure I bet they used reference video to help with the fight choreography, but still animators had to keyframe all of that.
Yea the thing is actually - FF8 used motion capture. It was the reason for the quality leap. It's easy to google the recording sessions, my fave must be the Zell's intro
You know what? Masakazu Morita aka Zell's motion capture actor also does the voice work for Bleach's main character, Ichigo, LOL. He's also the motion capture actor and voice actor for Tidus from FFX. His most recent well-known role is voicing Thoma from Genshin Impact.
Final Fantasy 8 is the inception of Final Fantasy games. This game & their characters are all a mystery this game feels like the best book you've ever read in your dream. This game still to this day is aging like fine wine & the graphics were so ahead of time. It's unbelievable this came out in 1999. This is still my favorite Final Fantasy game of all time. This reaction hit my nostalgia strings 😎
I loved FF8. I think a large portion of why it never got much recognition was FF7 was a hard act to follow. Plus the junction system broke the game. But it was still a fun game and how the story unfolded, was super interesting
@@JustinStrife I spent the last 30 minutes writing a reply as to why I hated FF8 as much as I do and just deleted it. The core message is it's just a bad game in almost every way possible. There are very few good things about the game, and probably at the top of the good things is this intro video. It kinda all goes down hill from there.
@@zedgathegreat9122 To each their own I guess, for me the only thing I strongly dislike is that after 3 discs of awesomeness the story boils down to a time travelling sorceress and a major plot point mystery was simply due to characters losing their memories. The final disc is also meh.
@@zedgathegreat9122 Honestly, good thing you deleted it probably. Because as soon as you try and state an objective fact such as 'it's a bad game in almost every way possible' you lost any objectivity, because it isn't. I'm not going to try and tell anyone what games they should or shouldn't enjoy, and FF8 suffers from flaws just as much as any other game, but objectively- it is not a bad game. It's a great game that suffered largely from being a sequel to the most successful JRPG to hit the west at that point in time. People were used to sequels following on from the previous game, so for fans new to the FF series they were expecting a followup either in terms of game map/characters/mechanics or whatever, and were disappointed to find an almost entirely new game. Additionally some fans of the FF series simply didn't enjoy it, which is fine. FF9 will go down as one of the most loved games in the series, I never managed to get into it as much as the others- in the golden age of 7-10 it would sit in 4th place for me. But that doesn't make it a fundamentally bad game, just one that didn't do it for me. I thought the GF system was brilliant, the card game was a fantastic diversion and remains likely the best mini-game in the FF series, the characters as a whole held up well, and the story- although a little off the rails at times- is far from the worst. Junction/draw is a very ambiguous system, I liked it but can definitely see why people hated it. It made magic feel very pointless for me, but on the flipside I loved the ability to build your stats through attaching magic and coming up with different GF combinations to maximise your characters. A truly bad FF game is 1 or 2, which suffer from serious issues. Most of the games since then just come down to personal taste.
I pray that they remake FF8 next. It really is so deserving of another pass to iron out the kinks it had. It wasan FF game unlike any other. So unique of a vibe.
if any FF game deserves a complete remake, it aint 8, but 2. -the sub system did not mesh well with being turn based. but would work amazing on an action rpg(its basically how the elder scrolls games work). -its basically the most open world game in the entire franchise. -has one of the most dramatic stories in the franchise, that was simply too big for a nes game. -has an entire mechanic using keywords that you gain as you progress, which allow you to get more info/investigate -has one of the most underrated villains of all time, a guy who was literaly an "op isekai protagonist" before op isekai protagonists were a thing. -game revolved around dialogue, but the main cast lacks personality.
it was one the best. I don´t know why, but I kind of like the "unloved" or trashtalked ffs the most. FF8, FF9, FF12 and FF15. I know, ff9 is not unloved. but I wanted to make my list complete. ^^ 8 was my first one, so ok, I am biased here. 9 was simply beautiful. 12 had cool characters and I liked the Star Wars athmosphere. I didn´t like the fighting though. But still nice world and nice enemies. 15 destroyed me mentaly. First half of the game was like going up on the rollercoaster, second half destroyed everything what I loved (including my car ^^ ) It was hard to play in that way, that the story of the game made me feel as if everything was slipping through my fingers. I had no control anymore. people went missing, dying, got hurt, even the world became black and everything got destroyed. The game was like Day and Night, or light and darkness. I had no worries in the beginning. I enjoyed my car styling, driving, fishing, chocobo riding. I meandert through the story and was thinking "everything will be fine. we are the heroes, we will winn as allways. no worries." And the game was like: "naaaah..... not gonna happen." It reminds me of human life in a way. When everything is OK we do not worry about future. We can not imagine, that war will come to a peaceful land or something else really bad happens. We are kind of naive. But many people, like the example in ukraine shows, this can change drastically from one day to another. besides the story and the "ride" I liked the combat system in 15 too. sorry for the unasked and long comment under your comment. ^^
At 11:30 you did a freeze frame that has an absurd detail I never noticed! When Seifer is bringing the gunblade down on Squall's face, you can see sparks coming from the top of Seifer's gun. HE'S PULLING THE TRIGGER FOR EXTRA DAMAGE. What an absurd detail almost nobody would ever notice. Wow.
I still remember the holidays back in 1999 when FF8 released and I got home. It was snow outside, my mom had baked cookies and I got a pair of new slippers on christmas and I still remember the new smell from them and playing FF8 all day long. Oh joyful memories. 💚
That's awesome! I remember the day it came out I used to live in the east coast and it was storming really bad, I got dressed walk in the storm to the game store and bought it, I'm stuck between this and 7 being my personal 2 favorites, would love to see this remade or 6 maybe 9.
Here's a little super cool detail/lore: in 11:10 you can see Seifer's finger is in the trigger of the Gunblade getting ready to shoot and in 11:35 you can hear the shot.Gunblades are known to be extremely sharp & deadly when pulling the trigger.This was supposed to be a sparring match but Seifer used magic and pulled the trigger giving Squall that scar and Squall giving him another one.Here's hoping the next remake game is VIII because BOY i can't wait to see this remade!
You can ever see the shell casing being ejected right before the connecting shot. Wow… been playing it regularly ever since it came out and I never noticed that.
You're right, It really is something beyond extraordinary, the thought and attention to detail put into this. Artworks of this magnitude shouldn't be taken for granted. One of the top 5 FF's imo.
I just got back from watching the Final Fantasy “Distant Worlds” live in D.C. And when this came up on the huge screen behind the orchestra, and the full choir kicked in, I was wigging out inside. Seeing this performed live was incredible. Took me back to being an excited 12 year old sticking this in my PS1 and seeing it for the first time n being blown away. Got all kinds of choked up. VIII to me will always remain atop the pile. So well done.
As an editor and someone who also studied production and theater. I never realized how much this intro formed my sense of timing and structure til now.
This game is so overshadowed by 7 that many newer games probably have never played it. Its utterly incredible that it ran on PS1. I have the 4 cd soundtrack for this and whilst there's 3 discs worth of midi like game filler tunes ( those ps1 discs are less than a gig in total) there is enough real music for 1 kick ass real album. Superb. One of my favourite games of all time. Definitely needs a remake.
This intro and Chrono Cross intro made such an impact on me when I was young. You should cover Chrono Cross’ intro sequence when you have a chance. Great job!
@@Quiettekiyet OK. Why did you reply again? To express your thoughts right? Same for me. Don't waste a reply telling others to let others decide for themselves. If they can't do that already then that's on them. Lastly ever hear of a critic? Do you go onto every video of every media to tell others this message? I doubt it. You only say it to those who express an opinion that you don't share.
i loved this game so much back in the day, i love it now, and every time there's a poll on "favorite final fantasy game" there's no question that VIII was My Game. I have this song on my playlist to this day, along with Fithos Lusec because this theme just SLAPS. Thank you for this, so, so much, it was wonderful to have you point out things I had completely forgotten and in some cases never realized in the first place.
I never played FF7, so this was my first of this newer, higher production value FF games. This and FF9 absolutely blew me away. I remember watching that opening and being immediately hooked as a teenage boy ready to go on this epic adventure. A lot of people hate on 8, specifically because of their love for 7, but never having played it I didn't know any other option so I embraced the mechanics, the story and enjoyed it and have replayed it multiple times. I never went back to 7 until much later and it didn't grab me like it probably did most players because I'd already played 8,9,10 by then.
During the fight, I also like the contrast of squall holding his blade with two hands vs seifer only using one hand. You can feel the arrogance from seifer and it’s like he’s telling squall that he can win the fight with one hand behind his back. The only time he uses his other hand to support his blade is when Squall seems to be getting the upper hand with his barrage of attacks.
FFVIII is VERY near and dear to my heart! As someone who grew up in group homes, this game related to me in SO many ways!!!!!! I always related to Squall because I felt I didn't need anyone as well. I hope the FF Gods give us an 8 Remake!
We need to think that this opening was for PS1....in such a amazing quality already at that time! Visuals, picture,music.. all together giving us a perfect opening. My favourite game ❤
The jumping on ps1 back in the days was definitely something, the progress on graphics was very impressive. I still remember watching presentation of 1st Crash on some gaming show in tv. or mgs trailer. It really gave you a filling that "that's it, it can't be any better then this"
The brilliance about this opening is that you only see the pawns never the true enemy, also, the end game text being highlighted here and only understanding it once you finish the game is a masterful move, my favorite FF ❤
@@jedcauffield1858 Spoiler Alert********** No, Edea was a pawn being manipulated by Ultimecia, a sorceress from the future. If I remember correctly, you don't even see or hear about Ultimecia until way far into the game.
@@jedcauffield1858 no Edea is possessed, therefore just another pawn.
2 месяца назад
Always nice to see another person appreciate my childhood games. Great experience watching your reactions and see you passionately talking about it. Congratz man. Cheers from Mexico.
I can't explain how much I loved this back when I was a kid. This was my first FF. I watched the intro soooo many times. And still now, this game rests in a special place in my heart. The intro still gives me goosebumps and it pushes me to start it over again for the bilion-th times. ☺
Liberi Fatali will always be one of my favorite FF songs. Easily one of the top and most memorable FF songs like Distant Worlds, Answers, Ronfaure (vocal), etc..
I love your expressions while explaining the opening scene!❤ That brings back so much memory of my first impressions from seeing this opening as a trailer on a demo dvd😅
I remember showing this to my dad when I brought FF8 home after school. He thought it was awesome and said the sword fight reminded him of Ridley Scott’s The Duelist
One of my favorite minute details that you don't see or hear people talk about often, if at all, is when Seifer is bringing the Hyperion down on Squalls face at 8:32 -ish you can actually see the muzzle flash and the spent cartridge being ejected out of the pistol. Square didn't need to add that in, but they did. Pause and use your '' keys to go frame by frame to see it. A lot of questions here: Did Seifer intend to kill Squall right then and there and just flub it? Was it a blank? Did he pre-emptively fire per them just training? Or was it intentional misfire to let Squall know he could have killed him if he wanted to but choose not to just to F with him?
Based off of Seifer's character that we learn about in game, the latter is the most reasonable. Seifer was Squall's bully. He played heavily into that character as a child, and more so once the GFs started to take his memories during their time in SeeD program at Balamb Garden. His loss of early memories only served to exacerbate his bullying, because he genuinely forgets why he was bullying Squall in the first place. When all you know is one thing, you stick to it and cultivate it. It is later revealed through brief exposition that the fight was more than just a spar. As stated in the video it was a challenge, a duel. Not meant to be lethal. But Seifer only knows one thing, and that is, in his mind, he is better than Squall. As far as he knows he has always been better than Squall and SHOULD always be better. This toxic mindset is what sends the duel off the rails. Seifer has the upper hand, Squall seizes the advantage and starts to counter-attack, gaining ground. During Squall's flurry, we see Seifer's face contorted. It's no longer the carefree grin we saw for most of the fight up to this point. Seifer is grimacing, having to defend. Having to TRY. In his mind he shouldn't have to try. So he ripostes to gain distance, and uses Fire to take back the advantage. Once Seifer is back in his comfort zone we are treated to a perspective shot of him looming over the camera, now sporting a cruel smirk, followed by a more manic grin as he shows his downed opponent No Mercy, scarring Squall. At the end of the fight, Seifer is still Squall's bully. And the misfiring can be read as him proving that everything that has happened in this fight was at his own discretion. It was a power move, and as we learn through the story was Seifer's ultimate downfall cum redemption. This one fight is what leads Squall to begin bettering himself, if for the wrong reasons. It is Rinoa who pulls Squall from his spiral and turns the MCs negative growth arc to the positive. Squall's continued growth and success pushes Seifer to seek other ways to keep himself above his victim, so he joins Edea for the promise of power. Granted we learn later that it was more than the offer of power that draws Seifer to the sorceress. This keeps Squall's goal moving further away, giving him reasons to better himself, both when everyone thinks Seifer is dead and when they find out he is alive, just turned full Heel. Squall continues to strive to out-do his perceived better, Rinoa builds Squall up with positive feedback and a less selfish goal. This build-up culminates in Seifer's humbling. Even with all the power he was offered through Edea, Squall eventually grew far enough to surpass him since Seifer was not there to constantly keep Squall down. After Squall properly defeats him, Seifer is forced to look on as his victim turned reluctant-hero continues to grow, both in strength and character. Seifer is forced to admit what he has known ever since they were children, that Squall was, is, and always will be his better. His own defeat is also what opens his eyes to the fact that he is not as alone as he feels he is throughout the first half of the game. He has had Raijin and Fuujin in his corner the whole time, not simply because he was the cock of the walk, but because they genuinely felt kinship with him. He is able to see that he and Squall are very similar in the end, which can be seen in the final cutscene of the game as he is spending time with his own friends and giving a genuine smile upon the return of our heroes.
finaly someone, who sais that I always was thinking. The FF8 Opening is fucking epic. When I saw it the first time as a child, I coudn´t comprehend, what just had happened.
Enjoyed the breakdown and symbolisms shot by shot. Ive watched this so many times all my life and this really made me focus on stuff like the feathers. How the white feathers surrounded squall's gunblade as if rinoa is his sheath. Then how after seifer is defeated, the release of the black feathers/evil. Finally when the feathers disapates, squall and rinoa embrace. Oh and the beach analysis/journey w all the questions and minimal text. Dopeee🎉
I used to listen to this over and over again in the past. Even the sound FX of the clashing gunblades sounds like music for me. SO good! And i like it when Rinoa grab the flower petal while the text "i promise" fading out. It was like Rinoa holding Squall's promise into her hand.
It feels like cheating when he pulls Fire because it is. Or at least Squall says as much when Quistis questions Squall after getting him from the infirmary. Also, it's very much in character for Seifer. This game is a masterpiece. And unfortunately it catches a lot of flack because it suffers from the worst case of "not being FF7" there could be. Also, you can really feel how the events and story could have told much more, and how medium couldn't do justice to both that and the world - but you still very much DO feel both. P.S.: I just realized how biased this might look because of my pfp which I barely ever changed.
Speaking of Dissidia, Ultimacia looks amazing! Well, all the characters do. But Ultimacia especially. I loved Edea as villain and I'm a sucker for a redemption arc. FF 8 was my favorite until FF 12. I like how they hint at who Laguna is to Squall without spelling it out. Speaking of Nobuo Uematsu, my 2023 music recap shows To Zanarkand as my most listened to song. I've loved his music since the first FF.
Man this is so f*** high class top-notch work nothing will ever beat this opeing scene it's still hitting hard since 1999 just woow same goes for the ending scene too.
My first real crush was Rinoa, while immersed in the character of Squall. This game will always carry feelings no other game can no matter how good it can be since it was my first love... digital or not.
To me this is my favourite Final Fantasy game. I understand why many loved 7 so much. But 8 to me is perfect. Mixing medieval, sci-fi, fantasy, and modern era setting, all in one game. And it's a game that can teach everyone a lesson. FF7 was about loss and coping with loss. Though unfortunetely the "remakes" undermined that message entirely now. FF8 was about abandonment, and how you shouldn't close your heart to other people just because you once had it broken and abandoned before. That even when there is no guarantee that your new friends and the one special person you love will stay in your life forever, doesn't mean you should not give them a chance. From time to time we all need to be reminded of such lessons.
FF8 is my fave game I lost my mother 2 days ago Final Fantasy will help me through the grief that scene in rebirth is gonna hurt even more FF8 is such a beautiful game
Unlikely, Nomura has said already that if a remake of 6 were to happen it would be at least 25 years out. FF9 is the next one to get a remake. And probably Tactics next..... we can only dream. FF17 will come out next and they haven't even started FF7 Reunion yet.... I'm assuming the name at this point
I remember leaving the game on, just to have the intro loop in the background.❤ Excellent analysis, makes me want to get back to it and mash the square button!
Something else that always struck me about this intro, was, in terms of worldbuilding, you see the gunblade for the first time and say to yourself, 'Whats a gunblade?' or 'Wow thats cool, how does it work?' and through the duel sequence, this intro establishes an aspect of the world and shows you exactly how a duel with a gunblade would look and how it would work. Masterful.
It gets even better as the game is played with the flower field being where Squall and Rinoa end up saving eachother and where they promise to find eachother again. It's a gorgeous intro.
In my opinion the best FF hands down. The story, the combat system the cut scenes and visuals..... THIS is the FF that deserves an IN depth remake in the style FF7 did.
Final Fantasy xiii was my introduction to the Final Fantasy series. I've played many since none impacted me even close to what I felt playing FF8, three times over. ❤
i literally paused the new Chrono Cross video to back track to this, god me instantly stoked. VIII was my first Final Fantasy also (even got a tattoo of the covers water mark from it) Sick as, idk how i missed it, i get notifs. Glad you mentioned it! oh... and SLAY! Side note: IF you havent seen the Squall is Dead theory, its a really good one to think on.
One thing i only just noticed watching your reaction, when Seifer and Sqwall first charge at each other, bolth the sound and movement almost makes it seem like Seifer is on a horse. Which is fitting since he wants to be the hero, or a knight.
I remember playing FF8 again as a adult. Did this game hit different, because as a kid you don't understand the conflict of souls just yet. But when you had years as a adult, you get it.
It is a genuine shame how much this opening was criticized for its length. People tend to forget that square LOVED its long openings. FF6 comes to mind for its very long, very unskippable/not fast-forwardable opening. FF8 was SquareEnix's first time truly using the Play Station gaming system to its fullest, as before this every game before had been made to Nintendo standards that lead to the iconic blockiness of the original FF7. This opening was meant to be a full-on SHOWCASE of what SquareEnix could do with a more powerful, advanced graphics system. Later generations of course look back on this cinematic and groan about how things look, but back in 1999 this was beyond cutting edge. Starting with the coastal shot. Look back at earlier games on the N64 console. The game that comes to mind for water graphics for me is Wave Race 64. Compare these two games and the opening shot of this cinematic is just MILES beyond what the best 64 graphics could ever hope to achieve. Then we get to the actual models of the in-game characters. We first see Rinoa in the meadow. Even now her cinematic model holds up. Her proportions are all there. She looks properly human compared to the stylization of the previous Final Fantasy entry. Compare Rinoa's concept art to Tifa's. While it is very much in the anime style of the time period, it is still much more realistic. This realism was one of SquareEnix's foci for FF8. They wanted this game to seem like it could happen right in front of our eyes! And based off of my middle school playground memories, it did happen for myself and many of my friends. Speaking of realism, you mentioned how weighty the gunblades seemed in the hands of Squall and Seifer. And you are absolutely correct. Several times we are shown just how heavy those weapons are. We see starting at 5:37 how these fighters have to move. Seifer opens with a flourish, twisting his entire body around to add momentum to his swing, using his gunblade as a counter weight. Squall blocks this strike with his own gunblade and we can see the blades collide and Squall give way just a little. Squall then follows up with an overhead strike that Seifer dodges and Squall moves completely off-screen, leaving that negative space in the form of the background. It illustrates just how heavy the weapon actually is that the momentum combined with the amount of power put behind the attack carried the character completely out of the shot. This is followed immediately by Squall leaning forward and having to arrest his movement to turn and look back at Seifer. Then you get the money shot. Seifer is jabbing at Squall with his weapon in one hand while Squall defends, and the kinetics are gorgeously applied. We can see Seifer putting his weight behind each thrust as he lowers his center of gravity each time. Meanwhile Squall has to stop himself and defend, making wide sweeps with his gunblade to parry before making yet another overhead strike that sends Seifer staggering before he pushes back.
VIII is nothing short of a treasure, and the divisiveness of it makes me feel a strong sense of comradery with other fans. My favourite game of all time. Best opening cinematic, best OST, best minigame.
Ff8s intro does a lot of the heavy lifting to get you invested into the Squall Seifer Rinoa and Edea story arcs. The game story is really slow but this intro has so many questions it keeps you going through it to find out what this intro is. By the time the intro all makes sense the story is ramping up towards the end sequence. Also the nature of time dilation as the enemies goes it really makes sense for the intro to take so much from future events.
I told my self I wouldn't shed a tear while I watched this and ate my Tuna sandwich... that didn't last long. Well done Philip and thanks for the throw back. The tuna was good too.
I remember till this day how impressed I was watching this as a 'trailer' on a game magazin rom - and then later, when I got the game, was running the movie file while installing it... who knows how many MB... ^^ It just doesn't get old - still gives me the chills.
I think that I probably played this game more than vii, even though I had less than no idea what was going on throughout half of the plot. The transition from a war torn country or two to a world ending cataclysmic threat always managed to throw me for a loop. Would be nice to go back and play but I don't think I have it in the dreaded "old electronics stuff I might still want" box, anymore.
FF8 drew me into the series with this beautiful intro and game. I've been playing every game released since this one. But man what a game plus just incredible music.
Edeas creepy porcelein doll approach in the sky was giving prophecy to keep two lovers apart with Seifer; and she was by one of the most sophisticated witches I've ever seen at the time. Rufus is still one of the coolest evil presidents lmao
They put so much creativity, energy and storytelling into FF8! I played it none stop 3 times in a row (along with Grandia and RE3 lol) back in 99 I was 14...
this game so much deserves a remake.....my first final fantasy and story wise still one of my favorites...maybe it's nostalgia glasses but I don't care xD i also love that Siefer's and Squall's scars are mirror images of each other
If you think about it, this iconic opening to this game, mainly the intense fight between Squall and Seifer reminds me a lot of the opening fight between Ryu and Sagat in the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Both of these fights share many similarities - mainly the intense music that was use, the fights of course, thunderstorms for the scenery, and perhaps most notably, 3 for 4 characters receiving significant scars for their trouble except for Ryu. I thought that was really interesting. I was wondering if the dev team from Squaresoft gained inspiration from the Street Fighter movie opening sequence since it came out in 1994 and the game came out in 1999.
I might be reaching but. The feather transitioning into squalls sword, couldnt that also be metaphoricly be interpeted as the love/friendship of squall and rinoa eventually becoming his strenght, as its one of the main themes of squall overcomming his fear to connect with people and rinoa is the one to break that for him. Which also is the thing that saves him in the end. Anyway always awesome to see people enjoy/break down things of your favorite game.
This opening blew me away as a teen when it came out. Honestly going from roblox/ lego people/ geometric shapes with slightly higher resolution with anime eyes and no mouth on FF7 to this in such an unbelievably short span of time, it's just so indicative of the time I grew up in. The break neck pace of advancing technology. It made an entire generation of highly adaptive people.
First time when I watch this, I keep replaying it again and again, I unconsciously researching how this opening is so good, like cinematic good. I have same reaction to chrono cross too
This is such a nice review of the FF8 opening, I still can't believe this opening was criticized as being too much of a music video, when it was Squaresoft's way to show their mastery over the PS1's audio and visuals. The connections to the storyline, especially the ending, are crazy.
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I agree on ff8 for the ps1 since it was the first true FF that Square fully explore the capacities of the PlayStation platform. I thought it was a beautiful movie trailer the first time I saw it. I also like FFX bc it uses the full capacity of the PS2. That being said, I wish to have a FFII open scene with Cecil on the airship from the SNES days. If only.
Man, even after all those years I still have goosebumps everytime I hear the first notes of that intro.
it's crazy i always thought Nomura directed 8 but it was Kitase!! Nomura just did the character art
It's so emotional. I feel like the little kid I was when I first saw it but yet so new and beautiful, ever single time. This game really changed me (it was my first FF ever) and still loved it so much
100% The best FF opening, love this game so much.
One of the best openings ever!
Yeah but I don’t love the tedious draw system lol
Ome of the best but not the best. Ff8 is a wet fart in comparison to ff7.
@@mel-el5862 yes but if they gave Balamb Garden the Midgar treatment, it would look amazing!!
I hated the junction system… I mean you could make your load outs super OP, but then you never wanted to use your high level magics because you would be nerfing your own stats.
One thing he didn't mention - and I'm actually surprised he didn't - is that the logo reveal at the end is more impactful because it concludes the cliffhanger from just before:
When Rinoa is falling towards Squall, it builds an expectation of them falling into each other's arms, but we don't get to see the climax and instead are left on a cliffhanger, as the screen cuts to black.
Then, after a pause where the audience is holding its breath, the logo is revealed giving us the conclusion of them holding each other, and thus the opening comes to a satisfying end.
when i was a kid this gave me chills, even now as an 40year old man it still gives me the same chills. god i hope the do a good remake of this.
At that time, we only got pirate burned to CDs (6 or 8 if i remember correctly). And how unfortunate, they seems to burn from one version in my city, so I got crash in the scene where squall got stabbed. It make me so angry, it's on CD 2 or so, I run around the city, bought like 10 others 2nd CD to continue, but it's in vain. Then I tried to start from beginning, and it didn't help. I got so freaking angry, but after 4th try, I become so in love with this OP that I don't care anymore, just playing again and again.
So in the end, I have played the 1st CD like 80 times, and watch this OP like 100 times =)), break 2 CD 1 in the process.
Nah, the current creator is not good as the original ones
I love how they integrate both their limit breaks into the fight scene. Squall presses hard against Seifer putting him on the back foot (low HP), Seifer uses No Mercy to counter, Squall takes a devastating hit (low HP) and counters with Rough Divide. A great way to show off the limit break game mechanic.
They also show Rinoa's with the wings transitioning into her back.
@@Ebani Yup, Angel Wing IE "Sorceress" limit break
Whats amazing looking at a 25 year old cinematic like in FF8 is not only the jump in quality from FF7 to FF8, but to also know that in the 90's, there was no motion capture. The fighting was all hand animated. Sure I bet they used reference video to help with the fight choreography, but still animators had to keyframe all of that.
They used motion capture in this game, pioneers. ruclips.net/video/NsIIvHaX5QY/видео.htmlsi=f7DhFvwh9z254IGu
Yea the thing is actually - FF8 used motion capture. It was the reason for the quality leap. It's easy to google the recording sessions, my fave must be the Zell's intro
You know what? Masakazu Morita aka Zell's motion capture actor also does the voice work for Bleach's main character, Ichigo, LOL. He's also the motion capture actor and voice actor for Tidus from FFX. His most recent well-known role is voicing Thoma from Genshin Impact.
【森田成一】ＦＦⅩでゲーム界を変えた男。ティーダ＆ゼル･ディン秘話…武内&神葉が驚愕‼︎ 05:03
@@fullpolish 森田成一 motion capture actor of Zell and FFX Tidus(also Tidus VA). VA of Ichigo from Bleach and Thoma from Genshin Impact
Final Fantasy 8 is the inception of Final Fantasy games. This game & their characters are all a mystery this game feels like the best book you've ever read in your dream. This game still to this day is aging like fine wine & the graphics were so ahead of time. It's unbelievable this came out in 1999. This is still my favorite Final Fantasy game of all time. This reaction hit my nostalgia strings 😎
And yet some like me didn't like FF8 at all. One of the only games I bought new, and wish I had just bought used later and saved the money.
I loved FF8. I think a large portion of why it never got much recognition was FF7 was a hard act to follow. Plus the junction system broke the game. But it was still a fun game and how the story unfolded, was super interesting
@@JustinStrife I spent the last 30 minutes writing a reply as to why I hated FF8 as much as I do and just deleted it. The core message is it's just a bad game in almost every way possible. There are very few good things about the game, and probably at the top of the good things is this intro video. It kinda all goes down hill from there.
@@zedgathegreat9122 To each their own I guess, for me the only thing I strongly dislike is that after 3 discs of awesomeness the story boils down to a time travelling sorceress and a major plot point mystery was simply due to characters losing their memories. The final disc is also meh.
@@zedgathegreat9122 Honestly, good thing you deleted it probably. Because as soon as you try and state an objective fact such as 'it's a bad game in almost every way possible' you lost any objectivity, because it isn't.
I'm not going to try and tell anyone what games they should or shouldn't enjoy, and FF8 suffers from flaws just as much as any other game, but objectively- it is not a bad game. It's a great game that suffered largely from being a sequel to the most successful JRPG to hit the west at that point in time. People were used to sequels following on from the previous game, so for fans new to the FF series they were expecting a followup either in terms of game map/characters/mechanics or whatever, and were disappointed to find an almost entirely new game. Additionally some fans of the FF series simply didn't enjoy it, which is fine. FF9 will go down as one of the most loved games in the series, I never managed to get into it as much as the others- in the golden age of 7-10 it would sit in 4th place for me. But that doesn't make it a fundamentally bad game, just one that didn't do it for me.
I thought the GF system was brilliant, the card game was a fantastic diversion and remains likely the best mini-game in the FF series, the characters as a whole held up well, and the story- although a little off the rails at times- is far from the worst. Junction/draw is a very ambiguous system, I liked it but can definitely see why people hated it. It made magic feel very pointless for me, but on the flipside I loved the ability to build your stats through attaching magic and coming up with different GF combinations to maximise your characters.
A truly bad FF game is 1 or 2, which suffer from serious issues. Most of the games since then just come down to personal taste.
I pray that they remake FF8 next. It really is so deserving of another pass to iron out the kinks it had. It wasan FF game unlike any other. So unique of a vibe.
One of the main dudes on 7r said he he wont do another w all the work 7 is taking
if any FF game deserves a complete remake, it aint 8, but 2.
-the sub system did not mesh well with being turn based. but would work amazing on an action rpg(its basically how the elder scrolls games work).
-its basically the most open world game in the entire franchise.
-has one of the most dramatic stories in the franchise, that was simply too big for a nes game.
-has an entire mechanic using keywords that you gain as you progress, which allow you to get more info/investigate
-has one of the most underrated villains of all time, a guy who was literaly an "op isekai protagonist" before op isekai protagonists were a thing.
-game revolved around dialogue, but the main cast lacks personality.
@@dick8997 Cool, someone besides him can do it then
it was one the best.
I don´t know why, but I kind of like the "unloved" or trashtalked ffs the most. FF8, FF9, FF12 and FF15.
I know, ff9 is not unloved. but I wanted to make my list complete. ^^
8 was my first one, so ok, I am biased here.
9 was simply beautiful.
12 had cool characters and I liked the Star Wars athmosphere. I didn´t like the fighting though. But still nice world and nice enemies.
15 destroyed me mentaly. First half of the game was like going up on the rollercoaster, second half destroyed everything what I loved (including my car ^^ ) It was hard to play in that way, that the story of the game made me feel as if everything was slipping through my fingers. I had no control anymore. people went missing, dying, got hurt, even the world became black and everything got destroyed. The game was like Day and Night, or light and darkness. I had no worries in the beginning. I enjoyed my car styling, driving, fishing, chocobo riding. I meandert through the story and was thinking "everything will be fine. we are the heroes, we will winn as allways. no worries." And the game was like: "naaaah..... not gonna happen."
It reminds me of human life in a way. When everything is OK we do not worry about future. We can not imagine, that war will come to a peaceful land or something else really bad happens. We are kind of naive. But many people, like the example in ukraine shows, this can change drastically from one day to another.
besides the story and the "ride" I liked the combat system in 15 too.
sorry for the unasked and long comment under your comment. ^^
@@dick8997also said a remake of 6 was impossible
At 11:30 you did a freeze frame that has an absurd detail I never noticed! When Seifer is bringing the gunblade down on Squall's face, you can see sparks coming from the top of Seifer's gun. HE'S PULLING THE TRIGGER FOR EXTRA DAMAGE. What an absurd detail almost nobody would ever notice. Wow.
Also the 'thunder' being the gun shot. Nice catch!
Good eye my dude!
I still remember the holidays back in 1999 when FF8 released and I got home. It was snow outside, my mom had baked cookies and I got a pair of new slippers on christmas and I still remember the new smell from them and playing FF8 all day long. Oh joyful memories. 💚
That's awesome! I remember the day it came out I used to live in the east coast and it was storming really bad, I got dressed walk in the storm to the game store and bought it, I'm stuck between this and 7 being my personal 2 favorites, would love to see this remade or 6 maybe 9.
Here's a little super cool detail/lore: in 11:10 you can see Seifer's finger is in the trigger of the Gunblade getting ready to shoot and in 11:35 you can hear the shot.Gunblades are known to be extremely sharp & deadly when pulling the trigger.This was supposed to be a sparring match but Seifer used magic and pulled the trigger giving Squall that scar and Squall giving him another one.Here's hoping the next remake game is VIII because BOY i can't wait to see this remade!
You can ever see the shell casing being ejected right before the connecting shot.
Wow… been playing it regularly ever since it came out and I never noticed that.
You're right, It really is something beyond extraordinary, the thought and attention to detail put into this. Artworks of this magnitude shouldn't be taken for granted. One of the top 5 FF's imo.
I just got back from watching the Final Fantasy “Distant Worlds” live in D.C.
And when this came up on the huge screen behind the orchestra, and the full choir kicked in, I was wigging out inside. Seeing this performed live was incredible. Took me back to being an excited 12 year old sticking this in my PS1 and seeing it for the first time n being blown away. Got all kinds of choked up. VIII to me will always remain atop the pile. So well done.
Also speaking of visuals, I loved the scar builds the relationship between Squall & Siefer.
Still my favorite opening for a final fantasy hands down.
As an editor and someone who also studied production and theater. I never realized how much this intro formed my sense of timing and structure til now.
This game is so overshadowed by 7 that many newer games probably have never played it. Its utterly incredible that it ran on PS1.
I have the 4 cd soundtrack for this and whilst there's 3 discs worth of midi like game filler tunes ( those ps1 discs are less than a gig in total) there is enough real music for 1 kick ass real album. Superb.
One of my favourite games of all time. Definitely needs a remake.
This intro and Chrono Cross intro made such an impact on me when I was young. You should cover Chrono Cross’ intro sequence when you have a chance. Great job!
Ah, yes. I was also thinking of Chrono Cross while watching this!
SUKIODEN 3 WAS AWESOME TOO.
You described the game's intro so vividly that it makes me want to replay it. Thank you for this amazing video!
Once the game starts after this you'll realize why this was the worse FF game by far and away
@@DS94everXev Let the person decide for themselves.
@@Quiettekiyet OK. Why did you reply again? To express your thoughts right?
Same for me.
Don't waste a reply telling others to let others decide for themselves. If they can't do that already then that's on them.
Lastly ever hear of a critic? Do you go onto every video of every media to tell others this message?
I doubt it.
You only say it to those who express an opinion that you don't share.
@@DS94everXev best FF by far
@@casanova8762 Sales and experience laugh at that.
i loved this game so much back in the day, i love it now, and every time there's a poll on "favorite final fantasy game" there's no question that VIII was My Game. I have this song on my playlist to this day, along with Fithos Lusec because this theme just SLAPS. Thank you for this, so, so much, it was wonderful to have you point out things I had completely forgotten and in some cases never realized in the first place.
My favourite game since I was 12. Over 23 years now. I loved this analysis.
You sir, have a wonderful voice and an extremely colorful way of breaking things down. Love it, glad this was recommended. Subbing.
Thank you very much, welcome 🙏🏻
I never played FF7, so this was my first of this newer, higher production value FF games. This and FF9 absolutely blew me away. I remember watching that opening and being immediately hooked as a teenage boy ready to go on this epic adventure. A lot of people hate on 8, specifically because of their love for 7, but never having played it I didn't know any other option so I embraced the mechanics, the story and enjoyed it and have replayed it multiple times. I never went back to 7 until much later and it didn't grab me like it probably did most players because I'd already played 8,9,10 by then.
Next to FF8's opening, Chrono Cross is a fierce contender; I love them both so much!
During the fight, I also like the contrast of squall holding his blade with two hands vs seifer only using one hand. You can feel the arrogance from seifer and it’s like he’s telling squall that he can win the fight with one hand behind his back. The only time he uses his other hand to support his blade is when Squall seems to be getting the upper hand with his barrage of attacks.
FFVIII is VERY near and dear to my heart! As someone who grew up in group homes, this game related to me in SO many ways!!!!!! I always related to Squall because I felt I didn't need anyone as well. I hope the FF Gods give us an 8 Remake!
We need to think that this opening was for PS1....in such a amazing quality already at that time! Visuals, picture,music.. all together giving us a perfect opening. My favourite game ❤
Therefore the 4 CD Roms ^^
The jumping on ps1 back in the days was definitely something, the progress on graphics was very impressive. I still remember watching presentation of 1st Crash on some gaming show in tv. or mgs trailer. It really gave you a filling that "that's it, it can't be any better then this"
The brilliance about this opening is that you only see the pawns never the true enemy, also, the end game text being highlighted here and only understanding it once you finish the game is a masterful move, my favorite FF ❤
Isnt Edea part of the true enemy tho?!
@@jedcauffield1858The power is passed along but they are individual people.
@@jedcauffield1858 Spoiler Alert**********
No, Edea was a pawn being manipulated by Ultimecia, a sorceress from the future. If I remember correctly, you don't even see or hear about Ultimecia until way far into the game.
@@jedcauffield1858 no Edea is possessed, therefore just another pawn.
Always nice to see another person appreciate my childhood games. Great experience watching your reactions and see you passionately talking about it. Congratz man. Cheers from Mexico.
i remember i even buyed the FF8 +/- 150 pages book with some artworks and the complete walktrough and tips, that book was a masterpiece
I can't explain how much I loved this back when I was a kid. This was my first FF. I watched the intro soooo many times. And still now, this game rests in a special place in my heart. The intro still gives me goosebumps and it pushes me to start it over again for the bilion-th times. ☺
My dad showed me this like 25 years ago, and it blew my mind
Liberi Fatali will always be one of my favorite FF songs. Easily one of the top and most memorable FF songs like Distant Worlds, Answers, Ronfaure (vocal), etc..
I love your expressions while explaining the opening scene!❤ That brings back so much memory of my first impressions from seeing this opening as a trailer on a demo dvd😅
I remember showing this to my dad when I brought FF8 home after school. He thought it was awesome and said the sword fight reminded him of Ridley Scott’s The Duelist
Absolutely love this game! I was so happy knowing that this game came to the Switch like VII, Crisis Core, IX, and X did. Ordered it immediately. 🎉
One of my favorite minute details that you don't see or hear people talk about often, if at all, is when Seifer is bringing the Hyperion down on Squalls face at 8:32 -ish you can actually see the muzzle flash and the spent cartridge being ejected out of the pistol. Square didn't need to add that in, but they did. Pause and use your '' keys to go frame by frame to see it. A lot of questions here: Did Seifer intend to kill Squall right then and there and just flub it? Was it a blank? Did he pre-emptively fire per them just training? Or was it intentional misfire to let Squall know he could have killed him if he wanted to but choose not to just to F with him?
Based off of Seifer's character that we learn about in game, the latter is the most reasonable. Seifer was Squall's bully. He played heavily into that character as a child, and more so once the GFs started to take his memories during their time in SeeD program at Balamb Garden. His loss of early memories only served to exacerbate his bullying, because he genuinely forgets why he was bullying Squall in the first place. When all you know is one thing, you stick to it and cultivate it.
It is later revealed through brief exposition that the fight was more than just a spar. As stated in the video it was a challenge, a duel. Not meant to be lethal. But Seifer only knows one thing, and that is, in his mind, he is better than Squall. As far as he knows he has always been better than Squall and SHOULD always be better. This toxic mindset is what sends the duel off the rails. Seifer has the upper hand, Squall seizes the advantage and starts to counter-attack, gaining ground. During Squall's flurry, we see Seifer's face contorted. It's no longer the carefree grin we saw for most of the fight up to this point. Seifer is grimacing, having to defend. Having to TRY. In his mind he shouldn't have to try. So he ripostes to gain distance, and uses Fire to take back the advantage. Once Seifer is back in his comfort zone we are treated to a perspective shot of him looming over the camera, now sporting a cruel smirk, followed by a more manic grin as he shows his downed opponent No Mercy, scarring Squall.
At the end of the fight, Seifer is still Squall's bully. And the misfiring can be read as him proving that everything that has happened in this fight was at his own discretion. It was a power move, and as we learn through the story was Seifer's ultimate downfall cum redemption. This one fight is what leads Squall to begin bettering himself, if for the wrong reasons. It is Rinoa who pulls Squall from his spiral and turns the MCs negative growth arc to the positive. Squall's continued growth and success pushes Seifer to seek other ways to keep himself above his victim, so he joins Edea for the promise of power. Granted we learn later that it was more than the offer of power that draws Seifer to the sorceress. This keeps Squall's goal moving further away, giving him reasons to better himself, both when everyone thinks Seifer is dead and when they find out he is alive, just turned full Heel. Squall continues to strive to out-do his perceived better, Rinoa builds Squall up with positive feedback and a less selfish goal. This build-up culminates in Seifer's humbling. Even with all the power he was offered through Edea, Squall eventually grew far enough to surpass him since Seifer was not there to constantly keep Squall down.
After Squall properly defeats him, Seifer is forced to look on as his victim turned reluctant-hero continues to grow, both in strength and character. Seifer is forced to admit what he has known ever since they were children, that Squall was, is, and always will be his better. His own defeat is also what opens his eyes to the fact that he is not as alone as he feels he is throughout the first half of the game. He has had Raijin and Fuujin in his corner the whole time, not simply because he was the cock of the walk, but because they genuinely felt kinship with him. He is able to see that he and Squall are very similar in the end, which can be seen in the final cutscene of the game as he is spending time with his own friends and giving a genuine smile upon the return of our heroes.
It's interesting that you can consider this opening as a part of time compression the way it jumps through various points of the game.
I always liked how Squall and Seifer had the same scar, but mirrored.
Thank you for your captivating insight. I love deep analysis like this. ❤
finaly someone, who sais that I always was thinking. The FF8 Opening is fucking epic.
When I saw it the first time as a child, I coudn´t comprehend, what just had happened.
Enjoyed the breakdown and symbolisms shot by shot. Ive watched this so many times all my life and this really made me focus on stuff like the feathers. How the white feathers surrounded squall's gunblade as if rinoa is his sheath. Then how after seifer is defeated, the release of the black feathers/evil. Finally when the feathers disapates, squall and rinoa embrace. Oh and the beach analysis/journey w all the questions and minimal text. Dopeee🎉
25 Years- and I still get goosebumps from this
I used to listen to this over and over again in the past. Even the sound FX of the clashing gunblades sounds like music for me. SO good!
And i like it when Rinoa grab the flower petal while the text "i promise" fading out. It was like Rinoa holding Squall's promise into her hand.
It feels like cheating when he pulls Fire because it is. Or at least Squall says as much when Quistis questions Squall after getting him from the infirmary. Also, it's very much in character for Seifer.
This game is a masterpiece. And unfortunately it catches a lot of flack because it suffers from the worst case of "not being FF7" there could be.
Also, you can really feel how the events and story could have told much more, and how medium couldn't do justice to both that and the world - but you still very much DO feel both.
P.S.: I just realized how biased this might look because of my pfp which I barely ever changed.
Gotta love the assassin attempt with the parade too… i was truly stunned by the visuals
That Forrest Gump feather really is an amazing shot
Speaking of Dissidia, Ultimacia looks amazing! Well, all the characters do. But Ultimacia especially. I loved Edea as villain and I'm a sucker for a redemption arc. FF 8 was my favorite until FF 12. I like how they hint at who Laguna is to Squall without spelling it out. Speaking of Nobuo Uematsu, my 2023 music recap shows To Zanarkand as my most listened to song. I've loved his music since the first FF.
She's Ultim'E'cia, bro!
Not Ultim'A'cia! )
@@g.u.t.s1467 My bad. Not a bro, btw...
Man this is so f*** high class top-notch work nothing will ever beat this opeing scene it's still hitting hard since 1999 just woow same goes for the ending scene too.
I just noticed at the end, it cuts just BEFORE they embrace, then the logo fades in with them holding eachother
My first real crush was Rinoa, while immersed in the character of Squall.
This game will always carry feelings no other game can no matter how good it can be since it was my first love... digital or not.
To me this is my favourite Final Fantasy game.
I understand why many loved 7 so much. But 8 to me is perfect. Mixing medieval, sci-fi, fantasy, and modern era setting, all in one game.
And it's a game that can teach everyone a lesson. FF7 was about loss and coping with loss. Though unfortunetely the "remakes" undermined that message entirely now.
FF8 was about abandonment, and how you shouldn't close your heart to other people just because you once had it broken and abandoned before.
That even when there is no guarantee that your new friends and the one special person you love will stay in your life forever, doesn't mean you should not give them a chance.
From time to time we all need to be reminded of such lessons.
Edea is definitely the best-designed character!!!
I feel like it was seifer and edea vs squall and rinoa with the back and forth scenes
FF8 is my fave game I lost my mother 2 days ago Final Fantasy will help me through the grief that scene in rebirth is gonna hurt even more FF8 is such a beautiful game
They really need to remake FF8. I love it more than FF7 actually. Really miss the game, the character, and the love stories. It's an amazing game.
Unlikely, Nomura has said already that if a remake of 6 were to happen it would be at least 25 years out. FF9 is the next one to get a remake. And probably Tactics next..... we can only dream. FF17 will come out next and they haven't even started FF7 Reunion yet.... I'm assuming the name at this point
I remember leaving the game on, just to have the intro loop in the background.❤
Excellent analysis, makes me want to get back to it and mash the square button!
Something else that always struck me about this intro, was, in terms of worldbuilding, you see the gunblade for the first time and say to yourself, 'Whats a gunblade?' or 'Wow thats cool, how does it work?' and through the duel sequence, this intro establishes an aspect of the world and shows you exactly how a duel with a gunblade would look and how it would work. Masterful.
It gets even better as the game is played with the flower field being where Squall and Rinoa end up saving eachother and where they promise to find eachother again. It's a gorgeous intro.
All of the cut scenes were great. The ball, the parade. The end. I have the soundtrack and I still listen to it all the time.
Virtually every fmv in this game is a masterpiece on its own. I could watch the radio tower unfolding every day. ^^
In my opinion the best FF hands down. The story, the combat system the cut scenes and visuals..... THIS is the FF that deserves an IN depth remake in the style FF7 did.
Final Fantasy xiii was my introduction to the Final Fantasy series. I've played many since none impacted me even close to what I felt playing FF8, three times over. ❤
This by far my favorite intro for a FF. I played the game on release and the intro hit me in a way no other has
When I first bought final fantasy 8 back in the day, it was that opening scene that made me fall in love with the game.
Loved your break down on this opening sequence.
i literally paused the new Chrono Cross video to back track to this, god me instantly stoked. VIII was my first Final Fantasy also (even got a tattoo of the covers water mark from it) Sick as, idk how i missed it, i get notifs. Glad you mentioned it!
oh... and SLAY!
Side note: IF you havent seen the Squall is Dead theory, its a really good one to think on.
One thing i only just noticed watching your reaction, when Seifer and Sqwall first charge at each other, bolth the sound and movement almost makes it seem like Seifer is on a horse. Which is fitting since he wants to be the hero, or a knight.
I remember playing FF8 again as a adult. Did this game hit different, because as a kid you don't understand the conflict of souls just yet. But when you had years as a adult, you get it.
I think this is the best game opening i ever seen,didnt appreciate it much the first time when i was younger but i do now
It is a genuine shame how much this opening was criticized for its length. People tend to forget that square LOVED its long openings. FF6 comes to mind for its very long, very unskippable/not fast-forwardable opening.
FF8 was SquareEnix's first time truly using the Play Station gaming system to its fullest, as before this every game before had been made to Nintendo standards that lead to the iconic blockiness of the original FF7. This opening was meant to be a full-on SHOWCASE of what SquareEnix could do with a more powerful, advanced graphics system. Later generations of course look back on this cinematic and groan about how things look, but back in 1999 this was beyond cutting edge.
Starting with the coastal shot. Look back at earlier games on the N64 console. The game that comes to mind for water graphics for me is Wave Race 64. Compare these two games and the opening shot of this cinematic is just MILES beyond what the best 64 graphics could ever hope to achieve.
Then we get to the actual models of the in-game characters. We first see Rinoa in the meadow. Even now her cinematic model holds up. Her proportions are all there. She looks properly human compared to the stylization of the previous Final Fantasy entry. Compare Rinoa's concept art to Tifa's. While it is very much in the anime style of the time period, it is still much more realistic. This realism was one of SquareEnix's foci for FF8. They wanted this game to seem like it could happen right in front of our eyes! And based off of my middle school playground memories, it did happen for myself and many of my friends.
Speaking of realism, you mentioned how weighty the gunblades seemed in the hands of Squall and Seifer. And you are absolutely correct. Several times we are shown just how heavy those weapons are. We see starting at 5:37 how these fighters have to move. Seifer opens with a flourish, twisting his entire body around to add momentum to his swing, using his gunblade as a counter weight. Squall blocks this strike with his own gunblade and we can see the blades collide and Squall give way just a little. Squall then follows up with an overhead strike that Seifer dodges and Squall moves completely off-screen, leaving that negative space in the form of the background. It illustrates just how heavy the weapon actually is that the momentum combined with the amount of power put behind the attack carried the character completely out of the shot. This is followed immediately by Squall leaning forward and having to arrest his movement to turn and look back at Seifer. Then you get the money shot. Seifer is jabbing at Squall with his weapon in one hand while Squall defends, and the kinetics are gorgeously applied. We can see Seifer putting his weight behind each thrust as he lowers his center of gravity each time. Meanwhile Squall has to stop himself and defend, making wide sweeps with his gunblade to parry before making yet another overhead strike that sends Seifer staggering before he pushes back.
VIII is nothing short of a treasure, and the divisiveness of it makes me feel a strong sense of comradery with other fans.
My favourite game of all time. Best opening cinematic, best OST, best minigame.
Oh, and absolutely unequivocally the best opening cinematic in the HISTORY of gaming. Period.
Ff8s intro does a lot of the heavy lifting to get you invested into the Squall Seifer Rinoa and Edea story arcs. The game story is really slow but this intro has so many questions it keeps you going through it to find out what this intro is.
By the time the intro all makes sense the story is ramping up towards the end sequence.
Also the nature of time dilation as the enemies goes it really makes sense for the intro to take so much from future events.
I told my self I wouldn't shed a tear while I watched this and ate my Tuna sandwich... that didn't last long.
Well done Philip and thanks for the throw back. The tuna was good too.
I remember till this day how impressed I was watching this as a 'trailer' on a game magazin rom - and then later, when I got the game, was running the movie file while installing it... who knows how many MB... ^^
It just doesn't get old - still gives me the chills.
I think that I probably played this game more than vii, even though I had less than no idea what was going on throughout half of the plot. The transition from a war torn country or two to a world ending cataclysmic threat always managed to throw me for a loop. Would be nice to go back and play but I don't think I have it in the dreaded "old electronics stuff I might still want" box, anymore.
You can get VIII on every modern platform and mobile as well
I remember seeing this for the first time, coming from ff7, with all of it's boxy characters, being frikkin shocked as fuck
FF8 drew me into the series with this beautiful intro and game. I've been playing every game released since this one. But man what a game plus just incredible music.
I absolutely LOVE Edea’s design! So glad to see someone else appreciate it 🥰
Edeas creepy porcelein doll approach in the sky was giving prophecy to keep two lovers apart with Seifer; and she was by one of the most sophisticated witches I've ever seen at the time. Rufus is still one of the coolest evil presidents lmao
They put so much creativity, energy and storytelling into FF8! I played it none stop 3 times in a row (along with Grandia and RE3 lol) back in 99 I was 14...
Personally hoping they will remake all 7, 8 and 9 they were the best stories and greatest cinematic experiences of my childhood
This was awesome. I'd love to see what you think about FFIX and FFX cinematics!
I really want a remake of 8-10. All absolute amazing mainline ff games. FFX being my personal favorite.
This opening is literally the hook that got this game to be my favorite as a kid. FF8 is my favorite Final Fantasy even with all its "issues"
this game so much deserves a remake.....my first final fantasy and story wise still one of my favorites...maybe it's nostalgia glasses but I don't care xD
i also love that Siefer's and Squall's scars are mirror images of each other
The camera flow in the sword fighting scene is just crazy ! 5:39
If you think about it, this iconic opening to this game, mainly the intense fight between Squall and Seifer reminds me a lot of the opening fight between Ryu and Sagat in the Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Both of these fights share many similarities - mainly the intense music that was use, the fights of course, thunderstorms for the scenery, and perhaps most notably, 3 for 4 characters receiving significant scars for their trouble except for Ryu. I thought that was really interesting. I was wondering if the dev team from Squaresoft gained inspiration from the Street Fighter movie opening sequence since it came out in 1994 and the game came out in 1999.
I might be reaching but. The feather transitioning into squalls sword, couldnt that also be metaphoricly be interpeted as the love/friendship of squall and rinoa eventually becoming his strenght, as its one of the main themes of squall overcomming his fear to connect with people and rinoa is the one to break that for him. Which also is the thing that saves him in the end.
Anyway always awesome to see people enjoy/break down things of your favorite game.
This opening blew me away as a teen when it came out. Honestly going from roblox/ lego people/ geometric shapes with slightly higher resolution with anime eyes and no mouth on FF7 to this in such an unbelievably short span of time, it's just so indicative of the time I grew up in. The break neck pace of advancing technology. It made an entire generation of highly adaptive people.
First time when I watch this, I keep replaying it again and again, I unconsciously researching how this opening is so good, like cinematic good. I have same reaction to chrono cross too
Nobuo Uematsu is real genius, while FF8 is my first and always have a special spot in my heart irreplaceable... even with the marvelous FF7R now..
I completely agree and the Final Fantasy series is one of the many reasons why I got into animations game development and using Unreal Engine
The Music gives me goosebumps all the time.
FFVIII did have a good opening. I'll give it that. The opening feels almost like a trailer for the game that you're about to play.
This is such a nice review of the FF8 opening, I still can't believe this opening was criticized as being too much of a music video, when it was Squaresoft's way to show their mastery over the PS1's audio and visuals. The connections to the storyline, especially the ending, are crazy.
This and chrono trigger are my favorite of all time. This gane has slightly more nostalgia for me and still gives me goosebumps when i see or hear it.
This intro and FFX are my top 2 - giving me them goosebumps!
Lore accurate how Sorceress Adel compressed the opening's scenes to become one.