Final Fantasy VIII Getting High-Res PC Release

[Quadocky]

I am guessing this version of FF8 is going to be re-release like the FF7 PC port was.

Obviously FF8 looked awesome on PC, really benefited from the linear filtering unlike FF7 did given the complexities of the modeling and backgrounds. Also, not many know this but the PC version also included higher resolution FMVs than the PSX version did, however at that point in time to view them you had to have a pretty dang powerful PC.

I just wish they would include the Yamaha XG version of the soundtrack for this re-release. The game really suffers without it as it adds such a wonderful orchestral ambiance that the PSX version desperately needed given its limited sound chip.

FF8 on the PC was also one of the few games to use Microsoft Direct Music which made porting PSX games to PC easier by allowing you to mimic the sound chip and midi functions of a video game console. The only way to get the full experience of the soundtrack is by playing it on Windows 98 (emulated or not) with the S-YXG70 and Y-D/M music add-on.

If it makes its way to USA, I would probably buy it to see what they did to the game.

I like the game because it was the last Square game to have really cool sounding Summons and over the top limit breaks. Blasting Zone gives me chills every time.

 

[GabeZhul]

It's time to crack it out again.

Final Fantasy 8 fans! PREPARE YERSELVES!

Go to 4:42 for a whole new perspective.

What new perspective...?
The fist half of the guy's drivel is subjective opinions told in a completely obnoxious manner, and his entire tirade about the orphanage feels like he didn't even play the game. First off, you don't randomnly find the orphanage, the game directs you there to continue the plot. Next, the caretaker, Edea, is not the the final boss, at that point it was established that she is not even a villain. He has a point about the GFs causing memory loss not being adequately explained, but it doesn't change the fact that the characters DID lose their memories and that the only person who didn't was Irvine, the only one of them who hasn't been using GFs until recently. That's enough circumstantial evidence for me.
Really, in the end, it's just a very obnoxious commentary by a guy who is probably doing the whole gig to gain views without even understanding what he is talking about.

snip

The problem is that, even if the game's graphics were great at the time, it really didn't age well. The biggest issue is the 2D backgrounds. You can easily change the 3D parts if you have the proper developer kit (or even without it, as professed by the countless character mods for FFVII), but the backgrounds have to be re-drawn from scratch if they don't want them to look like vomit on a modern PC's HD monitor. In fact, I would say they decided to remake FFVIII as a test-run for the proper remake of FFVII, as the two share the same type of '3D characters in front of 2D backdrops' system.

 

[Gorrath]

I could make an equally obnixious sound bite with me screaming about the jaw dropping plotholes of VII, or X, or X-2, or XII or... well I think you get my point.

Take it up with Lyle Mcdouchebag friend.

I personally like most of the final fantasy games because as long as a game is entertaining then I'm happy.

Well yes, and I won't even say they weren't a bit entertaining. Mostly I was reponding to the idea of having my perspective on VIII changed based on these guy's breakdown of the plot holes. I meant to insinuate only that picking apart FFIII for plot holes is silly if the point of comparison is other FF games. I enjoy FF games for what they are, (well, I didn't care for XII or XIII, but that's just me,)and I've never understood why people harp on VIII so much when most of its issues are pervasive of the series as a whole. I'd never take it upon myself to tell you what to like or not like, so I hope you didn't take my post that way.

 

[excalipoor]

Don't believe any of the silly claims about how you have to keep your level low and such. There is absolutely no reason to do so, especially since the bosses are at a fixed level, so if you go out of your way to keep your level as low as possible, late-game bosses will rape you much harder than any leveled random monsters ever.

I applaud the effort and agree with most of what you've said, but bosses do scale up to a certain level, and each has an individual level cap they will never exceed. No minimum levels. There's only two bosses in the game that have fixed levels: Ifrit at level 6 and Omega Weapon at level 100, and Omega Weapon is only fixed on the PS1 version. On PC he scales. So unless you're playing on PS1 and want to take on Omega, there's literally no reason whatsoever to level up at all. It's just ass-backwards design.

No, wait, SeeD written tests!

 

[verdant monkai]

I'd never take it upon myself to tell you what to like or not like, so I hope you didn't take my post that way.

I just find the video funny as a piece of comedy, I really don't care what your preference of Final Fantasy games is. I'm just showing you Lyle's perspective of it.

 

[verdant monkai]

What new perspective...?
The fist half of the guy's drivel is subjective opinions told in a completely obnoxious manner, and his entire tirade about the orphanage feels like he didn't even play the game. First off, you don't randomnly find the orphanage, the game directs you there to continue the plot. Next, the caretaker, Edea, is not the the final boss, at that point it was established that she is not even a villain. He has a point about the GFs causing memory loss not being adequately explained, but it doesn't change the fact that the characters DID lose their memories and that the only person who didn't was Irvine, the only one of them who hasn't been using GFs until recently. That's enough circumstantial evidence for me.
Really, in the end, it's just a very obnoxious commentary by a guy who is probably doing the whole gig to gain views without even understanding what he is talking about.

The New perspective that Final Fantasy 8 is bad... (I think its good I just like the video).

I'm sorry but you have raged unnecessarily and completely misunderstood the video. It is supposed to be obnoxious and arrogant, and make fanboys like you rage. He even makes fun of people raging about his opinion at one point.

It's a joke. The whole thing is not a genuine opinion. I get the need to zealously defend the things you like but it's just a joke, so dude just chill.

 

[zerobudgetgamer]

I'm...not seeing anything really worth the purchase here. I don't get these HD rereleases, I really don't. The polygons get a smoothing out for bigger screens, that's it. I know it's not typically okay to be this guy, but emulation does almost the exact same thing for FREE! It doesn't look like any extra detail has gone into the characters from the original. I'd happily pay full retail for a remake of everything from 6-9, but if all that's out there is rereleases, HD or no, I'm not buying.

 

[GabeZhul]

What new perspective...?
The fist half of the guy's drivel is subjective opinions told in a completely obnoxious manner, and his entire tirade about the orphanage feels like he didn't even play the game. First off, you don't randomnly find the orphanage, the game directs you there to continue the plot. Next, the caretaker, Edea, is not the the final boss, at that point it was established that she is not even a villain. He has a point about the GFs causing memory loss not being adequately explained, but it doesn't change the fact that the characters DID lose their memories and that the only person who didn't was Irvine, the only one of them who hasn't been using GFs until recently. That's enough circumstantial evidence for me.
Really, in the end, it's just a very obnoxious commentary by a guy who is probably doing the whole gig to gain views without even understanding what he is talking about.

The New perspective that Final Fantasy 8 is bad... (I think its good I just like the video).

I'm sorry but you have raged unnecessarily and completely misunderstood the video. It is supposed to be obnoxious and arrogant, and make fanboys like you rage. He even makes fun of people raging about his opinion at one point.

It's a joke. The whole thing is not a genuine opinion. I get the need to zealously defend the things you like but it's just a joke, so dude just chill.

Then it is a horrible way of satirizing things. I mean, even I could make a video like this by putting my little brother in front of the mic and telling him to read up a bunch inflammatory and/or untrue "facts" about popular things in his most obnoxious voice just to gather views, and you probably couldn't tell the difference. It's just lame attention-whoring and nothing else, and I simply cannot laugh at that.

I mean, TheSpoonyOne made an entire chain of videos about FFVIII, dissecting it and declaring it the worst thing ever (until he got to FFXIII, that is), but it never really bothered me because he at least played the game and knew what he was talking about, and I can respect well-researched opinions. This video is nothing more than a contemptible attempt to piss off fans and cater to the hate-dom for the views, and that is something I simply cannot get behind, no matter the subject.

Don't believe any of the silly claims about how you have to keep your level low and such. There is absolutely no reason to do so, especially since the bosses are at a fixed level, so if you go out of your way to keep your level as low as possible, late-game bosses will rape you much harder than any leveled random monsters ever.

I applaud the effort and agree with most of what you've said, but bosses do scale up to a certain level, and each has an individual level cap they will never exceed. No minimum levels. There's only two bosses in the game that have fixed levels: Ifrit at level 6 and Omega Weapon at level 100, and Omega Weapon is only fixed on the PS1 version. On PC he scales. So unless you're playing on PS1 and want to take on Omega, there's literally no reason whatsoever to level up at all. It's just ass-backwards design.

No, wait, SeeD written tests!

Actually, I only heard about the fixed-level bosses from other sources myself, as I never really bothered scanning them individually to check their levels. Still, my original claim stands, since there is really no reason to keep your level low, as the random encounter enemies should not be any trouble either way, and the bosses actually become even less of an issue.
Also, if Omega Weapon scales, then what kind of pussy would want to take on it under level 100?! I mean, come on, what is the fun about beating him if he is not at full power? It's just unsportsmanlike. Well, not that the Aura + Holy War + Meltdown + Limit-Break-Rapefest tactics I used were any better, but still...!

 

[KDR_11k]

Careful, S-E uses some shitty download store where being able to redownload your games for more than a week costs extra (and even then you only get to do it for a year). After that you need to buy the game again if you deleted your download.

 

[Lunar Templar]

not sure if want ....

on one had, loved the card game, loved most the summons (FF8 Bahamut is best Bahamut), like the side quests, most felt rewarding.

on the other, the story is shit, the characters are shit or forgettable, and the world just isn't that interesting.


like others have said, should a gave 9 a face lift, better game all round

 

[Lunar Templar]

Also, if Omega Weapon scales, then what kind of pussy would want to take on it under level 100?! I mean, come on, what is the fun about beating him if he is not at full power? It's just unsportsmanlike. Well, not that the Aura + Holy War + Meltdown + Limit-Break-Rapefest tactics I used were any better, but still...!

Meltdown doesn't work on Omega last I checked, Doom Train does though.

>.> and last time I try that 'holy war tactic, I got killed, between HW castings XD

Aura+low HP induced Limit break Bum Rush FTW though

 

[ironpatriot]

There's a problem with that: Apparently, Square-Enix don't have the original PSX game assets anymore.

Remember how the PSX games had incredibly beautiful 2D backgrounds? Well, those 2D backgrounds were actually created at a much higher resolution than the PSX (or indeed CRT TVs at the time) could handle. Hence the in-game 2D art was downrezzed from the hi-res original artwork. If you play any of the games on an emulator on PC, it's actually really noticeable unless you use hefty amounts of screen smoothing (aka, basically slather vaseline on-screen), and emulate TV scanlines.

The problem is that, game development being the messy unorganised business it is, Square doesn't seem to have the original hi-res artwork of those games anymore. They've got chunks of it, sure, but a huge portion of it seems to have been lost. Archiving material simply wasn't a priority back in the PS1 days. And if you want to properly up-res those PS1 games, then you need the hi-res art to work from.

Where did you get the information that Square "lost" all the original hi-res artwork to FF7? I can find no evidence in the link you provided. A lengthy internet search turned up only one thing for me: http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1di4bv/remember_how_cool_prerendered_backgrounds_were/

This would appear to be a rumor.

I hope everyone remembers, "We are going to release FF7 in HD! ... Nah! Just kidding lol. Have a PC re-release lul."

 

[KingdomFantasyXIII]

The story of FF8 is very weird, especially after disk one. The story seems to focus on the relationship between Squall and Riona as the A plot instead of the "have to save the world from a great evil" as the A plot. It's a very niche story that if you don't like the Squall-Riona relationship you won't enjoy it. If you ask me, Quistis would have made a MUCH better girlfriend than the needy and essentially useless Riona. And it's not like Squall and Quistis couldn't have a relationship either, Squall is 17 and Quistis is 18! They are practically the same age!

What got me about this game was it's battle system. Oh boy, this battle system had too much going on with it! GFs, Card Games, drawing magic, customizing the screen, attaching certain items. IT WAS TOO MUCH!!! FF7 and FF6 had simple and effective battle systems but FF8's battle system was just overload.

All in all, I gave the game a C-. Nice effort, but not enough to really keep my full attention.

FF1: C- (not bad, but very bare bones)

FF2: F (deemed unplayable and had to overhaul it to make is actually playable.)

FF3: D- (very medeocre but a bit better than FF2)

FF4: B+ (One of my top 3)

FF5: C- (good battle system, lackluster story)

FF6: A (practically one of the best RPGs of all time. One of my favorite games of all time)

FF7: A- (very good and one of the great hits. Very "Mr. Popular")

FF8: C- (see above statements)

FF9: B (good throwback, nicely done, not every character is memorable though)

FF10: C (Nice game, ups and downs aside the first FF game I played)

FF10-2: D (not exactly what I suspected and was too heavy on side quests and J-pop)

FF11: N/A (did not play)

FF12: D+ (Decent story, just everything else was mixed up, bleak or just shoehorned side quests)

FF13: C (Very similar to FF10. I like it better than FF10 because Lightning is a much better developed and relevant Main Character than Tidus. I also find Lightning's Gunblade FAR superior to Squall's in design and functionality.)

FF13-2: D (see FF10-2. If it didn't work once, why should it work again? that and while I do applaud Serah's death, I feel like the end of the world is a bit of a nut kicker and insert Sephiroth copy number 452: Caius Ballad)

FF14: F (had to remake and apologize for it. one of the top 3 worst next to FF2 and FF3)

 

[thisbymaster]

Well to be fair FF8 looked like crap.

 

[Sir Christopher McFarlane]

I hope it does see a release in the west. I have FF9 and FF7 but I held off on getting FF8 because of how mixed the opinions on it are. If it does get released I'll probably buy it so I have the full collection.

The good part of it is that FF8's PC version doesn't have screwed up music like FF7's.

I liked 8 but I want 9. I love 9. 9 is still in my top ten favorite games. It is my favorite FF game. Just GIVE ME 9!!!!

Sure, but 7 and 8 already had PC versions released in the 1990's. 9 never got one. They would have to port the console version to PC. I don't know if they would do it. I would own it though.

 

[WeepingAngels]

I'm...not seeing anything really worth the purchase here. I don't get these HD rereleases, I really don't. The polygons get a smoothing out for bigger screens, that's it. I know it's not typically okay to be this guy, but emulation does almost the exact same thing for FREE! It doesn't look like any extra detail has gone into the characters from the original. I'd happily pay full retail for a remake of everything from 6-9, but if all that's out there is rereleases, HD or no, I'm not buying.

Well for one thing, these re-releases run at modern resolutions. They may not be widescreen but when you alt-tab back to Windows you screen won't need to resize. It also makes these games run under modern OS's without a shitload of user made patches.

Now, if that's not worth it to you, so be it but I would rather pay an extra $10 for a game made for Windows 98 to run well on Windows 8 64 bit.

 

[theultimateend]

Well with VII, X, X-2 and now this, I wonder if IX or XII are also going to get the pretty up treatment.

If 9 and 12 get HD updates I'm preordering that shit for all its worth.

Where's the remake of FF6, who long must i wait (never could like 8, myself. It felt tedious )

I'm playing through FF6 for the first time ever . Bought the Anthology set on Ebay and a PSone with a screen attached.

I can kinda see what all the hype is about.

 

[verdant monkai]

Then it is a horrible way of satirizing things. I mean, even I could make a video like this by putting my little brother in front of the mic and telling him to read up a bunch inflammatory and/or untrue "facts" about popular things in his most obnoxious voice just to gather views, and you probably couldn't tell the difference. It's just lame attention-whoring and nothing else, and I simply cannot laugh at that.

I mean, TheSpoonyOne made an entire chain of videos about FFVIII, dissecting it and declaring it the worst thing ever (until he got to FFXIII, that is), but it never really bothered me because he at least played the game and knew what he was talking about, and I can respect well-researched opinions. This video is nothing more than a contemptible attempt to piss off fans and cater to the hate-dom for the views, and that is something I simply cannot get behind, no matter the subject.

I dont care.

I find him funny and to be honest seeing how annoyed and justified you got about it shows why his humour works. The guy who made the video even said it was dumb, did you even finish the video? because if not thats kind of hypocritical. Don't answer that though because I honestly don't care and just put this here to avoid low content.

Now forget about it and go enjoy FF in peace.