Final Fantasy VIII is a role-playing video game that was released in 1999 for the PlayStation console. The game takes place in a fantasy world with some sci-fi elements and follows a group of young mercenaries, led by Squall Leonhart, as they try to defeat a sorceress named Edea Kramer who has taken control of a powerful military state. Along the way, Squall struggles with his role as leader and develops a romance with one of his comrades, Rinoa Heartilly.
Development on the game started in 1997 while the English version of Final Fantasy VII was being worked on. Final Fantasy VIII builds on the changes that were made in Final Fantasy VII, including the use of 3D graphics and pre-rendered backgrounds, but also introduces some new features. For example, the characters are more realistically proportioned and there's a vocal piece as the theme music.
The game was a big hit with critics and fans, grossing over $151 million in Japan on its first day of release and over $50 million during its first 13 weeks in North America. It's sold over 9. million copies worldwide since its release. Final Fantasy VIII has been re-released several times, including as a PSOne Classic on the PlayStation Store in 2009 and on Steam in 2013. A remastered version was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in September 2019, and Android and iOS in March 2021.
Development on the game started in 1997 while the English version of Final Fantasy VII was being worked on. Final Fantasy VIII builds on the changes that were made in Final Fantasy VII, including the use of 3D graphics and pre-rendered backgrounds, but also introduces some new features. For example, the characters are more realistically proportioned and there's a vocal piece as the theme music.
The game was a big hit with critics and fans, grossing over $151 million in Japan on its first day of release and over $50 million during its first 13 weeks in North America. It's sold over 9. million copies worldwide since its release. Final Fantasy VIII has been re-released several times, including as a PSOne Classic on the PlayStation Store in 2009 and on Steam in 2013. A remastered version was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in September 2019, and Android and iOS in March 2021.
