Final Fantasy VIII remastered

Kiith

chopperbyrne wrote: »

This is a very lazy remaster.

Literally, only the character models and text boxes have been changed. Everything else is the same.

Game is letterboxed, and all the backgrounds look extra fuzzy as they're stretched out on modern screens.

One thing I never knew, which this port has revealed, is that after Cid details the exam mission, and it cuts back to your control, Cid is just an interactible part of the background on that screen, not an actual character model.

So it goes from his new model, to a blob of colours in a few seconds.

It's not so bad... :P

Squall Leonhart

Haven't played computer games in many many years. Maybe it's time I gave FFVIII another whirl, or the remake of VII.

Loved the card game!!

chopperbyrne

The new character models are lovely though in fairness.

ForstalDave

chopperbyrne wrote: »

This is a very lazy remaster.

Literally, only the character models and text boxes have been changed. Everything else is the same.

Game is letterboxed, and all the backgrounds look extra fuzzy as they're stretched out on modern screens.

One thing I never knew, which this port has revealed, is that after Cid details the exam mission, and it cuts back to your control, Cid is just an interactible part of the background on that screen, not an actual character model.

So it goes from his new model, to a blob of colours in a few seconds.

They lost the files for the background years and years ago so were unable to redo them, Think it is the reason this was the last one remastered

pixelburp

Kiith wrote: »

It's not so bad... :P

Holy crap, I was going to pick this up for the sake of nostalgia but that's awful looking. Hadn't remembered/realised not all the characters in scenes were 3d models.

That's dreadful looking. Not expecting miracles from this remaster, but by those metrics it barely qualifies as that.

Darkglasses

The overworld still looks atrocious too

All that aside, I'm still happy with the game so far. Wasn't really looking for much of an improvement, just an easily playable PC version.

Retr0gamer

Darkglasses wrote: »

The overworld still looks atrocious too

All that aside, I'm still happy with the game so far. Wasn't really looking for much of an improvement, just an easily playable PC version.

Wow, that overworld look horrendous. So this is a total hack job then. It doesn't look like that in the PS1 original but the misaligned textures is an issue with the PC version on new GPU tech compared to when the game was released (due to how old graphics cards handled texture alignment compared to new cards). So they just ported the PC version with minimum effort.

Think I'll stick to the old steam version because this stuff has at least been fan patched.

chopperbyrne

I bought it on PS4.

No refunds, no fan mods.

This is it.

Least I don't have to farm 200AP for Encounter-None, just press L3 + R3.

Robert ninja

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Think I'll stick to the old steam version because this stuff has at least been fan patched.

Do you still need a Facebook or SE account to play it? I dropped it because of the DRM at the time.

Evade

A few minutes of carding monsters around Balamb and I got an Elvoret and a Krysta.

Evade

Darkglasses wrote: »

It seems that the rules behind Triple Triad have changed..? The Trepe fanclub don't seem to have the Quistis card

I'm having a similar issue with getting the kid in the blue t-shirt running around Garden to play his Mog card.

EDIT: But Trepe Groupie #1 played Quistis first time

Underground

The three things from this game that remain etched in my memory to this day whenever I think of it:

1. That bloody Diablo boss fight where you have to beat him to get him as a GF

2. That sewers maze when you're on your way to do a sniper thing with Irvine

3. Some horrible maze dungeon out in the world map somewhere where I think the end game is again getting a new GF.

Might buy it on the Switch though.

nix

hah, the only thing i can recall from the original really, is that the game falls apart story wise at a certain point, dont wanna spoil for anybody who cant remember or who hasnt actually played it before, but the key word is "orphanage" :pac:

I'm looking forward to playing this again, i have only played it the once and that was back at its original release. But the screenshots ive seen in this post are disappointing, I'm gonna get it on my switch so will wait until its at a bargain price..

Retr0gamer

It was always kind of kind but at that point I wouldn't say falls apart so much as totally ****s the bed.

Still the junctioning is so broken and the visuals and music are so interesting it's worth playing.

Evade

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Still the junctioning is so broken

I've already broken it. I'm about to leave for the SEED exam and Squall is reliably doing 2,000+ damage per turn.

Retr0gamer

Evade wrote: »

I've already broken it. I'm about to leave for the SEED exam and Squall is reliably doing 2,000+ damage per turn.

Pretty sure you can get Squall's best weapon and therefore insane limit break by the end of the first or second disc

Magic refine is chef kiss good and I love the stat +1 GF moves that let you hit stat caps so early.

Evade

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Pretty sure you can get Squall's best weapon and therefore insane limit break by the end of the first or second disc

First disc is a bit of a pain but once you can free roam on disc 2 again it's easy.

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Magic refine is chef kiss good and I love the stat +1 GF moves that let you hit stat caps so early.

I only ever use physical attacks and hitting the strength cap is almost pointless because of the damage cap. Especially if you meltdown the target.

Retr0gamer

Evade wrote: »

I only ever use physical attacks and hitting the strength cap is almost pointless because of the damage cap. Especially if you meltdown the target.

I didn't realise that but by the time you are at 255 stats and destroying everything (usually very early if you know what to do ) It doesn't matter. And big numbers are nice to look at.

Evade

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I didn't realise that but by the time you are at 255 stats and destroying everything (usually very early if you know what to do ) It doesn't matter. And big numbers are nice to look at.

9999 is 9999 no matter how you get there.

Daith

Nostalgia is an interesting thing

I didn't realise how many "this is how you use this menu" tutorials we got. Forgot how easy it was to break the game and have it as walking simulator.

Still love the world and ideas though.

Squall Leonhart

Its been well over a decade. Remind how to break the game early on?

I remember getting to the end (I think), fighting some witch in a castle, but I wasnt strong enough, or right weapons or something but the world map was locked. Was disgusted ha ha

Daith

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

Its been well over a decade. Remind how to break the game early on?

Keep a low level and use GF abilities to refine items like cards, into magic and junction them.

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

I remember getting to the end (I think), fighting some witch in a castle, but I wasnt strong enough, or right weapons or something but the world map was locked. Was disgusted ha ha

I hated that the world gets closed off.

Evade

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

Its been well over a decade. Remind how to break the game early on?

I remember getting to the end (I think), fighting some witch in a castle, but I wasnt strong enough, or right weapons or something but the world map was locked. Was disgusted ha ha

Learn these abilities as soon as you get the GF

Quezocotl: Card > Card Mod> T Mag-Ref
Ifrit: HP-J > Str +20%
Shiva: I Mag-Ref

Play some cards and get 5 Abyss Worm cards. Turn them into Windmills with Card Mod and then Tornado magic with T Mag-Ref. Use I Mag-Ref to turn Fish Fins, Fastitocalon-F on the beach have them, into Water magic.

Junction Ifrit to Squall. Put Water in HP for ~1000 HP early on and put Tornado into strength for ~70 Strength. Leave Squall at less than 25% HP and tap triangle on his turn to refresh the window until you get Renzokuken. Junction Str +20% whenever you get it too. That'll get you 4+ 500 damage hits per turn with Squall.


Other good early game cards to watch out for:

Grendel > Dragon Fin > Double
Armadodo > Dino Bone > Quake
Use Diablos' Time Mag-Ref to get the magic

Gayla > Mystery Fluid > Meltdown
Tri-Face > Curse Spike > Pain
Use Diablos' St Mag-Ref to get the magic

pixelburp

Oh god, stat juggling.

Is it possible to succeed with FF8, sticking with the "beating the enemy with a blunt or sharp object" tactic, or is this GF card voodoo necessary?

Evade

You can play without refining any cards, you'll just have to draw all your magic or refine it from enemy drops. I'd always suggest having the GFs learn the stat junctions and magic refines before the GF boosting stuff though.

Manning3000

How does the remaster look on PS4? Just bought it on the App should be downloaded for the time I am home tonight.

Retr0gamer

pixelburp wrote: »

Oh god, stat juggling.

Is it possible to succeed with FF8, sticking with the "beating the enemy with a blunt or sharp object" tactic, or is this GF card voodoo necessary?

Yes you can. Just remember to draw as much magic as you can and focus on GF abilities that allow you to junction magic to stats and also to refine low level magic to high level magic (this becomes essential later on as you only have a set amount of different types of magic and will need to offload the crappier magic).

Just whatever you do don't rely on using GFs. You should not be using them at all. You'll end up underlevelled and stuck once you reach a certain third disc boss.

Evade

Retr0gamer wrote: »

a certain third disc boss.

Which boss?

EDIT:

Is it the Sorceress that's trying to absorb Rinoa?

Retr0gamer

Evade wrote: »

Which boss?

EDIT:

Is it the Sorceress that's trying to absorb Rinoa?

Yep, the noob destroyer.

pixelburp

Hmmm interesting. I don't think I ever finished FF8 back when I played it as a teen; suspect not knowing how the system works I got to that cliff-face.