FINAL FANTASY VIII on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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It is a time of war. Galbadia, a Global Superpower, has declared war on Dollet, a country whose training academy is home to two personalities: the hot-headed Seifer and the 'lone wolf', Squall Leonhart. Both are equally at conflict with each other as their country is with Galbadia; to others, Squall appears lacking in team spirit, while...
FINAL FANTASY VIII is a jrpg, rpg and classic game
developed and published by Square Enix.
Released on December 05th 2013 is available only on Windows
in 5 languages: English, French, Italian, German and Spanish - Spain.
It has received 9,072 reviews of which 8,005 were positive and 1,067 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 12.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 3.97€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified FINAL FANTASY VIII into these genres:
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8 (32/64-bit)
- Processor: 1Core CPU 2GHz or faster
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible card
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 4 GB available space
- Sound Card: Integrated sound chip or more
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
I thought this was a normal RPG. Then the game told me not to level up. Final Fantasy VIII is a beautiful mess with a combat system that actively punishes you for playing it like a normal person. Instead of grinding, you’re supposed to steal magic, hoard it like a dragon, and be afraid of experience points. The story is dramatic, confusing, and very serious about feelings, destiny, and whatever time travel is doing today. Squall says very little, but when he does, it’s usually “whatever,” which honestly fits the mood. If you enjoy experimenting with weird systems and don’t mind reading guides, this game is rewarding. If you just want to hit things and get stronger, FFVIII will fight you every step of the way. I still don’t fully understand junctions.
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You ever notice how the two big Youtubers who hated this game, Spoony and ProJared, both got into serious relationship problems while all the people who adore this game about accepting and holding onto love in a defiant gesture against apathy are all in healthy relationships? Really makes you think...
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Final Fantasy VIII is a strange, disorienting game. It leans a lot more heavily into what FFVII was going for with its more futuristic approach to its world. But in terms of character writing and combat, it’s quite different, in some ways for the better, and other ways for the worse. The game is very easy to break thanks to the junction system. I think this is just a common fact about the game. The junction system is heavily debated amongst fans as to whether it’s any good or not. I personally think it’s cool. The game just does a very poor job of explaining the system. It’s an interesting way to gain stats, use summons and magic, and overall, a cool way to enable character growth instead of relying mostly on levels or equipment. Hell, it’s best if you have as few levels in the game as possible because of how the overall level scaling in the game works. It makes for one of the most unique systems in the series and even in JRPGs from the 90s. I think the system was quite influential, as was FFVIII in general. I’ve always liked Final Fantasy games' gameplay for the pre-planning aspect, how much freedom or how many interesting choices the game gives me to build the characters and overall team before a fight. Rather than the actual combat itself, which I still greatly enjoy since it displays the quality of my character/team building. And FFVIII had a neat system for me to mess around with. As previously mentioned, the game is very easy to break, even if you aren’t aware of the known ways to break it, you kinda just find them as you play. If you pay attention to the world, GF abilities, and how to use them, you should easily be able to come up with a way to break it. And I like this. I tend to like JRPGs that let me break their systems if I understand them well enough. You can still play the game like a typical JRPG, but it just isn’t as fun that way because the encounters in the game range from average to pretty good. I wanna talk a bit about Triple Triad, a card minigame that feels like crack cocaine. At first, I just played a bunch of it because I found it incredibly fun. It’s very simple but has tons of depth, making it very easy to lose track of time as you play games of it. But I also noticed how it interacts with some of the GF abilities you can acquire. Namely, being able to turn cards from the game into spells and items in the game. Making it one of the ways you can absolutely break the combat of the game. The rewards have such a large impact on the general combat and party building that it’s very hard not to play it a bunch during your playthrough. Usually, though, what I care about the most in a Final Fantasy are the characters and world. And this is where the game became a bit of a mixed bag for me. Squall was generally unlikable in the first 2 discs, which makes sense from a story perspective, but it made for a dull protagonist for most of the game. When he goes through a majority of his character arc and has an attitude change, he’s fine, but still one of the least memorable FF leads. Which kinda sucks because he has an awesome character design. On the other side of the spectrum, Zell is pretty hard not to like. He’s one of those super happy go lucky energetic characters that we see in JRPGs pretty often and I’m a sucker for them personally so I liked Zell. Seifer is kinda just a weirdo that made me laugh a lot when he’s around. He’s like one of those 10 year old relatives you might know who thinks they’re hot ♥♥♥♥ and cool but comes off to adults as super goofy and childish. He isn’t around much though which sucks, and led to me forgetting he’s a part of the story many times. Selphie, Quistis, and Irvine are kinda just there, I don’t mind them, but they don’t do anything for me as characters. Rinoa’s pretty good, though, and she might be my favourite character in the game next to Zell. And the main antagonist is pretty horrifying, and in terms of lore and overall story, is great. But they are very, very lacking as a character. I don’t mind this too much, honestly, since I found their presence to be a good enough driving force, but there's some untapped potential here. The romance in the story was a mixed bag for me. I’m a fan of Rinoa and Squall and was rooting for them, but they didn’t give me enough of them being close together, and the pacing is pretty bad. It almost felt like it went from them not being close to them being really close. Lacking a natural buildup when it comes to character relationships, especially love, can be detrimental to how I feel about characters by the end. And that kinda happened here. The next 2 games did a much better job at giving us a more natural love story. I found the overall story to be pretty lacking, but there are moments I found great, like when you get the airship in the game. A very important part of an FF story at this point in the series, and the way it was done here was very cool. The Laguna flashbacks were also some of my favourite story segments in the game. I quite liked Laguna, and while the flashbacks didn’t connect with the main story as well as I hoped, it was still a cool way of trying to tell the story, and I could see what they were trying to do. The main issue I had with the story was the pacing; sometimes it felt like we were speeding through it, which led to underdeveloped characters and a bad execution of events. Other times, it would have huge exposition dumps, which were written in a very convoluted way, making it read very poorly. I do like the ending sequence quite a lot, though. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, from making me disturbed to depressed to kinda confused but happy all in like 20 minutes. It’s stuck with me for the past week. It was probably cus Zell finally got to demolish a plate of hot dogs. The side quests and the world were fine. I like some of them, like the one with Zell and the library girl. I do wish the world were more interesting, though; it’s got some cool and weird stuff in it that I liked, like the UFO and Obel Lake. But something about it didn't give me the same wonder and fascination that many of the other FF worlds do. The areas and atmosphere are really nice, though. I enjoyed most of them, and the way the areas meshed with the music made for a magical experience. I especially love the atmosphere of the game after disc 1, where it feels dreamy and disorienting. The dungeon design is fairly simple, though, and so I found it lacking many times. Of course, the music is fantastic, possibly one of the best by this point in the series. It’s got a militaristic sound to reflect the early narrative of the game, but it has a lot of the classic wonder and magic heard in the previous games as well. And the melodies are just so nice to listen to, making exploring areas a lot more memorable. The final boss theme is hands down one of the best in the series. Lastly, graphically, the game looks good. It’s a huge step up from FFVII in terms of character models. And the overall art direction and pre-rendered backgrounds look amazing. The only thing that’s lacking is the character faces; some of them look fine, like Zell’s, but most of them look wonky or wrong. I felt Rinoa’s face looked the worst since it looks nothing like her character art or FMV model. I honestly didn’t expect to find so much to love in Final Fantasy VIII; it’s got a very unique gameplay system in the series, a very memorable atmosphere, and an amazing soundtrack. But it does fall flat with many things, such as its characters, its pacing, and the story in general. I honestly think this is the game in the series that could get the most out of a remake. It felt like they couldn’t quite capture what they wanted to with the time and technology limits they had, which led to some poor execution of some great ideas. I know I’d personally love to see a remake of this much more than FFIX just because that game did exactly what it wanted to and to full effect. 7/10 full review: https://bckl.gg
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Final Fantasy VIII is one of the most distinctive and experimental games in the legendary series. It took a daring leap away from medieval fantasy toward a modern, almost futuristic world, layered with complex character relationships and an innovative, if sometimes divisive, gameplay system. Whether you love it or find it perplexing, FFVIII offers a rich narrative and gameplay experience that rewards patience and attention. At its core, FFVIII is a coming-of-age story wrapped in espionage, time manipulation, and mystical conspiracies. You follow Squall Leonhart, a brooding and reluctant mercenary student at the military academy Balamb Garden, as he and his comrades face off against the sorceress Ultimecia, who seeks to compress time and reshape reality. Unlike other Final Fantasy games, VIII places a heavy emphasis on the evolving relationships between characters, especially the romance between Squall and Rinoa. The story can feel dense and occasionally cryptic, but its themes of fate, memory, and personal growth give it emotional weight. The game’s Junction system is its most defining mechanic—players “junction” magic spells to stats to boost attributes and learn new abilities. This offers deep customization but can be intimidating and grind-heavy for newcomers. The Draw system replaces traditional MP with stockpiled magic, turning battles into a resource management challenge. This, combined with the active time battle system, encourages strategic planning. Limit Breaks and Guardian Forces (summons) add flashy, cinematic moments to combat. However, some players find the leveling system overly complex and the reliance on drawing spells repetitive. FFVIII showcases pre-rendered backgrounds and realistic character models that were cutting-edge at the time. The aesthetic blends modern military tech with fantasy, crafting unique locales from high-tech cities to mystical forests. The soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu is haunting and evocative, with tracks like “Eyes on Me” (the series’ first vocal theme) and “Liberi Fatali” becoming instantly iconic. The music beautifully supports the game’s romantic and epic tones. Squall’s stoic, introverted persona contrasts with the more outgoing cast, offering a refreshing dynamic. The character development focuses on emotional growth and connection, especially through Squall’s journey from isolation to opening up. While some characters shine—Rinoa’s warmth, Zell’s energy, Quistis’ complexity—others can feel underdeveloped or archetypal. Nonetheless, their interactions and evolving relationships form the heart of the experience. Final Fantasy VIII is a game that dares to be different. Its narrative ambition and gameplay innovation won’t appeal to everyone, but for those willing to engage with its systems and story, it offers a deeply rewarding and memorable journey. It may lack the straightforward charm of its predecessors, but its emotional depth and unique style have earned it a passionate fanbase and a lasting place in Final Fantasy history. Verdict: A bold and ambitious RPG that explores love, fate, and identity with innovative mechanics and memorable music—sometimes polarizing, always fascinating. Pros: -Deep and flexible Junction system for customization -Strong focus on character relationships and romance -Beautiful soundtrack with iconic vocal theme -Stunning visuals for its era Cons: -Junction system can be grind-heavy and confusing - Story can be convoluted and slow-paced - Some characters feel less fleshed out -Draw mechanic may feel tedious Rating: 8/10
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Literally the best FF game of all time 10/10 great story and cinematics for a 90s game.
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Frequently Asked Questions
FINAL FANTASY VIII is currently priced at 12.99€ on Steam.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 12.99€ on Steam.
FINAL FANTASY VIII received 8,005 positive votes out of a total of 9,072 achieving a rating of 8.58.
😎
FINAL FANTASY VIII was developed and published by Square Enix.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is playable and fully supported on Windows.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is not playable on MacOS.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is not playable on Linux.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is a single-player game.
FINAL FANTASY VIII does not currently offer any DLC.
FINAL FANTASY VIII does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
FINAL FANTASY VIII supports Remote Play on Phone and Remote Play on Tablet. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
FINAL FANTASY VIII is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for FINAL FANTASY VIII.
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 03 March 2026 23:33 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 10 March 2026 20:59 |
| Steam price | 11 March 2026 04:44 |
| Steam reviews | 09 March 2026 11:51 |
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- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about FINAL FANTASY VIII
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- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck FINAL FANTASY VIII compatibility
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Game modes
Features
Online players
96
Developer
Square Enix
Publisher
Square Enix
Release
05 Dec 2013
Platforms
Remote Play
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