Squall, like many of his classmates, is an orphan more or less abducted into a magical mercenary school from a young age. The love story at the center of the game involves the brooding protagonist Squall, and a freedom fighter named Rinoa that thaws his icy heart. When you’re a young, isolated teenager looking for a dose of fantastical escapism, experiencing the story is nothing short of sublime - especially when the scope gradually broadens out into a full-on sci-fi opera of cosmic proportions, all focused around an intense love story. There’s an emo protagonist, tons of cool weapons, and magic aplenty. When Final Fantasy VIII begins, the story feels like a character-driven anime that takes place in a magical school. There are parts of the opening cinematic that are utterly incomprehensible - just like real romance! Square-Enix So why is there no love these days for VIII, the greatest Final Fantasy love story ever told? For the record, on Metacritic (basically Rotten Tomatoes for video games) Final Fantasy VIII is ranked better than Final Fantasy X-2. VII, IX, and X are all worthy of inclusion here, but to add the tonally awkward X-2 and XII - which has the worst protagonist in Final Fantasy history - just strikes me as totally unfair. There’s Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, X-2, and even XII, along with a few others (but not Final Fantasy VIII). Like everyone else, I adore Final Fantasy VII, but something smells rottenĮarlier this month, Nintendo also made Final Fantasy news, revealing that a slew of Final Fantasy titles would be coming to the Nintendo Switch over the next year. Considering FFVII’s iconic appeal, this comes as no surprise and doesn’t offend me. The latest mini-console comes pre-loaded with 20 games, including Final Fantasy VII. On Tuesday, September 18, Sony basically stole Nintendo’s idea of releasing a smaller versions of older systems, a la the NES and Super NES Classic with its own PS One Classic. I feel personally attacked by Nintendo, Sony, and even game developer Square-Enix because they all have no love for one of my favorite games of all time: FF8. So after years of quiet protest, it’s time for me to speak out. One of the best video games ever, Final Fantasy VIII, has been snubbed yet again.