While Final Fantasy 7 is normally the fan-favorite and as such was given the full works and treated to a remake, Final Fantasy 8 is a close contender among fans for top Final Fantasy title. Quite a few of the older games within the franchise have been remastered for some time, but in September of 2019 fans were finally able to get their hands on Final Fantasy 8 Remastered.
The game was given a new lease of life with enhanced character models and high-definition graphics; however, as well as improving and adding to the game, there are notably a few things missing...
10 Analog Controls
There are no analog controls in Final Fantasy 8 Remastered, regardless of whether you use the analog sticks to move. This means that players lose the more fluid-like 360 degrees movement that the game originally boasted and instead, have only eight directional options in which to move, much like the original PC release.
This makes it a little bit more difficult when trying to line up with certain NPCs, save points, and other similar targets. It definitely makes the game more frustrating, especially for returning players who were used to the smoother controls from the original.
9 Controller Rumble
In addition to losing analog controls, Final Fantasy 8 Remastered has also lost its controller rumble/vibration. It seems like a strange thing to cut in the remaster as it is likely something that could have easily still been included.
The rumble option is most noticeably missed when performing limit breaks such as Squall's Renzokuken, as you have no feedback coming through the controller via vibrations when watching for your trigger points. Reportedly, Square Enix lost the original source code for Final Fantasy 8 and maybe that's why it feels like fans were given more of a PC port with Remastered.
8 Original Triple Triad Images
Triple Triad is a fan-favorite mini-game that has proven so popular that it prompted a physical version in Japan on Final Fantasy 8's initial release, as well as later reappearing in Final Fantasy 14. The cards in the game display character artwork, as well as models of monsters and summons.
In the original PlayStation 1 version, the summon cards only showed the head/upper torso area. With Remastered, not only did the cards get a revamp with the enhanced models, but it also showed the full body of the summons instead of just the head.
7 The Grind
Final Fantasy 8 Remastered did something that divided some fans by adding in functions that, in Square Enix's words, "ensure a more pleasant journey". Some of the options include being able to speed the game up by three times the normal amount, as well as being able to switch off random encounters. This means you can complete the game in a much shorter time.
While some players enjoy the quicker journey, a lot of fans feel that grinding through the game is part and parcel of any RPG. These extra features are optional, so the choice is yours.
6 Difficulty
In addition to being able to speed up your playthrough, Final Fantasy 8 Remastered has additional boosters to make it easier to complete too. You might have thought that by turning off random encounters you'd risk being under-leveled and find the game more difficult, you'd be wrong.
At the click of a button you can access battle enhancements, allowing you to increase your HP and ATB gauge so they are always maxed out. Though you might appreciate the easy ride, it seems to take all of the challenge out of the game for most die-hard fans.
5 Graphic Consistency
While the new models for characters, monsters, and summons are absolutely gorgeous, the lack of graphic consistency can be particularly jarring for players. While it's understandable that Square Enix couldn't remaster the whole game if the source code was lost, there still seems to be a strange disconnect by what was and wasn't remastered. At least the original was consistent in its presentation.
There are literally NPC students sat next to one another, one of which is remastered and the other who isn't. If you're thinking only NPC's you can interact with, or who are worth interacting with, are remastered - you thought wrong. There's even a point in the game where an NPC you can play Triple Triad with (to win a card specific to them) is just a blurred set of pixels somewhere near the back of the map.
4 Uncensored
For some unknown reason, Square Enix decided to censor one specific part of Final Fantasy 8 - the summon Siren. It's hard to fathom why as arguably she isn't exactly "nude" to begin with, but regardless, Final Fantasy 8 Remastered saw her get a bit of a feathered skirt to cover up her nether regions. This has left fans wondering why the equally-scantily clad summon Shiva was spared censorship.
Oddly enough, Siren is not censored in her Triple Triad card in Final Fantasy 8 Remastered, despite the new release meaning her full body is shown on the card now.
3 Physical Release
One thing fans were absolutely begging for when news of Final Fantasy 8 Remastered broke was a physical release. Unfortunately, this wasn't to be, though fans still hold out hope it will get a proper physical release one day.
Though the game didn't get a proper retail copy, there is one exception in that a double pack that contains both Final Fantasy 8 Remastered and Final Fantasy 7 Remastered released for Nintendo Switch only. This is bad news for any other console owners out there, or those wanting a stand-alone copy.
2 Unlocked Frame-rate
So here's the thing; in the original Final Fantasy 8 the frame-rate was 30 FPS while moving about, in battle during 3D rendered parts it was 15 FPS, and menus ran at 60 FPS. In Final Fantasy 8 Remastered, it's still 30 FPS while freely traversing about and it gets a slight increase during 3D rendered portions of battle to 16 FPS.
However, the frame-rate stumbles at the menus which are now synced to the 3D rendered parts, meaning that during battle the menus are reduced to 16 FPS also. This can cause timing issues when executing limit breaks such as Squalls Renzokuken as there is more of an input delay.
1 Chocobo World Mini-game
The original PlayStation 1 release of Final Fantasy 8 worked in conjunction with the PocketStation, allowing players to access the Chocobo World mini-game. During the game, players control a chocobo chick, or chicobo if you will, called Boko in his quest to find Minimog with the help of some other familiar Final Fantasy 8 creatures.
While the PocketStation was only released in Japan, the minigame was still coded into every copy meaning that if you imported a PocketStation you could still play it. Additionally, Chocobo World was included in the PC version in 2000 allowing international players to finally experience it. Regrettably, Chocobo World was not included in Final Fantasy 8 Remastered though its exclusive items can still be attained via the Angelo Search ability.