The Final Fantasy series, like any great video game franchise, has had its ups and downs. Even the most hardcore of fans probably don't love every game in the series. Some entries, like Final Fantasy XIII, have a bad reputation that is justified in the sequels. Others, like Final Fantasy XI, were great games but are definitely not for everyone. However, the game that has a reputation that it doesn't really deserve is Final Fantasy VIII.

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Final Fantasy VIII is hardly a perfect game, and complaints against it are understandable. Systems within the game aren't explained perfectly, and its story is one of the most wildly inconsistent. However, there are more than enough good qualities that make the game stand tall with the rest of the PS1 classics.

10 The Game Is Delightfully Weird

Final Fantasy VIII is a weird game. The characters are far from serious most of the time, and the story doesn't take itself too seriously. It's doesn't go as far in the silly direction as something like Final Fantasy X-2, but it gets close. Rinoa's dog rocket launcher, the usage of the Gunblade, and Zell's entire character are a few minor examples of the game's weirdness.

Its story can be a bit nonsensical at times, but the Final Fantasy series has always required a bit of disbelief suspension.  However, it never goes too far as to start to feel like a farce. The game toes the line expertly, getting away with just enough weirdness.

9 The Gunblade Is Genuinely Cool

To cut to the chase, the Gunblade is just cool. Aside from the Buster Sword, what weapon is more iconic than the Gunblade? It's a sword with a hilt that has a trigger attached, allowing it to shoot bullets or magic. In combat, using the trigger amplifies Squall's damage. He also uses it as both a ranged and melee weapon in the Dissidia games. While it may not be practical, it doesn't need to be - it just has to be cool.

There's a reason later titles used Gunblades for characters at times, because it's an amazing weapon concept. It's also one of the most awesome classes in Final Fantasy XIV, giving players the blue DPS they so desperately wanted. The Gunblade is great and deserves respect, and is better than the Buster Sword.

8 The Story Isn't That Bad

One of the biggest criticisms against Final Fantasy VIII is against its story. The plot relies a lot on convenient twists, strange villain motivations, and a bunch of flashbacks that bring the story to a halt. The entirety of Ultimecia's obsession with "time kompression" is dumb and she's an underwhelming villain. However, Final Fantasy has told plenty of worse stories in the series, before and after.

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Sure, following up Final Fantasy VII makes it look worse by comparison, but that's a tough act to follow. And Final Fantasy IX being the follow-up with an even better story just made it worse for Squall and friends in hindsight. If fans revisited the game, they'd likely find it's not nearly as bad as it has been made out to be.

7 'The Man With The Machine Gun' Slaps

One thing Final Fantasy VIII nails across the board is a wonderful soundtrack. Intense tracks like "Maybe I'm a Lion" or the serenity of towns like "Balamb Garden" create a dynamic range of great music for any occasion. However, that's all standard for the series. The track that puts Final Fantasy VIII in a category above others is the track used for Laguna's battle music, "The Man With The Machine Gun."

This upbeat track is one of the best battle themes in the series's history, and it makes the otherwise underwhelming flashback sequences worthwhile to play. It's a jam that should be in anyone's playlist for work.

6 'Eyes On Me' Is A Beautiful Song

While on the subject of music, it would be poor form not to mention "Eyes On Me", the romantic ballad used for Rinoa and Squall's budding relationship. The track, especially in its full FMV sad cutscene glory, is just a treat to listen to. It's the kind of song that people almost certainly will remember long after finishing the game.

It may not have had the life-changing impact that Aerith's Theme had near the end of Final Fantasy VII's first disc, but it's still a lovely song. Both in and out of context, and it fits the mood it is designed for. It's a great song.

5 Everything About Irvine Kinneas

On the surface, Irvine is just the run-of-the-mill ladies man archetype. He's a sharpshooter with a cowboy hat trying way too hard to be cool. However, that's part of his charm. He's handsome, but designed in a way that he doesn't overshadow Squall. If that was Nomura's intention, he failed. Just like in the meme, Squall is not the best-looking guy on the team.

On top of that, Irvine is really a sensitive lad who puts up a suave front. He cares deeply for his friends and wants to help them succeed. And really, that cowboy hat is just absurd enough that it works for him. Irvine is the real main character of Final Fantasy VIII and no one can say otherwise.

4 Summons Were Integrated Well

Taking a look at gameplay, one of the best components were the usage of summons within in the story. The Guardian Forces are a driving force behind the power of SeeD, and their usage has a lot of variety. Summons can be learned from enemies, obtained through cards and magic lamps, and come in all shapes and sizes. It's a line-up of the series's best summons, as well.

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The sheer variety of them makes them way more compelling than summons in previous games. And the fact that the player is able to run enemies over with a demon-train is peak Final Fantasy weirdness. Guardian Forces were an awesome of way of making the cinematic summons an impactful part of the game.

3 Timed Hits Make Things Exciting

While it's hardly a deep system, and its a shame they only included it for Squall, timed hits make an appearance. If the player times either of the trigger buttons properly, Squall will always deal a critical hit. Additionally, the timing required for Limit Breaks gives some of the characters a bit more flavor in their attacks.

Turn-based combat, admittedly, isn't always the most exciting. Giving players something to do during combat that gives them an edge is a great way to make combat more dynamic. It's a shame they didn't implement timed hits better across the board in this game.

2 The Junction System

The defining feature of Final Fantasy VIII's party customization, the Junction System has its problems. Without several long tutorials, the system doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's also hard to really feel the impact of junctioning until the player really starts to push the stats to their limits. The system, however, is hugely impactful and can create absurdly powerful combinations by an experienced player.

It can be tiring drawing magic from enemies or grinding to get items, but the results speak for themselves. The fact the game can be so easily broken is fantastic for people who love to min-max. It just might not be the best for people who just want to chill and level up normally.

1 Triple Triad, Obviously

This goes without saying, but it needs repeating: Triple Triad is one of the best minigames in any JRPG or any game in general. It's an entire card game built directly into the lore of the game that's a total side activity.

However, to really abuse the Junction System, the player needs cards. And to get the best cards, the only way to do it is to take over the Triple Triad scene. Later games tried to implement similar games that can be played throughout the experience, but none of them are as addictive as Triple Triad. The fact that good RPG comes with it as a side activity makes Final Fantasy VIII clearly deserve more respect as a whole.

NEXT: Final Fantasy 8 Remastered: 10 Things Cut From The PS1 Classic