Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VIII is the 1999 follow-up to the studio’s groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII and is the second 3D entry in the series. Development on the title would actually begin prior to the launch of FFVII, with much of the game’s general story and gameplay mechanics developed fairly early on. Characters and story were conceived and designed by Yoshinori Kitase, with lead designer Hiroykui Ito developing a unique battle system with an incredible amount of depth and customization. Interestingly, FFVIII‘s depth is a distinct departure from the more beginner-friendly approach of its predecessor. Despite this, FFVIII would achieve impressive sales success thanks to Final Fantasy VII‘s mainstream success and crossover appeal.
Both critical and commercial reception to FFVIII are some of the strongest in the series. In addition to earning a near-perfect score of 37 from Japanese gaming publication Famitsu, FFVIII holds an impressive 90% review aggregate score across multiple publications. The game would eventually sell nearly 9 million copies on just PlayStation, prompting a release on Windows PC and several re-releases years later. Despite reports of having lost the source code necessary for a remaster, FFVIII Remastered was announced and released in 2019, going on to sell another almost 2 million units across all platforms.
Final Fantasy VIII Premise
©Final Fantasy VIII gameplay screenshot – Original
The story of Final Fantasy VIII centers around the hero Squall and his allies, most of whom are part of a paramilitary organization called SeeD. Most members of SeeD are orphans raised to be powerful soldiers who can draw from the world’s natural magic fonts and call upon powerful Guardian Forces in battle. When a new sorceress by the name of Edea appears to begin manipulating the world’s governments in her favor, Squall and the rest of SeeD challenge her bids for authority, eventually uncovering a more sinister evil at play who is pulling strings from thousands of years in the future.
In terms of its gameplay, FFVIII is a fairly typical turn-based JRPG like other games in the series, but with some key differences. FFVIII features some of the more experimental mechanics in the series since Final Fantasy II, such as the need to “Draw” magic from enemies and the environment to use it in battle, spending these spells like items instead of using Magic Points (or, MP), and the complex and multi-layered Junction System. Instead of needing to grind out random encounters and level up party members, players can strategically Draw and then Junction magic spells to different stats, unlocking different bonuses that are further enhanced through the summon monster Guardian Forces and their unique abilities.
Elements from previous Final Fantasy games return in FFVIII, such as the Active-Time Battle gauge (ATB) and the ability to trigger Limit Breaks once characters meet certain damage thresholds. The game world is also split between the field (overworld map), towns, and dungeons. The Triple Triad card game in FFVIII plays a major role in player progression and obtaining the game’s rarest items.
Final Fantasy VIII Main Characters
©Final Fantasy VIII character artwork – Original
While it receives its fair share of criticism for being one of the weaker narratives in the series, the story of FFVIII has plenty of interesting science fiction concepts at play along with a cast of endearing characters. Central to the game’s story are the heroes Squall and Laguna, who players switch back and forth between before ultimately learning the truth behind how the two are connected. Joining them is a wide-ranging cast of allies and enemies, all of whom play an important role in FFVIII’s millennia-spanning, time-travel-influenced narrative. Main characters in FFVIII include:
Heroes
- Squall: The main protagonist of FFVIII, Squall is a promising candidate in the paramilitary SeeD organization. His first mission places him on the path to eventually stop the sorceress from the future orchestrating the chaos in the present day.
- Quistis: Quistis is the youngest SeeD instructor and Squall’s close ally.
- Zell: Zell is a fellow SeeD candidate assigned to Squall’s team for their first mission. The two become close friends and Zell serves as the game’s comic relief.
- Irvine: Irvine is a SeeD member from a neighboring Garden and is one of the most gifted sharpshooters.
- Selphie: Selphie is a transfer SeeD member who arrives in Balamb Garden on the day of Squall’s final SeeD exam.
- Cid: Cid is the headmaster of Balamb Garden and a mentor to Squall and his allies. He serves as a benevolent guiding force throughout the events of FFVIII.
- Laguna: Laguna is a figure from the past that Squall frequently flashes back to. He is eventually revealed to be the President of Esthar City and has familial connections to Squall.
Villains
- Seifer: A top-ranking SeeD cadet, Seifer is Squall’s rival. He eventually pledges his support to the sorceress Edea, placing him in Squall’s path as one of his main enemies during the game’s main quest.
- Edea: The sorceress Edea is manipulating her way into power as a way to destroy the SeeD organization. Unknown to the heroes, though, is that she is merely a puppet of a much more sinister and distant evil.
- Ultimecia: Ultimecia is the true antagonist of FFVIII and the game’s main villain. A powerful sorceress from the future, she travels back in time and inhabits the bodies of sorceresses of the past in order to orchestrate her eventual ascension to godhood and control over time itself.
Games in the Final Fantasy Series
The Final Fantasy series is more than 35 years strong and still going as one of the most important franchises in gaming. FFVIII‘s arrival would coincide with the series having just reached its commercial peak with the release of Final Fantasy VII, setting the game up for similar success as one of the best-selling titles on the PlayStation. The franchise continues to be a major force within the gaming industry, with the most recent 16th mainline entry earning plenty of accolades and recently arriving on PC. The series is synonymous with RPGs and is one of the pillars of Square Enix’s business. Accordingly, the Final Fantasy series is one of the most beloved and important in all of gaming. Mainline games in the Final Fantasy series include:
- Final Fantasy (1987)
- Final Fantasy II (1988)
- Final Fantasy III (1990)
- Final Fantasy IV (1991)
- Final Fantasy V (1992)
- Final Fantasy VI (1994)
- Final Fantasy VII (1997)
- Final Fantasy VIII (1999)
- Final Fantasy IX (2000)
- Final Fantasy X (2001)
- Final Fantasy XI (2002)
- Final Fantasy XII (2006)
- Final Fantasy III (DS) (2006)
- Final Fantasy IV (DS) (2007)
- Final Fantasy XIII (2009)
- Final Fantasy XIV (2013)
- Final Fantasy XV (2016)
- Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)
- Final Fantasy XVI (2023)
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
Final Fantasy VIII Cheats & Secrets
While the original release of Final Fantasy VIII doesn’t feature official cheats, it does include several secrets. Additionally, PlayStation players can use a Game Shark device to enable several gameplay-altering cheats. The FFVIII Remastered release features several new official cheats. These include the ability to make players have max stats, infinite Gil, and other boosts.
Final Fantasy VIII Secrets
No Random Battles
Because of how FFVIII handles enemy scaling and player progression, random battles are far less beneficial than in other games in the series. Enemies only scale with the player, making grinding no longer necessary and, instead, counterintuitive. As such, the game includes several tricks players can use to avoid random encounters when navigating the world map or dungeons. Use the following methods to avoid random battles outside of towns:
- Rent a car for 3,500 Gil
- Walk on train tracks
- Walk on paved roads
- Use Diablos’ “Enc-None” ability
- Open and close the menu repeatedly while walking. There is a 2-3 second window where encounters will not happen after exiting menus. Players can exploit this to avoid random encounters.
Free Potions
You can get free Potions in Timber Town with Rinoa in the party. Head to the bridge where there are guards stationed. Keep leaving and returning until a man appears. Talk to him, then talk to him a second time to receive a Potion. Leave the screen and return until he appears again and repeat.
Easy Ability Points
Players can quickly earn AP while on Cactaur Island. Head to the small, desert-covered island on the map and make sure you have encountered enabled. Every Cactuar the party fights will net 20 AP. Repeat as necessary to quickly unlock GF abilities.
Easy Experience Points
Although leveling up actually makes the game harder, there is a great spot to fight challenging enemies and draw powerful magic from them in FFVIII. As an added bonus, all fights will be with Level 100 monsters and will net the player plenty of experience. On the world map, the westernmost island is known as the Island Closest to Hell. Not only are the game’s most challenging random encounters here, players can obtain valuable items to refine and spells to draw and junction during each fight. This is a great place to level up and power up before heading into Ultimecia’s Castle.
Easy Gil
Once players have the Recovery-Med-RF ability they can exploit it to earn large amounts of Gil. With at least 100,000 Gil, buy 100 Tents. Refine these into 25 Mega-Potions and then sell them. You will earn back your initial 100,000 Gil investment plus an additional 25,000 Gil. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to fill the party’s wallet.
Defeat Abadon Easily
The fight with Abadon can be fairly challenging if players attempt it without using a clever trick. Instead of fighting him head-on, use an old Final Fantasy tactic of restorative magic and items against the undead. Using an Elixir or Phoenix Down against Abadon will kill him instantly.
SeeD Test Answers
After the assault on Dollet, a “Test” option will become available. Use the following answers to the corresponding test level to answer all questions correctly and raise Squall’s SeeD ranking. The higher Squall’s ranking, the more cash he will receive each pay period.
| SeeD Level | Test Answers |
|---|---|
| Y, N, Y, Y, Y, N, N, Y, N, N | |
| Y, N, Y, Y, Y, N, Y, Y, N, N | |
| N, N, Y, N, Y, Y, Y, N, Y, N | |
| N, Y, Y, Y, N, N, Y, Y, N, N | |
| N, N, N, Y, Y, N, N, Y, Y, Y | |
| Y, N, Y, Y, N, N, Y, Y, N, Y | |
| Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, N, Y, Y, N | |
| N, Y, N, N, Y, Y, N, N, Y, N | |
| N, Y, N, N, N, N, N, N, Y, Y | |
| Y, N, N, N, N, N, N, N, Y, N | |
| Y, Y, N, Y, Y, N, Y, N, N, Y | |
| N, Y, N, N, Y, N, Y, N, Y, N | |
| Y, N, N, N, Y, N, N, N, N, N | |
| Y, Y, Y, Y, N, Y, Y, N, Y, N | |
| Y, Y, N, N, N, N, N, Y, N, Y | |
| Y, N, N, Y, N, Y, N, N, Y, N | |
| Y, N, N, N, Y, N, N, Y, N, N | |
| Y, N, N, N, Y, N, N, N, N, N | |
| Y, N, N, Y, N, N, N, N, N, Y | |
| Y, Y, N, Y, N, Y, Y, Y, N, N | |
| Y, Y, Y, Y, N, N, Y, Y, Y, N | |
| N, N, N, Y, N, N, N, Y, Y, N | |
| Y, N, N, N, N, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y | |
| Y, Y, N, N, Y, Y, N, N, N, Y | |
| Y, N, Y, Y, Y, N, N, Y, N, N | |
| Y, Y, N, Y, N, Y, N, Y, N, N | |
| N, Y, N, N, N, N, Y, N, Y, N | |
| Y, N, N, Y, Y, Y, N, Y, N, N | |
| N, N, N, Y, Y, N, N, N, Y, N | |
| N, Y, N, N, N, N, Y, N, N, N |
Guardian Force Locations
Players can obtain each of FFVIII‘s summons (Guardian Forces) by searching the following locations:
| Guardian Force | Where to Find |
|---|---|
| Quezacotl | Access Control Panel on Squall’s desk OR talk to Quistis before departing on SeeD exam |
| Shiva | Access Control Panel on Squall’s desk OR talk to Quistis before departing on SeeD exam |
| Ifrit | Defeat Ifrit in the Fire Cavern as part of the SeeD exam |
| Siren | Draw from Elvoret at the Dollet Communication Tower |
| Brothers | Complete the Tomb of the Unknown King quest and defeat the Brothers in battle |
| Diablos | Obtain the Magic Lamp from Cid and use it to summon Diablos and defeat him in battle |
| Carbuncle | Draw from Iguion during the fight at Edea’s parade |
| Leviathan | Draw from Garden Master NORG during the fight with him in Balamb Garden |
| Alexander | Draw from Edea during the second fight with her |
| Pandemona | Draw from Fujin during the first battle against Fujin and Raijin |
| Cerberus | Defeat Cerberus inside Galbadia Garden Hallway |
| Bahamut | Head to the Deep Sea Research Center in the southwest corner of the map. Defeat the Ruby Dragon and then choose to Accept the challenge against Bahamut. Defeating Bahamut in battle rewards the GF for use. |
| Odin | Enter the Centra Ruins and reach and defeat Odin within 20 minutes. Players cannot control Odin directly but he will appear to insta-kill weak enemies. |
| Tonberry King | After defeating Odin and removing the time limit for the Centra Ruins, return and kill anywhere between 18-22 Tonberry. After killing enough of the weaker Tonberry, the Tonberry King will appear. Defeat him in battle to earn the GF. |
| Jumbo Cactaur | Head to Cactaur Island, finding and defeating the Jumbo Cactaur. After, you will have the GF for use. |
| Doomtrain | Make sure to get Solomon’s Ring from the Esthar City sorceress at the end of Disc 3. Collect or refine 6 Steel Pipes, 6 Hi-Potions, and 6 Remedies along with the ring. Doomtrain will appear and join without a fight. |
| Eden | After defeating Bahamut, proceed through the Deep Sea Research Center and solve the puzzle to reach the bottom area. Head to the very bottom of the dungeon and challenge Ultima Weapon. Draw Eden from Ultima Weapon during the fight. |
Alternate Guardian Force Draw Spots
If players miss some of the Guardian Forces before reaching the “Point of No Return”, it’s still possible to acquire them in Ultimecia’s Castle during Disc 4. Challenge Sphinxaur as the first boss and choose to unlock the Draw ability. Players can draw missed GFs from each boss in almost every subsequent fight.
| Guardian Force | How to Obtain in Disc 4 |
|---|---|
| Alexander | Draw from Catoblepas |
| Carbuncle | Draw from Krysta |
| Cerberus | Draw from Gargantua |
| Eden | Draw from Tiamat |
| Leviathan | Draw from Trauma |
| Pandemona | Draw from Red Giant |
| Siren | Draw from Tri-Point |
Guardian Force Compatibility Items
The following is a list of GF compatibility items, each of which raises the speed of your GF’s summon time:
| GF | Item | Dropped by |
|---|---|---|
| Quezacotl | Windmill, Shear Feather | Cockatrice, Blitz |
| Shiva | Northern wind | Thrustaevis |
| Jumbo Cactuar | Cactus Thorn | Cactuar |
| Pandemona | Windmill,Shear Feather | Thrustaevis, Death Claw |
| Cerberus | None (not elemental) | (none) |
| Brothers | Dino Bone | T-Rexaur, Sacredcard |
| Diablos | None (not elemental) | (None) |
| Alexander | Moon Stone | Elnoyle, Torama, Imp |
| Leviathan | Fish Fin | Fastitocalon-F, Fastitocalon |
| Bahamut | Dragon Skin | Anacondaur, Red Dragon, Blue Dragon, Hexadragon |
| Tonberry | Chefs Knife | Tonberry |
Rare Card Locations
The following Triple Triad cards are hard to find, but players can successfully locate them by searching the corresponding location. In most cases, players will need to win the card through either battle or a game of Triple Triad:
| Card | Where to Find |
|---|---|
| PuPu | Equip Diablos’ Enc-None ability and look for the UFO in the following locations: Mandy Beach, Winhill Bluffs, Kashkabald Desert, Heath Peninsula. After encountering the UFO four times, fly to Grandidi Forest and land north of the Chocobo Sanctuary. Defeat the UFO in battle to obtain the card. |
| Fat Chocobo | Man in front of Balamb Library (Queen of Cards quest) |
| Angelo | Watts on Forest Owl’s train |
| Gilgamesh | Win from the Card Club King (Quistis) as part of the Card Club side quest |
| Mini-Mog | Boy running laps around Balamb Garden |
| Chicobo | Summon four Large Chocobo at all six Chocobo Forests then head to the Chocobo Shrine. |
| Quezacotl | Mayor Dobe in Fisherman’s Horizon |
| Shiva | Trade The Girl Next Door magazine to Zone on the White SeeD Ship bridge or in Fisherman’s Horizon |
| Ifrit | Defeat Ifrit |
| Siren | Win from the Card Master on the 2nd floor of the Dollet Pub |
| Secret and Minotaur | Defeat the Brothers |
| Carbuncle | Win from the Card Club Heart (Xu) as part of the Card Club side quest |
| Diablos | Use the Magical Lamp obtained from Cid and defeat Diablos |
| Leviathan | Win from the Card Club Joker (Jack) as part of the Card Club side quest |
| Odin | Defeat Odin |
| Pandemona | Win from the Balamb Hotel Owner after liberating the town |
| Cerberus | Defeat Cerberus |
| Alexander | Win from Piet in Lunar Base |
| Phoenix | Win from the Estharian Presidential Aide as the final step in the Queen of Cards quest |
| Bahamut | Defeat Bahamut |
| Doomtrain | Win from the Timber Pub manager as part of the Queen of Cards quest |
| Eden | Defeat Ultima Weapon |
| Ward | Win from Dr. Odine in Esthar City |
| Kiros | Win from the man in black in the Deling City arcade as the first step in the Queen of Cards side quest |
| Laguna | Win from Ellone in Lunar Base |
| Selphie | Win from Selphie’s best friend in Trabia Garden (near the fountain) |
| Quistis | Win from any member of the Trepe Fan Club in Balamb Garden (2F Classroom or Cafeteria) |
| Irvine | Win from Flo in Fisherman’s Horizon as part of the Queen of Cards side quest |
| Zell | Win from Zell’s mom in Balamb Town |
| Rinoa | Play a game with General Caraway in Deling City using Ifrit and lose the card to him. Challenge him again to win Rinoa, getting Ifrit back later in Fisherman’s Horizon from Marlene. |
| Edea | Win from Edea at Edea’s House after the Battle of the Gardens |
| Seifer | Win from Cid in his Balamb Garden Office after the Timber mission briefing. Exit Balamb Garden and re-enter, heading to his office to challenge him to a game of Triple Triad. |
| Squall | Win from Laguna in Esthar City |
Final Fantasy VIII Cheats
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Cheats
Regardless of which version of FFVIII Remastered players have, there are cheats available to make the game significantly easier. The inputs necessary to activate these cheats differ from platform to platform. Further, the PC version has an additional cheat menu where players can activate God Mode and other bonuses.
PC
| Cheat | Input |
|---|---|
| Battle Assist (Max HP, ATB full, Always Limit Break) | F1 |
| Cheat Menu | Escape |
| No Encounters | F2 |
| Speed Boost (Game plays at 3x speed) | F3 |
PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox
| Cheat | Controller Input |
|---|---|
| Battle Assist | Press in Right Analog Stick (R3) |
| No Encounters | Press in Right and Left Analog Sticks (R3+L3) |
| Speed boost | Press in Left Analog Stick (L3) |
Final Fantasy VIII Game Shark Codes
Players experiencing the original PlayStation release of FFVIII (whether natively or through emulation) can use the following Game Shark codes to alter the experience.
General Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| No Random Encounters | |
| Max Gil | 80077E84 967F 80077E86 0098 |
| Infinite Gil | 80077E84 FFFF |
| Infinite Time (for timed segments) | 8007804C 0259 |
| 0:00 Play Time | 80078048 0000 |
| All SeeD Tests Complete | 300780AB 001E |
| SeeD Rank A | 800780E8 0FFF |
| Draw 100 Magic (Battle) | D00A34E8 BCD6 800A3506 1000 |
| Draw 100 Magic (Field) | D00B603C 846D 800B605A 1000 |
| Draw 100 Magic (World) | D00B9EF8 BF81 800B9EF4 0064 |
| Have All Items & Max | 5000C602 0001 80077EBC 6401 |
| Infinite Use Items | D01E459E A0A3 801E459E 2400 D01E45AA A0A0 801E45AA 2400 |
| Unlimited Refining of Elemental Magics & Ammo | D01E6142 A080 801E6142 2400 D01E614A A0E3 801E614A 2400 |
| Unlimited Refining of Items from Cards | D002397A A082 8002397A 2400 D002398A A051 8002398A 2400 |
| Unlimited Refining of High-Level Magic | D01F768E A127 801F768E 2400 |
| Save Anywhere | D01FA27A 0000 801FA27A 0100 |
In-Battle Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Infinite Health (Position 1) | 80078892 270F |
| Infinite Health (Position 2) | 80078A62 270F |
| Infinite Health (Position 3) | 80078C32 270F |
| Infinite Magic (All Characters) | 800AF486 2400 |
| Quick Attack (Position 1) | 800788A4 2EE0 |
| Quick Attack (Position 2) | 80078A74 2EE0 |
| Quick Attack (Position 3) | 80078C44 2EE0 |
| Quick GF Summon (Position 1) | 80078734 0000 |
| Quick GF Summon (Position 2) | 80078904 0000 |
| Quick GF Summon (Position 3) | 80078AD4 0000 |
| Infinite GF Health (Position 1) | 80078738 270F |
| Infinite GF Health (Position 2) | 80078908 270F |
| Infinite GF Health (Position 3) | 80078AD8 270F |
Final Fantasy VIII Cheat FAQs
Does Final Fantasy VIII have cheats?
While there are no official cheats in the original version of Final Fantasy VIII for PlayStation and PC, there are exploits and workarounds players can use. Additionally, the PS1 version of Final Fantasy VIII has a plethora of Game Shark cheats. The most widely available version of FFVIII, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, has Boost functions similar to other remasters of older Final Fantasy games. These are official cheats players can activate at any time to grant some powerful bonuses.
How do you get 9999 HP in Final Fantasy VIII?
The normal, non-cheating way to get 9999 HP in FFVIII is to utilize the Junction and Mod system. By purchasing and refining a series of items, players can produce HP Up that can be Junctioned to significantly boost character HP. However, this requires several items and lots of Gil. An alternative way to get 9999 HP, especially in the Remastered version, is to use the “Battle Assist” boost. This function grants the player max HP, a full ATB bar, and always-on Limit Breaks.
Does Final Fantasy VIII have ‘God Mode’?
The PC version of FFVIII is the only one to feature the God Mode option. This helpful feature unlocks all Triple Triad cards, maxes out Guardian Force levels (unlocking all corresponding abilities), maxes out character stats, and grants max Gil. It’s an incredibly useful, but game-breaking, feature that is exclusive to the PC version. The console versions of FFVIII (both the original and remastered) do not feature God Mode but do have similar workarounds. Specifically, the Remastered version of the game on modern consoles features boosts that grant some of the boons provided by God Mode.
How long to beat Final Fantasy VIII?
Surprisingly, FFVIII is actually one of the shorter games in the series. Thanks to how FFVIII handles character progression and battling, players can actually breeze through most of the game without needing to grind random encounters. This means most players will finish the main story of FFVIII in about 40 hours. Even a completionist playthrough where players see and do everything only takes roughly 75-80 hours.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.