Learning to Appreciate Final Fantasy VIII | Retrospective (PS1, 1999) | Gaming Through the Years

Dr. Squaresoft, or "How I Learned to Stop Caring and Love Final Fantasy VIII" Special Thanks to my $20 Patreon Members! Redman Seraph Thorn Chemical_Buns Want to see these videos one week early? Join the Patreon! Become a Gamer and/or Tamer here:   / gamingintheam   Time codes: 0:00 - The State of Square in 1999 1:57 - FFVIII's Unique Systems 4:53 - Why People Struggled 9:11 - The Strategy Guide Design Model 12:42 - And Yet, It Still Works 14:48 - The Battle System 18:16 - FFVIII's Development Woes 20:54 - The Story: Surprisingly Hollow 27:24 - Contrived or Charming? 32:37 - Graphics & Music 37:13 - Why FFVIII Still Works Endcard Artwork by OcaRockaRina (Twitter) Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Bushido Blade 2, Parasite Eve, Xenogears, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy XVI © 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2023 Square The Legend of Zelda © 1986 Nintendo Footage from "Neon Genesis Evangelion" © 1995 - 1996 Gainax Featuring Music by: Nobuo Uematsu Video © 2026 Gaming in the AM (Andrew Mayes) This video exists for the sake of analysis and review and is thus protected under Fair Use.