Final Fantasy 8 Remastered Launches for Mobile Devices

The Final Fantasy franchise was originally released at the end of the eighties but it has become one of the classic titles. Final Fantasy 8 was originally released for PlayStation in 1999 and the HD version was released on the other major platforms including Nintendo Switch and PC. This installment is more character-focused and fans got to see more of the protagonist Squall Leonhart which is one of the main reasons this installment was so eagerly awaited.

Square Enix finally released the remastered version of Final Fantasy 8 on mobile both for Android and iOS. Now that Final Fantasy 8 was released, the first nine games of the franchise are finally available on Google's Play Store and the Apple Store. This version of the game has improved graphics but it still needs some updates to have characteristics such as cloud save up and running.

The newly released mobile version of Final Fantasy 8 is being sold at only $16.99 up until April 4th when it will be available for its original price of $20.99. The mobile remastered version includes all of the new features such as the ability to speed up gameplay, turn random encounters off, and increase HP. Although these changes make the game easier which might seem like a disadvantage for fans of the game, the idea is to get new players interested in the game and used to the gameplay.

The mobile version of Final Fantasy 8 was exported from the PC version but, without the controller support, there might be a learning curve for fans who have played the game in other versions. All buttons, including the triggers, are shown on the screen and the placements remain the same with respect to the other Final Fantasy mobile games.

All in all, the game seems to have been adapted to mobile fairly well but, just like it happened with its original release, there are some aspects of Final Fantasy 8 that could have been improved. For instance, although the graphics are considerably better since those sharp edges of the polygon-shaped figures that once made up the whole franchise are gone, the backgrounds could still use some revamping. On the one hand, fans will get to see a much more detailed Squall with a great outfit and his characteristic scar but, on the other hand, the characters seem out of place because of how much contrast there is between them and their surroundings. Not only is this a problem aesthetically but also practically since the game requires players to interact with the environment and it can be hard to figure out how to do that with an extremely pixelated landscape.

One of the most hotly debated aspects of Square Enix's flagship series is where exactly Final Fantasy 8 ranks among the three titles that released on the original PlayStation. The primary reason for this debate, and tons of further analysis in game design for years to come, is the Junction System that dominates how players interact with Final Fantasy 8's strongest monsters.

While the negatives of Final Fantasy 8's Junction System have been talked to death, most of that analysis comes from the assumption that players are going to try optimizing their way through the game. However, this is exactly the reason why avoiding the meta and trying not to make Squall and part as strong as possible right from the start is the best way to make it through the game.