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That Final Fantasy 8 Symbol Warrants More Adoration
This FF franchise includes numerous unforgettable settings. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a special place in players' hearts, who love the distinctive quirks that make these areas so remarkable. But, when it comes to one place that warrants greater attention than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its elegant design, but additionally for being a incredibly bizarre school.
An Absolute Cinematic Moment
Before, we must highlight the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an airship and escaping from a missile attack was pure cinema. This place was not just designed to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that enables them to establish new plans and move, based on the needs of those in charge. I readily regard it as one of the coolest airship creations in the franchise, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.
The conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in gaming history.
A First Glimpse of a Brooding Sanctuary
As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first view of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the ground of the school and ascends to focus on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also somehow angelic. The curvy structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the future would look. Conversely, because of the gilded features on the building and the extended beams of light coming from the massive glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a massive angel. It was created to be a peaceful place — too peaceful for an institution that turns teenagers into mercenaries.
An Unforgettable Theme Song
Matching the tranquility that the appearance of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s background music. One of the most cherished recollections I have from being a kid is walking around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spouting water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to look up on YouTube for a 3-hour-long “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to end playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.
- Gentle tune that lingers in your mind
- Central area with fountain features
- Sentimental associations for countless players
The Compelling Institution
Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting and also an establishment. First, it accepts kids from five to fifteen years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it appears like a enormous church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.
The Contradictory Motto
When you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you learn that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I didn't have the impression that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. But, considering that the training area, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at all hours during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the most important aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is poor, since students are eating so many frankfurters that the personnel have nothing else to say except “No more hot dogs today.”
Strict Rules
Students are controlled by a tight set of rules, which, on one hand, we would expect from a military school, but conversely seems strangely amusing. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the evenings, except it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they fall behind in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not look like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely worried about its students’ relationships. The school formally advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not battling with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)
Greater Than Only Aesthetics
From the elegant futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and questionable practices of the academy, there are many features of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just aesthetics.
Brian Hernandez
A passionate writer and shopping enthusiast with a keen eye for quality products and lifestyle trends.
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