Square Enix has shown a willingness to reimagine its classic Final Fantasy titles, as seen with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. While some fans hope for a similar treatment for Final Fantasy 8, there are no official plans for a remake at this time. The game did receive a remaster in 2019, which updated character models but left background textures grainy, leading to mixed reception. If Square Enix ever pursues a true Final Fantasy 8 remake, it shouldn’t strive for total faithfulness, as some of the original’s mechanics, like level scaling, would be better off reimagined.
Level scaling, while an ambitious idea for its time, often detracted from the player experience in Final Fantasy 8. Certain enemies scaled with the player’s level, which could make fights unnecessarily difficult and even discourage leveling up. A remake has the chance to address this and other divisive mechanics, while still honoring the essence of the original.
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Level Scaling in Final Fantasy 8 Needs Reworking
In Final Fantasy 8, monsters scaled in power as the party leveled up. While this concept sounds fair in theory, it created several unintended issues. Players often found it more effective to avoid leveling entirely, relying on stat boosts from Guardian Forces (GFs) and junctioning magic instead. This system led to bosses like Tiamat or the Omega Weapon being more daunting than they needed to be if players leveled too much.
An infamous example of this is the weird fight with the Tonberry King. If a player encounters it at a high level, its health and damage are significantly greater, making the battle feel more like a punishment for leveling up. This design can cause frustration, as players feel punished for engaging in standard RPG progression. A potential remake should balance enemy scaling so that monsters are challenging but not to the extent that fleeing battles becomes a viable strategy.
Instead of full level scaling, a hybrid approach could be implemented. Certain enemies could have level caps, or specific boss encounters could offer fixed difficulty, ensuring they pose a consistent challenge regardless of player progression. This approach would allow players to feel rewarded for leveling up while maintaining an appropriate degree of difficulty. Games like Final Fantasy 12 have used fixed enemy levels to great effect, as it allows for a sense of mastery while still providing meaningful challenges.
Final Fantasy 8 Junction System Needs Refinement, Not Replacement
The Junction system in Final Fantasy 8 has always been divisive. Players draw magic from enemies and junction it to their stats for boosts, a mechanic that some found tedious while others viewed it as a key part of the game’s strategy. However, producer Yoshinori Kitase has expressed interest in overhauling this system in a potential remake. According to an interview with IGN, Kitase noted that his focus would be on making combat more balanced and accessible.
Rather than a complete overhaul, a compromise could involve refining the existing Junction system. One option would be to streamline the process of drawing magic, perhaps introducing an auto-draw mechanic that stores magic more efficiently. Players could still customize stats through magic junctioning, but the grind-heavy aspects of the original system would be reduced. This would maintain the spirit of Final Fantasy 8’s Junction System customization while making it more accessible to modern audiences.
Other adjustments could include capping how much magic a player needs to draw before reaching the maximum stock or adding an alternative means of obtaining magic, such as crafting or synthesis. This approach would stay true to the original system’s core concept while removing the friction that often frustrated players. Similar updates were seen in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, where players were given new features like encounter toggles and battle speed adjustments.
The idea of balancing accessibility and depth could draw inspiration from modern RPGs like Persona 5 Royal, where mechanics were expanded but never stripped of their identity. Kitase’s approach could modernize Final Fantasy 8’s combat system while still honoring the historical impact of the Junction system.
Not Too Faithful, Not Too Radical Final Fantasy 8 Remake
The balance between faithfulness and reinvention is delicate. Final Fantasy 7 Remake leaned heavily into reinvention, with massive story overhauls and changes to character arcs. Rumors suggest Final Fantasy 9’s possible remake may hew closely to the original, staying more faithful. For Final Fantasy 8, neither extreme is ideal.
Sticking too closely to the original risks carrying over flaws like grainy backgrounds, clunky level scaling, and the grind-heavy aspects of the Junction system. On the other hand, a complete overhaul in the style of Final Fantasy 7 Remake could cause backlash if beloved story elements or characters are altered. The ideal approach would be to modernize the game’s visuals, improve its systems, and introduce quality-of-life updates while keeping its heart intact.
- Released
- February 11, 1999
- Engine
- luminous engine
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong