That Final Fantasy 8 Symbol Merits Greater Appreciation
The FF franchise includes countless iconic locations. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has found a special place in players' hearts, who celebrate the unique quirks that make these areas so unique. However, if one setting that warrants more recognition than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its beautiful design, but additionally for being a truly bizarre school.
The Absolute Cinematic Scene
First, we must mention the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden transforming into an flying vessel and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This place was not only intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that permits them to create new plans and relocate, based on the demands of those in command. Many readily view it as one of the most impressive airship creations in the franchise, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.
This change of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the more memorable moments in gaming history.
The First Look of a Gloomy Sanctuary
When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first glimpse of the environment this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor of the school and ascends to focus on the awe-inspiring size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also somehow heavenly. The rounded structures recall a specifically late ‘90s idea of how the tomorrow would look. On the other hand, because of the gilded details on the building and the extended trails of light coming from the massive glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a giant angel. It was designed to be a peaceful place — too peaceful for an academy that turns teenagers into mercenaries.
The Unforgettable Soundtrack
Complementing the tranquility that the design of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest memories I have from being a kid is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spurting water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head forever. Once it returns to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a 3-hour-long “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to overdose of it.
- Gentle music that sticks in your mind
- Main area with fountain features
- Nostalgic feelings for countless players
A Compelling School
Balamb Garden is fascinating as a setting and also an establishment. For starters, it enrolls kids from 5 to 15 years old to mold 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 not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.
A Contradictory Motto
When you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you find out that the motto of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I didn't have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. But, given that the facility, where students encounter living monsters they can kill, is the only place in the entire school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the most important part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is terrible, since students are consuming so many frankfurters that the faculty have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”
Tight Policies
Students are governed by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a military school, but on the other seems strangely amusing. For example, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the evenings, unless it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they lag in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely worried about its students’ relationships. The school officially suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true risk of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not battling with gunblades and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)
Greater Than Only Aesthetics
From the refined futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and questionable actions of the academy, there are many features of Balamb Garden to appreciate. We all like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than simply good looks.