This FF8 Symbol Deserves Greater Love

This Final Fantasy franchise boasts countless unforgettable settings. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has secured a cherished place in players' hearts, and they love the unique idiosyncrasies that make these locales so remarkable. But, if one place that merits greater praise than the rest, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its elegant design, but also for being a absolutely bizarre school.

An Absolute Cinematic Reveal

Before, we must mention the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an flying vessel and fleeing from a rocket attack was pure cinema. This place was not just designed to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that allows them to develop new plans and move, depending on the demands of those in charge. I readily view it as one of the coolest airship creations in the series, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The change of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most iconic moments in gaming history.

The Initial Look of a Brooding Sanctuary

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first look of the environment this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor of the school and rises to zoom in on the awe-inspiring magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears advanced, but also angelic. The curvy structures bring to mind a specifically late ‘90s concept of how the tomorrow would look. On the other hand, because of the golden features on the building and the long beams of light coming from the immense glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a massive angel. It was built to be a serene place — excessively peaceful for an establishment that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

The Memorable Soundtrack

Complementing the tranquility that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s background music. One of the dearest recollections I have from my youth is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spraying water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head forever. 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 sole way to end playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Soothing music that remains in your mind
• Main courtyard with water features
• Nostalgic associations for many players

The Compelling Institution

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a location as well as an institution. First, it enrolls kids from five to 15 years old to transform them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Contradictory Philosophy

If you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the in-game terminals, you find out that the credo of the school is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I didn't have the impression that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, considering that the facility, where students encounter real monsters they can defeat, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at all hours 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 food is poor, since students are consuming so many frankfurters that the staff have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Policies

Students are controlled by a rigid set of rules, which, on one hand, we should anticipate from a combat school, but conversely seems weirdly humorous. For example, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the evenings, except it’s for training. A student may be dismissed if they fall behind in their curriculum, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is truly concerned about its students’ sex life. The school formally suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not battling with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Only Good Looks

Starting with the elegant futuristic design of the building to the ironies 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 reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than only good looks.