That Final Fantasy 8 Symbol Merits Greater Adoration
This FF series features numerous unforgettable places. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a cherished place in fans' hearts, and they love the unique details that make these areas so special. But, when it comes to one location that merits more praise than the rest, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its stunning design, but also for being a absolutely weird school.
An Absolute Cinematic Moment
First, let's address the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden turning into an flying vessel and escaping from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not only intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that enables them to establish new tactics and move, depending on the needs of those in control. Many readily view it as one of the best airship creations in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.
The change of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in gaming history.
The First Glimpse of a Gloomy Sanctuary
When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first look of the place this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the floor of the school and ascends to focus on the impressive size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears futuristic, but also somehow angelic. The flowing structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s idea of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the golden accents on the building and the long beams of light coming from the enormous glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a giant angel. It was designed to be a peaceful place — excessively peaceful for an institution that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.
An Catchy Theme Song
Matching the serenity that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s background music. One of the fondest recollections I have from being a kid is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spraying water, and hearing to the gentle theme song. The issue is that it keeps playing in your head constantly. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to get it out of playing inside my head is to overdose of it.
- Soothing music that sticks in your mind
- Central area with water features
- Sentimental feelings for countless players
A Fascinating School
Balamb Garden is fascinating as a location as well as an establishment. First, it enrolls kids from five to fifteen years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a massive 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 Ironic Slogan
When you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the game terminals, you learn that the credo of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, considering that the training center, where students encounter living monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the entire school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the key part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is awful, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the staff have nothing else to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”
Strict Rules
Students are controlled by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a combat school, but on the other seems weirdly humorous. First, there’s no 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 expelled if they lag in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely worried about its students’ romantic activities. The school officially recommends that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real danger 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.)
More Than Just Good Looks
Starting with the refined futuristic design of the building to the ironies and questionable practices of the academy, there are many elements of Balamb Garden to celebrate. We all like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than simply surface appeal.
