Gamers dive into the role of Squall, a scruffy cadet of SeeD, which is an elite military unit formed to fight the war brought on by a nefarious sorceress. The game opens in The Garden, a collection of training communities for SeeD members, where Squall must perform several tasks before completing his enrollment. Squall encounters dozens of unique nonplayer characters during his journey (some of whom join Squall in combat), and while the dialogue sequences are mostly brief, the characters exude personality through posture and animation.

Despite Final Fantasy 8's inconsistent game-play graphics--spell and combat effects explode with color, but background art and character models lack detail--its cinematic movie sequences are nothing short of breathtaking. Game play consists of completing missions and exploring new places to advance the story line. Along the way, you'll battle a diverse bestiary of enemies using weaponry, magic, or Guardian Forces (immense creatures summoned to assist during combat). If you're looking for a massive, story-oriented role-playing game with the best cinematic sequences you've ever seen, Final Fantasy 8 won't disappoint. --Doug Radcliffe

Pros:

• Addictive game play
• Gorgeous movie sequences
• Epic-sized game world
• Dazzling spell and combat effects

• Game-play graphics and sound appear slightly dated
• A console-game feel (no mouse support, etc.)