Some choices don't affect the story of the game, but still leave impressions on you. #ThinkingWhileGaming when I was role playing Final Fantasy VIII.
Lately I watched a video about Morality systems in games, the YouTuber wonders if these systems make players less moral. Citing the rewards these games give players for acting certain ways, turning a moral choice into a strategic one.
I kind of agree, because when the answers aren't tied to rewards, we can explore our decisions more... The older games are amazing in doing it right!
As with many games that play the illusion of choice well. Final Fantasy VIII choices don't really impact the story much (or at all.) But they give more insights into the character, especially Squall. He ALWAYS has an obvious reason for every listed choice no matter how inconsistent they seem.
for exactly one scene around the 1/4th of the game.
One of the strongest moral choices in the game is in Disk 2. Where Balamb Garden (the home of the most party members) was about to get attacked by missles.
The group is supposed to split into two teams, one led by Squall to warn the Garden. The other led by Selphie to destroy the missiles base. If one of the teams failed, the other will die. As the leader, Squall had to choose which of his friends to put on each team. He didn't want to, but he have to make a decision.
I stared at the menu for minutes!
"I've had it up to here with this leader thing... Alright, alright... I'll choose."
Who to send, and why? Who would Squall take? Will my chooses differ if I was focusing on gameplay rather than being in-character all the time? (<-- yeah, I do that.)
Character Motives?
Selphie choose to destroy the missile launcher. Few scenes ago, the same missile base attacked her previous home Trabia. So she had the revenge as motive, (actually Selphie is interesting because she always says deadly things with innocent smile on her face.) But who else has that motive?
"If there's anything we can break, we break! We'll blow this place to smithereens!!"
Quists & Zell are part of Balamb Garden, should they return with Squall as warning people there would be easier for them than Riona & Irvine? Should they go to stop the missiles to save their home?
Irvine likes Selphie, it's a good reason to put him on her team. But while he acts cool all the time, he's bad under pressure. Is it even a good idea to send him to such a dangerous mission in the first place?
Riona is unrelated to the case, she's not even a SeeD member. But she choose to be with them, I bet Squall wanted her to be the safest, but which was safer? Garden team could die if Missile team failed. But Missile team is in a more dangerous mission. What will be the most safe choice for her?
Conclusion
One thing I noticed while writing this, is that all player characters have intertwined motives to be there and help each other. Even before the revelation mid Disk 2 which cemented the relationship between them. That's something Final Fantasy series is great at. It shows even in the
Of course, this is just a game and probably people won't overthink on this scene that much. But games are great in putting us in these situation and make us think what is the better choice to make, in a safe environment where we can change things if we fail.
"This mission is unlike any other."
Final Fantasy series isn't the best at this, I think Telltale games are magnitudes better at this being actual interactive movies. But maybe because of the series it is in, this one scene of FFVIII made a big impression for me.
But as of Disk 3, this is the longest time where I stopped playing: To Think!