That Final Fantasy 8 Symbol Warrants More Adoration

This Final Fantasy series features numerous memorable locations. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has earned a cherished place in players' hearts, and they celebrate the distinctive details that make these locales so remarkable. But, if one setting that merits more recognition than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its elegant design, but also for being a incredibly strange school.

The Absolute Movie Moment

Before, let's mention the obvious. Balamb Garden transforming into an airship and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This place was not only designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that enables them to develop new plans and move, depending on the requirements of those in charge. I readily consider it as one of the most impressive airship designs in the franchise, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

This conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in video game history.

The Initial Look of a Gloomy Sanctuary

As we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, 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 zoom in on the impressive size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also angelic. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the golden features on the building and the extended trails of light coming from the massive 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 institution that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Memorable Theme Song

Complementing the tranquility that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the most cherished memories I have from my youth is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the lullaby-ish theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head forever. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to search on YouTube for a 3-hour-long “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to get it out of playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Lullaby music that remains in your mind
• Central courtyard with fountain features
• Sentimental associations for countless players

The Intriguing Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting as well as an institution. First, it enrolls kids from five to 15 years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it appears like a giant church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Slogan

When you use the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you discover that the slogan of the academy 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” — except for Zell. But, considering that the facility, where students encounter real monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the whole school available at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they intend by “playing.” While combat preparation is the key aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is awful, since students are devouring so many hot dogs that the staff have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Policies

Students are controlled by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we would expect from a combat school, but conversely seems weirdly funny. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the nights, except it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they fall behind in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not look like it, but Balamb Garden is really concerned 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 love affairs, not battling with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Good Looks

From the delicate advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious practices of the school, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to admire. We all like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than only good looks.