This year, we're blessed with a smorgasbord of revolutionary games such as Soul Calibur, Powerstone, NFL 2K and finally...Final Fantasy 8. Yes my friends, for those who haven't picked up their copy of this RPG, I suggest you do it now, because this is without a doubt the best RPG to come along since the ingenious Final Fantasy 6.

Let me start off by saying this: Final Fantasy 8 is a total departure from the past FF games. Everything that you've might have learned from previous games in the series can be put to rest, because the majority of the gameplay in Final Fantasy 8 is totally new.

Square presents us with the most innovative magic system seen in recent years, called the Junction System. With Junction, you are able to attach spells to your character's stats. For example, you could junction your Ultima spells to Squall's HP and see the dramatic increase that Squall would attain. The most significant part of the Junction system is that it ties everything together. GF (Guardian Forces) give you the ability to junction; the number of spells determine how much your stats will increase, and all your spells won't be superceded by physical attacks at any time; rather they assist your attacks.

Without the GF's, junctioning and drawing (more on that later) would be impossible, but that's not their only function. With GF's, you are able to learn new character abilities, such as stealing, recovery commands, as well as statistical abilities, such as raising your HP by 20% or your Magic damage by 40%. As with spells, GF's are crucial in your success, they'll never become obsolete due to the integral role they uphold to your well being.

Also new to the FF series is the Draw system. Draw allows you steal your enemies' spells from their bodies and use them as your own. You can either stock them for later us or instantaneously cast them upon Drawing. Gone are the days of near infinite spells with Magic Points, as you are forced to strategically think about using spells before casting them. Should you cast that Holy spell on that boss; or not? How would that affect my stats after the battle? Now wasting spells becomes a consequence, as many of the higher level spells are hard to find.

As with many of Square's recent releases, Final Fantasy 8 boasts some magnificent visuals. Realistic character models replace earlier SD characters of previous FF games, and the character models themselves boast some magnificent motion capture. As usual, Square delivers some breath-taking CG movies (especially the intro and ending movies) cut in-between scenes as well as during in-game sequences. One of the best examples of this is Squall and a soldier fighting, while dozens upon dozens of their comrades fight below them.

If anything is a little bit imperfect about Final Fantasy 8, it has to be the music. The music is decent, but I'm not too up with Mr. Uematsu's choice of instruments during some of the themes (the guitar in Deling City's theme is annoying to me). Otherwise, many of the songs in the game are fantastic, especially "Succession of Witches", "Liberi Fatali", and the oft-criticized "Eyes on Me".

But above all that, what the Final Fantasy series has done better than anyone in recent years is the plot and how it unfolds during our very eyes. There's never really a dull moment in the game, as the story itself is evenly paced. What really surprised me is the character development that is constant throughout. We see the transformation of Squall from a troubled lad to a caring young man. It's something that's often not seen in many games of this genre; a character that many people can relate to, because we often act like him at times.

For those who haven't picked up their copy yet, I suggest you do so... stop reading this, turn off your computer, run to your nearest game store and demand this game. For those who have already purchased this game and are just reading what my opinion is, let me leave you with some advice. Don't listen to the criticisms of some (insert anonymous game publication) out there, this game is for real, it's easily one of the best RPG's ever created. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

· · · Reno