🔗 Share this article That Final Fantasy 8 Symbol Deserves More Love This Final Fantasy series features countless iconic places. Starting with Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has secured a special place in fans' hearts, who admire the unique quirks that make these locales so special. But, when it comes to one location that deserves greater recognition than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its stunning design, but also for being a absolutely strange school. An Pure Cinematic Moment Before, we must address the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an airship and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This location was not only designed to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that allows them to establish new tactics and relocate, based on the demands of those in command. Many easily view it as one of the most impressive airship designs in the franchise, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships. This conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in gaming history. The Initial Glimpse of a Gloomy Sanctuary When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial view of the location this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the ground of the school and rises to focus on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also somehow heavenly. The flowing structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s idea of how the future would look. On the other hand, because of the gilded accents on the building and the extended trails of light emanating from the immense glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a massive angel. It was created to be a serene place — too peaceful for an academy that turns teenagers into mercenaries. The Unforgettable Theme Song Matching the serenity that the design of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the most cherished memories I have from my youth is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spraying water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The problem is that it continues playing in your head indefinitely. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to end playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it. Lullaby tune that sticks in your mind Main hub with water features Sentimental associations for countless players A Compelling Academy Balamb Garden is intriguing as a location and also an establishment. For starters, it enrolls kids from 5 to 15 years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it appears like a enormous church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden. A Contradictory Philosophy If you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the in-game terminals, you discover that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I never have the sense 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 battle, is the only place in the whole school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the primary aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is awful, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the personnel have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.” Tight Rules Students are controlled by a rigid set of rules, which, for one, we would expect from a combat school, but on the other seems strangely humorous. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the nights, except it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they fall behind in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not look like it, but Balamb Garden is truly concerned about its students’ relationships. The school formally suggests 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 weapons and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.) Greater Than Only Appearance Starting with the refined futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious practices of the school, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than only good looks.