What a rich experience that was. The characters were involving and unique, and I appreciated the realism. Looking over criticism, I see that some people really disliked that aspect of the game, but it allowed me to become more interested and attached to the world. I could care more, so to speak. Squall was indeed morose, but his transition was deftly presented; the ending smile and kiss were the best way to end the game. The other characters followed suit with good presentation. As always, I could always stand to see more character development in these games. Nonetheless, what was served was delicious. The stylistic presentation reminded me of Chrono Cross (minus certain verdancy and vibrant color). Areas and scenes were polished, and the frequent use of FMVs was enjoyable. I was taken aback when Squall battled the jet pack Galbadian soldier outside Balamb Garden; that scene with like 100 SeeDs fighting on the prow was mindblowing. The plot was not overly complex, and the transitions between Laguna's time and Squall's were handled well. Honestly, that's another thing about the characters -- Laguna, Kiros, and Ward are instantly memorable and likable. Laguna is almost a veritable Rock Lee, and Kiros and Ward are great support roles.
I'm not a battle technician, and I haven't played tons of RPGs. Nonetheless, I will comment that the battle system was engaging. It had so much opportunity for customization and strategic planning; I loved it. But I guess I'll go into my scant criticisms, now.
1. No charismatic villain after Edea. Chrono has Lavos, FF6 has Kefka, FF7 has Sephiroth. These are riveting villains who warrant utter hatred and fear throughout the playing experience. Ultimecia was mainly a shadow until Disc 4, however. I would have liked the opportunity to really hate someone. Seifer almost pulled this off, but I wish his backstory would have been explained more. The entire "I'm a knight...cuz I feel like it" sort of wasn't nice. I wish he had more motivation.
2. This is just personal preference, but the realism bubble was almost popped when Esthar showed up. It sort of depresses me in fantasy stories when ultra utopia cities with magnificent power suddenly come out of the blue.
3. I'll be honest; the music wasn't quite as memorable. I think this may be due to the transition from chiptunes to full orchestral arrangements. Chrono Trigger's melodies are totally exposed, for instance, and have to be strong to command your attention. However, new games allow more artistic endeavors, and the result is that songs are more mature and subtle. This happens at the cost of being able to play it in your headphones and be like SEPHIROTH YEAHHH OMG WORLD REVOLUTION, UNDERSEA PALACE. I might as well bring it up here that Chrono Cross fans got the shaft with the final battle in terms of music.
I must also add that whoa, this game had a lot of CG characters. Why couldn't they have done that for Cross's cutscenes? We had Serge, Kid, and Lynx. That's it. Oh, and Chronopolis.
Anyway, this was a rich experience, and Squall is certainly an inspiration. He seems a tad more interesting and cool than Cloud (though really, ADVENT CHILDREN SPOILER>SORTA that's probably because the English voice actor in Advent Children made him sound like a jock doofus). And Zell? Zell rules. That's the end of the freaking story. Zell IS a veritable Rock Lee. Zell and Karsh both echo the same words in FF8 and Chrono Cross, and I think I'll finish this post off with em.
OHHHH YEEAAAAAHH!
