This Final Fantasy 8 Icon Warrants More Appreciation
This Final Fantasy franchise features countless unforgettable settings. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has secured a special place in fans' hearts, who love the unique details that make these areas so remarkable. However, when it comes to one place that deserves greater recognition than the others, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its elegant design, but additionally for being a incredibly weird school.
An Pure Blockbuster Moment
Before, we must address the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an flying vessel and escaping from a rocket attack was pure cinema. This location was not only designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that permits them to establish new plans and reposition, based on the demands of those in charge. Many readily consider it as one of the coolest airship creations in the franchise, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.
The conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the more iconic moments in gaming history.
A First Glimpse of a Gloomy Home
As we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first glimpse of the environment this gloomy-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the ground of the school and rises to zoom in on the awe-inspiring magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also angelic. The rounded structures bring to mind a specifically late ‘90s concept of how the future would look. On the other hand, because of the gilded features on the building and the extended trails of light coming from the enormous glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a giant angel. It was created to be a serene place — excessively peaceful for an institution that turns teenagers into mercenaries.
The Memorable Soundtrack
Matching the tranquility that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s theme song. One of the most cherished memories I have from being a kid is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spouting water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The catch is that it continues playing in your head indefinitely. Once it returns to my mind, I’m compelled to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to get it out of playing inside my head is to have enough of it.
- Soothing music that sticks in your mind
- Main courtyard with fountain features
- Nostalgic associations for many players
A Fascinating Institution
Balamb Garden is intriguing as a setting and also an organization. First, it enrolls kids from five to fifteen years old to transform them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.
A Contradictory Motto
When you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you find out that the slogan of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I never have the impression that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, considering that the facility, where students encounter living monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the whole school accessible at any time during the day, perhaps that’s what they mean by “playing.” While combat preparation is the primary aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is poor, since students are consuming so many frankfurters that the staff have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”
Rigid Policies
Students are controlled by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we should expect from a military school, but conversely seems strangely funny. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their dorms in the evenings, except it’s for training. A student may be dismissed if they fall behind in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not look like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ relationships. The school formally advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not fighting with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)
More Than Only Appearance
From the elegant futuristic design of the building to the ironies and questionable decisions of the academy, there are countless aspects of Balamb Garden to admire. We all like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just aesthetics.
