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The Final Fantasy franchise includes numerous memorable locations. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a cherished place in players' hearts, who admire the unique details that make these worlds so special. But, if one setting that warrants greater attention than the others, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its elegant design, but also for being a absolutely strange school.

The Pure Blockbuster Scene

Before, let's address the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and escaping from a missile attack was pure cinema. This institution was not just intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that enables them to establish new tactics and reposition, based on the requirements of those in command. I readily consider it as one of the best airship concepts in the series, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

A First Look of a Gloomy Home

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial view of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor of the school and rises to zoom in on the impressive magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears advanced, but also divine. The rounded structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s idea of how the future would look. Meanwhile, because of the gilded features on the building and the long beams of light emanating from the immense glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a giant angel. It was created to be a serene place — too peaceful for an institution that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Memorable Soundtrack

Complementing the serenity that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s theme song. One of the fondest memories I have from childhood is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The problem is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Lullaby tune that sticks in your mind
• Main hub with fountain features
• Sentimental associations for countless players

The Intriguing School

Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting and also an establishment. For starters, it accepts kids from five to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it appears like a giant church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Ironic Motto

When you use the Balamb Garden Network via one of the in-game terminals, you find out that the credo of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the impression that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. However, considering that the training area, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the whole school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the most important part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is terrible, since students are eating so many frankfurters that the personnel have nothing else to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Regulations

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. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the evenings, 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’ sex life. The school officially advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Only Aesthetics

Starting with the delicate advanced design of the building to the contradictions and questionable actions of the institution, there are many aspects of Balamb Garden to admire. We all like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just good looks.