Final Fantasy VIII                   
    Although the demo was no more than ten minutes long, it presented a       
solid indication of what FF8 may come to be once complete. The characters     
in FF8 appear less like anime and more natural, in that their proportions and movements appear to      
be more realistic than in FF7. Also,he sound composition is enormous and
epic - full on Square-style and almost like a CG movie. In a word or two, the quality
of the CG and the demo presentation was top notch.  So the big question is, what does Square hope to
accomplish with FF8? At the press conference, Sakaguchi told the crowd that he wants to pursue a
more in-depth and detailed storyline for the game and that he is seeking a more effective graphical
expression for the storytelling. He added that he hasn't forgotten about the interactive elements that
make it a video game. Sakaguchi also addressed the fact that Square's overseas offices contributed to
the technical aspects of FF8 - specifically the game's CG and development tools.  Also, unlike in its 32-bit predecessor, the
characters in the game are all texture-mapped. This means the characters will be more detailed in battle
scenes. Hashimoto said that the characters are now much closer to the ones that appeared in the movie
sequence. More surprisingly, all of your party members will be shown on the field screen. This is a
first in the series. Other advancements, on the business side, include a
well-received statement from Takechi announcing that FF8 is being developed with an overseas release in
mind. He promised that overseas gamers will have their version of FF8 with less of a time lag than was
the case with FF7, where there was a six-month lag between the Japanese and overseas release dates.
And in true FF fan form, followers of the series mayalready be wondering about Final Fantasy IX.
Sakaguchi's response, at this point, is a firm, yetfriendly, "Spare me, please." Videogames.com will be
looking forward to the playable demo in July for first impressions and will keep you informed of any
more details as they emerge.