🔗 Share this article

The FF franchise boasts countless iconic places. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a cherished place in fans' hearts, and they love the unique quirks that make these areas so unique. But, when it comes to one location that merits more praise than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its stunning design, but additionally for being a incredibly weird school.

An Absolute Blockbuster Moment

Before, we must highlight the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden transforming into an flying vessel and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not just intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a traveling base that allows them to develop new strategies and reposition, depending on the demands of those in command. Many readily view it as one of the most impressive airship creations in the franchise, 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 View of a Brooding Sanctuary

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first glimpse of the place this gloomy-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the ground of the school and ascends to focus on the impressive scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel futuristic, but also somehow divine. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s idea of how the future would look. Conversely, because of the golden details on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the massive glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a massive angel. It was built to be a peaceful place — excessively peaceful for an institution that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

An Unforgettable Melody

Matching the tranquility that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest recollections I have from being a kid is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the gentle theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head forever. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to end playing inside my head is to overdose of it.

• Soothing melody that lingers in your mind
• Central area with fountain features
• Sentimental feelings for countless players

A Fascinating School

Balamb Garden is fascinating as a setting as well as an organization. First, it enrolls kids from 5 to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a giant church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Ironic Motto

If you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the 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. However, considering that the facility, where students find living monsters they can kill, is the only place in the entire school available at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While combat preparation is the primary part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is terrible, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the personnel have nothing else to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Regulations

Students are governed by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a combat school, but on the other seems weirdly amusing. First, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the evenings, unless it’s for training. A student may be expelled if they lag in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ sex life. The school formally suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Just Aesthetics

Starting with the elegant futuristic design of the building to the contradictions and debatable decisions of the institution, there are countless elements of Balamb Garden to celebrate. 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 aesthetics.