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The FF series features countless memorable settings. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a cherished place in fans' hearts, who admire the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these locales so special. But, when it comes to one place that warrants more praise than the others, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its elegant design, but also for being a incredibly weird school.

An Absolute Blockbuster Moment

Before, let's highlight the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not only designed to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that permits them to establish new tactics and reposition, depending on the demands of those in control. Many readily consider it as one of the best airship concepts in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

The Initial Look of a Gloomy Home

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our initial look of the location this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot begins from the floor of the school and ascends to zoom in on the impressive scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also heavenly. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the gilded accents on the building and the extended trails of light emanating from the immense glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a massive angel. It was built to be a tranquil place — too peaceful for an establishment that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

An Catchy Theme Song

Matching the serenity that the design of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s theme song. One of the most cherished memories I have from childhood is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spouting water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m compelled to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

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

The Compelling Institution

Balamb Garden is fascinating as a setting and also an institution. 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 like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Philosophy

If you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the game terminals, you find out that the slogan of the school 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” — except for Zell. But, considering that the training area, where students find living monsters they can kill, is the only place in the whole school available at any time during the day, perhaps 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 poor, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the personnel have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Rules

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we should expect from a military school, but conversely seems weirdly humorous. For example, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their rooms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student may be expelled if they lag in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is really worried about its students’ romantic activities. The school officially advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not battling with gunblades and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Aesthetics

From the elegant advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious decisions of the institution, there are many features of Balamb Garden to admire. We all like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than just aesthetics.