Final Fantasy VIII is a wonderful, yet oft-overlooked entry, in the Final Fantasy franchise. The game was released right after the incredibe success of Final Fantasy VII, and right before the cult hit Final Fantasy IX, which took the series back to its roots as a fantasy title. Nevertheless, Final Fantasy VIII still has a massive cult following – albeit tinier and more niche than VII or IX. As such, the news of Square Enix having finally started on a remaster for the game, after so long, is amazing. What is even more incredible, however, is how self-aware the Final Fantasy team seems to be, thanks to a new Final Fantasy VIII Remaster tweet. 

The tweet in question is a brief seven-second clip of protagonists Rinoa Heartilly and Squall Leonheart at the annual SeeD Graduation Ball. The clip shows how Rinoa informs Squall that he is the best looking guy at the dance before the video zooms in on his emotionless face. 

While the Final Fantasy VIII Remaster tweet adequately shows just how much the game has jumped in graphical fidelity since its original release, it also addresses an age-old Final Fantasy VIII meme. The meme originates from the initial Final Fantasy VIII release (likely on PC) and pokes fun at Squall’s low-resolution face and head. In it, Rinoa also tells Squall that he is the “best looking guy” there before the second pane shows a zoomed-in, pixelated mess. 

I love how on-the-ball the Final Fantasy team appear to be. They are perfectly self-aware that they made Final Fantasy VIII fans wait too long for a remaster, and they are owning up to it in strides. During the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 2019), the Final Fantasy VIII Remaster teaser opened with the words “to the fans who have been waiting”, knowing full well that we have been waiting for what feels like decades. 

Naturally, 2019 is very much a product of the Internet. As such, you can bet the creation of one meme will likely result in the creation of others. Many Final Fantasy VIII fans have already started bringing meme gold to the world, and they are doing so in the best way possible: by combining the old with the new. It is glorious, to say the least.

For those who may not know, Final Fantasy VIII follows the story of a group of mercenaries and friends who are pulled into a war that no one saw coming. Mysterious forces and time magic comes into play as the fleeting nature of humanity is questioned. The game also addresses the need to find an identity, fitting in, and finding oneself, coming of age, and love. It truly is a masterpiece, and the Final Fantasy VIII Remaster tweet makes me want to play it even more. 

Final Fantasy VII Remaster releases on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch later in 2019. 

[Sources: Twitter, Youtube]

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Junior Editor at Vamers. From Superman to Ironman; Bill Rizer to Sam Fisher and everything in-between, Edward loves it all. He is a Bachelor of Arts student and English Major specialising in Language and Literature. He is an avid writer and casual social networker with a flare for all things tech related.