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The Final Fantasy franchise boasts countless iconic locations. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has secured a cherished place in players' hearts, and they admire the unique quirks that make these areas so unique. However, when it comes to one place that warrants greater attention than the rest, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its elegant design, but additionally for being a absolutely strange school.

An Absolute Blockbuster Reveal

Before, we must address the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and fleeing from a rocket attack was absolute cinema. This location was not only intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that permits them to create new tactics and relocate, depending on the demands of those in control. I readily view it as one of the most impressive airship concepts in the franchise, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in video game history.

The Initial View of a Gloomy Home

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our initial glimpse of the environment this gloomy-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the ground of the school and rises to zoom in on the awe-inspiring size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel futuristic, but also somehow divine. The curvy structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the future would look. On the other hand, 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 looks like a giant angel. It was created to be a tranquil place — too peaceful for an academy that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

An Memorable Melody

Complementing the serenity that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s theme song. One of the most cherished recollections I have from being a kid is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spouting water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head forever. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to make it stop playing inside my head is to overdose of it.

• Soothing melody that sticks in your mind
• Main courtyard with fountain features
• Sentimental feelings for many players

A Compelling Institution

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location as well as an organization. First, it accepts kids from five to fifteen years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Paradoxical Philosophy

If you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you find out that the motto of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. However, given that the facility, where students encounter living monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the whole school accessible at any time during the day, perhaps that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the key part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is awful, since students are devouring so many hot dogs that the faculty have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Rules

Students are controlled by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a military school, but conversely seems strangely amusing. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their rooms in the nights, 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 might not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ sex life. The school officially 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 romantic relationships, not fighting with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Only Good Looks

Starting with the delicate futuristic design of the building to the ironies and dubious decisions of the academy, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than simply aesthetics.