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This FF series boasts countless memorable locations. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a special place in players' hearts, who admire the unique quirks that make these areas so unique. However, when it comes to one setting that merits greater praise than the others, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but also for being a incredibly weird school.

An Pure Movie Moment

Before, let's mention the obvious. Balamb Garden transforming into an flying vessel and fleeing from a rocket attack was absolute cinema. This place was not just designed to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that permits them to establish new strategies and reposition, depending on the needs of those in command. Many readily consider it as one of the best airship creations in the franchise, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

This change of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most iconic moments in gaming history.

A Initial View of a Brooding Home

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial glimpse of the place this gloomy-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the floor of the school and ascends to focus on the impressive magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also somehow heavenly. The curvy structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s concept of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the golden accents on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the enormous glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a massive angel. It was created to be a peaceful place — excessively peaceful for an academy that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

An Catchy Soundtrack

Complementing the serenity that the design of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s background music. One of the fondest recollections I have from my youth is walking around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spurting water, and listening to the lullaby-ish theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head constantly. 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 get it out of playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

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

The Intriguing Institution

Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting as well as an institution. For starters, it accepts kids from five to 15 years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it looks like a enormous church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Motto

When you use the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you find out that the motto of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I didn't have the impression that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, given that the training center, where students find living monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the whole school accessible at all hours during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the most important aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is awful, since students are eating so many frankfurters that the personnel have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Policies

Students are controlled by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a combat school, but on the other seems weirdly funny. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their rooms in the evenings, unless it’s for training. A student may be dismissed if they lag 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 formally advises 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 weapons and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

More Than Only Good Looks

Starting with the refined advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious practices of the school, there are numerous aspects of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just good looks.