FFVIII – Part 84: Boko's World

Summary: Tried out the FFVIII Chocobo World minigame. Cool and fun premise, mind-crushingly boring gameplay.

FFVIII – Part 83: Draw to a Close

Summary: Final thoughts on Final Fantasy VIII.

FFVIII – Part 82: I Will Follow You into the Dark

Summary: The end. Adrenaline, terror, joy, tragedy, friendship, beauty, love, wonder. Connection. The circle closes. I’m a mess.

FFVIII – Part 81: Ultimate Victory

Summary: YESSSSSS! Unlocked my limit breaks, adjusted my party. A nail-biting victory over Ultimecia. I’m barely coherent, though I provide some after-the-fact translation for the panicked keyboard smashes.

FFVIII – Part 80: Ultimate Failure

Summary: I fight Ultimecia. A lot. It doesn’t go well. Progress coupled with the abyss of frustration and defeat.

FFVIII – Part 79: Unsealing Power

Summary: Continuing my exploration of Ultimecia Castle. Clearing out many of the bosses to unlock my sealed power, with one mini-boss I haven’t found left. Oh, and one terrifying chapel-dweller.

FFVIII – Part 78: Gallery Hours

Summary: The first session exploring Ultimecia Castle. Special focus on the art gallery puzzle.

FFVIII – Part 77: World on Lockdown

Summary: Short session where I set foot into Ultimecia Castle, savor the music, and then unsuccessfully try exploring this new time-compressed world.

FFVIII – Part 76: Succession of Witches

Summary: Killed Adel (after a few tries) and then experienced the surreal trip that is time compression. Fought of sorceresses from across time. Arrived at a floating Castlevania.

FFVIII – Part 75: Greatest Interdimensional Hero

Summary: Exploration of Tears’ Point, then the L. Pandora. Rescued Ellone from Seifer with the help of some old friends in Fujin and Raijin, and ultimately an even older friend. Polka dot pants and all.

FFVIII – Part 74: President Loire

Summary: Met with the delightful government of Esthar. Backstory on the Laguna trio and Ellone. Odine briefs us on next steps.

FFVIII – Part 73: Though It Bring Tragedy

Summary: Broke Rinoa out of confinement. Regrouped at Edea’s. Squall and Rinoa relationship development. (Some) Edea backstory. A session both joyful and forboding.

FFVIII – Part 72: Whistleblower

Summary: Some chocobo forest progress. Met a shadowy figure in the water and travelled to Dollet.

FFVIII – Part 71: Open Hand

Summary: Some world wandering leads us to the Shumi Village.

FFVIII – Part 70: Mustache of Glory

Summary: Reunion on the Ragnarok. Met an old friend in the Esthar desert.

FFVIII – Part 69: Love in the Time of Shoggoths

Summary: Cleared monsters off the Ragnarok. Significant relationship development between Squall and Rinoa, with some back-and-forth thoughts on how one-sided it may or may not be. And by “Rinoa” I mean “Sorceress Rinoa” WTFFFFFFF

FFVIII – Part 68: Out of Gas

Summary: The early terror of the Lunar Cry and our first look at Ultimecia gives way to a quiet beauty. Rinoa saved. Had a kind of poetry to it, sir.

FFVIII – Part 67: Cry Havoc

Summary: A light-hearted and fun romp through space. Then not. The Lunar Cry begins.
TW: minor nightmare fuel/body horror

FFVIII – Part 66: The Pandora Opens

Summary: Squall, Rinoa, and Quistis launch off into space. A huge monolith that the Galbadians dug up flies over Esthar. Zell, Irvine, and Edea try to board and stop it. They are successful in the former task, unsuccessful in the latter.

FFVIII – Part 65: Tomorrowland

Summary: Laguna, Kiros, and Ward rescue Ellone. I spend way too long gawking at the innovative beauty of Esthar.