🔗 Share this article

The FF series boasts countless iconic 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 earned a cherished place in fans' hearts, and they admire the unique details that make these locales so unique. But, when it comes to one setting that warrants greater praise than the rest, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but additionally for being a truly strange school.

An Pure Movie Reveal

Before, let's mention the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an airship and escaping from a missile attack was pure cinema. This location was not just intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that allows them to create new plans and move, depending on the requirements of those in charge. I readily view it as one of the coolest airship concepts in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

A Initial Look of a Gloomy Sanctuary

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the infirmary, we get our initial glimpse of the place this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the ground of the school and rises to focus on the staggering scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also angelic. The flowing structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s concept of how the tomorrow would look. Conversely, because of the gilded details on the building and the long beams of light coming from the immense glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a giant angel. It was built to be a peaceful place — excessively peaceful for an academy that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

An Memorable Soundtrack

Complementing the calmness that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s background music. One of the most cherished memories I have from being a kid is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spurting water, and hearing to the gentle theme song. The problem is that it continues playing in your head forever. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to look up on YouTube for a 3-hour-long “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to overdose of it.

• Lullaby tune that sticks in your mind
• Central area with water features
• Nostalgic feelings for countless players

The Fascinating Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location as well as an organization. For starters, it enrolls kids from five to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a enormous church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Contradictory Motto

When you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you find out that the slogan of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I didn't have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. But, considering that the training area, where students encounter real monsters they can battle, 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 key aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is terrible, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the personnel have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Regulations

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we would expect from a military school, but conversely seems oddly funny. First, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the evenings, except it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they lag in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is truly worried about its students’ relationships. The school officially advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not battling with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Only Appearance

From the elegant advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and questionable practices of the school, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to admire. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just surface appeal.