So FFVII started a new trend in Final Fantasies to combine SF elements and stylized mechanics with the traditional fantasy. But FFVIII took it to a new level. I'm wondering what people thought about that. Do you think in a way it made you like or dislike the game more?

I really dislike pure SF, and often I dislike pure high fantasy, but for some reason, I really loved their combination in FFVIII. It might have just been the right ratio for me to enjoy both elements without getting sick of them.

Science- and mechanical-based elements that I really liked in FFVIII:

TRAINS
I don't know what it is about trains that I love. I kinda hated Timber, but I really liked the idea of a train hub. They really capture that feeling of nostalgia/mystery that goes with fantasy, while also bringing in the scientific prowess of the Industrial Age.

LUNAR BASE
I usually hate outer-space-oriented SF. But for some reason, I love the Lunar Base in FFVIII (sidenote: the other exceptions are Animorphs and FFIV).

SCIENCE OF MAGIC
It's really interesting to see magic as something that can be learned in an empirical manner - of course this isn't unique to FFVIII, but I think the game pulled it off really well.

Anybody else want to say something on the subject?

Yeah, I'd say it was VI that started the trend, not VII.

But yeah, I really like the Fantasy/SF mix. Where pure Fantasy (I-V) could get a bit boring, adding SF elements adds to a more intresting world. Pure SF however would be just plain naff IMO.

There definitely was a fair bit of machinery and SF in VI, but I think it made the biggest splash in VII with the emergence of corporations and cars.

I think combining the two is great! It's kinda fun the crazy contraptions they use to achieve modern technology.

Yeah, VI sort of started this trend by incorporating steampunk elements into the game's environment, but it wasn't until VII and VIII that the games began taking on a genuine cyberpunk atmosphere. Even though this isn't exactly one of my favorite games in the series, I am willing to concede that one of FFVIII's strongest points was the world it takes place in. It just gives off a sense of...loneliness, at least to me. By that I mean the World Map just looks so barren, like it's taken from a post-apocolypse story.

There really isn't much there, when you think about it. Almost all of the landscapes look so cold and desolate. Even the cities have a somewhat grimy look to them. Compare this to the World Map of, say, FFIX or FFVI. Even VI's World of Ruin looked more vivid than the world of FFVIII. Of course, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. To the contrary, it gives off distinctly "Evangelionish" vibes, which I enjoy when executed well. It just looks like a very bleak planet. Perhaps the producers were trying to have the rest of the world reflect Squall's lonely mindset?

So yeah, I can't really say much for the characters, but FFVIII definitely has an interesting atmosphere. I think they might've taken a bit too much fantasy out of the equation in favor of technology, though. I mean, really, we aren't supposed to know exactly how magic works. It's just supposed to be...magic. Other than that, though, I have absolutely no complaints. Admittedly, the world in Final Fantasy 8 took a bit of getting used to, but it certainly was interesting.

Precisely one of the things I love about Final Fantasy (in general, not just VIII) is its uncanny ability to blend Sci-Fi with traditional fantasy, and even though VIII leaned quite a bit on the modern side of the equation, it resulted in an immersive world (even if a bit barren.)

i liked the mix in viii but i prefered the mix in star ocean 3, it was a lot more sci-fi but still managed to keep in swords and magic.