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The Final Fantasy series includes countless memorable places. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has secured a cherished place in players' hearts, who admire the unique details that make these areas so remarkable. But, if one setting that merits more praise than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but also for being a truly strange school.

The Absolute Movie Scene

First, we must mention the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This place was not just intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a traveling base that permits them to create new tactics and move, depending on the demands of those in command. I readily view it as one of the coolest airship creations in the franchise, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

The Initial Glimpse of a Brooding Sanctuary

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial glimpse of the location this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot begins from the ground of the school and ascends to focus on the impressive size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also angelic. The flowing structures evoke a specifically late ‘90s vision of how the future would look. Meanwhile, because of the golden details on the building and the long trails of light emanating from the enormous glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a giant angel. It was created to be a peaceful place — too peaceful for an academy that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Memorable Soundtrack

Matching the serenity that the appearance of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s background music. One of the fondest recollections I have from childhood is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the lullaby-ish theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Once it returns to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a 3-hour-long “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to make it stop playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Lullaby melody that sticks in your mind
• Central courtyard with fountain features
• Nostalgic feelings for many players

A Intriguing School

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location as well as an organization. For starters, it accepts kids from 5 to 15 years old to transform them into mercenaries, but it appears like a giant church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Motto

When you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the in-game terminals, you learn that the slogan of the school is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the sense that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, given that the facility, where students encounter real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the whole school accessible at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the most important part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is poor, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the faculty have nothing else to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Policies

Students are controlled by a rigid set of rules, which, on one hand, we should expect from a combat school, but on the other seems weirdly amusing. First, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their rooms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student may be dismissed 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’ romantic activities. The school officially suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real risk 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.)

Greater Than Only Good Looks

Starting with the refined futuristic design of the building to the ironies and dubious actions of the school, there are many features of Balamb Garden to admire. 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 only aesthetics.