More Final Fantasy VIII plot details

[12.22.98] » New uncovered information paints an early picture of Final Fantasy VIII's plot. Some are intriguing background details, while others are clearly spoilers. Read at your own risk!

SeeD celebrations

   The latest V-Jump issue in Japan delves into Final Fantasy VIII's plot with brand-new information on character backgrounds as well as plot from early sections of the game. Here's what we've pieced together so far:

   The witch known as "Edea" has manipulated the Galbadian president Deling onto a path of world conquest. Galbadia is one of the major countries in Final Fantasy VIII's world, even hosting a Garden military training center. With Edea in control, Galbadia occupied an area known as Timber. Rinoa Heartilly is a citizen of this wooded land and organized a resistance known as "Owl of Forest" ("Forest Owl" is the likely translation) to combat Galbadia's rule. We're not quite sure how, but Rinoa and Seifer somehow became acquaintances around Timber.

   Galbadia later captures an EM broadcasting tower in Dollet, a township close to another Garden in a country known as Balamb. It seems as though this is where the Final Fantasy VIII demo fits in -- Squall and his companions land at Dollet but are unsuccessful in stopping a transmission from beaming out. The transmission presumably announces Deling's intention of world conquest. Rinoa somehow knows that Edea is behind the Galbadian plot, and pleads with Balamb Garden aiming to gain support for an assassination of the malevolent witch. Rinoa prevails, and Squall, Zell, Rinoa, as well as some SeeD recruits from the Galbadian Garden head out to confront Edea. Sometime along the way the group also travels to Timber.

   Additionally, one image we've seen prominently is Squall and Rinoa dancing at a formal ball. We've learned that this ball is in celebration of new SeeD recruits, meaning Squall and another character known as Zell successfully joined SeeD's elite ranks. Squall most likely meets Rinoa for the first time here, with the group later heading out on the mission to the EM Tower (seeing as how the Galbadian soldiers confronted refer to Squall and company as SeeD recruits several times).

   Finally, we've also learned that Laguna is encountered for the first time in Squall's dreams, although exactly how is not revealed. V-Jump also describes Seifer as an "enforcer" of Garden discipline, assisted by Raijin and Fuujin. Despite all the detail uncovered so far, chances are this is but a small chunk of Final Fantasy VIII's story. Have you been spoiled enough yet?