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The Final Fantasy franchise includes countless iconic places. Starting with Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a special place in fans' hearts, and they love the unique details that make these areas so special. However, if one setting that deserves greater attention than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but additionally for being a absolutely weird school.

The Absolute Cinematic Moment

Before, let's mention the obvious. Balamb Garden transforming into an airship and escaping from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This location was not only intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that enables them to develop new plans and move, depending on the needs of those in command. Many readily consider it as one of the coolest airship designs in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

The First View of a Brooding Home

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first glimpse of the place this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot begins from the floor of the school and ascends to focus on the awe-inspiring magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel advanced, but also somehow angelic. The curvy structures recall a specifically late ‘90s concept of how the future would look. Conversely, because of the golden features on the building and the extended beams of light coming from the enormous glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a massive angel. It was created to be a serene place — too peaceful for an establishment that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

The Catchy Melody

Matching the tranquility that the appearance of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the most cherished memories I have from being a kid is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the gentle theme song. The problem is that it continues playing in your head indefinitely. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m compelled to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Gentle melody that sticks in your mind
• Central hub with water features
• Nostalgic memories for countless players

The Compelling Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting as well as an institution. First, it enrolls kids from 5 to fifteen years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are many 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 game terminals, you discover that the slogan of the school is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I didn't have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, considering that the training center, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the whole school available at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they intend by “playing.” While combat preparation is the most important part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is terrible, since students are consuming so many frankfurters that the staff have nothing else to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Policies

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we should expect from a combat school, but conversely seems oddly amusing. First, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the nights, except it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they fall behind in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not look like it, but Balamb Garden is really worried about its students’ sex life. The school formally recommends that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not fighting with gunblades and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Appearance

From the refined futuristic design of the building to the ironies and dubious decisions of the academy, there are many elements of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than simply aesthetics.