History NightmareFuel / FinalFantasyVIII

[[OverlyLongGag Ok, by now we know]] that ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' can be scary.

[[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasy}} Pretty much nothing is safe:]] yes, the first three games in the series were relatively tame, [[CerebusSyndrome but then came]] ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' and [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIV shit hit the fan.]] The cheery ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' was milder than what went before and what came after, [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyV but still scary nonetheless.]] ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVI}} upped the ante]], and about ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', well... [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVII}} let's not even get started on that subject.]]

''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' may or may not be as fright-rife as its predecessors but when it does aim to make players scream, ''BOY'' does it live up to their standards. The same goes for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', the sequel both in name [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIX}} and scares.]]

* Doomtrain. Forgetting how it's possibly the coolest summon of the game and that it's insanely useful, the whole concept behind it is terrifying; a limitless wheeled living piece of machinery with a skull latched to the front that inflicts anything it hits with every horrible status effect you can think of. Its summoning sequence is pretty chilling too; starting off with an eerie train crossing siren and then the train wheels clanking on an invisible track with the background all trippy.

* FACELESS SQUALL (pictured above). It's like a FreezeFrameBonus that pays off with heebie-jeebies. It's not clear, but the image is part of a sequence of hallucinations taking place in time compression, and some of the other images imply that Squall's memories are becoming confused. At a guess, it's symbolic of emotional emptiness and/or loss of identity. It is also quite possibly an expression of {{Its All My Fault}}, given the preceding scene [[spoiler:where he participates in passing Ultimecia's power on to Edea]] and that Ultimecia's own final form has this very same trait.

* Doomtrain. Forgetting how it's possibly the coolest summon of the game and that's insanely useful, the whole concept behind it is terrifying; a limitless wheeled living piece of machinery with a skull latched to the front and that hits anything it hits with every horrible status effect you can think of. It's summoning sequence is pretty chilling too; starting off with an eerie train crossing siren and then the train wheels clanking on an invisible track with the background all trippy

* Malboros were by far at their peak of terror in this game. Unless you drew just about every status-effect magic and had GFs with the ST-DEF-Junction or the blessing of Odin, the moment you entered battle with one of them you were more than likely screwed. They'd hit you with Bad Breath and then you'd be tapping the escape buttons on constant end while they were unresponsive or struggling to escape the beast. Sure they're encounter rate was low and you may be blessed with Odin's appearance from time to time, but if you wanted the Doomtrain Summon (and of course you did) then you knew the day would come when you had to hunt these down to even attempt to steal a Malboro Tentacle or even stand a chance to win one after a fight with one.
* A special mention should go to Edea's "official" introduction to the story, where you take control of Rinoa and go to meet her in an attempt to stop her using this vaguely touched upon item that supposedly drain her of her power [[spoiler: it doesn't work]]. Everything that happens after this is downright unsettling [[spoiler: the way Edea's mask somehow burns off her face and she sit's up from her chair whilst that..."thing" on her back sprouts out with those curtain tails, how she [[HypnotizeThePrincess has Rinoa follow her to the balcony]] where she gives a creepy (yet pretty [[LargeHam over-the-top]] speech of how she's going to do all these nasty things and then '''kills Viser Dingling right in front of the audience and they all simply cheer like it's no big deal''']]

** Speaking of that panic inducing music, I'm sure that sent a chill down a few players' spines while they played FF8 in the dark.

[[OverlyLongGag Ok, by now we know]] that FinalFantasy is scary.

[[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasy}} Pretty much none of the games are safe:]] yes, the first three games in the series were relatively tame, [[CerebusSyndrome but then came]] ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' and [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIV shit hit the fan.]] The cheery ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' was milder than what went before and what came after, [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyV but still scary nonetheless.]] ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVI}} upped the ante]], and about ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', well... [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVII}} let's not even get started on that subject.]]

** Along with all of this comes a few questions, [[ParanoiaFuel just how is the garden so sure the training area will always be able to keep gigantic Tyrannosauruses from escaping]] and can we assume the students that dorm possibly wake up at night [[HellIsThatNoise hearing those roars they make]] ? Oh and judging by the fact there is no other way that a Granaldo (a giant reptilian/insect creature that looks like Scyther from Pokemon ) and three Raldos (sentient rock creatures) could have come from anywhere else and you [[FridgeHorror never fight anymore in the area after they attack Ellone]] , just what the hell else is the Garden keeping in the Training Area?

* The mission to encounter the Bahamut GF were actually fairly unsettling. You're in this abandoned research laboratory and you see this glowing tube with some sort of floating cubes that appeared from time to time. You would have to walk and if you ran even a step whenever the cubes were active and the tube was glowing, you'd have to verse a TOUGH Ruby Dragon (and even if you had Enc-Half or Enc-None, you still had to walk or else you'd be thrusted into a battle). And then when you reach the tube, some demonic rumbling emerges as Bahamut asks you questions (after which even if you get a question right you STILL have to verse a Ruby Dragon). All this happens whilst the somber and rather chilling background music is playing.

* Most of Disc Four. [[spoiler:You kill Adel and [[DivideByZero time begins to compress]], taking you through a trippy sequence in which you have to slay various sorceresses at different points in time, while the background melts, ending with a [[EldritchAbomination particularly freaky-looking sorceress]]. You finally end up at Edea's House in the compressed time world, and after stepping outside, you find the beach littered with the dead bodies of [=SeeDs=], and see Ultimecia's [[OminousFloatingCastle Ominous Floating Castle]] in the dark, cloud-filled skies above. Her castle even has [[OminousPipeOrgan Ominous Pipe Organ]] music.]] Damn. Not to mention [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l75zjpDpAWs the music that plays]] during the sequence before arriving at TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. A dissonant five-note sax ostinato and creepy ambience are all you need to convey the feeling that the world is fucked.

* Ooooh cool, Headmaster Cid gave me a Magical Lamp!!! Ooh this gonna be awesome, just gonna give this a rub and WHOA why's the battle screen coming up and why am I in a black darkened dimension and-HOLYFUCKINGSHITWHATTHEFUCKISTHAT!!! THE SATAN!!!!
** To clarify, Headmaster Cid gives you an item called a Magical Lamp which he gives you little warning besides "one should be careful before using" before you may go ahead and select it only to find yourself thrusted into a battle with the GF Diablos. If one isn't prepared then he'll make short work of you with Gravijia and then finish you off with a headbutt.

* They should just rename Final Fantasy 8 to: Alzheimer's – A Squall Nightmare.
Those tutorials... don't you know, they aren't for the player, they are for Squall, he has the memory of a sieve. The gunblade specialist needs to literally be reminded of how to use his own Gunblade.
I blame the GF's, they kind of altered his memory to the extend that the following is a summary of his character.
“I was abandoned as a child by my 'big sis' and now I can't rely on anybody. Also I can't remember her name or face. Coincidentally who was that strange girl who visited me in the infirmary.”
Yep, our hero, might not be forgettable but he sure is forgetful, now here is a tutorial to junction magic to your GF, after all, you have been using them for apparently years.
May have memory effects.
I sure hope there never comes a time when he needs to rely on his memory of a persons face to get him out of some kind of weird time compression thing.

* The startlingly creepy way [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNnX1EcHJtw#t=8m09s Edea gets up from sitting]]. It makes sense, given that [[spoiler: she's possessed by Ultimecia]]. It happens twice -- first before the parade and again at Galbadia Garden.

** Which begs the question ... [[FridgeHorror what did Ultima Weapon do to the leader of the Deep Sea Research Facility]]?

** Along with all of this comes a few questions, [[ParanoiaFuel just how is the garden so sure the training area will always be able to keep gigantic Tyrannosauruses from escaping]] and can we assume the students that dorm possibly wake up at night [[HellIsThatNoise hearing those roars they make]] ? Oh and judging by the fact there is no other way that a Granaldo (a giant reptilian/insect creature that looks like [[Pokemon Scyther]] ) and three Raldos (sentient rock creatures) could have come from anywhere else and you [[FridgeHorror never fight anymore in the area after they attack Ellone]] , just what the hell else is the Garden keeping in the Training Area?

** Along with all of this comes a few questions, [[ParanoiaFuel just how is the garden so sure the training area will always be able to keep gigantic Tyrannosauruses from escaping]] and can we assume the students that dorm possibly wake up at night [[HellsThatNoise hearing those roars they make]] ? Oh and judging by the fact there is no other way that a Granaldo (a giant reptilian/insect creature that looks like [[Pokemon Scyther]] and three Raldos (sentient rock creatures) could have come from anywhere else and you [[FridgeHorror never fight anymore in the area after they attack Ellone]] , just what the hell else is the Garden keeping in the Training Area?

** Along with all of this comes a few questions, [[ParanoiaFuel just how is the garden so sure the training area able to keep gigantic Tyrannosauruses]] and can we assume the students that dorm possibly wake up at night [[HellsThatNoise hearing those roars they make]] ?

** Along with all of this comes a few questions, [[FridgeHorror just how is the garden so sure the training area able to keep gigantic Tyrannosauruses]] and can we assume the students that dorm possibly wake up at night [[HellsThatNoise hearing those roars they make]] ?

* The aptly named "Creeper" enemies in the sewer levels of Deling City. Lets see, a living, breathing, moving shadow? Check. Souless red glowing eyes? Check. A creepy {{Slasher Smile}} and long clawed fingers? Check. A slithering animation and creepy {{Evil Laugh}} ? Check. Yep, it's a mobile example of Nightmare Fuel

* The aptly named "Creeper" enemies in the sewer levels of Deling City. Lets see, a living, breathing, moving shadow? Check. Souless red glowing eyes? Check. A creepy {{SlasherSmile}} and long clawed fingers? Check. A slithering animation and creepy {{EvilLaugh}} ? Check. Yep, it's a mobile example of Nightmare Fuel

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jns9arS5GjU The Lunar Cry]]. Just....this immense giant blood red cloud of monsters extending outward like a spear of hellish death...

''FinalFantasyVIII'' may or may not be as fright-rife as its predecessors but when it does aim to make players scream, ''BOY'' does it live up to their standards. The same goes for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', the sequel both in name [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIX}} and scares.]]

[[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasy}} Pretty much none of the games are safe:]] yes, the first three games in the series were relatively tame, [[CerebusSyndrome but then came]] FinalFantasyIV and [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIV shit hit the fan.]] The cheery FinalFantasyV was milder than what went before and what came after, [[NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyV but still scary nonetheless.]] FinalFantasyVI [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVI}} upped the ante]], and about FinalFantasyVII, well... [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyVII}} let's not even get started on that subject.]]

FinalFantasyVIII may or may not be as fright-rife as its predecessors but when it does aim to make players scream, ''BOY'' does it live up to their standards. The same goes for FinalFantasyIX, the sequel both in name [[{{NightmareFuel/FinalFantasyIX}} and scares.]]

* Adel from FinalFantasyVIII. The fact that she's a giant man-woman who has the face of and moves like a monster is creepy enough, but it gets worse when the lifeless body of Rinoa is attached to her chest and [[FanDisservice she thrusts it upward to suck Rinoa's life away]]. And if all that wasn't enough, when you defeat her, the ending cinematic displays her face getting blown off before she falls on her knees to dissolve.

* Two words: FACELESS SQUALL (pictured above). It's like a FreezeFrameBonus that pays off with heebie-jeebies. It's not clear, but the image is part of a sequence of hallucinations taking place in time compression, and some of the other images imply that Squall's memories are becoming confused. At a guess, it's symbolic of emotional emptiness and/or loss of identity. It is also quite possibly an expression of {{Its All My Fault}}, given the preceding scene [[spoiler:where he participates in passing Ultimecia's power on to Edea]] and that Ultimecia's own final form has this very same trait.