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The FF franchise boasts many unforgettable locations. Starting with Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has earned a special place in fans' hearts, and they celebrate the unique quirks that make these locales so special. However, when it comes to one location that merits more recognition than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its stunning design, but also for being a incredibly bizarre school.

The Pure Cinematic Scene

First, let's highlight the obvious. Balamb Garden transforming into an airship and fleeing from a rocket attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not just intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that permits them to develop new tactics and relocate, depending on the demands of those in command. I readily view it as one of the best airship designs in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The transformation of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in video game history.

The First Look of a Brooding Sanctuary

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first glimpse of the location this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor of the school and ascends to focus on the staggering scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears advanced, but also somehow angelic. The curvy structures evoke a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Conversely, because of the golden details on the building and the extended trails of light emanating from the massive glowing halo 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 transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

An Unforgettable Melody

Matching the serenity that the appearance of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s background music. One of the fondest recollections I have from my youth is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, seeing those fish statues spurting water, and listening to the lullaby-ish theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head constantly. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to get it out of playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Soothing music that lingers in your mind
• Central hub with water features
• Nostalgic memories for countless players

The Compelling Academy

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a location and also an establishment. First, it enrolls kids from 5 to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a enormous church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Ironic Slogan

If you use the Balamb Garden Network using one of the game terminals, you discover that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. However, considering that the training center, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the most important part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is poor, since students are devouring so many hot dogs that the faculty have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Rules

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we would expect from a combat school, but conversely seems oddly amusing. For example, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their dorms in the evenings, unless it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they fall behind in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not look like it, but Balamb Garden is truly worried about its students’ sex life. 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 love affairs, not fighting with weapons and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

More Than Only Good Looks

From the elegant advanced design of the building to the ironies and debatable decisions of the school, there are countless elements of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than simply surface appeal.