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The FF franchise features countless unforgettable settings. 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 secured a special place in players' hearts, and they admire the unique quirks that make these worlds so special. But, when it comes to one location that deserves more attention than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its elegant design, but additionally for being a absolutely weird school.

An Absolute Blockbuster Scene

First, we must address the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden transforming into an flying vessel and escaping from a rocket attack was pure cinema. This place was not just intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that allows them to create new strategies and move, based on the requirements of those in command. Many easily 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.

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

A First View of a Gloomy Home

As we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis escorting Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first view of the environment this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the ground of the school and rises to focus on the awe-inspiring magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also somehow divine. The rounded structures bring to mind a specifically late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow 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 evokes a giant angel. It was created to be a tranquil place — excessively peaceful for an academy that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Catchy Theme Song

Complementing the calmness that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest recollections I have from my youth is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spurting water, and listening to the lullaby-ish theme song. The problem is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to get it out of playing inside my head is to overdose of it.

• Lullaby tune that remains in your mind
• Central courtyard with water features
• Nostalgic memories for countless players

The Compelling Institution

Balamb Garden is fascinating as a location and also an institution. For starters, it accepts kids from 5 to fifteen years old to transform them into mercenaries, but it looks like a giant church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Ironic Philosophy

When you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you learn that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. However, considering that the training area, where students encounter living monsters they can kill, is the sole place in the whole school available at any time 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 food is terrible, since students are eating so many frankfurters that the personnel have nothing else to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Regulations

Students are controlled by a tight set of rules, which, on one hand, we would expect from a military school, but on the other seems strangely funny. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the nights, except it’s for training. A student may be expelled 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’ relationships. The school officially advises 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 slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

More Than Only Aesthetics

From the delicate futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious practices of the academy, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than simply surface appeal.