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This Final Fantasy franchise includes countless memorable settings. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has found a cherished place in fans' hearts, who celebrate the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these locales so remarkable. However, when it comes to one place that warrants greater attention than the others, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but additionally for being a incredibly weird school.

The Pure Cinematic Moment

First, we must highlight the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an airship and fleeing from a rocket attack was absolute cinema. This place was not only intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that permits them to create new tactics and reposition, based on the requirements of those in control. Many easily consider it as one of the best airship concepts in the franchise, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The change of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the more iconic moments in video game history.

The First Glimpse of a Brooding Home

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial view of the place this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor of the school and rises to zoom in on the awe-inspiring size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel futuristic, but also angelic. The curvy structures evoke a specifically late ‘90s concept of how the future would look. On the other hand, because of the gilded accents on the building and the extended trails of light coming from the immense glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a massive angel. It was built to be a tranquil place — excessively peaceful for an establishment that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

An Unforgettable Theme Song

Complementing the calmness that the appearance of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s theme song. One of the most cherished recollections I have from my youth is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those fish statues spouting water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The problem is that it keeps playing in your head indefinitely. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m forced 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.

• Lullaby melody that sticks in your mind
• Central hub with fountain features
• Sentimental feelings for countless players

A Compelling Institution

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location as well as an institution. First, it enrolls kids from 5 to fifteen years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it looks like a giant church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Paradoxical Philosophy

When you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the in-game terminals, you find out that the credo of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the impression that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. But, considering that the training center, where students encounter real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the whole school accessible at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they intend by “playing.” While combat preparation is the primary aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is poor, since students are devouring so many hot dogs that the personnel have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Rules

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, on one hand, we should expect from a combat school, but on the other seems strangely humorous. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their dorms in the evenings, except it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they lag in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is truly worried about its students’ relationships. The school officially recommends that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not battling with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Just Good Looks

From the delicate advanced design of the building to the ironies and dubious actions of the academy, there are numerous aspects of Balamb Garden to celebrate. We all like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than simply good looks.