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The FF series features numerous iconic settings. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a special place in players' hearts, and they love the distinctive details that make these worlds so special. However, when it comes to one place that deserves more attention than the others, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its stunning design, but additionally for being a incredibly strange school.

An Absolute Blockbuster Moment

Before, we must highlight the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an flying vessel and escaping from a rocket attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not only designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that allows them to establish new plans and move, based on the demands of those in control. I readily consider it as one of the most impressive airship concepts in the series, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

A First View of a Brooding Sanctuary

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first glimpse of the environment this gloomy-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the ground of the school and ascends to zoom in on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears futuristic, but also somehow heavenly. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Conversely, because of the gilded accents on the building and the extended trails of light coming from the massive glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a giant angel. It was designed to be a peaceful place — excessively peaceful for an institution that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

The Unforgettable Melody

Matching the serenity that the appearance of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s background music. One of the fondest memories I have from being a kid is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spraying water, and listening to the soothing theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head indefinitely. Once it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to end playing inside my head is to overdose of it.

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

The Intriguing School

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a location as well as an organization. For starters, it accepts kids from 5 to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Ironic Slogan

When you access the Balamb Garden Network via one of the in-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 facility, where students find living monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the entire school accessible at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the primary part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is poor, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the staff have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Policies

Students are governed by a rigid set of rules, which, on one hand, we should expect from a combat school, but on the other seems strangely amusing. 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 may be expelled if they lag in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ relationships. The school officially recommends that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

More Than Only Appearance

Starting with the elegant futuristic design of the building to the ironies and questionable actions of the institution, there are countless features of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than simply good looks.