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The FF series features countless unforgettable locations. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a cherished place in fans' hearts, who celebrate the unique details that make these worlds so special. But, if one place that warrants more recognition than the rest, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its elegant design, but additionally for being a absolutely weird school.

The Pure Movie Reveal

Before, let's mention the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and fleeing from a rocket attack was pure cinema. This institution was not only intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that allows them to create new plans and reposition, depending on the requirements of those in charge. Many readily consider it as one of the best airship concepts in the franchise, alongside 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 more iconic moments in video game history.

A Initial Look of a Gloomy Sanctuary

As we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our initial glimpse of the location this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the floor of the school and rises to focus on the awe-inspiring magnitude of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel futuristic, but also angelic. The curvy structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the future would look. Conversely, because of the gilded accents on the building and the long beams of light emanating from the enormous glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a giant angel. It was built to be a peaceful place — excessively peaceful for an academy that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Memorable Melody

Complementing the tranquility that the appearance of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the most cherished memories I have from my youth is walking around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the gentle theme song. The problem is that it keeps playing in your head indefinitely. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to make it stop playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Gentle music that remains in your mind
• Main hub with fountain features
• Sentimental feelings for countless players

The Intriguing School

Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting as well as an establishment. First, it accepts kids from 5 to fifteen years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Motto

If you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you learn that the slogan of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I never have the impression that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, given that the training area, where students encounter living monsters they can defeat, is the only place in the whole school available at any time during the day, perhaps that’s what they mean by “playing.” While combat preparation is the most important aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is poor, since students are eating so many hot dogs that the personnel have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Rules

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, on one hand, we would expect from a combat school, but conversely seems strangely humorous. First, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they fall behind in their curriculum, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is truly concerned about its students’ relationships. The school officially suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true risk 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

From the delicate advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and debatable actions of the school, there are many aspects of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than just good looks.