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This Final Fantasy franchise features numerous memorable settings. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has earned a cherished place in fans' hearts, and they admire the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these areas so remarkable. But, when it comes to one place that merits more recognition than the others, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its stunning design, but additionally for being a absolutely bizarre school.

An Pure Cinematic Moment

Before, we must highlight the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden transforming into an airship and fleeing from a missile attack was pure cinema. This institution was not just designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that allows them to create new strategies and reposition, depending on the requirements of those in command. I readily view it as one of the coolest airship designs in the series, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

A First Look of a Gloomy Sanctuary

As we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial glimpse of the place this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor of the school and rises to focus on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears advanced, but also divine. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s concept of how the future would look. Meanwhile, because of the golden features on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the immense glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a massive angel. It was created to be a serene place — excessively peaceful for an establishment that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Unforgettable Soundtrack

Matching the tranquility that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s theme song. One of the fondest recollections I have from being a kid is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spouting water, and listening to the soothing theme song. The issue is that it keeps playing in your head forever. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m compelled to search on YouTube for a 3-hour-long “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to end playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Gentle tune that sticks in your mind
• Central area with water features
• Nostalgic feelings for countless players

A Intriguing Institution

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location and also an organization. First, it accepts kids from five to fifteen years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a massive church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Slogan

When 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 didn't have the feeling that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, given that the training center, where students find living monsters they can battle, is the only place in the whole school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While combat preparation is the primary part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is terrible, since students are devouring so many hot dogs that the personnel have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Policies

Students are governed by a tight set of rules, which, on one hand, we would anticipate from a combat school, but conversely seems weirdly funny. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the nights, unless 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 seem like it, but Balamb Garden is really concerned about its students’ romantic activities. 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 romantic relationships, not fighting with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Aesthetics

From the refined advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and debatable practices of the institution, there are many aspects of Balamb Garden to celebrate. We all like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than only aesthetics.