One of the most hotly debated aspects of Square Enix's flagship series is where exactly Final Fantasy 8 ranks among the three titles that released on the original PlayStation. The primary reason for this debate, and tons of further analysis in game design for years to come, is the Junction System that dominates how players interact with Final Fantasy 8's strongest monsters.
While the negatives of Final Fantasy 8's Junction System have been talked to death, most of that analysis comes from the assumption that players are going to try optimizing their way through the game. However, this is exactly the reason why avoiding the meta and trying not to make Squall and part as strong as possible right from the start is the best way to make it through the game.
The Grinding Problem
There are two major issues that come with the Junction System. The first comes from how players find the magic that is used to increase the characters stats through this mechanic. Players can either find magic at specific draw points throughout different towns and dungeons, or they can use the draw command to pull from enemies. This lets players pull a few stacks of magic at a time from both Final Fantasy 8's bosses and standard monsters, with the ultimate goal being to build up one hundred units of each spell in order to maximize how powerful the junction effect is.
The result of trying to rack up as much magic at once with the intent of junctioning them to different attributes is that this can take a long time. This can be especially frustrating during boss fights, which often give the player either early access to some magic, or unique spells that are only found in a handful of places in some occasions. So, as players simply do exactly what the game has taught them will make them stronger, this way approach will take the vast majority of a players time and overshadow Final Fantasy 8's main story and side quests combined.
Discouraging Magic Use
On top of the frustrating way that players are required to grind up magic in order to make their characters as strong as possible, the Junction System comes with a secondary issue. Since magic is treated like a consumable item when cast, using one of the hundred spells that are attached to a specific attribute, it discourages players from using the mechanic at all. When casting a fire spell means dealing less damage with each following attack, then simply attacking with Squall's Gunblade at max strength will generally become the most consistent strategy.
The most anxiety inducing example of this system fighting against itself is when using any type of healing magic, since these will likely be junctioned to a character's health. This means that casting the spell to heal themselves or an of Final Fantasy 8's other party members will reduce the caster's maximum health in the process, which then incentivizes healing items over spells, even when a spell would be better in the current moment. Since magic is such a grind to stack up, it becomes too important of a commodity to be used on some bog standard monster, and fiddling with a character's stats in the middle of a boss fight could mess up the player's whole strategy.
Solving These Issues Through Casual Play
The interesting note about these two complaints is that, while they are valid, these aspects of the Junction System becoming frustrating runs on the assumption that players are always going to optimize their way through the game. This doesn't actually have to be the case, as it's entirely possible to go through the entire game without min/maxing the whole system to death. It's true that the grind and neglect of magic is the only way to reach and maintain peak performance with Final Fantasy 8's strongest attacks, but the game doesn't require players to be as strong as possible.
Ironically, it seems as though the Junction System was originally designed with the intention of mitigating the prospect of grinding, and putting the ability to maximize character abilities into the hands of the players. The issue only comes up when a player goes overboard and tries to grind themselves to max level too quickly, something that most players wouldn't even imagine doing with a standard leveling system. So, in that case, the challenge and fun that can be found in the game is almost like a hidden detail in Final Fantasy 8, where making the conscious decision not to break the experience determines player enjoyment.
Meta Still Matters for Post-Game
This meta method of approaching the Junction System does still have its place within the game, however, even if not during the intended majority of the gameplay. Chasing after maximum strength is a requirement for beating Omega Weapon in Final Fantasy 8, seeing as it is the strongest enemy the game has to offer. Along with the optional boss, there are also a few different side quests that sometimes require at least some level of attempting to reach for as much strength as possible.
For those players that enjoy chasing the meta, there is still a benefit to the grind, though it should probably be left until closer to the end of the game. This isn't even new for most Square Enix titles, as other option bosses like Final Fantasy 7's Ruby and Emerald Weapons require a heavy time investment to get a party ready to fight them. So, in the case of Final Fantasy 8 there is a time and a place to grind out the Junction System, and it can be easy to gravitate towards overdoing it, but it should be held until the end.
The System Can Still be Improved in a Future Title
While there are ways that the Junction System falls short, especially for veteran players who always strive for the best stats possible, the whole mechanic itself isn't entirely a failure. The system allows players to choose how they want to experience the game, and the unfortunate thing is that what players assume to be the best choice is counter to their own enjoyment. However, if Final Fantasy 8 gets a remake, then that would be a perfect chance to take another crack at perfecting the system that is currently slightly broken.
Some possible solutions for the current system could include soft caps on the effect of adding more magic to each junction, as well as increasing how many units are pulled with each draw. Considering how well Square Enix managed to bring Final Fantasy 7's combat and materia systems into a more modern style, the developer knows how to rework old mechanics. In that case, a Final Fantasy 8 remake could be a great chance to make up for one of the weaker points in the series.
Final Fantasy 8 is available now on PC, PS1, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
