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The Final Fantasy franchise boasts many unforgettable locations. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has found a special place in players' hearts, who love the distinctive details that make these areas so special. However, when it comes to one place that merits more attention than the others, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but also for being a absolutely strange school.

An Absolute Movie Scene

Before, we must address the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden transforming into an flying vessel and escaping from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not only intended to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a traveling base that permits them to establish new tactics and reposition, depending on the needs of those in control. I easily regard it as one of the best airship creations in the franchise, along with 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 memorable moments in video game history.

The First Look of a Gloomy Sanctuary

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first look of the place this brooding-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the ground of the school and ascends to focus on the awe-inspiring size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also divine. The curvy structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s concept of how the future would look. Meanwhile, because of the gilded features on the building and the long trails of light coming from the massive glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a giant angel. It was designed to be a serene place — too peaceful for an establishment that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Unforgettable Theme Song

Matching the tranquility that the design of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s theme song. One of the most cherished recollections I have from my youth is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spouting water, and listening to the soothing theme song. The issue is that it continues playing in your head forever. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m forced 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 remains in your mind
• Main hub with fountain features
• Nostalgic memories for countless players

The Fascinating Academy

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a setting and also an institution. First, it enrolls kids from five to fifteen years old to transform 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.

The Ironic Motto

When you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you find out that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I didn't have the sense that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, considering that the facility, where students encounter real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at any time during the day, perhaps that’s what they intend by “playing.” While combat preparation is the most important part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is terrible, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the faculty have no other response to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Regulations

Students are governed by a rigid set of rules, which, for one, we should expect from a combat school, but on the other seems oddly funny. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their rooms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student may be expelled if they lag in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ relationships. The school formally 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 love affairs, not fighting with weapons and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Good Looks

Starting with the delicate advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and debatable practices of the academy, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to appreciate. We all like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than simply aesthetics.