Short answers, pulled from the story.
Final Fantasy VIII was released in 1999 for the PlayStation console, with a Windows port following in 2000. It has since been re-released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, and iOS, with the Windows version arriving on GOG.com on the 29th of January 2026.
Final Fantasy VIII had sold more than 9.6 million copies worldwide across all platforms by August 2019. In Japan alone, the game sold 2.21 million copies on its first day of release and approximately 2.57 million units within its first four days.
Nobuo Uematsu composed the soundtrack for Final Fantasy VIII. The score is best known for "Liberi Fatali", a Latin choral piece, and "Eyes on Me", a pop ballad performed by Hong Kong singer Faye Wong that sold over 400,000 copies as a CD single in Japan.
The Junction system is the battle mechanic designed by Hiroyuki Ito that replaced the armor and accessory systems of earlier Final Fantasy games. Players attach Guardian Forces to characters and then equip stockpiled magic spells directly to character statistics such as Strength, Vitality, and Luck for various bonuses.
Yoshinori Kitase directed Final Fantasy VIII, with Hironobu Sakaguchi serving as executive producer. Tetsuya Nomura handled character design and battle visual direction, while Yusuke Naora served as art director.
At the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Final Fantasy VIII received Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, and Console Adventure/Role-Playing Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.