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The FF series features numerous iconic places. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has secured a special place in fans' hearts, and they admire the unique quirks that make these worlds so special. However, when it comes to one location that merits more praise than the rest, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its beautiful design, but also for being a truly weird school.

The Absolute Movie Scene

Before, let's address the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and escaping from a rocket attack was pure cinema. This institution was not only designed to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that permits them to develop new plans and reposition, based on the needs of those in command. I easily view it as one of the best airship creations 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 most unforgettable moments in gaming history.

The First View of a Gloomy Home

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our initial look of the location this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the floor of the school and ascends to zoom in on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also angelic. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the golden features on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the massive glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a giant angel. It was created to be a serene place — too peaceful for an academy that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

An Catchy Soundtrack

Matching the calmness that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest recollections I have from being a kid is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spurting water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The catch is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Whenever it returns to my mind, I’m compelled to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Gentle melody that remains in your mind
• Central area with water features
• Nostalgic feelings for many players

A Compelling Academy

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a setting as well as an establishment. First, it enrolls kids from 5 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 Contradictory Slogan

If you use the Balamb Garden Network using one of the game terminals, you discover that the credo of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I didn't have the impression that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, considering that the training area, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the only place in the entire school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the key part 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 except “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Policies

Students are governed by a rigid set of rules, which, on one hand, we should expect from a military school, but on the other seems weirdly amusing. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the evenings, unless it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they fall behind in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ sex life. The school officially suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not battling with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

Greater Than Just Aesthetics

Starting with the elegant futuristic design of the building to the ironies and debatable actions of the institution, there are many elements of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than simply good looks.