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The FF franchise features numerous iconic settings. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a cherished place in fans' hearts, who love the distinctive details that make these locales so unique. But, when it comes to one place that deserves greater attention than the rest, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its stunning design, but additionally for being a incredibly weird school.

The Pure Movie Reveal

First, we must highlight the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an flying vessel and fleeing from a missile 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 tactics and move, depending on the needs of those in charge. I easily consider it as one of the best airship concepts in the franchise, together 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 most memorable moments in video game history.

The Initial Look of a Gloomy Home

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial glimpse of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the floor 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 angelic. The rounded structures recall a specifically late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Conversely, because of the golden details on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the massive glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a massive angel. It was created to be a tranquil place — excessively peaceful for an academy that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Catchy Melody

Complementing the tranquility that the design of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest memories I have from childhood is strolling around the central area of Balamb Garden, watching those fish statues spraying water, and hearing to the lullaby-ish 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 make it stop playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Soothing tune that lingers in your mind
• Main courtyard with water features
• Sentimental associations for countless players

A Intriguing School

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a setting as well as an establishment. For starters, it enrolls kids from five to 15 years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it looks like a massive church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Paradoxical Motto

When you use the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you discover that the credo of the school 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” — only Zell. But, considering that the facility, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at all hours during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the key part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is awful, since students are consuming so many hot dogs that the personnel have nothing else to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Regulations

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we would expect from a military school, but on the other seems strangely funny. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their rooms in the nights, except it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they lag in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is truly concerned about its students’ romantic activities. The school officially advises 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 cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the intro cutscene.)

More Than Just Appearance

Starting with the elegant futuristic design of the building to the ironies and dubious practices of the institution, there are countless features of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just surface appeal.