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This FF franchise includes numerous iconic places. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a special place in players' hearts, and they admire the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these areas so special. But, if one location that deserves greater recognition than the rest, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its beautiful design, but also for being a incredibly weird school.

The Absolute Movie Moment

First, let's mention the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden turning into an airship and fleeing from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This location was not just intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that enables them to establish new tactics and move, depending on the needs of those in charge. I easily regard it as one of the most impressive airship concepts in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

This conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the more unforgettable moments in video game history.

The Initial View of a Gloomy Home

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first look of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot begins from the ground of the school and ascends to focus on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also somehow divine. The flowing structures bring to mind a specifically late ‘90s concept of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the gilded accents on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the massive glowing halo 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.

An Catchy Soundtrack

Complementing the serenity that the aesthetic of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s theme song. One of the fondest memories I have from childhood is walking around the main area of Balamb Garden, seeing those fish statues spouting water, and listening to the gentle theme song. The catch is that it keeps playing in your head constantly. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to look up 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.

• Soothing tune that remains in your mind
• Main area with water features
• Nostalgic memories for countless players

A Fascinating Institution

Balamb Garden is fascinating as a setting as well as an institution. First, it accepts 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 not one look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Ironic Slogan

If you use the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you discover that the motto of the school is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I didn't have the sense that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, considering that the training center, where students encounter real monsters they can battle, is the only place in the whole school accessible at all hours during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While combat preparation is the primary aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their food is poor, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the personnel have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Regulations

Students are governed by a strict set of rules, which, on one hand, we would anticipate from a military school, but on the other seems strangely amusing. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student can be dismissed if they fall behind in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is truly worried about its students’ relationships. The school formally suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is romantic relationships, not fighting with weapons and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

Greater Than Only Aesthetics

Starting with the elegant advanced design of the building to the contradictions and questionable practices of the school, there are numerous elements of Balamb Garden to appreciate. We all like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden serves to remind us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than just good looks.