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This FF series boasts numerous iconic places. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a special place in fans' hearts, and they love the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these areas so remarkable. But, if one location that merits greater attention than the others, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its stunning design, but additionally for being a incredibly bizarre school.

The Pure Cinematic Scene

First, we must highlight the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden turning into an airship and escaping from a missile attack was pure cinema. This location was not only intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a moving base that allows them to create new tactics and relocate, depending on the needs of those in charge. Many readily regard it as one of the best airship designs in the series, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

This conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most memorable moments in gaming history.

The Initial Glimpse of a Gloomy Home

When we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first glimpse of the place this gloomy-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the ground of the school and ascends to zoom in on the staggering size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel futuristic, but also angelic. The flowing structures bring to mind a distinctly late ‘90s vision of how the future would look. Conversely, because of the golden features on the building and the extended beams of light emanating from the immense glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden looks like a massive angel. It was created to be a tranquil place — excessively peaceful for an institution that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

The Catchy Theme Song

Matching the serenity that the appearance of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest memories I have from my youth is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those fish statues spurting water, and listening to the lullaby-ish theme song. The problem is that it continues playing in your head constantly. Once it returns to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to end playing inside my head is to overdose of it.

• Gentle tune that sticks in your mind
• Central hub with fountain features
• Sentimental feelings for countless players

The Intriguing Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a setting and also an organization. For starters, it enrolls kids from five to fifteen years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it appears like a massive church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Contradictory Philosophy

When you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the game terminals, you learn that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. But, given that the training area, where students encounter real monsters they can kill, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at all hours during the day, perhaps that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the key aspect of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is terrible, since students are devouring so many hot dogs that the faculty have nothing else to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Rules

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 oddly funny. For example, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t 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 genuinely worried about its students’ relationships. The school formally advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real threat 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.)

More Than Just Aesthetics

From the refined advanced design of the building to the paradoxes and questionable decisions of the academy, there are countless elements of Balamb Garden to celebrate. Many of us like to make fun of Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than just surface appeal.