I actually loved Final Fantasy VIII a lot more then most of the other ones.
Not much so for the plot, but for the type of gameplay it offered, and things to accomplish on the side. I especially enjoyed the Junction System. Many did not think it was so much of use, but I was able to make some pretty decent combinations, which added a nice sort of strategic element to the battles. (That is until I obtained some Meltdown draws anyways..) The only thing I missed was purchasing weapons...I have no idea, I just love collecting weapons.
The story was good as well, but as DragoonKain said, sometimes some bits were rather out of place, like the orphanage thing, (Not that it has much to do with it, but to me the relationships of the characters, past and present, sort of felt like Archie meets Final Fantasy...) or in my opinion, Ultimecia messing up space and time...one would think they could have made such a thing a bit more on the ominous side..you know, more
real. The whole thing seemed like...hey, the whole world just got messed up somehow!!!...meh.
But overall, it was great. The first time I played, I spent 16 hours straight with the game..I missed my supper, and my father left it on the stove..,so at seven in the morning, I ate some cold rice and chicken straight out of the pots, heh.
Oh..and Seifer.
The character were great in personality, even if some things were odd at times.