Yes it is. We’re going to come right out and say it. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is E3’s most shocking reveal. Nobody saw this coming, not with Square Enix’s cavalier attitude about it for the past few years.

For years, Square Enix has treated the game like anathema. Repeatedly passing it over to remake or remaster earlier titles.

No longer!

Final Fantasy VIII is finally getting its time back in the spotlight! We got goosebumps when we first heard the familiar ‘Fithos’ line from Fithos Lusec Wecos Venosec!

We don’t know the reason it’s been getting the shaft all these years (maybe it has to do with licensing of Eyes on Me?) but we’re glad that it’s been sorted and the game’s finally getting a modern update.

While FFVII didn’t meet with a great reception at launch, opinion on the game has pretty much mellowed out and it’s now regarded as a solid entry in the series, despite its weird ‘Draw’ mechanics, which forced you to drain spells and summons out from enemies you fight.

If past Final Fantasy remasters are anything to go by, this one should come with some gameplay enhancements too; 3x speed, 9999 damage, invincibility/ limit breaks activated and no encounters toggles.

3x is especially handy as it weirdly also speeds up the loading times! Thinking back, I have no idea how I sat through FFVII and FFIX loads back during the PS1 era. This should also make playing Triple Triad MUCH faster.

Sadly, there’s no release date for it other than a vague 2019 so hopefully it’ll come soon, rather than later.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will come to every platform under the sun; PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One. No word if owners of the earlier PC version get a discount but it’s unlikely.

Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.