the best examples of the innocent relationship" based on how subtle it was. IGN UK also ranked the pair as one of the best romances in Final Fantasy and gaming in general. On the other hand, Charlie Barratt of GamesRadar listed her as an example of "lazy character cliches". Ashley Reed of GamesRadar criticized the over-reliance of Rinoa's character on the damsel in distress cliche, alongside other traits that made the character unlikable. Brett Elston, also from GamesRadar, believed her character was too stereotypical. Elston opined that the couple's relationship was a "most forced, uninteresting romance" comparing them to the main cast from the film Attack of the Clones. IGNs Jeff Lundigran criticized that they did not express their feelings until late in the game and that players expected more romance from the game's promotional images. Reflecting on the divisive reception received, Flores from Paste Magazine called them the most misunderstood characters in the Final Fantasy series. A popular fan theory about the game was that the overarching antagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, Ultimecia, is Rinoa from the future. Reed also included the theory of Rinoa being Ultimecia on the list of top nine lingering plotlines in video games. According to Glenn Morrow of RPGamer, most of the arguments in favor of it have potential but also opined that the theory is "in no way" plausible. Kitase debunked this theory when interviewed during the PAX West 2017 event, conceding that while there are similarities, such as both being sorceresses, they are not the same person. Legacy According to Official PlayStation Magazine, "the Final Fantasy VIII characters have certainly been embraced by the Japanese gaming public. At the Tokyo Game Show [1999], there were hundreds of people dressed up as Final Fantasy VIII characters," including Rinoa. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima said, "it is scary to think about the impact that a game can give to the society." Art director Yusuke Naora also said that "I sometimes really admire them for the time, energy, and money they spent on the costumes." Rinoa, an English post-metal group active from 2007 to 2010, was named after the Final Fantasy character. The 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World includes a dream sequence referencing a similar scene involving Squall and Rinoa at the end of the game. In 2011, American beauty YouTuber Michelle Phan made a tutorial on how to recreate Rinoa Heartilly's make-up. The