This is the best game ever. It's more than a game, it's more a way of life. It draws you in and you feel part of the whole gaming experience, something that Final Fantasy VIII fails to do. The storyline is immense, the characters are varied, there is a piloe, a dog type lion beast, a cat on a mog and an Ancient, unlike the sequel where everyone is a human. Materia collecting is fun, the fights are testing, the towns and destinations are varied, the world map is huge (until you get the Highwind) and the sub games are superb.