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The Final Fantasy franchise boasts numerous iconic places. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has earned a cherished place in players' hearts, and they love the unique quirks that make these worlds so remarkable. But, if one location that merits greater recognition than the rest, it is definitely 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

Before, let's address the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden turning into an flying vessel and escaping from a missile attack was pure cinema. This institution was not just designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a moving base that allows them to create new strategies and relocate, based on the demands of those in command. Many readily regard it as one of the coolest airship creations in the series, together with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and some of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The transformation of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in video game history.

The Initial Glimpse of a Brooding Home

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis leading Squall out of the medical wing, we get our first view of the location this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot begins from the ground of the school and rises to zoom in on the impressive scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels advanced, but also somehow heavenly. The curvy structures evoke a specifically late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Conversely, because of the gilded details on the building and the long beams of light coming from the immense glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden resembles a massive angel. It was created to be a tranquil place — too peaceful for an establishment that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

An Catchy Theme Song

Complementing the tranquility that the appearance of Balamb Garden suggests, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the dearest recollections I have from being a kid is walking around the central area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spouting water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The catch is that it continues playing in your head forever. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m compelled to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to make it stop playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Gentle melody that sticks in your mind
• Main hub with water features
• Nostalgic feelings for many players

The Intriguing Institution

Balamb Garden is intriguing as a location as well as an establishment. For starters, it accepts kids from 5 to 15 years old to transform them into mercenaries, but it looks like a giant church. There are a lot of military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less like a militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Ironic Motto

If you use the Balamb Garden Network via one of the game terminals, you find out that the credo of the academy is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I didn't have the impression that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, considering that the facility, where students encounter real monsters they can battle, is the only place in the entire school available at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While combat preparation is the key part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is poor, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the faculty have nothing else to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Regulations

Students are controlled by a rigid set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a military school, but conversely seems oddly humorous. First, 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 fall behind in their curriculum, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is truly concerned about its students’ relationships. The school formally suggests 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 fighting with weapons and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Only Good Looks

Starting with the refined futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and questionable practices of the institution, there are many features of Balamb Garden to appreciate. We all like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than only good looks.