Final Fantasy III vs Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy III is a JRPG RPG game from Square (1990) while Final Fantasy VIII is a JRPG open-world game from Square (1999).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy VIII has the higher Metacritic, 90 to 79.
What each one is
Final Fantasy III is filed under JRPG and RPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy VIII under JRPG and Open-World.
The original FINAL FANTASY III comes to life with completely new graphics and audio! A remodeled 2D take on the third game in the world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series! Enjoy the timeless story told through charming retro graphics.
It is a time of war. Galbadia, a Global Superpower, has declared war on Dollet, a country whose training academy is home to two personalities: the hot-headed Seifer and the 'lone wolf', Squall Leonhart. Both are equally at conflict with each other as their country is with Galbadia; to others, Squall appears lacking in team spirit, while...
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting and characters Final Fantasy III is set in an unnamed fantasy world protected by four elemental crystals. A millennium in the world's past, an ancient civilization based on a network of floating continents overused the power of light and triggered a disaster by upsetting the balance between light and darkness. This imbalance summoned the Cloud of Darkness, an entity which would return the world to nothingness. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Within its first week on sale, Final Fantasy III reportedly sold 500,000 copies. As of March 2003, the original Famicom game had shipped 1. 4 million copies in Japan, outselling the domestic releases of the previous two Final Fantasy games. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting and characters Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy VIII Most of Final Fantasy VIII is set on an unnamed fantasy world. The setting is highly European in design and features a blend of modern and futuristic locales. The planet contains five major landmasses, with Esthar, the largest, covering most of the eastern portion of the map. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy VIII received critical acclaim. In general, the game was compared favorably to its predecessors. Though questioning the game's lack of voice overs for its characters, Game Revolution praised its storyline and ending. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Final Fantasy III | Final Fantasy VIII | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (93%, 2,841) | Very Positive (88%, 9,497) |
| Critic aggregate | 79/100 | 90/100 |
| Price | $17.99 | $11.99 |
| Install size | 1 GB | 4 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | playable |
| Released | 1990 | 1999 |
| Developer | Square | Square |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy III vs Final Fantasy VIII, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Final Fantasy IIIJRPG RPG gameFinal Fantasy VIIIJRPG open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final Fantasy IIIRPG, JRPG, 2DFinal Fantasy VIIIJRPG, RPG, ClassicThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Final Fantasy IIIScore 7.5 · 93% on Steam · 79 criticFinal Fantasy VIIIScore 7.5 · 88% on Steam · 90 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy III2,841 reviews · 1 add-on · 1 GBFinal Fantasy VIII9,497 reviews · 4 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final Fantasy III$17.99Final Fantasy VIII ✓$11.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Final Fantasy III ✓VerifiedFinal Fantasy VIIIPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueFinal Fantasy III and Final Fantasy VIII on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Mobile
- Nintendo
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The cheaper right now: Final Fantasy VIII ($11.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Final Fantasy III (verified)
- Lighter on storage: Final Fantasy III (1 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Final Fantasy VIII (9,497 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPGJRPGSingleplayerAdventureFantasyNostalgiaRetroStory Rich
Where they differ
2DClass-BasedExplorationMagicPixel GraphicsParty-Based RPG
ClassicCard GameSci-fiOpen WorldRomanceAtmospheric
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy III is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy VIII is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy III | Final Fantasy VIII | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | DirectX 9.0c compatible card |
| Minimum CPU | — | 1Core CPU 2GHz |
| Minimum RAM | — | 1 GB |
| Install size | 1 GB | 4 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy III · Final Fantasy VIII.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 6 accessibility features for Final Fantasy III and 2 for Final Fantasy VIII. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy VIII in scope?
Final Fantasy III has drawn 2,841 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 1 GB. Final Fantasy VIII has drawn 9,497 Steam reviews and installs in 4 GB.
Is Final Fantasy III or Final Fantasy VIII better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Final Fantasy III rates higher (7.5 to 7.5). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy III or Final Fantasy VIII?
Final Fantasy VIII is cheaper right now at $11.99, against $17.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Final Fantasy III or Final Fantasy VIII?
Final Fantasy VIII has the higher Metacritic, 90 to 79. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.