Final Fantasy VIII vs Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy VIII is a JRPG open-world game from Square (1999) while Final Fantasy XV is an action-RPG game from Square Enix (2016).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy VIII has the higher Metacritic, 90 to 85.
Final Fantasy XV
What each one is
Final Fantasy VIII is filed under JRPG and Open-World. In contrast, Final Fantasy XV under Action-RPG.
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...
Final Fantasy XV is a 2016 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main installment of the Final Fantasy series, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2016, Windows in March 2018, and as a launch title for Stadia in November 2019. The game features an open world environment and action-based battle system, incorporating quick-switching weapons, elemental magic, and other features such as vehicle travel and camping. The base campaign was later expanded with downloadable content (DLC), adding stand alone story content and further gameplay options such as additional playable characters and multiplayer.
Story, characters and reception
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)
Plot
Setting Final Fantasy XV takes place on the Earth -like world of Eos, which is divided between four nations: Lucis, Accordo, Tenebrae and Niflheim. Lucis, occupying a whole landmass, possesses a magical artifact known as the Crystal, gifted to the reigning Caelum dynasty by the world's deities in antiquity and accessed through the hereditary Ring of the Lucii. Accordo, located in the southern part of Eos, is an island nation formed through a union of… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy XV Promotional artwork featuring the core and supporting cast of Final Fantasy XV and its expanded media The game's protagonist is Noctis Lucis Caelum ( Ray Chase / Tatsuhisa Suzuki ), the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Lucis, who loses his father in the Niflheim invasion. Noctis is accompanied on his journey throughout the world of Eos by his three friends: Gladiolus Amicitia ( Chris Parson / Kenta Miyake ), the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy XV has received "generally favorable" reviews from critics for all versions, according to review aggregator Metacritic . Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave both versions of the game a score of 38 points out of 40. Various game designers stated Final Fantasy XV was their favorite game of 2016, including Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi , Atlus ' Shigeo Komori, Koei Tecmo 's Takashi Morinaka, and Sony Interactive… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Final Fantasy VIII | Final Fantasy XV | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.5/10 | — |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (88%, 9,497) | — |
| Critic aggregate | 90/100 | 85/100 |
| Price | $11.99 | Unknown |
| Install size | 4 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | Untested |
| Released | 1999 | 2016 |
| Developer | Square | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy VIII vs Final Fantasy XV, 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 VIIIJRPG open-world gameFinal Fantasy XVAction-RPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final Fantasy VIIIJRPG, RPG, ClassicFinal Fantasy XVNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Final Fantasy VIII ✓Metacritic 90Final Fantasy XVMetacritic 85Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy VIII9,497 reviews · 4 GBFinal Fantasy XV—Reach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final Fantasy VIII$11.99Final Fantasy XVUnknownRead live from Steam and subject to change.
Final Fantasy VIII takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: Final Fantasy VIII (Metacritic 90)
Where they differ
JRPGRPGClassicSingleplayerGreat SoundtrackTurn-Based
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy VIII is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy XV is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy VIII | Final Fantasy XV | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | DirectX 9.0c compatible card | — |
| Minimum CPU | 1Core CPU 2GHz | — |
| Minimum RAM | 1 GB | — |
| Install size | 4 GB | — |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy VIII · Final Fantasy XV.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 2 accessibility features for Final Fantasy VIII and 0 for Final Fantasy XV. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy XV in scope?
Final Fantasy VIII has drawn 9,497 Steam reviews and installs in 4 GB. Final Fantasy XV lists little scope data.
Is Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy XV better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy XV?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy XV?
Final Fantasy VIII has the higher Metacritic, 90 to 85. 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.