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The FF series boasts numerous unforgettable settings. From Elfheim in the very first Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, each has found a special place in fans' hearts, who admire the distinctive quirks that make these areas so unique. However, if one setting that deserves greater praise than the rest, it is definitely Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its stunning design, but also for being a absolutely bizarre school.

The Pure Movie Moment

First, let's mention the obvious. Balamb Garden turning into an airship and escaping from a missile attack was pure cinema. This location was not only designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a traveling base that enables them to develop new strategies and move, depending on the demands of those in charge. Many easily consider it as one of the best airship designs in the franchise, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

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

The First View of a Brooding Sanctuary

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and see Quistis escorting Squall out of the infirmary, we get our initial look of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the floor of the school and rises to zoom in on the awe-inspiring size of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that appears advanced, but also somehow angelic. The rounded structures recall a specifically late ‘90s idea of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the gilded features on the building and the long trails of light emanating from the massive glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a giant angel. It was designed to be a tranquil place — excessively peaceful for an academy that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

The Unforgettable Melody

Matching the serenity that the appearance of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s theme song. One of the fondest memories I have from childhood is walking around the main area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spouting water, and listening to the lullaby-ish theme song. The problem is that it keeps playing in your head constantly. 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 end playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Soothing music that lingers in your mind
• Central area with water features
• Sentimental associations for countless players

A Fascinating Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location and also an organization. For starters, it accepts kids from 5 to 15 years old to turn them into mercenaries, but it looks like a enormous church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Paradoxical Slogan

If you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you learn that the motto of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I didn't have the impression that those teenagers training to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, considering that the facility, where students find real monsters they can battle, is the sole place in the entire school accessible at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the primary part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is awful, since students are consuming so many hot dogs that the faculty have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Tight Policies

Students are controlled by a strict set of rules, which, for one, we would expect from a military school, but conversely seems weirdly amusing. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they can’t leave their dorms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they fall behind in their studies, for violent acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It may not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely worried about its students’ relationships. The school formally suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true threat of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with gunblades and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Just Good Looks

From the delicate futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and debatable practices of the institution, there are numerous aspects of Balamb Garden to admire. Many of us like to tease Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than just good looks.