Rating: 
Summary: As good as it gets.
Review: This Strategy Guide is the best one I have ever used. Every aspect of the game was covered to the limits. From secret items and side quests, to the complete junction and refining charts, to the unbelievably exhaustive bestiary, this Guide was 99% flawless. The few faults lie in the few secret items (Ribbon) and GF items (Moogle and Moomba), in that they give no explaination of where you can get them. Which I suppose leaves a few surprises to explore on our own. And of course, God Bless David Cassady for leaving the Final Fight to us to figure out(depending on what kind of player, you are this could be a problem). The maps in the back of the book were kind of hard to follow, partictularly the one's for Deling City/Sewer, Esthar, and Lunatic Pandora. But, if you can follow a line, you're golden. Overall, I'd say the this book is perfect. It is setup in such a way that you don't need the walk-through to actually get use out of the Guide. For those of you who complain about the story line being revealed, this is a BIG plus.
Rating: 
Summary: Its okay.
Review: I LOVE Final Fantasy 8. Its a great game. The stratagy guide was great while the first time playing the game. Although some things were confusing, I didn't really think about it. Later I noticed the millions of typos and missleading information. It seems to me, the people who wanted this book out, didn't care if it wasn't done. When it comes to important items (like the Moon Stone, which I still haven't found for Irvine's best weapon) you haven't a clue where to get them. And basic informaiton (like, who is Zell's GF) you never can find out in the book. I still use the book every time I play FF8, but I have also replaced all the wrong information I've found within the book with the correct ones. This book was very helpful, and I liked having the pictures of the game, where I could see if I was doing things correctly. This book would have been better if the editor had payed more attention to his job!
Rating:
Summary: Everything you need to know
Review: Exhaustive is probably the word I use to describe this book. Everything, and I mean everything, is in this book. Detailed walk-throughs make sure you don't get lost or left behind. The beastiary is incredible, and the help with the card game is invaluble. A must if you think you missed something the first time around (because, believe me, you did).
Rating: 
Summary: Almost perfect
Review: An excellent guide for an outstanding game. Since it is simply impossible to do everything in this wonderful game without a guide, you have to buy one. This guide is almost perfect. I especially liked that the author went to great pains to give the essential tips without spoiling the surprises or turning the actual playing of the game into an exercise in carrying out the guide's instructions (a real problem with the FFVII guide). So, since this was the guide's goal, I was willing to put up with some ambiguity and the occassionally odd placements of information - I had to read pretty far ahead sometimes to avoid missing crucial tips or else I missed out on things. The only truly bad part of the book is the area maps: they are incomplete and the way they are laid out is almost incomprehensible. Fortunately, you shouldn't need them often. Of small consequence, but occasionally very frustrating, there are some factual errors in the guide (perhaps things that were changed in the game after they were written in) but this is a pretty minour glitch - overall the book is much better on accuracy than most guides. The real high point of the guide - apart from having a thorough walk-through that doesn't spoil the game's surprises - is the appendix, especially the bestiary and lists of cards and items. I found these indispensible and, while the FFVII guide's bestiary was almost useless, here it is comprehensive and easy to use. On the whole, this guide is very, very good. It will enhance your enjoyment of the game rather than spoiling it. I don't have time to play a game this big twice - or spend the rest of my life hunting for hints about side quests and extras - so a guide is an essential tool for me. That said, I was entirely satisfied with this guide and would not hesitate to recommend it to others.
Rating:
Summary: A great guide for a great game
Review: This is a great guide for anyone needing help in Final Fantasy VIII. I played to the end of the first disc without the guide. After I got it, the guide showed me all of the things that I had missed. This guide was very helpful near the end of the game, where I couldn't solve a couple of puzzles by myself. I wouldn't have found all of the guardian forces without the walkthrough. I didn't mind that the area maps are at the back of the book because I would know what to do without knowing exactly where to go to do it. The item lists are a big plus, especially for getting all of the items in the game. In all, this guide helped me a lot with Final Fantasy VIII.
Rating:
Summary: A Top Gaming Value
Review: Most players suspect that using game guides is cheating. And in some cases, that is undeniably true. But in an RPG as large as Final Fantasy VIII the effect is exactly the opposite. Instead, the guide functions more like a travel guides, making sure you know all the cool places to visit, and providing maps. The remove some of the irritations, help in planning, and improve the overall experience. It is quite possible to get through FF8 in less that 50 hours with goot strategy and a bit of luck. Some people no doubt do, and think they've really experienced the game. Others get bogged down by a complicated puzzle sequence and miss an important feature and become frustrated when they can't complete the game. This guide is designed to alleviate just these problems, and enhance the entire gaming experience. If you actually tried to do everything the guide covers playing time could go over 120 hours, making FF8 three times the game you thought it was. The guide also makes an effort to clear up some of the poor (or non-existent) explanations of useful game features. And yes, there are clues and explanations for those of us who aren't capable of reading the minds of our consoles, So I would recommend the guide to any new owner of FF8. Whether you follow it religiously or just keep it handy as a reference I think you will feel it's well worth the price. It has all the charts and item lists, full details about characters and character building, and all the other paraphernalia that will enhance any enthusiast's experience.
Rating:
Summary: A great guide to a great game
Review: This guide is very careful about telling you just what to do. And that is one of its few problems. It tells you JUST WHAT TO DO. It doesn't give you a little shove in the right direction, it tells you what to do, where to go, and how to do it. I think game guides should hint, not scream. Next problem: some of the things it tells you to do are somewhat impossible. Like get 10 Holy Wars? That's damn near impossible. But, besides that, it's good except that it gives you no hints whatsoever on the final battle (which is hard UNLESS you know what to do. If you have the right strategy, it's simple as pie). The pictures in this are beautiful. It's good quality, hard to destroy. Overall, a good buy.
Rating:
Summary: Essential companion to the game
Review: If your like me and played the FF games in order and are used to the style of the FF7 guide, your in for a world of change. This time the guide is divided into help areas and no longer "tells". This can be annoying at first if your used to the guide for 7, but quickly becomes a vast improvement over the other. It doesn't give away the story and I found it always helped when I needed it. The only thing I don't like about it is that its easy to pass items along the way because the game doesn't inform you that they are there. For example, you have to keep checking the card guide in the back to make sure that you are getting the cards as they become available. Just looking at the walkthrough doesn't always let you know when an important card is within your reach.
Rating:
Summary: Final Fantasy VIII: Official Strategy Guide
Review: This is an AWESOME guide for anyone needing help with Final Fantasy VIII.I played through the entire game without the guide,it was difficult,but victory was mine.When I finally got my guide home,I discovered all of the things that I had missed.I then played FF8 through for the second time ,and I was a much more powerful character.This guide helped me throughout the entire game.Let me start off by saying,when you look at this guide,you'll notice the format to be a bit different from others you have seen.The detailed walkthrough is broken down into smaller pieces to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for,and to help you get a better sense of the overall picture.You're provided with a list of the important objectives at each stage of the game,which keeps the text to the point,and prevents the plot from being given away.As you read a section of the guide,you know exactly what you need to do,without knowing anything about the surrounding plot lines.When you're getting started,read the game basics section for a quick refresher on the mechanics of the Final Fantsy world.In the character section,you'll learn about each character's limit break and weapons,and everything you need to know about each of the major players in FF8.A section that will come in handy is the complete list of items,which provides you with information on how you can use and refine the various items into other items and magic spells.My advise is to keep the items section close by!Of course in the walkthrough you have absolutely everything you need to not only beat,but destroy the game,and it's extremely easy to follow!Those of you that are familiar with Final Fantasy know about summoning creatures to aid you in battle.FF8 introduces Guardian Forces,and takes this idea to the next level.They not only help you in battle,but determine nearly everything about your character.An everyday mercenary can now be turned into a legendary hero through the art of Junctioning.Fianl Fantasy VIII also introduces the brand new draw system,check out the magic section in this guide and learn about the new spells and effects.FF8's built-in card game is called Triple Triad,learn more about it in the card game section.It's not only a fun game,but it could make a huge difference in how fast you build up you party,and plus you'll find out how to get every rare card that the game has.Check out the side quests and secrets section,because FF8 has more than ever,such as the hidden Deep Sea Research Center.I recommend reading the card game and side quests/secrets sections thoroughly,as each will impact the overall adventure.The bestiary has anything and everything you could possibly want to know,you'll even learn which monsters can boost your favorite character's stats using tthe new Devour ability.Finally,if you're having trouble finding your way around,the map section will guide you through and make it easier to find hidden draw points and secret rooms.Along with gorgeous illustrations,this guide is well written,informative,and detailed.To sum it up,although this guide will help you get through the game,the fun of the game is discovering new things and figuring out the game on your own.So go back to the guide when you need it,but consider playing through the game once on your own before using this guide.Enjoy this guide,but enjoy FF8 even more!Overall this guide was great in all areas,it has anything and everything you need to know about Final Fantasy VIII.TWO THUMBS UP!!
Rating:
Summary: Not just for cheating
Review: I bought this guide and was accused of "cheating" by one of my friends. Actually, I suppose I was, though the first time I played the game I resisted the temptation to simply "play by the book." It was difficult, but I was victorious. Needless to say, the second time I played through, I was a stronger, more powerful character. While them not giving away every secret on every page for just the casual reader, it was frustrating to have to read almost fifty pages ahead to find something out. Additionally, sometimes the lack of information hindered rather than helped. Most of the maps were excellent, though not all of the displays were accurate enough for my taste. Additionally, the binding is rather flimsy and the book, with extensive use, would literally come to shreds. I did not notice any great amount of typos or misspellings in the guide, as one reviewer pointed out. Finally, I will say that one advantage is this guide is more or less compatible with both the PlayStation and PC versions (with the exception of which buttons to push).
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