Underrated game. Underrated OST.

One of the must iconic openings I've ever seen.

The absolute best track from FF8 is without a doubt the final boss theme "The Extreme." In fact the final boss is a four piece act which contains "the premonition," "The Legendary Beast", "Maybe I'm a Lion" and finally "The Extreme." I would highly recommend listening to these in order. it's an arrangement that rivals "Dancing Mad" from FF6.

The reason there's a disturbing cord and an almost-embrace is because that's detailed in the plot of the game. You don't know how these two people are going to get together, but you know they're somehow fated to cross paths. You don't know if they're going to embrace. So it works I think as a kind of musical cliffhanger to put audience expectations upon. Obviously, they do get together, and I'd chalk it up to one of the better video game romance plots to ever have been penned.

This piece absolutely knocked me off my chair back when I first played it. Never has there been a more epic intro to a game Like could you imagine an E3 at a SE stage for the lights to out and then after a moment of silence... "Fithos" I for one would lose my mind. Tis the most deserving of a remake

Fithos Lusec Wenos Venosec is an anagram of Succession of Witches with the word Love thrown in. Uematsu (who actually has a degree in English) liked that the words sounded vaguely Latin.

This opening and “The Landing” are one of the best Tracks on the game with “Compression of Time” too.

Easily one of the greatest songs of all time. FF8 is one of my favorite games of all time the story is incredibly beautiful. Also whoever edited the opening cutscene to go with the music was masterful

I think that micro tone is used to give a motif to the villain’s unsettling nature.

FFVIII started my love for OSTs/Instrumental/orchestra when I was a child and heard THIS track for the first time ("find your way" sealed the deal.) Until this day I listen to Nobuo Uematsus master pieces every day. (Player is on shuffle and Uematsu tracks come up all the time)

I get the impression that there's people beating down Davi's door to talk about anything FF. (they're right, this is great)

Uuuuuuuhhhhh. Liberi Fatali. Legendary. The way Uematsu coordinated the piece is nothing short of impressive. But despite the changes in keys, the whole progression is logical. It's... likely that Uematsu took all the different keys he used and saw them as the... "ruling cords" that define the overarching harmony of the piece. And then, he arranged the individual cord progression of the parts composing each 'movement' of the piece so that they not only play their own individual melodies (with their own twists and turns), but so that the sum of their individual progressions smoothly transition to the part dominated by the next key. Quite literally, from my perspective, the piece, which is a single, coherent piece of beautiful, epic music... also happens to contain within itself several individual pieces, all working together for the greater, more amazing result IN THE SPAN OF 3 MINUTES AND 12 F*CKING SECONDS!! THAT... is a master at work. I would love to suggest you check other great Uematsu tracks, such as FF8's 'The Legendary Beast', FF6's 'Fierce Battle', FF5's 'Clash on the Big Bridge', FF9's 'Skirmish of the Silver Dragon'... or what I like to consider Uematsu's magnum opus, FF6's 'Dancing Mad'. There is even an impressive analysis of 'Dancing Mad' made by KZfaqr 8-bit Music Theory, which goes into many of Uematsu's tricks to build and manipulate emotion with his music. I know that it would be delight for you. And unlike an amateur like me, you would surely spot a whole plethora of cool things I can scarcely imagine. Even if you don't play the games.

Between Uematsu and Soken, FF music's have truly been blessed

The best part about this song is that it actually gives away some major plot twists early, but those are spoilers that the audience would never be able to understand unless you really know your Latin, so it's an absolute genius move to clue in the audience as subtly as possible/give some cool details to someone during a second run, but also for those playing blind who DO know Latin it'll probably get the theory gears turning in their head. XD

No joke, I heard this song a small handful of times when I was 12 watching my friend play the game and it stuck with me for life. Amazing song

Thanks for covering this track Davi! It is easily one the first and best tracks that come to my mind when I think of Final Fantasy. Especially since this was my first FF game!

I've been waiting for this for a long time Glad someone has finally requested it FF8 is my top favorite game

My favourite FInal Fantasy, a lot of great music in this one.

This is without question my favourite song from any game. The whole soundtrack is unbelievable, but this one really can't be topped IMO.

"Masterful" & "legendary" my favorite takes you had. Excellent

I remember so vividly when my sister bought FF8 for her birthday, the cinematic intro was jaw dropping! This song is so dear to my heart, thank you for your reaction video on it, it's always a treat!!

I’ve been waiting for this!! Amazing video as always! FF8 has an amazing opening, along with this great piece. It has the power to instantly draws you into the world of the game. I still remember being blown away when I first heard this. It gives me a cold sensation, while giving me dramatic or emotional vibes, that always makes me shiver. This sense of foreboding is so perfect for the world-building of the game, and it feels like the dizzying build up of this piece expresses the concept of time and space in FF8. When I finished the game and knew the lyrics, it hit more deeply. Thank you, Davi. I really enjoyed this!!!

This is my favorite one from ff8. "Premonition" and "the castle" are also great tracks from this game. Final fantasy franchise is so good, a lot of good music

FFVIII was my first RPG that i've ever played, and really first RPG i ever heard of. So when i saw this opening, i was enthralled. Over the years, i've played many many rpg's and games, and this soundtrack is still my favorite. I've gone deep dives into a lot of the FF soundtracks and other game OSTs, but this one, i think, is the best. I absolutely love how many of the games tracks take the game's main song "Eyes on me" and uses it as a motif in many tracks. Love grows being one of my favorites. A deep dive into this OST would a blast. I recommend "The Extreme", "The Landing", "Eyes on me", "The man with the machine gun", "Never look back", "Breezy". "The stage is Set", "Only A Plank Between One And Perdition", "The Spy", "The Legendary Beast", "Fisherman's Horizon"... ok ill stop.. haha But also, the piano tracks companion soundtrack is incredible, my favorite being "Silence and Motion".

This is a personal favorite. I love how it opens with the sword falling out of the sky ^_^

You brought back so many memories. Felt so emotional all over again.

I am a music teacher in public school. I am actually doing a teaching unit about the music of FFVIII. The students are having the option of creating their own gaming music. So much fun! :)

4:50 start from first lightning sfx they do it in rhythm. That create such a good fork of attention in my opinion. Some audience might focus less on the song and more on what s going on on the screen. it bring both perception together. Thank you for bring me to re appreciate this. not only the song but such a great composited media.

I get that One Winged Angel has hundreds of analysis on youtube, but I'd love to see your perspective. It might be the most iconic game track ever

Amazing FF8 tune. Thank you for your breakdown on it, I never knew it was so complex and so many key changes

Final Fantasy 8 was my first FF game back then. I bought the PS1 only for this game after watching a friend of mine playing it and it's still one of my absolute favorite FF games till this day. In my opinion Liberi Fatali is a masterpiece by one of the greatest game composers ever. It's so epic with the intro cinematic. FF music in general is just SO good. Your reaction videos on the FF soundtracks are very interesting. I really enjoy watching all of them. :) I think it would also be interesting if you mentioned which chords you're playing when analysing the video and also which keys the song is written in since you mentioned they changed a lot.

His comment about the ending of the song being disturbing and tragic is very accurate to the ending of the story.. It's arguable that there is no actual ending for FF8 because of the looping nature of the succession of sorceresses. (edit) Involving the girl you see in the cutscene, it seems like everyone is trapped forever in an endless cycle.

Will never forget the intro of FF8 because of Liberi Fatali... still have gosebumps from that time after 30 years

This song was my very first introduction into final fantasy in my childhood. It made me love final fantasy and everything with it. This song just hits so perfectly

Shiro Hamaguchi did the orchestration though of Liberi Fatali. You can hear it in Ah My Goddess The Movie's soundtrack. Shiro Hamaguchi also did the orchestration for the orchestral numbers in FF9. Nobuo wasn't alone.

YEEEEEEES One of the most iconic pieces of music in gaming history. No matter what you feel about FFVIII as a whole, you can't deny that this song is a masterpiece and the way he flows with the opening cinematic is perfect. If you want to appreciate this track even more, watch a Distant Worlds concert version. Seeing it performed live really showcases just how technically difficult it is. If you haven't already heard it, you should listen to the Distant World's version of "Dancing Mad" from Final Fantasy VI. Easily his magnum opus. Phenomenal track.

Love your work. Please do more Final Fantasy content.

omg his face upon hearing the first bit of vocals was so good

Liberi Fatali is amazing. You should also react to Baten Kaitos Origins - Le Ali del Principio. Another amazing track.

You're passionate about music, even more so than your brother, whom I adore. I love the beauty of your soul. You are charming 🫶. Fearless is so much. I love you. Merci 🙏

One of key to know Nobuo Uematsu composition, for me as Fan of the games (I play FF 7 8 9), is that chord progression and hold. he love doing a specific note in repetition and change it to minor to bring dark feel, and major if the song feel light feel. her really use simple notes but somehow he able to make it as a song that had dynamic that feel really smooth & theatrical. He also famously change key speed in specific timing for to emphasize important moments, he often do it in most of Final Fantasy songs.

I've never played this game, but as soon as the beach appeared in the video, I recognized it. At the first note, I realized where I knew it from: Dead Fantasy 4 used this song.

I was wondering when you'd cover this one. This one is so famous that it made it into an olympic synchronized swimming. Thank for this, this one is very close to heart, first FF I've ever played xD

This is why I love hearing different reactions. I have never heard someone point out the off tune intro. It gives it a little tension and really has a wild effect. This is my favorite FF song ever. Easy subscribe. Love the video.

great video. i love ff8's music its some of the best ff has ever done. one thing id like to point out is the use of nonmusical sounds to help drive the tune home. when the feather goes up and comes swooping back down, if you notice the swoosh sound of the blade compliments the singing and the steely ring as it hits the ground drives that verse to its conclusion. its a masterful use of sound that i noticed on my first play through oh so many MANY years ago.

No way!! I was waiting for some FF8 videos! I love the soundtrack from this game

This game has such good music and cut scenes for a ps1 game. I loved it. And i really liked watching your break down of everything. I like your explanation about the very end of the song, and yeah it makes sense, the sound does have a kind of sad feeling to it, a kind of unease. And the game definitely has a lot of emotional points, some work, some flop, but i like the game.

Love this breakdown Davi!! ❤❤❤ This is one of my favorite themes Uematsu ever wrote, it's incredible and dare I say on a different level from anything I've ever heard from him. Hope you have been well and happy holidays to you!!!!!

From the game I really like, the oath. And I also like love grows from the piano collections. I spent over 100hrs playing this game as a kid. One summer. And when I went back to school my teacher asked us what we had done. And I told him I’d spent all summer playing this game until I completed it. He wasn’t impressed to the point he said something to my mam about it

Not sure if important, but *spoilers* warning for FF8's Story/Theories. It is so interesting how you broke down the end of this song! I had never thought about it but it makes so much sense because this game and the protagonist's relationship never had a clear and positive resolution. From what we can derive from the story of the game is that the time of the game will keep repeating, as the FMC becomes the sorceress and the time will keep looping as she might actually become Ultimecia. SE never made the ending to this game clear, it's a time paradox and by nature disturbing and without resolution. How can there be so much intention and insight hidden away in music.. absolutely fascinating! I love this game and this song, and have never noticed this until you broke it down like this! Thank you for your musical insight!

i stand with you... 06-august 2023

Oh you're doing that one! great!

Amazing song. Nobuo got my heart ❤

The last 30 minutes of this game is total Emerson Lake & Palmer which is my favourite band & my favourite game music ever. & Faye Wong ❤

These were excellent observations. I love this content as a recording artist and music teacher, and composer who also worships Uematsu’s Incredible body of work

This has to be one of the best pieces of game music ever! The memory of seeing this game opening for the first time is burnt in my brain! So many memories

Damn, never thought I'd see you reacting to Final Fantasy, awesome video!

音楽から物語の核心にまで迫っていてすごい！ 最後に抱きしめている女性はヒロインのリノアでもあり、ラスボスのアルティミシアでもあると言われてます。

All my love to Uematsu but I also want to give credit to the art direction and animators for this master piece. As a kid the opening was properly epic and I loved watching it but especially the end with Squall and Rinoa about to embrace and it ends before they do, and the music giving absolutely no clues about what happened, I was hooked. I had to play the game now, because I had to know. “Maybe” wasn’t a satisfying answer.

This was the first final fantasy I ever played. It blew me away then and it still dose. I think it was just as good as 7

Ah my favorite game 😭. So glad to see someone appreciating it.

Indeed final fantasy 8 is by all means a love story

I know this is up to patrons so this is my plea to them: I want to hear Davi's takes on Yoko Shimomura work in Kingdom Hearts

This and Attack on Dollett were my favorite tracks from this game!

I satill chills every time I see and hear that intro. This is the soundtrack of my childhood. FF8 OST is a masterpiece.

best final fantasy intro of all time easily

This is one of the openings of all time

You covering final fantasy absolutely made my day! I would suggest you check out Arcanum of steamworks and magicka obscura soundtrack… especially the main theme!

I highly recommend listening to "Mono No Aware" from Final Symphony II. It's a 22 minute long symphonic suite of FFVIII that opens with Liberi Fatali. For sure, Final Symphony I and II are the Albums relating to the series music.

I went to see the distant worlds orchestra yesterday and this was the opening song, all I can say is I lost my mind and I can’t stop thinking about it

You should absolutely check out some music from Final Fantasy XIV! Masayoshi Soken has truly reached the level of Uematsu and has even created new version of a lot of his work for FFXIV! Some of my favorite tracks from FFXIV are "Promises to Keep" or "Flow Together"!

Not my favorite FF, but the intro, OMFG, still on another level..!

Could you do God Shattering Star from Fire emblem: Three Houses next? It's an amazing opera song, and the final boss theme of one of the routes, and I would like to hear your analysis of it.

Yesss final fantasy content!! I'd love to recomend Dancing Mad from Final Fantasy 6 for a breakdown, it has so much to it that I think it'd be so cool!

Amazing song by an amazing composer. It’s songs like this that have me fired up for the new theaterhythm final fantasy game in Feb. Rhythm game + amazing music = bliss. Especially since it includes Bravely Default a a ton of other RPGs now because that adds REVO to the mix.

If you haven't played FF, then I think it would be really interesting for you to cover some old SNES Final Fantasy songs. Like FF6 "Coin Song", or "Another World of Beasts". If you do a few, you will certainly start noticing the leitmotifs going around them... like how you may find part of the "Coin Song" in "Edgar and Sabin", or parts of "Forever Rachel" in "Locke" (both of which are extremely emotional for whoever has played the game -- but are very easy to miss if the person is not paying attention)

Hi Davi! Happy New Year! Thanks for doing this channel, I have been having a blast watching your videos and learning a lot. I hope this new year brings you nothing but success. Take care out there!

I agree with your title of this video

Will you analyze Blue Fields? There is a lot of technical mastery going on in that one.

The stabbing notes that you mentioned are also a classic film motif used in Alfred Hitchcock’a Psycho for the stabbing murder scene. Strong parallels!

Amazing content Davi!!

This is unrelated to the video, but you should listen to some tracks from Hyrule Warriors (Definitive Edition). Every song on that OST is top notch. I would recommend Eclipse of the Sun

A great track. A pretty neat game. OST is so, so small-time stacked against 14. Music gods touch it update after update.

If I could recommend another game by Nobuo Uematsu that doesn't get enough love, please give Blue Dragon's OST a listen! It really is a gem

Final Fantasy VIII is undoubtedly peak Uematsu.

Great game, great song and great breakdown 😁

I do love Laguna's theme... "The Man With The Machine Gun"

i grow up with this video game

My favorite game of all time

I’m down for as much FF music analysis as you can throw at us

Edea's theme "Succession of Witches" is also an absolute chilling but fantastic piece of musical performance from FF8 The tragedy in the embrace from the cutscene is because Rinoa has just been shot in the back so it becomes a rescuing catch rather than a loving embrace and it is heartwrenching in the moment.

YEEEEEEEEEES LET'S GOOO I LOVE FINAL FANTASY 8 SO MUCH

I have this game on nintendo switch and man its epic

This was never in question. The man has been a legend for over 30 years now.

Final Fantasy 8 was always my favourite FF - this piece is basically burned into my brain and I actually had the pleasure to hear it performed by an actual orchestra at Video Games Live. Let me just say - it was a one in a lifetime experience. If you want to hear a different take on it by a conductor who's made some noticeable chances while still keeping it Final Fantasy, you should search for *FINAL FANTASY VIII by Nobuo Uematsu [Hollywood in Vienna 2017].* It's performed by the Philharmonia Chor Wien in a beautiful old theatre, it's definitely worth the watch, especially since they had to do it without the sound effects! Edit: just for a little flavour: *"Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec " is part of the lyrics of "Liberi Fatali", the opening theme of Final Fantasy VIII. The phrase "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" is an anagram of the phrases "Succession of Witches" and "Love", two of the main themes in the game, and not an actual phrase in Latin, like the rest of the lyrics.*

I agree nobuo uematsus is one of my favorite composers of all time With my favorite being yoko shimamora

Huh, the change in tones? I aint one for theory on music but this seems to fit well considering a major topic in game is how time and pace transforms and changes everyone and how it is a fate we just cannot escape but need to accept or else it consumes us. Meanwhile, there is something lurking beyond time that seems to connect specific people and events much how you describe those curious tones in the beginning. Hmmmm. This also adds in well with the video. Rinoa who could end up like Edea. Seifer and Squall having arguably the biggest and most intense rivalry in FF history. Seifer and Edea. They all relate to time. Seifer himself is a product who can't accept the transformation through time and rather chooses a path of destruction but loyalty cause he is stuck in time instead of letting go and move on. He is consumed by time, unable to change out of blind loyalty towards the past. And Rinoa, well, those who know the game know how this fits with her. Its all about the pace of time and transformation that comes with it. Much how you seem to describe the tones and pace seem to change. Its all time and the change it brings in all sorts of form.

Maybe an unpopular opinion but this is imo uematsu's magnum opus. So good Iirc this was played at the japan olympics opening cermonies

For me, the end sounded like they leave it in a suspenseful note to tease the player into the game as if it was a musical cliffhanger: do you want to know what all this means and what happens next? Stay tuned!

Hey Davi! I came across your content today and am super impressed and glad I did. I LOVE video game soundtracks and finding lo-fi versions of them on Spotify. I know you're swamped with requests probably, but consider checking out the Mario Galaxy soundtracks and Deltarune (Toby Fox). Have a wonderful New Year!