Vehicles

To get around the Final Fantasy VIII world, you need quite a few different types of vehicle! In total, there are a total of seven methods of transport. Which include cars, trains, a Galbadian Army Jeep, a Balamb Submarine, the Ragnarok and chocobos.

As crazy as it sounds, yes, Balamb Garden, Galbadia Garden and Trabia Garden alike, are all capable of flight and travel on the sea! When the missile attack against Balamb is iminent, and you’ve defeated Master Norg, Squall realises Balamb can actually move. It breaks away from its earthen foundations hovers until it reaches water, where by it sails like a ship.

The one and only time you get to ride the Balamb submarine/vessel, is when Squall and Co. go on their first mission to prove they have what it takes to be SeeD’s. Taking you from Balamb Harbour, these vessels are extremely strong and have the armouring to break through solid port walls. The cabin sits below the waterline and the vessels boasts a very useful manually operated machine gun on top. The one Quistis uses to save Squall.

Chocobo’s are back again. This time round you have to trick the mother into coming down in a chocobo forest, as she will get ‘nervous’ when one chicobo is on it´s own. Once you´ve managed to bring out the fretting mother chocobo, you can mount her and ride anywhere on land, and even over some shallow parts of the ocean. Be careful though, if you ride right into the middle of a desert and accidently hit X, Squall will dismount and your chocobo will run away, leaving you stranded to walk.

You get to use the Galbadian Army Jeep/armoured car when you escape from the D-District prison. However, you only control the vehicle as Selphie. It drives just like a car, the only difference is that it’s used by the Galbadian army. As Selphie, you are given access to the Missile Base to try and stop the missiles launching. You also get to see Laguna driving one during one of Squall’s lapses into the past.

The Raganok is a spaceship made by Estar. A truly awesome looking pacecraft, you first come across it when Squall rescues Rinoa from outer space and they take refuge there to survive. At this stage you can’t control the Ragnarok. Once you’ve landed and Rinoa is taken to be locked away, Selphie takes it upon her self to be pilot and you can fly around. You are also able to control it on the third and fourth disk if you run to Cactaur Island to find it.

The most common and easiest way to get around large land masses is by a car. As long as you have purchased fuel (3 000 Gil per unit) you can rent a car and go anywhere you please. Pretty basic, but it saves you having to walk to places like the Tomb of the Unknown King. The first time you travel in a car during the game is on your way to Balamb Harbour.

Though at no stage do you get to actually control them yourself, you do however travel via trains a fair bit. There are railways to each major location/city on the world map. There are even railways under the sea, like the one from Balamb Island. To ride a train anywhere, you simply need to purchase a train ticket (3 000 Gil). One of your missions with Rinoa also involves the trains at Timber.