Characters 'junction' GFs and those corresponding spells onto their bodies. GFs have their own growth paths, and although they can't be controlled in battle (as in X), they gain levels and can equip the magic you've found.These spells are stored in a quantified inventory. The Mana Meter is gone, so instead, your characters sap (or 'Draw') magic directly from enemies in battle or specific 'Draw Points' in towns and dungeons.VIII replaced all of it with Summon Magic (here known as Guardian Forces, or 'GFs'). Most JRPGs have separate systems that determine Character Levels, Equipment, Spell Lists, and so on. VIII took some major liberties with gameplay. The characters are more grounded than the previous ones, the fantasy elements are either toned-down or explained away with technobabble, and the world is not too different. Finally, the in-game technology is on par with modern-day Earth: Squall pockets an hourly wage instead of killing monsters for gold (you get a raise for passing SeeD exams), can rent cars along with chocobos, post on internet forums, read magazines to glean protips (seriously) or learn new moves, and play a Card Battle Game. Additionally, Square took the localisation process much more seriously: The company hired translators (both for English and the other European languages) to work alongside the Japanese development team as the game was being created, which is now pretty much standard procedure for Final Fantasy translations. On a cosmetic note, this is where Final Fantasy began to eschew the super-deformed characters traditionally found on overworlds and battle screens, paired with sophisticated animations, Motion Capture and cinematography starring their (at the time) photorealistic renders. In addition to various couples, the bonds between parents and children are examined, as well as between friends and siblings.

The other theme, the one used for marketing, is love. Unfortunately, human emotion cannot be repressed so easily. The main characters were taught from a young age to suppress their emotions and free will for the sake of the mission, and even had their memories erased in some cases. VIII deals with the conflict between childhood and being forced to 'grow up', and the nostalgia for a simpler past and the fear of an uncertain future that goes hand-in-hand with that.

Final fantasy xiii ost pandora