Remastered or original?

[StepwisePilot]

Ok, so I notice that steam here has both a remastered version of FF8, as well as a non-remastered version. Now, common sense would say that the remastered version is better, but sometimes companies screw it up.

So, which would be better to get?

[Koby]

Depends.

Original is fully moddable, so you can upgrade backgrounds, textures, etc... to higher resolution with fan mods, etc.

Remaster is still being decoded so that some of those mods will work. Plus the remaster took away some things such as full motion support. It also locked battle menus to 15fps, so stuff like Squalls limit break is a bit harder to do as the bar doesn't move as smoothly.

[Derfas]

PS1 for sure.

[Serafie1999AD]

Originally posted by Koby:

It also locked battle menus to 15fps, so stuff like Squalls limit break is a bit harder to do as the bar doesn't move as smoothly.

Are you sure that didn't happen in the original PC port as well? I've played FFVIII both on PSX and PC, and gunblade's trigger, Renzokuken and GF boosts are much easier to pull off on PSX, since the battle menus have a much higher frame rate.

Speaking of GFs, do Eden, Gilgamesh and other motion blur effects, such as Omega's Terra break and Ultimecia's final form, still kill the frame rate in the remastered version? In the 2013 port with enhanced graphics and 1080p resolution, those motion blur effects completely destroy the performance.

[marteljeanfrancois]

The music has better quality in the original...

[Forte224]

Originally posted by Koby:

Remaster is still being decoded so that some of those mods will work. Plus the remaster took away some things such as full motion support.

"Full motion support"? Are you referring to analog/360 degree movement? Because the old Steam version has that problem too. Unfortunately the only way you can play FF8 or FF9 with analog control is to play the PS1/PSN version.

[H]

Remastered is better than the original PC port. It's a bit pricier but this version is just overall way more user friendly and allows for more customization than the original PC version did.

The complaints for the Remastered have been odd frame locks (Which were in both the original PS1 and PC versions), "censorship", and the aspect ratio. All of these complaints don't hold any water with exception to the aspect ratio because the previous PC version is full screen. There is no censorship and the frame rate being locked to 15fps has always been a thing. The speed up changes battles to 30fps anyway.

[Hakuso]

Remastered has some edits that are kinda annoying, and lost some content, but has cheats built in to speed up your 753rd time playing the same game.

The remaster also doesn't have that obnoxious beyond broken Square Enix Launcher that VII & VIII still have here.

Don't think it's obnoxious?

Look at the recent Error 9000 threads in the forums of both games.

So, do you want an edited game with less content but cheats, or a broken mess that has everything in it and you need to mod in cheats?

[Vantezzle]

Missing content ? Maybe I should have purchased the original...

[Xerazal]

The original is moddable since it's been around for awhile. Has extra trainers built in. Doesn't display controller buttons properly unless modded. Has midi music, but easily modded to replace it either with ps1 tracks or even orchestrated stuff.

The remastered is moddable as well, but the files are still being decoded so mod support is very limited. Has ps1 music, which can't be modded yet. Buttons display properly without mods. Field backgrounds are further blurry compared to the original one. Character models are higher quality, though questionable art direction and the main cast are the only ones with the huge upgrade there.

Both remastered and original have a locked frame rate in battles, making timing based systems in combat a bit harder. I think this can be modded in the original (don't quote me on that) but the remastered, because it's still being figured out, isn't moddable in this regard.

Tbh, i'd just get the original and mod it. The remastere is a remaster, but barely. And because of the changed up file structure, it's not easy to fix it. It's another lazy square pc port. You're better off saving the cash and actually being able to fix the game, whereas the remastered version has problems you can't fix right now.

[Jinxxed]

I've read that this version of the game is censored. Like removing female anatomy from some characters. So considering you can use mods to make the original version better, there's really no point in getting the remaster on PC unless you can undo the censorship

[Avalanche_Rick]

Originally posted by Jinxxed:

I've read that this version of the game is censored. Like removing female anatomy from some characters. So considering you can use mods to make the original version better, there's really no point in getting the remaster on PC unless you can undo the censorship

It's really just 2 characters. Rinoa's old model from PS1 and PC had her top with a lower cut but the remaster model looks more accurate to how she looks in FMV cutscenes and CG promotion images. The other one is a summon where they hide her southern area. The summon is really the only thing I can understand being called "censorship" not Rinoa.

[Hakuso]

Original would be my pick, but this one doesn't have that obnoxious launcher, so it would be tempting if I didn't already own the better version just to skip their broken ancient moldering pile of DRM.

[Koby]

Originally posted by Jinxxed:

I've read that this version of the game is censored. Like removing female anatomy from some characters. So considering you can use mods to make the original version better, there's really no point in getting the remaster on PC unless you can undo the censorship

Totally blown out of the water. I can't even say the change was censorship since they didn't alter Shiva in any way....

Siren has more feathers drawn is all.

Comparison: https://i.imgur.com/O5z5XbQ.png

this is what people were in an uproar about...

[Skunk]

Squall looks worse in the remaster

[Atrum Ruina]

The original PC port is a mess. Not worthwhile. Its only benefit is that you can play the Chocobo World minigame. This is somewhat circumvented by the All Items cheat available in the Remaster.

The PS1 version is the most "complete" version. It has rumble support, 360 degree analog support, minimal censorship (Siren, primarily but things like Gerogero made it into the US version,) 60 FPS menus, etc.

The Remaster (as well as all PC ports) is missing those features, sans the Siren change which is unique to the Remaster. It adds cheats and looks beautiful. The cheats are really nice and intuitive and makes replaying the game a blast.

My honest recommendation for a first playthrough would be an upscaled emulation of the PS1 version. The Remaster though is probably how I'll replay the game moving forward, since the graphical and gameplay improvements are a bigger net positive to me than the things lost from the PS1 version.