Preparing for the Exam

Master the early game of Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. Learn about Perfect Game requirements, GF ability learning, Junctioning, and essential items before facing the Fire Cavern.

This guide covers the initial stages of Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, focusing on preparing for the SeeD exam. It details early game mechanics, item acquisition, and GF management.

Perfect Game Considerations:

• A Perfect Game requires hundreds of hours. It's recommended to avoid this on a first playthrough.
• Track KO counts (must be zero) and escapes (exactly one forced escape).
• Keep character levels low to save time in the endgame, as early-game abilities to avoid encounters are limited.
• Be aware of Missable Item Alerts for item completionists and Perfect Game players.

Preliminaries:

Upon starting, watch the opening scenes. You'll be prompted to name your character (default: Squall). After more scenes, examine your desk, turn on the power, and select 'Tutorial'. You will receive the Quezacotl and Shiva GFs and be prompted to name them.

The default GF ability learning order is not optimal. It is recommended to change them:

• For Quezacotl: Select 'Card' first.
• For Shiva: Select 'I Mag-RF' for now.

Speak to Quistis to proceed. Follow the hall towards the camera. A girl late for class will bump into you, initiating a tour sequence. You can choose to refuse the tour, but accepting provides a brief rundown of Balamb Garden's layout.

Near the elevator on the next screen, talk to the lone guy sitting down to receive the following Cards: Geezard, Funguar, Red Bat, Gayla, Gesper, Fastitacalon-F, and Caterchipillar. Head to the elevator and descend to 1F.

If you accepted the tour, Squall will explain Balamb Garden's structure. If not, he'll be at the elevator. Proceed to the Library.

Library:

• Examine the second bookshelf (nearest the aisle) to find 'Occult Fan I'.
• Speak to the 'Library Girl in Pigtails' to trigger a scene related to a sidequest. This dialogue affects the quest's ending.

Save your game near the directory. Head to the front gate for a scene. Quistis Trepe will then give you a tutorial on Junctioning GFs. Junction Quezacotl to Squall and Shiva to Quistis. Equip 'Draw', 'GF', and 'Item' abilities for both characters, then head to the World Map.

World Map & Fire Cavern Preparation:

Save your progress on the World Map.

• Encounters: You may encounter weak enemies. Occasionally, a T-Rexaur can be found in forests. Running from a T-Rexaur is not possible in a Perfect Game. If encountered, summon GFs or reset.
• Drawing Magic: Try to Draw Magic from regular enemies. This is your primary source of Magic early on.
• Squall's Gunblade: Remember Squall's gunblade deals 50% extra damage when triggered (R1).
• Fire Cavern Location: The Fire Cavern is located on the east end of the island.

Fire Cavern:

Upon entering the Fire Cavern, Quistis will provide a tutorial on Junctioning Magic to stats. You'll also have an opportunity to adjust Squall's gunblade settings.

• Time Limit: You will select a time limit. 10 minutes is sufficient, and aiming to hit close to the limit is advised, especially if you've Drawn Magic beforehand.
• Enemies: Regular enemies in the Fire Cavern are Level 5, regardless of your party's levels. These include Bomb, Buel, Red Bat, and the boss, Ifrit.
• Items: You can obtain the Ifrit Card and the Ifrit GF within the cavern.