Compatibility and Summoning Speed

Learn how Guardian Force Compatibility affects summoning speed in Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. Discover starting stats, how to increase/decrease compatibility, and its impact on battles.

When you summon a Guardian Force (GF) in battle, your ATB bar gets replaced by a blue summoning bar. While this bar depletes, all attacks aimed at the character who summoned the GF will instead hit the GF. If the GF’s HP drops to zero during this summoning period, it’ll be KO’d and unavailable until you rest or use a restorative item like a G-Returner.

But here's the cool part: the speed at which your GF appears – how fast that blue bar depletes – is all down to a stat called “Compatibility.” Think of it as how well a GF and a specific character get along. Each GF has its own preferences, which set their starting Compatibility. You can also mess with this Compatibility, both for better and worse, by summoning other GFs, casting certain spells, or using specific items. For example, a fire GF might not be too pleased if you start slinging ice spells or summoning its frosty rival!

The difference in summoning speed can be huge. At 0 Compatibility, a GF might take a sluggish 17 seconds to show up. But crank it up to 1,000 Compatibility, and it can arrive in a lightning-fast 3 seconds! The rate is pretty balanced in the middle, too; at 500 Compatibility, expect about a 10-second wait. Since summoning a GF you use often naturally increases your Compatibility with it, boosting the stats for your go-to GFs shouldn't be too difficult if you feel the need.

Honestly, you're probably not going to lose a fight just because your GF Compatibility is low, nor win one solely because it's high. However, in those clutch moments where a GF can make a noticeable difference, knowing how this system works can give you a slight edge. And who doesn't want every little advantage they can get?

Below, you'll find the starting Compatibility scores for all the GFs with each character. While interesting, these differences usually only amount to a second or two in summoning time, so don't stress too much about them.

Remember, GFs can be pretty territorial. When you summon one GF, it gets a +20 boost to its Compatibility with you, while all other GFs lose -1.6 Compatibility. The GF that’s directly opposed to the one you just summoned? It takes a bigger hit, losing -10 Compatibility. The only exception is Eden, which is a bit more chill, gaining only +2 Compatibility when summoned, and making other GFs lose just +1. It seems even the most powerful GF isn't too bothered by the others!

Most GFs have a special item that can boost your Compatibility with them. Using one of these usually gives a +3.2 Compatibility boost to that specific GF, but lowers your Compatibility with all other GFs by -1.6. Some items, like Arctic Wind or Bomb Fragment, offer a smaller boost and penalty (half the normal rate). The Fish Fin item is unique: it gives +2 Compatibility with Leviathan but -1 to everyone else. On the other hand, the LuvLuvG item is great for making friends across the board, increasing your Compatibility with ALL GFs by +20. Fun fact: you can refine the Chubby Chocobo Card into 100 LuvLuvGs, which is enough to give every character a massive +320 Compatibility boost with all their GFs!

Finally, GFs are also sensitive to the spells you cast in battle. Using spells listed under “Favored Magic” will earn you a little Compatibility boost. Conversely, casting spells from the “Opposed Magic” column will cost you Compatibility. These spell-related changes are pretty minor, though, usually just a +2 bonus or a -2 penalty.