Square-Enix just released the launch trailer for Final Fantasy VIII: Remastered. For those who never played the original back when it was released on the PlayStation in 1999, it’s an incredibly bizarre game that seems to hint at one kind of conflict before taking some really weird turns into twists that would make me sound like a crazy person if I tried to describe them. While I think Final Fantasy VII is superior, VIII benefits from a strong setting, engaging characters, and solid gameplay.

If you’ve never played FFVIII, now is the ideal time to do so. The remastered version is a clear upgrade not just in terms of graphics but in terms of gameplay with aspects like “Battle Assist”, the ability to turn off random encounters, and a speed boost to make the game go faster (oh, we were so quaint back in ’99). Personally, I feel like a lot of modern games, with their “games-as-a-service” approach, have left me behind. I don’t find a lot of appeal in big online worlds where I’ll always lose next to someone with more free time and more money for loot boxes. If companies just want to sell my childhood faves back to me with some upgrades, I’ll happily buy them.

Check out the Final Fantasy VIII: Remastered trailer below. The game is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

Here’s the official synopsis for Final Fantasy VIII:

In a world where an ancient energy known as the Sorceress Power is passed down through generations, the peace of the realm is threatened when the evil Sorceress Edea takes power as ruler of the Galbadia Republic. Squall, a member of Balamb Garden Military Academy's elite mercenary force SeeD, other allies from the Garden, and Rinoa, a member of the resistance, join together on a journey to fight against Sorceress Edea, who shows hostility toward the Garden.