10 DESPISED Video Games You Should Play Now

For a specific generation of the internet, Final Fantasy VIII has been the poster boy for the worst the venerated RPG series has put out. Hell, the dislike is so ubiquitous it became a running gag in WWE matches to see at least one guy declaring his hatred for the 8th Final Fantasy via cardboard sign.

Older YouTube generations likely remember the infamous review of the game by former Channel Awesome alum Noah Antwiler, alongside countless memes made about it. This game was INFAMOUS for a while. And to be fair, it isn't hard to see why. Whereas Final Fantasies 7 and 9 were streamlined in their premise and execution - starting simple and growing from there - VIII struggles to establish its own identity for much of its run. Add onto that an often confused English translation, and it's clear why this is the black sheep of the PlayStation FF trilogy.

However, going back to it with fresh eyes and 20 years of experience will reveal it to actually be pretty decent by today's standards. The problems are still there, but they're not as bad as they seemed in hindsight. The turn-based combat is sublime as always, the characters are fun, and the romance angle the story eventually finds its way to is heartwarming.