There's a lot to be said for missing the weirdness and personality of the early internet. There's a nostalgia for that which I'm seeing frequently in the fediverse. It almost makes me want to find my niche and begin my own weird little website.
I guess FFVIII hit at the right time for me, it was always my favorite, and I've come back to it many times over the years. It's so calming to play, and the side quests and games can keep you distracted from the main plot for days or weeks.
FFVIII was the first mainline FF game I played after exposing myself to the franchise with Tactics. I was new to turn based systems, so I never picked up on the criticism. I was blown away by the presentation, fantasy and adventure of it all. The gunblade was about the coolest thing a kid of my age could have been exposed to at that time as well. Right now I’m big into VII for obvious reasons, but I really want to replay VIII.
Haven't played FFVIII since it was released back in 1998. From what I can remember I really liked it. Seemed to have a more mature story than most games at the time.