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Balamb Garden Before the Fire Cavern: Walkthrough
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered

Balamb Garden Before the Fire Cavern: Walkthrough

Follow this Final Fantasy VIII Remastered walkthrough to learn how to acquire Quezacotl and Shiva, get the starter Triple Triad deck, and explore Balamb Garden before the Fire Cavern.

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Follow this Final Fantasy VIII Remastered walkthrough to learn how to acquire Quezacotl and Shiva, get the starter Triple Triad deck, and explore Balamb Garden before the Fire Cavern.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    When you gain control of Squall, walk forward to find Quistis. Press the [Talk/Confirm] button (X by default) to speak with her. She will inform you about the upcoming field exam and the need to head to the Fire Cavern, stating she will accompany you.
  2. 2
    Consult your “study panel” by interacting with the students who were near Quistis, then return to your seat and interact with the computer. Select _Turn on the power and…_ and then choose the Tutorial option to obtain the Guardian Forces Quezacotl and Shiva.
  3. 3
    After leaving your classroom, you will bump into a new transfer student. If you choose _Are you okay?_ and _Sure_, you will give her a tour of Balamb Garden. This is optional, and declining will not result in the loss of any significant content.
  4. 4
    Head down a hallway to the right to a new screen and speak with the man on the bridge. He will offer you a starter set of Triple Triad cards, including the Geezard, Funguar, Red Bat, Gayla, Gesper, Fastitocalon-F, and Caterchipillar. These are Level 1 Monster Cards and are not particularly strong.
  5. 5
    If you agreed to give the transfer student a tour, take her to the cafeteria located in the 1st Floor Hallway. A Save Point is conveniently located nearby.
  6. 6
    Continue right to an elevator and descend to the 1st Floor Hall area. Regardless of whether you toured the student, proceed down the stairs and examine the map opposite them. If you gave the tour, Squall will explain Balamb Garden's layout. The student will then depart.
  7. 7
    Balamb Garden is circular. From the 1st Floor Hall, you can go left (clockwise) to find the infirmary, quad, cafeteria, dormitory, parking lot, training center, and library, or right (counter-clockwise). Signs are available at the start of each bridge to each area.
  8. 8
    To find a Draw Point, head right (counter-clockwise) from the 1st Floor Hall to the next screen. Cross the first bridge to reach the library. Continue right until you encounter bookshelves, then follow them towards the wall to transition screens. A Draw Point will be visible at the bottom left of this screen.
Tips
  • Guardian Forces (GFs) are crucial in Final Fantasy VIII for acquiring magic, boosting stats, and using abilities. They can be junctioned to characters.
  • Magic in Final Fantasy VIII is acquired from external sources and can be stockpiled up to 100. Magic can be cast or used to passively boost stats.
  • Drawing magic requires a character to be junctioned with a GF.
  • The starter Triple Triad cards are weak; it's advisable to wait until you obtain a superior card before actively playing the game.

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