Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
I have completed this game many times in normal difficulty mode, which is the only one you get when you start a new save. When you complete the game, you can start from scratch in mission 1, but this time in HARD difficulty mode (almost all enemies are one rank above than their normal counterparts). I also completed it getting all promotion points possible (no deaths)
I never tried it out, but I decided now is the time. And I will be recording this journey. BUT, I haven't played H.O.W. for some time, so this means I have to get used to some things again (most notably, the power of the Bazooka, a tiny fraction of the bar makes so much difference...)
So I'm sorry if I'm not the best and keep making silly mistakes. I do remember most missions, weapons and a few tricks, though. Missions 10, 19 and the "Mortar" are unforgettable for me because of their difficulty. Stealing Mortar/Bazooka (to prevent enemy usage) and "exploiting" some weird enemy AI behaviours will be useful strategies. Some others, however, appeared out of nowhere, and sure gave me a good laughter (like enemies repeatedly using Sniper Rifle to shoot walls I was behind), or were annoying (glitches with bullet collisions or absence of bullet collisions)
I remember a rare glitch, it's luck but when it happens, enemies that try to aim using the "bird map view" get stuck until their turn timer runs out, effectively cheesing a mission because it continues to happen until the mission ends. This was REALLY USEFUL in mission 22, where enemies love to spam HOMING MISSILES. But ultimately it's random, so you need to play the mission many times in succession.
I have completed this game many times in normal difficulty mode, which is the only one you get when you start a new save. When you complete the game, you can start from scratch in mission 1, but this time in HARD difficulty mode (almost all enemies are one rank above than their normal counterparts). I also completed it getting all promotion points possible (no deaths)
I never tried it out, but I decided now is the time. And I will be recording this journey. BUT, I haven't played H.O.W. for some time, so this means I have to get used to some things again (most notably, the power of the Bazooka, a tiny fraction of the bar makes so much difference...)
So I'm sorry if I'm not the best and keep making silly mistakes. I do remember most missions, weapons and a few tricks, though. Missions 10, 19 and the "Mortar" are unforgettable for me because of their difficulty. Stealing Mortar/Bazooka (to prevent enemy usage) and "exploiting" some weird enemy AI behaviours will be useful strategies. Some others, however, appeared out of nowhere, and sure gave me a good laughter (like enemies repeatedly using Sniper Rifle to shoot walls I was behind), or were annoying (glitches with bullet collisions or absence of bullet collisions)
I remember a rare glitch, it's luck but when it happens, enemies that try to aim using the "bird map view" get stuck until their turn timer runs out, effectively cheesing a mission because it continues to happen until the mission ends. This was REALLY USEFUL in mission 22, where enemies love to spam HOMING MISSILES. But ultimately it's random, so you need to play the mission many times in succession.




![Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack PC versions (SGT DirectMusic) with timestamps
Final Fantasy 8 PC releases (2000/2013) original music. Not the same as the Playstation music.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00:00 *Balamb Garden* [026s-garden.sgt]
0:03:31 *Blue Fields* [041s-field.sgt]
0:06:27 *Dont Be Afraid* [005s-battle.sgt]
0:09:21 *The Winner* [001s-win.sgt]
0:10:30 *Find Your Way* [021s-dangeon.sgt]
0:14:19 *SeeD* [024s-march1.sgt]
0:18:37 *The Landing* [017s-joriku.sgt]
0:23:15 *Starting Up* [008s-antena.sgt]
0:24:34 *Force Your Way* [013s-battle2.sgt]
0:28:29 *The Loser* [000s-lose.sgt]
0:29:57 *Never Look Back* [004s-run.sgt]
0:33:22 *Dead End* [007s-end.sgt]
0:34:34 *Breezy* [042s-guitar.sgt]
0:37:19 *Shuffle Or Boogie* [070s-card.sgt]
0:39:25 *Waltz For The Moon* [019s-waltz.sgt]
0:42:27 *Tell Me* [025s-himitsu.sgt]
0:45:53 *Fear* [027s-fuan.sgt]
0:48:19 *The Man With The Machine Gun* [062s-bat3.sgt]
0:51:10 *Julia* [022s-pianosol.sgt]
0:52:32 *Roses And Wine* [061s-pub.sgt]
0:54:52 *Junction* [060s-scene1.sgt]
0:56:31 *Timber Owls* [046s-resistan.sgt]
0:59:24 *My Mind* [051s-rinoa.sgt]
1:02:38 *The Mission* [035s-m7f5.sgt]
1:06:16 *Martial Law* [057s-timber.sgt]
1:10:06 *Cactus Jack* [029s-anthem.sgt]
1:11:34 *Only A Plank Between One And Perdition* [059s-pinch.sgt]
1:14:00 *Succession Of Witches* [036s-majo.sgt]
1:17:20 *Galbadia Garden* [056s-gargarde.sgt]
1:20:59 *Unrest* [015s-fuan2.sgt]
1:23:37 *Under Her Control* [058s-garbadia.sgt]
1:27:09 *The Stage Is Set* [016s-march2.sgt]
1:30:50 *A Sacrifice* [063s-stage.sgt]
1:34:18 *Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec* [023s-Parade.sgt]
1:38:53 *Intruders* [009s-waiting.sgt]
1:41:26 *Premonition* [073s-majobat.sgt]
1:46:04 *Wounded* [066s-majomv.sgt]
1:46:56 *Fragments Of Memories* [047s-kaiso.sgt]
1:50:11 *Jailed* [067s-musho.sgt]
1:54:03 *Rivals* [071s-gomon.sgt]
1:57:35 *Ami* [020s-friend.sgt]
2:02:14 *The Spy* [080s-spy.sgt]
2:06:02 *Retaliation* [068s-missile.sgt]
2:06:46 *Movin* [078s-gafly.sgt]
2:12:06 *Blue Sky* [072s-soto.sgt]
2:12:49 *Drifting* [065s-white.sgt]
2:15:47 *Heresy* [049s-master.sgt]
2:19:59 *Fishermans Horizon* [048s-horizon.sgt]
2:23:36 *Odeka Ke Chocobo* [064s-choco.sgt]
2:24:53 *Where I Belong* [052s-travia.sgt]
2:28:35 *The Oath* [069s-enzetu.sgt]
2:30:10 *Slide Show Part 1* [091s-rag1.sgt]
2:31:35 *Slide Show Part 2* [092s-rag2.sgt]
2:33:24 *Love Grows* [018s-julia.sgt]
2:37:54 *The Salt Flats* [082s-salt.sgt]
2:41:32 *Trust Me* [055s-jail.sgt]
2:44:47 *Silence And Motion* [085s-esta.sgt]
2:50:36 *Dance With The Balamb Fish* [028s-polka2.sgt]
2:54:17 *Tears Of The Moon* [086s-moonmv.sgt]
2:55:29 *Residents* [083s-alien.sgt]
2:58:39 *Mods De Chocobo* [081s-mods.sgt]
3:01:05 *Ride On* [089s-hikutei.sgt]
3:04:10 *Truth* [054s-truth.sgt]
3:07:52 *Lunatic Pandora* [084s-sekichu.sgt]
3:11:22 *Compression Of Time* [097s-ashuku.sgt]
3:15:58 *The Castle* [077s-lasdun.sgt]
3:21:19 *The Legendary Beast* [090s-bossbat1.sgt]
3:27:11 *Maybe Im A Lion* [076s-Bossbat2.sgt]
3:32:48 *The Extreme* [093s-lasboss.sgt]
3:39:34 *The Successor* [096s-keisho.sgt]
3:43:10 *Overture* [079s-demo.sgt]
3:46:46 *Dont Be Afraid version 2* [005xg-Battle.sgt]
3:49:40 *Dont Be Afraid version 3* [012s-kani.sgt]
3:52:34 *The Winner version 2* [001xg-win.sgt]
3:53:43 *The Landing version 2* [099-joriku2.sgt]
3:58:21 *Starting Up version 2* [053s-antena2.sgt]
3:59:42 *Force Your Way version 2* [013xg-Battle2.sgt]
4:03:37 *Galbadia Garden version 2* [075s-Gar3.sgt]
4:07:16 *Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec version 2* [014s-Parade2.sgt]
4:11:51 *Fragments Of Memories version 2* [047xg-Kaiso.sgt]
4:15:06 *Chocobo World Credits* [chocoworld.sgt] Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack PC versions (SGT DirectMusic) with timestamps](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UVXx5ZeMdYs/mqdefault.jpg)





