Anyone who bashes Memoria has a stupid opinion about final fantasy games.
Where in the hell is FF8 inspired by Gothic architecture? It's primarily steampunk with dashes of ultra sci-fi and then your usual esoteric FF stuff like Shumi Village. There is nowhere that Ultimecia's Castle thematically connects to. It's as out of place as much of the settings are in FF8.
I'm sorry. You're my friend, but this post made me laugh out loud for real.
I'm going to regret making this post but I'm going to make it anyways because it satisfies my obsession with art history and it's a good excuse to post good art.
FF8 is not steampunk.

In any shape or form.
Anyways, FF8 does has a mix of gothic and renaissance influences with a dash of victorian and romanesque in its architecture and art. The main continent in FF8 is extremely decidedly European. Deling and Dollet both have large goth tall renaissance and gothic blend structures. They're not full on, but they're definitely inspired.
Final Fantasy never really fits into description niches. Saying FF7 is cyberpunk, for instance, is incorrect, because only Midgar - maybe Junon? - has any hint of cyber technology. FF9 also isn't full steam punk, despite the steam/mist technology. So I wouldn't label FF8 as full gothic, nor even full renaissance, but it does take notes from both in heavy, HEAVY doses.
Deling City is clearly influenced by Italy influenced architecture.


The gate overpass in the background is rife with isms of Renaissance and Gothic architecture.


It has the statues of gothic, the arch of renaissance, bu the high arch of gothic. It's almost like a combination of the two styles.
For the record, here's Notre Dame de Paris:

Dollet is filled with European styled architecture. Notice the large full moon and sunset, a decidedly gothic-esque art choice.


This theme continues all on down, breh.





Notice the arches:



You're telling a game that has as much European influenced art as this doesn't have a final dungeon that fits thematically because it's gothic? Using the samples above, something like this:


clearly fits in the same world. If your problem is that it's darker, of course it is! It's the final dungeon!
Anyways, all this talking has me hyped for the game that will never be released's art: Final Fantasy XV. Remember when Final Fantasy art and design were influenced by real world aesthetic and architecture and not random mish mash of futuristic bullshit with any sense of cohesion or inspiring visuals? (

FF13

) I do too!

And so does Yosuke Naora.

God that game looks FF8 as fuck.

PLEASE COME OUT.