Grandia 2

The Verdict The Counter Anthony and I argued for a couple hours today over the relative merits of versus Skies of Arcadia, and I will admit that you'll probably enjoy either RPG - they're beautiful, fast, and relatively well structured. If you're more of a dungeon crawler, you'll love Grandia II. Its combat engine is arguably the most advanced system in play today, and I love the amount of freedom it gives you. Likewise, the experience system, the magic system, and the ability to see your enemies puts GameArts on the absolute bleeding edge of RPG design. However, as good as any RPG system gets, a console RPG is all about the story and presentation. For all the 60 frames per second and lush texture-mapping, it's a sterile world.

There are few, if any secret items, and no secret maps - every dungeon is straight point A to point B, with no sightseeing necessary. Likewise, the 'parts of Valmar' storyline reads like a checklist, with the writers plodding through ears, noses, and throats of dead gods and predictable character developments. Say what you will, but despite the technological advancements, Grandia II's scope and ambition are as diminished as its disc count when compared to the original. While it remains a good RPG, there's a good chance that Skies of Arcadia and Grandia II could be the only two 'classic' RPGs on the Dreamcast, and I wanted at least one of them to be as close to perfect as possible. Instead, I'll have to lump the good with the bad, and hope time will fade both into fond, rose-colored memories.

8.8 Presentation Excellent and clear menu system graphics. Top-notch translation tells the lackluster story as best as it can. 9.4 Graphics Solid. Solid as a rock - that's the visuals. Mix excellent 3D graphics with good 2D animation, and you've got something special. 8.3 Sound Voice acting is very good, and the sound effects are nice.

Music is a mix of decent folk-like tunes and butt-rocking guitar rifts. 9.8 Gameplay An outstanding battle system, great character customization features, and cool boss battles, this is gameplay heaven for RPGs. 8.7 Lasting Appeal The story isn't bad but far from memorable. Players won't fall in love with the story, but wil adore the excellent battles, and luscious visuals. And when gameplay shines, everything glows.

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34 product ratings - factory sealed brand new playstation 2 ps2 video game grandia iii 3 square enix.