Is it Really that Grand?
Warning!! It's been over 5 months since I've played and beat this game. So my memory may be a little vague. Well everyone,
Grandia 2, one of the Dreamcasts first RPG's. You play as Ryudo, who makes his living as a Geohound, taking job to job,
completing each with his talking eagle buddy, Skye. During your journey, you'll meet and interact with hundreds of people,
explore highly detailed dungeons, use hundreds of spells, and participate in part real-time/part turn-based battles, all in all
trying to unravel the secrets and mysteries of the battle between good and evil that took place hundreds of years. Aside
from Ryudo, there are other characters that will join your party. These include Elena, (I really hate this girl. I wish
somene would throw her through a glass window), a songstress of Grana (the good god), Millenai, the demon girl of Valmar (the bad god),
Roan, the 13 year old boy who sounds like he's 3, Tio the robot, and Mareg the beast. These characters will help you through
your journey as you progress through the game.
Grand to the Eye
Graphics in this game are absolutely stunning. The amount of detail to every single background, monster, movement, and
event is in fact, gorgeous. The characters and their actions are beautifully rendered in real-time (even though the characters
have no noses or mouths). Costume designs are unique and elegant which suits the environmental surroundings.
Different Worlds
Grandia's controls are simple and easy to learn. Moving around dungeons and towns, and interacting with people is as simple
as moving the analog stick and pushing a button. Battle controls are just as easy. In battle, your characters that fight
each other have a time gauge and when it's full, you can choose any action from the easy-to-navigate menus. Select your enemy
or enemies, and the action will be performed. It's as simple as one, two, three.
What About the Sound and the Story?
Okay. This is where teh game gets real, real weak. The music in this game isn't that bad, but it could be better. Each
song sounds like it could come off a church and a few scores are pretty boring. The voice action is realy, really, disgusting. Ryudo,
Skye, and Melfice (bad guy) probably have the best voices, however, when Ryudo has this all of a sudden personality change
close to the beginning of the game, you really the feeling that you want to punch him. Elena is probably the most annoying
chic in video-gaming history with her whining and bitching with her squeaky, soft voice. Ditto for Millenia. Roan talks as if
he has a constant cancre sore in his mouth. Tio has this annoying habit of speaking syllable by syllable and Mareg might as
well just point and grunt. Without words, you never understand him.
The story to this game is a real disappointment. I thought Ubi Soft would improve this from the first Grandia, but they didn't.
The story has linear gameplay. This means, no side quests, hidden dungeons, secret characters, or optional events. Just scenario
by scenario, with a developing story as you go along. This idea could work, but in this game, it doesn't. Instead you'll
find yourself playing this game for 30 to 40 hours when it should have lasted about 20. The story drags on and on. And even
after you beat the final boss, the game drags on more so you fight a final, final boss. Don't expect too much from the story.
If you buy it for that, you'll be a bit disappointed.
What's the Overall?
Well, Grandia 2 may be the prettiest role-playing game ever, but in RPG's it's the story that counts. Rent; don't buy.
--Master of Puppets
Graphics: 10
Sound: 4.0
Gameplay: 9.5
Satisfaction: 4.0
Overall: 7.0
