| Home | Game News | MessageBoard | Links | Affiliates | Staff | Game Q&A | Keldon's Corner |
| Grandia II review by Neo
Trunks
1/20/01 Company: Ubi Soft Gametype: RPG Platform: Dreamcast |
Screens: |
|
RPG fans rejoice! Hot on the heals of Skies of Arcadia is Grandia II. For those of you who don't know, Grandia II is the sequel to Grandia (duh) which was originally released in Japan on the Saturn but turned up in America on the Playstation. Don't worry if you never played the original, this story has nothing to do with it. Taking on the role of Ryudo, a geohound, it's up to you to protect a young songstress named Elena who must go on a secret mission that even she isn't to sure about. As a songstress of Granas, lord of the world, all she knows is that she must stop the evil of Valmar, otherwise known as the devil, from taking over the world. But will it go as planned? While not incredibly original, I must say that there are more than a few plot twists in this game, and the ending will leave you completely surprised. Now, if only it weren't so linear... Along your journey as Ryudo, you'll come across many different characters, both good and evil. One such character is a young boy named Roan, who is on a quest from home for some mysterious reason. You'll also meet up with a beast-man named Mareg, a poetic and kind person who definitely brings new meaning to the phrase; "looks can be deceiving". Also, among the playable characters, there are several non-playable characters that fill the screen and bring life to the game. Two such characters include Zera, the Pope, and Selene, a high priestess of Granas. The look of Grandia II is just plain beautiful. If you've played the original Grandia you'll notice that the sprite-based characters are gone and replaced with the more detailed polygonal characters. Backgrounds look just as good as the characters, as everything is fully 3D, letting you zoom in and move the camera around every building. The details are noticeable, as you go into each house and see that everything looks different. During battle, the most stunning thing would have to be the way the magic spells are handled. While some are just your average Final Fantasy-style spell, many actually incorporate FMV into them, making them look quite impressive. Since the game was developed by Game Arts, it's no surprise that the characters have their own distinct voices. Unlike most games, these are professional actors, and it shows. Although some may rack on your nerves a bit (like Roan's young high voice) they actually help and bring life to the characters. However, these voices only happen during important events. Music wise, while it's not the worst music it can definitely become repetitive. I remember thinking about muting the sound after entering a town more than once, but I learned to cope. The sound effects are right on, especially during battle, where each magic spell and special attack seems to have their own sound. Moving your character is a breeze with the analog pad. The menu screen has got to be the easiest one to navigate that I have ever seen. Items, magic, equipment, etc. are handled well and it'll only take you a few minutes before you know what you're doing. During battle, controls are a simple as well, but since this is a turn-based RPG it's pretty easy to see why. I LOVE THIS BATTLE SYSTEM! As in Lunar and Chrono Trigger/Cross you can see all your enemies on screen and only go into battle when you make contact with them. Now, the battle system itself is both real time and turn based. This means that all your characters basically attack at the same time, but only after making command selections. The downside is, the enemies can attack you at any time also, often times canceling your move. While this may be only frustrating while fighting multiple enemies, it's still the most innovative system I've ever seen and should be the model for any future RPGs. Another aspect of the game is the world map or the lack thereof. Unlike other RPGs, there really isn't a world map, at least not one where you can move freely. Instead, once you leave a town or area you are given one or two choices of where to go. This really cuts down on the replyabilty, since it makes the game extremely linear and means that there are no sidequests. What can I say? It's an RPG and it's on Dreamcast. The story is good but a bit too linear. If you enjoyed the original Grandia or want something besides Skies of Arcadia, go ahead and give it a try. Even if you are having doubts, you can't go wrong with a rental at least. While not perfect, the battle system sure makes it seem like it is. So when you're thinking about what good RPGs are out there on the Dreamcast, don't forget about this one. Graphics: Control: Music/Sound: Story: Gameplay: Fun: Overall: |
|
| Talk about this game and more at the Message Board | |
