Grandia 2

Thankfully, everything else in the game is fresh and provides hours upon hours of fun. The backdrops and character designs are colorful without being flashy, the game has a great pace (for an RPG), and players never have to stand around too long looking for the next thing to do. Even the writing, within its cookie-cutter plot, is smart, well translated, and occasionally funny.

The game's strongest element, however, is its battle system. Taking the best of turn-based and real-time battle engines, Grandia II forces you to choose your moves carefully with respect to timing and position. The battles are very simple in the beginning, but grow increasingly complex as you fight larger numbers of monsters with a growing party of allies. How you meet your encounters--whether you initiate the fight, are ambushed, or meet head on--affects both the timing of the blows and the positions of the contestants. Battles emphasize counterattacks and combination blows, but you'll soon find that movement and defense keep you alive against the tougher enemies. Elemental magic, items, and skill books are just icing on the cake. Even if the battles do grow old, the random fights are fairly easy to avoid, and a versatile AI option lets you use cruise control through the rest.

Grandia II may be just the traditional role-playing game for which Dreamcast owners have been waiting. The question of whether it's too traditional doesn't matter, as it offers a better experience than most that have come before. --Porter B. Hall

Note: This review refers to the Dreamcast version of the game.

Pros:

• Battle system creates interesting, complex fights
• Solid, traditional role-playing game for a system with few others in the genre

• Predictable plot and characters

Anyway, while the graphics lack a little (Its a port of the 1999 version on Dreamcast so I understand that), the plot/story is solid and the battle system is awesome, and character developement is very much perfect.

As said, graphics are good, but for the 1000th time. Its not the graphics but the story thats important, and not just what the story is but how it is told, and Grandia II does this very well. While the story is something I've seen before (but then again so was FFVII and I loved that...) it was played out to its full extent. And this time unlike most RPGs, the story focuses more on the characters rather than the enviroment that surrounds them, which helps character developement.

The battle system is unique and with the exception of the first Grandia and FFX, actually requires me to use strategy and think before I act, unlike most other RPGs that forces me to see how fast I can end a battle (hence more Final Fantasy). However, while the battle system is very good, if you exploit it, the game becomes very easy. In fact not once did I ever see the words "Game Over" or ever get a single character KO'd throughout the game.

The Characters actually shine with an Aura that makes them memorable characters much like in the first Grandia. Magic animation is beautiful and not to mention that each character gets there own skills, making them more unique than before.

Also, while it doesn't seem like much, I was disappointed after playing the first Grandia with how many spells were in this one. While 40 spells is indeed a lot, the first 80 spells the first Grandia had gave me more time to tweek with my characters stats. Not to mention that in this one everyone only has four moves. In the first one they had 12 each.

The music, while not as good as in the first Grandia, really sets the mood. Boss fight music (especially when fighting parts of Valmar) is very good, and I find myself humming the tunes.

Using moves is done by using SP and learning moves requires SC. This is like expeirience points only more like coins to learn and raise levels of the move.

Anyway, the game is extremely good and I happen to like Grandia more than Final Fantasy. Not because of battling, but because of freedome as well. You won't be wrong in choosing this game.


Ultimate RPG   April 17, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Grandia 2 is THE ultimate RPG. Everything is great about it, the special effects, the battle system, the story, just everything. I loved Grandia on Playstation, but this game is twice as good. The only thing that is a little weird are the graphics, but it's typical Grandia style and the magic and special moves makes everything alright. If you want to buy an RPG, buy this game, you won't regret it


GrandiaII deserves a lot more credit than it has, a LOT MORE   March 11, 2002
10 out of 12 found this review helpful

This game is thee best game made for the PS2. It combines a great storyline/story with the most well thought out fighting system ever developed. With real-time fighting and deep'n'rich graphics, its no wonder It's Final Fantasy's first rival.

The battle system is great, as well as the ability to create your own players skills, magic, and moves, with coins and books. The Ready voices are quirky and fun to hear, as well as the dialouge, hilarious!!

But the thing that just blew me away was the nonstop action between fighting and story. For instance, I'm trapped in a tower, so the main charecter descides, "Well heck, I think I'll jump out the window on a rope with my princess by my side, while my eagle flies close behind me. Weeeeeeeee," I mean it doesnt get more exiting. Welll except when you enter a battle.

All in all, this game is a must have and you are missing the best game made of all time if you don't buy it. Buy it and you may never stop playing. "Are you game enough?"


30 hour RPG   June 16, 2002
Christian J Westmoore (Grand Island, NY United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I can honestly say Ive never played a RPG(very few games in general for that matter) as visually stunning as FFX.

Given that I'll take Grandia II over FFX anyday of the week. The characters are better, and by better I mean not totally boring. It does disturb me how todays "RPG" has to completely spoon feed the gamer. Dragon Warrior IV was my favorite game of all time and had a huge world of bad graphics you had total freedom in at the end. Not like Grandia II or FFX which give the sickening "compass" feature...... okay Ill quit my bitching cause by the modern standard Grandia II is very good. Somewhere around FF7, though not as good as DW4 or FF3 which are my two favorite RPGs. It has an engaging story line(any of which involve religions that are exposed as total lies are okay with me) possessed characters, and funny dialogue -- I really wish they wouldnt go from having voices to not having voices from second to second-- one or the other please- otherwise its just too damn lame. I got 30 hours of gameplay-- it was worth it.
grade: A-
-cj


Grandia 2. The best RPG made for any system   April 7, 2002
Dominick Isola (Port Reading, New Jersey United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Grandia 2 is the best RPG ever made. This game was produced by Sega originaly, so you know the graphics and gameplay will be great. This game is also very addictve. I played for 3 and a half hours non stop and 15 hours in 3 days. The plot is very interesting and has a few turns that you would never expect. This game has everything you are looking for in an RPG. If you're looking for a great game, look no further because Grandia 2 is the game for you...