Product description
-------------------
COMPLETE. Includes all discs (look unused) Manual (clean and
clear of damage) Original case (minor scuffs and very small
chipping in top left corner but otherwise clean and clear)
.com
----
If you can put up with the cutesy graphics, Grandia is one of
the longest, most compelling, and most character-driven
role-playing games you'll ever spin in your PlayStation. By the
time we finished this massive quest, we really cared about the
game's characters. (By comparison, our interest in Final Fantasy
VII was focusing more on getting from one transition movie scene
to the next).
The main story line is standard role-playing fare. The powerful
General Baal has plans to unleash something of a Pandora's box on
the world, and you can guess whose job it is to stop him. Grandia
provides a world packed with colorful characters who are fun to
talk to, and the unconventional combat system lets players pick
and choose their fights. The characters in your party grow, as do
their magical skills and weapons, meaning there's always some new
accomplishment just around the corner that keeps players
adventuring long into the night. Role-playing fans should be
overjoyed that this conversion from the Sega Saturn classic was
made, as it provides weeks of solid adventuring that never
becomes a chore. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
* An entertaining adventure with loads of interesting characters
* Characters, weapons, and spells all improve with experience
Cons:* Quirky, cutesy graphics won't appeal to everybody
P.when('A').execute(function(A) {
A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse',
function(data) {
window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100);
});
});
Review
------
Back in the heyday of Final Fantasy VII, Sega fans around the
world hailed the coming of Grandia. Now, nearly two years later,
PlayStation RPG fans can finally see what the hoopla was all
about. Grandia is a role-playing masterpiece that delivers in all
of the ways that really matter. While perhaps a little behind in
the technology curve, Grandia's innovation, atmosphere, and story
make it one of the most noteworthy RPGs in recent memory.
Long before humans cled world superiority, the benevolent
Icarians ruled the world in peace. After dividing the world in
half with a great wall, they used their vast knowledge to
transcend the bonds of and become beings of pure light and
thought. After their departure, humankind and a horned, feral
race developed independently on site sides of the world.
While humans embraced technology, the other race embraced
religion and magic. Humans developed a strong government, and out
of that government grew the Garlyle army. Under the corrupt
leadership of General Baal, the Garlyle army has been scouring
the world for bits of magic and technology that will lead it to
the ancient capital of Arent and its secrets. Destined to come
into conflict with the army's plans, a precocious 15-year-old,
Justin, and his friends, Sue and Feena, stumble on the Garlyle
army's plans and begin a globe-spanning race to discover what
happened to the Icarians and stop General Baal and his lackeys
from awakening a deadly secret.
Grandia is more interesting, playable, and satisfying than most
RPGs. To top it off, Grandia is an enormous game, requiring
around 60 hours of play time to complete. But what could keep a
game so interesting for so long? Three things - the story, the
battle system and the world itself.
While the story isn't the most original in the world, it is well
done and, like GameArts' ship Lunar series, focuses on a
handful of well-developed characters instead of on the fantastic
events that surround them. The story has a charm and sense of
wonder built in that makes you feel as though you've actually
accomplished something upon reaching a new area, acting as a kind
of pacing that rewards you for every advancement. As notable as
this is, Grandia's battle system is what really makes the game
shine. While many RPGs tend to string a story together with a
series of battles that may or may not be fun, Grandia's battle
and experience system is just about as fun and rewarding as it
gets. Unlike many of today's customization-heavy RPGs, your party
is determined by the story. While some would say this limits the
customization of your experience, it forces you to get to know
the characters that are so central to the story. Additionally,
this lack of customization adds a level of familiarity with your
characters' individual abilities and strategies - something
customization-heavy RPGs tend to ignore.
When wandering the myriad dungeons, you can see monsters
approaching to attack, similar to Square's Chrono Trigger. If
your party isn't ready for more fights or you just aren't feeling
belligerent, you can usually evade these attackers, reducing the
frustration found in many random-encounter RPGs. This said,
however, many times you will welcome or even seek out encounters
to strengthen your party; the battle system is that fun.
Grandia's combat system merges bits of Square's Active Battle
system with pieces of Lunar's system, all presented from an
overhead 2D view. Time constantly flows during battle, pausing
only to let you issue a command. The handy IP bar in the bottom
right corner of the screen lets you know who's attacking and when
- a vital feature, considering that time is a commodity. In
addition to the standard RPG elemental and weapon distinctions,
you will also have to factor distance into the equation,
resulting in a slightly more strategic battle system. Because
every character can attack at the same time, battles are
generally shorter than those in most RPGs. --Peter Bartholow
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot
logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review
See more ( javascript:void(0) )
