Released: 19991026 Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Developer: Game Arts Genre: RPG

Review by: Carlo

We've heard the hype behind this game in Asia, touted as Final Fantasy VII's "killer" rival on the Sega Saturn. When I first saw this game, I was impressed but unfortunately did not own a Sega Saturn at the time. In fact, most of my friends prefer Grandia over FFVII, which really surprised me.

The big surprise, though, came when I learned that SCEA was in charge of porting the game to America…it was like a dream come true since many believed the PSX was not up to the task of handling the game's hardware demand.

Now that Grandia has finally landed on our beloved system, I'm happy to say that the game is great and yes, I find it better than any Final Fantasy game. For instance, the biggest weakness of any RPG is to keep the player interested throughout the game. In nearly every RPG I've played, there were numerous idle moments or moments where I just wanted to stop…but not so in Grandia.

Grandia's world is one masterpiece of imagination and creativity, rivaling even Square's work. Game Arts is the brain behind this one. The End of the World (a high wall) and The Valley of the Flying Dragon are a few places in the game that showcase just how much imagination was used to create them. I wished I could be there to experience it! More on Grandia's world, there are several towns and places for you to visit and explore and each destination is highly detailed! Lots of people moving in each town, lots of interactive creativity, and plenty more waiting for you.

Characters in this game have a lot of depth to them. Take Justin for example, a young boy who holds that ever-lasting taste for adventure even at the risk of his own life. Feena is an adventurous girl but with a care for others. Justin's mother is a sweet woman dedicated to her chores and small eatery. Typically most of the characters are young, and sometimes you'll get this "child adventurer" feeling. As a whole, the cast of characters here are probably the most-likable or most-wholesome when compared to the likes Final Fantasy VIII, Lunar Silver Star Story Complete and Xenogears. You'll care for the cast here.

The game's battle system is one of the best I've ever played. The fights are turned based but are more interactive and less predictable. The IP bar is a unique system that shows just how far or near is each character/monster is to executing action during the fight. Example, you see your enemy's icon moving and just as you hit your enemy in the fight, the enemy's icon on the IP bar slows down. The IP bar determines who's next in turn, and this makes the battles almost real-time in nature. During battles, you can select several types of action like Combo, Critical Attack, Magic, Item, etc. The fights are complex yet simple and easy to pick-up.

Like any other RPG, Grandia has a system for items, equipment and magic. For magic and equipment, usage is highly recommended since both improve levels the more you use them. Magic can be bought via Mana Eggs, choosing among the magic elements you want to purchase. Each character can improve his/her usage of weapons resulting in some special attacks. Fight often!

Grandia's story is probably the best I've ever seen on a PSX RPG. The story runs smoothly and you get to learn more and more about what's going on, what Justin and his friends really want, what each town/village has to tell you, etc. The story never lets go and I assure you there's no time for sitting around here. Wanna know the story? Better play it yourself.

On the technical side of things, the PSX did a very good job of processing the game. The graphics for instance have loads of detail. The textures are so heavily used, you'll see a lot of detailed polygons and wonder if you're using a PSX. There are lots of sprites being used and sometimes slowdown occurs whenever there are multiple sprites moving around. Lighting effects are clear along with transparency effects. Some of the graphical features here are not even found in other RPGs. The game's movies look great, and you'll be treated to CG or anime and sometimes both. Each character has his/her own artwork and you'll see their expressions during dialogues, which is super-cool. Grandia's music is of great quality and it expresses the game greatly in many ways. Gumbo's town music for example is romantic but the voice-acting however, is a bit lousy. The game's writing and use of English vocabulary is fair.

On the final note, Grandia is simply the best RPG I've ever played on my PSX. It's among Final Fantasy VII, Wild ARMs, Star Ocean: The Second Story as the best PSX RPGs…ahead of them actually. You can't go wrong with Grandia because this is one hell of a quality game. This game wasn't hyped enormously since almost everyone paid attention to FFVIII. If you missed this game, then now is the time to enjoy it.

Grandia's not just a game, it's an incredible experience! Go for Grandia now!

- We have 1 review for Grandia (1 Staff, 0 Member)