"The fantastic Grandia II finally makes it on the PC"

Grandia 2

Japanese RPGs rarely see the light of day on the PC format. The only other RPG games of the Japanese style and variety that ever appeared on the PC were Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. Now PC gamers are rejoice at having another RPG to add to their sparse collection as Grandia 2 appears for the PC.

The Grandia series has seen a transition from console to console during the years since it was released. Grandia has come a long way from the original Japanese version on the Saturn before seeing its way onto the Playstation having been translated into English. Finally, the PC sees its first Grandia game - Grandia 2 which is great news for gamers without the Dreamcast or the Playstation to play the sequel to what was one of the most enjoyable RPGs available in the market.

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GAMEPLAY
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- Story -

Not the most original story ever. This is the tale of Ryudo, a lone cynical man (with his eagle companion) who undergoes an experience that threatens the well-being of the whole world. Every theme is in the game - love, tragedy, inner turmoil, bravery and heroism and so on. That's not to say it is a bad thing at all, in fact, the game executes the themes very well through the characters themselves and the personalities and viewpoints that these characters express and believe in. There are some lovely plot twists in the game that really puts into question the whole notion of good and evil. Whilst the original Grandia presented a more light-hearted affair in terms of story and characters, Grandia 2 takes a darker approach and the moralistic messages portrayed by the game has far more in-depth meaning than the original Grandia and this, I would say is a good thing.

- A bit about the main characters -

Ryudo is best described as taking a sarcastic and cynical view of the world and people aroung him. His personality really shines in the sense that he parodies and makes fun of the cliches (in this case, people) that appear in the game. The character development of Ryudo is excellent as his experience in the game reveals his hidden and long-suppressed nature. A very likeable main character I would say, and would be important in retaining your interest in the game itself.

Elena is the lead female role plays a stereotypical soft-voiced girl belonging to the holy order of Granas, the god of light. Calm, soft and clearly not a patch on Grandia's Feena but her role is just as important to the story and is central to understanding the themes the game sets throughout the party's adventure.

- Battle system -

The simple but strategic battle system from the first Grandia sees a welcome return in Grandia 2. Every character (friend and foe alike) has a time bar in which to activate their attacks and skills on the opponent. Players can plan, for example to try and hit an enemy close to attacking your characters to try and cancel the enemy attack. How you play and how you suceed is based on your own intuition - do you attack with a double attack (combo) or a single, powerful blow (critical) in order to eliminate the enemy?

In Grandia 2, every battle beaten will earn you magic points and special points. These points can be used to learn and raise the effectiveness of the skills and spells that each character possesses. How you distribute the points can really make a difference in how efficient your character can be in battle, so strategic thinking on your behalf is required.

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GRAPHICS
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The graphics of Grandia 2 does not match or even try to match that of the Final Fantasy games on the Playstation, but it does have its own charm and quality that creates the wonderful atmosphere presented in this game. The FMVs are pretty cool as well though they may be disappointingly choppy on the PC depending on your specifications. A lot of the spell effects are really cool and should be seen to be believed!

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MUSIC
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In my opinion, what constitutes a ''good, effective'' soundtrack is the presence of tunes to match every mood the game presents to the gamer and plays an important part in evoking the correct sense of mood onto the gamer at the right time. Grandia 2 succeeds in doing this and the wonderful atmosphere of the game is well illuminated by the music in the game. In terms of the sound effects, they can be a bit dodgy at times though.

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LENGTH / REPLAY VALUE
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There is no incentive to replaying the game again after you have completed it, but if you enjoyed the game through and through, playing it again is its own reward. Not as long as the first game but still lengthy nevertheless.

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OVERALL
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Grandia 2 is without a doubt, one of the quality RPGs that is not developed by Squaresoft. Fans of the original Grandia should snap this sequel up straight away as I think it is just as great as the first Grandia game. Anyone else who is into the RPG genre should definitely consider this as their next purchase!

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RENT OR BUY? PC OR PS2?
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To get the most out of playing the game on the PC, make sure you play with the recommended PC specs written on the game case. If your PC does not meet with the requirements, my recommendation to you is to purchase the PS2 version (or the Dreamcast version). There is absolutely no fun in playing Grandia 2 on a low-end PC with choppy graphics as well as potential problems such as crashes and so on.

So my recommendation is that if you own a PC that meets the recommended specs for the game to run at its best (and do not own a PS2 or Dreamcast), then by all means buy the PC version. If your PC does not meet the game's requirements, the stick with the console versions - you will save yourself a lot of headache.

As to the issue of whether you want to buy the game or rent the game first, I would suggest that fans of the original Grandia buy the game. The battle system is just as addictive as the original and the story does not disappoint. For anyone else new to the series, renting would be a good idea to give you a gist of the grand game that Grandia 2 is.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/03/02, Updated 05/03/02