"This game really wasn't that good"

Grandia II is an old game that came out for playstation 2 and later was ported over to the pc as well. That was probably great news for pc players probably because there weren't as much games of such genre as compared to your normal game consoles. Grandia II is not a direct sequel to the highly rated Grandia and while this game may be pretty good when you have nothing else to place in the disc drive, it did not match up to other rpgs for the era it came out in, doesn't remain in the minds of rpgamers these days, and neither will it become a classic in 10 years time.

Story: 5/10

The story is based off your usual hero and group saves world, so don't expect any different plots. Putting aside that, Grandia II has taken a rather fresh approach to portray good and evil in this game with the use of many plot twists. It's a tale that can be more interesting if not for some very dull and unmotivated characters.

Battle system/Gameplay: 8

Overall, the battle system may look similar to Grandia, especially the names of the spells and the IP combat engine. But there's a slight difference, this time you get to upgrade spells and moves not by using them repeatedly to gain experience points, rather you use special and magic coins obtained from battles to increase their levels. Still, great flexibility can be used to describe the combat system, you can choose the spells and skills you want to have, and that's always a big bonus, of course unless you don't like wasting too much time thinking on which spell and skill to get and equip.

Controls for exploration around dungeons are rather smooth and the camera rotation is pretty handy. You don't have the random encounters, instead you'll get into a fight once you touch a moving enemy. This is more often than not, a better form of battle encounter for players who have gotten sick of random ones that can't be avoided.

Sounds/music: 8

Well, the music is okay, especially the battle themes. But too many times I was wanting to the enjoy the background music while exploring dungeons and towns, but the sound of the characters' footsteps almost always caused too much disturbance until I had to turn down the volume, and that really spoils the mood. I ended up having to adjust my volume control frequently. Now if only there's a sound control in the game itself. Nevertheless, I don't think this poses too much of a problem, the characters' voice acting are pretty decent and there are vocal songs as well. This can actually help lighten the player's mood, so I would consider that an added bonus.

Graphics: 8

Surely you wouldn't expect less from Grandia II, it was out on dreamcast, then PS2, so the graphics are definitely satisfying. Full of colors, making things more interesting, especially in long dungeons, for those of you who are not into RPGs, you wouldn't fall asleep I guess, and for the rest of you, well at least it's not like in some RPGs where everything is so dull looking that you just want to get out the dungeons as fast as possible. As for towns, they aren't repetitive and I would commend on the effort put into creating various types of designs to make the overall look pleasant and bright.

Characters: 6/10

There are fewer playable characters this time as compared to Grandia. Only 6 of them. The characters all have their very own unique personalities and background, and so none of them are unnecessary throughout the whole game. However, what they really lack is the development brought out through the story plot. Halfway through the game, I no longer care about what happens to them and it remained the same till I finish the game.

Replay: 5/10

There is not much replay value for this game considering how only the gameplay and graphics are good. The story is not worth it, the characters as well, and you don't get too many side quests and optional stuff that can give a boost. There aren't special side events or new dungeons or items and so on that can make the idea of a replay more attractive.

Buy or rent: rent
You could easily get this game for a uber low price nowadays, so you should buy it instead of paying the rental fee. If that situation doesn't apply to you, then rent it. My box and disc are now on an old shelf gathering dust.

Overall: 6/10

Grandia II is not grand, but it isn't really that bad either. I replayed it twice, so I think it is definitely playable and may even be in some people's list of favourites, but it's definitely just not a title you will think of when it comes to the top 50 greatest RPGs simply because just having good battle mechanics doesn't mean a good game.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/03, Updated 07/30/07