Grandia II

"I don't recall "Hunting down re-awakening God of Evil" as part of my job description..."

Saturn owners got shafted years ago. Grandia was one of the best RPGs to come along in years, perhaps rivaling the quality of another recently released game, Final Fantasy 7. The decision not to port the Saturn version to the U.S. was a disheartening experience for Saturn-owning RPG fans, to say the least. The re-release of Grandia on the Playstation in the U.S. was a mixed blessing for some -- while the U.S. finally had an English Grandia, some felt it was salt in the wounds of Sega loyalists.

That said, Grandia II goes a long way to atone for this decision.

Graphics: Wow, where do I begin. Well, the character models are as good a place as any.

Speaking of which, the character models are not in particular anything special -- they're standard Dreamcast fare. However, what they lack in detail, they make up for in style. From Elena's large bonnet and baggy blue pants, to Millenia's not-so-adequate clothing, to Tio's lifeless eyes and unusual hair, the models do a nice job of presenting an outward identity to each characters' personalities, Melfice in particular standing out. The first time you see him, you'll immediately know that you'll be clashing at some point down the road.

Well, what about everything else? Character models aren't everything. And it's very good Game Arts realized this. Textures are extremely detailed, and, while the towns are only of a fair size for an RPG, they exude personality that most RPG locations do not (wait until you see Lilligue). It's amazing they got this sucker on one disc. As for spell effects, a rather unusual approach was taken -- FMV is layered over the images on the screen. While the result is rather odd (the spell DragonZap and Millenia's Fallen Wings skill in particular), it's certainly nice to watch, though it is an acquired taste, and the effects do tend to drag out battles somewhat.

Sound: It's almost as if Game Arts wanted to say, ''We'll show those rookies out there how it's done.'' Voiceovers are exceptional (although I'm not particularly fond of Roan's overly-saccharine tone, I must admit it fits him), which isn't surprising, since the voice-over people who worked on Metal Gear Solid were hired to do the work, and actors with voice-over experience were brought in (Ryudo's voice was done by the same guy who did Leonardo on the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, for example).

The game's music fits the game rather well. It's not as great or varied as that of the soundtrack of the original, but it gets the job done; the track ''Dangerous Zone,'' for example, does this particularly well. Speaking of the tracks, the fact that you get 12 choice tracks on a soundtrack CD that comes with the game doesn't hurt (don't be fooled by the case's size, Grandia II is a 1-disc game).

The only aural aspect of this game not done especially well is the fairly sparse sound effects. They seem to limited to token bells, rings, and booms, and just don't stack up well against the other sound aspects.

Story: This game's story is both a blessing and a curse. First the blessings: Grandia II has a very captivating tale to tell. The localization of this game is one of the best I've ever seen, using concise, witty dialogue, while still managing to tell two amazing, intertwining tales: the ever increasing love triangle between Ryudo, Elena, and Millenia, and a war of the deities of Granas, God of Light, and Valmar, God of Darkness. While these ideas may seem to be tired stereotypes, there are a fair number of twists that keep you going, one in particular near the end which will likely catch you totally off-guard.

The curses? If you like replay value in your RPGs, this game is not for you. The amazing story is faulted by the fact that, due to how it's told, it completely eliminates the replay value because you won't be able to revisit most places you've been to. The game keeps prodding you along at a brisk pace, not really letting you explore, perhaps this game's biggest difference from the DC's other magnum opus, Skies of Arcadia -- SoA's freedom puts GII to shame. Near the end, you're allowed to revisit an area called Raul Hills as a ''special stage'' where you can get nifty items, but that's it for replay value. Thankfully, the story is one you don't mind being told twice.

Control and Gameplay: Umm... it's an RPG. It doesn't have very complex controls at all. Outside battle: walk with the D-Pad, run with the analog stick, open menu by pressing Start, talk/confirm with A, cancel with B, rotate camera with the triggers. In battle: A confirms, pad/stick rotates your choices.

Speaking of battle: Grandia II improves on what many consider to be the best battle system used in any RPG. OK, at the bottom right of the screen, there is a line with 3 sections: Wait, Com, and Act. Characters advance on the Wait section until they hit the Com line, where a command is entered. Then they go between Com and Act, where the command is acted out, the speed of which this occurs is varied by proficiency with attacks and Agility. This is not all, however: you can cancel an opponent's attack. You enemy is constrained by the same line, you can use it to tell when they're going to move and what they'll do. If you use a ''Critical'' attack on them or a special move with a cancel effect while the enemy is between the Com and Act sections of the line, the attack is (surprise) cancelled, sending the enemy far back into the Wait area. Such a system provides for a lot of depth and strategy, though battles tend to be rather easy, although the AI you can assign for party members is rather useful.

In conclusion, Grandia II is an exceptional exercise in what makes an RPG great. It has all the ingredients of a classic game. Perhaps the only vices to be found in this game is the extremely linear procession and short play length -- it took me 26 hours to finish, compared with 45 in Skies of Arcadia, without getting the extras. These two factors kept the game from receiving a 9 or a 10, and it just barely misses the distinction of being the best RPG on the Dreamcast. Still, if you're a gaming fan, you owe it to yourself to buy this game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/20/01, Updated 01/20/01