Grandia II

"Easily one of the best games on the system"

Ah, Grandia II... one of the two reasons that my DreamCast is still on my shelf and not in the hands of some used-game store. Yeah, it salvaged an entire system for me. It's that good.

First Glance: The first thing you notice when you pick up this game is that it participates in the greatest RPG stereotype of all time: The main character has spiky hair. After that, though, the stereotypes, though some still exist, tend to fade away. Every bit of this game feels fresh and original, even if it really isn't. Is this a good thing? Of course!

Graphics: The unimportant part of the review... the graphics in this game were top-notch at its release, and still look really good to this day. The animation is very fluid, and the special attacks look great. The only negative thing to say about the graphics is that the characters, for some odd reason, lack mouths. Apparently, you're not supposed to be focused on their faces much... and for the most part, you aren't. You're focused on the acrobatic sword slashes they're making, or the amazingly detailed electro-dragons they're summoning, or the huge hulking monsters staring them down. The bottom line is that if you're a graphicsmonger, Grandia II will not let you down.

Soundtrack: Now, I don't care about graphics, but a soundtrack can really make or break a game for me. I love game music so much that I collect it. With that said, Grandia II has one of the best, if not the best, soundtracks that I have ever heard. Every song, whether an energetic fight song, an emotional reminiscence, a foreboding ominous song of evil, a lighthearted song of prosperity, a creepy ambient theme, a tense ''danger'' song, or anything else is masterfully crafted by the inimitable Noriyuki Iwadare, and is an absolute joy to listen to. The amazing soundtrack is one of the defining features of this game. On a scale of one to ten, there is no number large enough.

Sound Effects: This is where the game starts to get less than a perfect score from me, but overall it's very good. The battle sounds are very well-done, whether a clash of steel on steel, the roar of a fireball, the little taunts put forth by the characters when they call upon a particularly powerful spell (some of which actually make me laugh), or the cry of the fallen. The voice acting, on the other hand, is a different story. Some, nay, MOST of the characters have very good voices. Two characters in particular, though, have absolutely terrible voices. You'll want to throttle whoever decided to hire their voice actors every single time that they speak. This doesn't truly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, really, but it's definitely worth mentioning, as those characters will definitely appear on any Grandia II fan's list of ''Most Annoying Voices Of All Time''.

Story: The story appears to be simple, but is actually quite complex, with lots of plot twists along the way to keep things interesting. There's very little more that I can actually say without spoiling it, but I will tell you that the story will definitely keep you interested until the end.

Characters: Most of the characters are very entertaining to be around. Some of them, like the two main characters, are fairly stereotypical, but are nonetheless interesting to have along. The dialogue is very well-written, which is a good thing, considering how many NPCs and townspeople there are to chat with (QUITE a few). It's also worth mentioning that the main character is, so far as I'm concerned, the second funniest character in any game, ever. We've seen the ''moody, dour, cynical, world-hating antihero'' before, but you'll laugh whenever his sarcastic and cynical side shows (that is, every time he opens his mouth).

Gameplay: Veterans of the Grandia battle system will tell you of its greatness. The Grandia battle system takes the concept of a timed battle and takes it to a new level. It doesn't fit into words very well, but the player must calculate distances between one's self and one's enemies, times it takes to charge various attacks compared to the enemy charging their attacks, whether to use attacks that do more damage or attacks that can stop the enemy in their tracks, along with various similar decisions, for every character and every enemy simultaneously. In my honest opinion, Grandia II has the closest thing to a perfect battle system that the world has yet seen. Even if I hated every other thing about this game, even if the soundtrack made my ears hurt, the graphics made my eyes twist, the story was nonexistent and the characters made my flesh crawl, I would still play this game to the end because the battle system is just that good. You'll find yourself seeking out enemies, because every single battle is actually fun. There's none of that ''press A for the Fight command until you win'' that's only too common these days. There's strategy involved, and it's an absolute blast.

Other: One major gripe that I have with this game is that it is, quite possibly, the most linear RPG created in modern times. There is ONE side quest, and it's not even a true side quest, rather, more of an ''optional free area'' to level up in if you so choose. You WILL go where you're told, and do what the game wants you to do. The thing is, though, you'll really enjoy every minute of it. I'm a lover of a non-linear game as much as the next fellow, but I still put Grandia II on my Top Ten list of my favorite games ever. While you're playing the game, you don't resent the fact that you're constantly following plot points. You're far too busy enjoying the interesting story, engaging battle system, and stellar soundtrack.

GBU:
Good: Excellent soundtrack, nigh-perfect battle system, great story.
Bad: Some characters are annoying.
Ugly: No side quests!

Bottom Line: If you see this game, grab it. It's worth your money, and you'll enjoy every minute of it.
10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03