"An Xtremely fun and innovative RPG."

First of all, I must confess that this is the first Grandia title I have had the pleasure of getting my hands on. So, if you're looking for comparisons, this is not the place to look. However, if you are in search of an honest, and detailed review of this fine title, I do suggest you read on.

Down to business. Grandia Xtreme is a great game. Simply put, it has everything a gameplay conscience RPG fan could possibly want. I'll break it down into smaller sections, to highlight its pros and cons.

Graphics: 7/10
Nothing amazing here. The field view has decent graphics. They don't go into incredible detail, but they do more then enough to get the point across. The battle view has slightly more impressive visuals, and the character detail is comforting. Equiping different weapons changes their appearance on screen, which always adds a bit of ''pizzazz'' to a game. You know, just a little something to brighten your day. Spells and abilities look surprisingly nice. They are slightly more detailed then the rest of the visuals in this game. Again, nothing at all spectacular here, but it will more then hold you over for where this game really shines. And by that, I mean its gameplay.

Audio: 3/10
Ugh. What really hurts here is the voice acting. When you see big names such as Mark Hammil on the cover of this title, you expect some damn good voice acting. But, what you get is crap. I seriously believe you could get betting voice overs from circus monkeys. It is that bad. Gladly, Xtreme does not have too many scenes where the characters talk. Sound effects are nice, but again, do not get your hopes up. A slash is a slash, and a footstep is a footstep. Simple. The music is decent, good at best. However, I don't find music to be a very important part of the gaming experience. If audio means a whole lot to you, it might be a good idea to stay away.

Gameplay: 9.5/10
Finally, I get to really show my love for Grandia Xtreme. The gameplay is amazing. Loads of customization, and I do mean loads. Much of it comes with the combining of mana eggs, and in the massive amount of different skills you can obtain. With eight characters in total, you will be able to set your party up just how you please. Not to mention the the specific skills that each character can learn, and the specific combinations of those skills between specific characters. The word specific being used so much here to fully convey the amount of distinctions between the characters. It is just that damn customizable.

Then, you have the battle system. One word. Wow. It's something completely different from any other RPG I have played in my life. Everything is constantly moving at the same time, and battles can get quite hectic. The IP gauge, which basically shows when each character (enemies included) will get their chance to act, is a welcome change from the traditional turn based, and other real time battle engines. It proves to be critical in the decision of just about everything involved in battle. The gauge is amazingly descriptive and for this reason it may take a little while to understand fully. But, you will learn to fully appreciate it once you get the hang of things.

The battles are also much less boring than in other RPG titles. I, personally, find myself just smashing on the attack button during most tedious random battles in other RPGs. This happens much less in Grandia Xtreme, as button mashing can get you into trouble. Knowing when and whom certain enemies will attack can make or break a battle, and not paying attention will hurt. Different enemy setups and grouping will constantly keep things fresh, or at least as fresh as they could possibly be.

There is an error or two in the gameplay however, and these are the reason for the 9.5 instead of the full-fledged 10. Dungeon crawling can be very long, and tedious to an extent. There is only one save point in the entire game which will prove to be incredibly annoying. Also, the spots that will link you to that save point are few and far between, making it difficult to just pick up this title and play for a short time. You will need to invest an hour at a time, at the very least. But, the greatness of the gameplay and battle system greatly outweigh its problems.

Storyline: 7/10
Meh. The story is decent, but really leaves some to be desired. It's very plain and simple. No real plot twists and turns, just basic description. It does not go deep into detail at all and will leave some to the imagination. If you are looking for a Final Fantasy type storyline, don't bother. Don't misunderstand though, the storyline works and makes good sense. But, it is no epic tale. What you see is what you get.

Replay Value: 10/10
This has, by far, the best replay value of any RPG I been able to play. Different characters to raise, different eggs to fuse, and many extra bosses to fight really make it fun to play through over and over. Didn't like your main party the first way through? Hell, you can change them all the next go around (With the exception of Evann, the main character, of corse). There are tons of items yet to be found and plenty of ''sidequests'' to look through. No, not your typical sidequests, but extras nonetheless. Not to mention you can raise your characters to obscene levels, in excess of the typical 100.

Difficulty: 7/10
The game can be hard at times. At other times, very hard. And at others, quite simple. Most of it can be solved by some simple leveling and/or mana egg building though. It is not the most difficult RPG out there, but I guarantee you that it has its moments.

The Final Verdict: 9/10
If you can look past the crappy sound and decent graphics, you'll find an amazing game. The story isn't deep, but it compliments the game nicely. Gameplay, the battle system, and the amazing replay value combined is what makes this game so damn good in my honest opinion. If you're a gamer looking for something to play, then this is the perfect title for you. If you are desperate for a story, I suggest you give this a rental and see if it does a good enough job for you. However, I love the game, and strongly recommend it to everyone.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/03, Updated 01/22/03