Grandia (Sony PlayStation 1, 1999)

Grandia is a role-playing masterpiece that delivers in all of the ways that really matter. While perhaps a little behind in the technology curve, Grandia's innovation, atmosphere, and story make it one of the most noteworthy RPGs in recent memory. Grandia is more interesting, playable, and satisfying than most RPGs. To top it off, Grandia is an enormous game, requiring around 60 hours of play time to complete. But what could keep a game so interesting for so long? Three things - the story, the battle system and the world itself. While the story isn't the most original in the world, it is well done and focuses on a handful of well-developed characters instead of on the fantastic events that surround them. The story has a charm and sense of wonder built in that makes you feel as though you've actually accomplished something upon reaching a new area, acting as a kind of pacing that rewards you for every advancement. As notable as this is, Grandia's battle system is what really makes the game shine. While many RPGs tend to string a story together with a series of battles that may or may not be fun, Grandia's battle and experience system is just about as fun and rewarding as it gets. Grandia's combat system merges bits of Square's Active Battle system with pieces of Lunar's system, all presented from an overhead 2D view. Time constantly flows during battle, pausing only to let you issue a command. The handy IP bar in the bottom right corner of the screen lets you know who's attacking and when - a vital feature, considering that time is a commodity. In addition to the standard RPG elemental and weapon distinctions, you will also have to factor distance into the equation, resulting in a slightly more strategic battle system. Because every character can attack at the same time, battles are generally shorter than those in most RPGs. Because Grandia's story forces you to spend an extended period of time with only a handful of characters, the game's magic and character-development system become especially important. So, the story and battle system are good. To top it off, Grandia's vast world is interesting and fun in its own right. Even though the current trend in RPGs seems to be headed for darker, more serious adventures, Grandia flaunts the fact that it's the complete opposite. The game's world is warm and inviting, filled to the brim with personality and details that many games seem to forgo. In many RPGs, overworlds are used to provide filler time and random encounters between the interesting bits. Grandia sports no such overworlds. Instead, it connects pertinent areas with only a hand-drawn world map and lets you travel instantly to any available destination. Brightly colored throughout, each town and area has a look all its own, giving you incentive to explore and enjoy all the fantastic artistic detail the game has to offer. Each environment is presented in painstakingly textured real-time 3D from an overhead perspective. While a more casual RPGer might opt for Final Fantasy, Grandia is a fantastic game for anyone looking for a lighthearted, truly satisfying adventure.

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: T.R.C.

You start out as a boy named Justin. He dreams of becoming an adventurer just like his dad. Justin has a childhood friend and cousin named Sue. Sue has a great pet named Puffy, that Justin's Dad found on one of his many adventures. As you start your adventures you will meet tons of funny and interesting people. Like Feena, a fellow adventurer, Guido, a wise, if enigmatic bunny rabbit, Gadwin, the masterful warrior, Milda, an Amazonian that likes using her body instead her head, Rapp, a hot blooded young man with a bad attitude and a host of other cast members that make this game a joy to play.

The Story - 8/10: This Game starts out a bit slow till you are about 3 hours into the game. That is when this game starts to shine and keeps shining. You will laugh, Cry, get upset, and feel joy while playing this great game.

The Battle System - 7/10: This is your typical turn based battle system with a unique leveling system. You must use your attacks and magic over and over again because they gain experience with every use. Then that leads to new spells and attacks. You must also change your party's weapons, because each weapon type gains its own experience.

Game play - 9/10: The puzzles in this game were just hard enough to give you the feeling of accomplishment. I loved the mazes in this game because most of the dungeons had a 360-degree camera control, with a nice little compass to point you in the right direction. My advice is to use the compass if you get lost. (You will get lost at some point) This game has 50+ hours of game play.

Overall - 9/10: This game was a joy to play. It has it's ups and downs, like 40+ hours into the game you want it to be over, but the game's story keeps the plot twists coming and the game keeps you glued to your seat to find out what happens next.

If you want a great game this is one of the best RPG's for the Playstation.

I hooked up my old PS1 to show my 6 yr old son some of the games I used to play. This game is a treat to play for both young and old. I had a blast playing this game and so did my lil guy. The game does start a lil slow, but it becomes an epic with a fun and clever story line. The characters really compliment eachother and you'll find yourself rooting for them. Graphics are ok for PS1, but very colorful. The game is indeed grand with a very good battle system. It stands the test of time and you'll want to play it again. A must have for any retro rpg'er.

While this game didn't sell very well when it first came out due to it coming out around the time of Final Fantasy, this does not mean it's a terrible game. As a matter of fact, I consider it one of the best games of all times. Characters are great and all have their funny moments. Villians get introduced early on. Major character and villian devolpment throughout the whole game. 2 discs and yet it is going to take at least 20 hours on the first disc. I like everything about the game and really don't like anything about it either.

The game is a definite classic. In the trilogy, it is the most original concept. The future installments are decent, but this game does set the tone for the whole universe. With a true anime-style persona accompanying its characters, a simplistic battle system that gives enough challenges, and a storyline that does capture the imagination of players, its definitely worth playing.