Grandia 3 / III [US Import]

Grandia fans will be happy to see this title, but those new to the series may not get as into this game as others. While the heart of Grandia lies within the battle system, which is still incredible, the other elements have suffered a little over the years. With Grandia III it's no different. It is a very good game, but the RPG veteran will notice that there are a couple of key elements missing.

Yuki dreams of one day becoming a pilot like his hero Sky Captain Schmidt. He's finally made a plane that he's sure can carry him off Titalos Island. Upon trying to leave, he doesn't realize his mother has hopped aboard the plane, taking the plane over its weight limit. Eventually the plane goes down near a girl named Alfina who is the last of the "Communicators". A race that stay in contact with a Guardian Glyph and relay the information to the rest of the world. Alfina's brother, however, has different plans, and would rather take over the world. It's your job, of course, to stop him.

The story isn't really thrilling, but the characters will make up for that. Some of the dialogue is badly written, but for the most part, the characters begin to take on a personality and you fall in love with them. Especially with how they interact over scenes when they're at dinner.

Grandia veterans will recognize the battle system instantly. After nearly ten years, the battle system is still complex, fresh and very original. When you enter battle there will be a circle gauge in the corner. This is the IP gauge. Your characters and enemies move along this gauge. You'll select a command and watch them play out in real time. Each character and enemy will go into action. If you attack an enemy while they're in action you'll delay their attack. It is even possible to cancel it all together. The enemy can also do the same to you.

The battle system, as I said, is complex, and still holds up. There is still no battle system quite like it. Unfortunately, it's an easy battle system to take advantage of. And this isn't the first time Grandia has suffered from this. If you keep canceling enemies, you'll find that many battles you'll take absolutely no damage. Bosses, however, can be pretty challenging. Especially because they have multiple parts. Boss battles are particularly long and satisfying.

Another reason for the ease of Grandia is simply because you can always see the enemies HP and what attack they plan on using and who they plan to attack. In other words, the game begs for you to take advantage. It's all a matter of canceling the attacks. However, this makes so that Grandia's battle system really does focus on strategy. For as easy as it is to take advantage of the battle system, it's just as easy to lose control if you're unfamiliar with it.

Each character also has a set of special moves to use. And as they continue to use them they'll get more skills availible to them. There are also skill books and Mana Eggs for you to equip to give you modifiers and spells. Mana Eggs allow you to cast various spells while skill books will give you abilities, such as being able to defend against poison or do more damage to a certain type of enemy.

However, there are a few things that are glaring in Grandia III. It isn't just the storyline that erks me (especially when compared to Grandia II and the first one), but the lack of sidequests and the game is short. There are not enough secrets and mini-games, which ultimately lowers the replay value of this game. Sometimes it's nice to take a break from the quest. This also means the game is very linear. It also could've been longer.

That shouldn't suggest Grandia III is bad. It's not. But it makes it so that only hard-core RPGers and Grandia devotees will want to play it. If battling and having fun is your thing, by all means, play Grandia III. But if secrets and goodies is your thing, Grandia III probably isn't for you.

The visual look of Grandia III isn't bad. It's rather good. Each character is detailed and the enviroments are pretty. It's great that there is no slow down in this one, as it isn't a port. There are times, however, when the graphics look outdated. Still, it's a beautiful game. And it doesn't sound so bad either. The voice acting is pretty good, and the background music serves its purpose as well.

Overall, Grandia III is a pretty good game. As long as you're not expecting a lot you'll enjoy it. While there are a few glaring things, I have to say the game is fun. The battle system makes it so that one actually wants to battle as opposed to avoiding them. For the die-hard RPGer and Grandia fan, this is gold. If you're expecting a lot from a game, however, look elsewhere.

The Good

+Stylish Graphics

+Incredible battle system makes the game really fun

+While the story is nothing special, the characters really do help move it along nicely.

The Bad

-The story is too simple... especially for Grandia

-No side quests and very little secrets

-It's too short

A good game, but definitely for a selective crowd.

Hello Amazon shoppers, Amir0x from Hangar-G3 here.

When you think of Grandia, you automatically think of the battle system. The reason for this is simple: it's the one thing that sets the series apart. It's furious, fast, and strategic. And it leaves you wishing more RPGs did something like this. As long as this aspect of Grandia is in place, you're guaranteed a great experience.

And Grandia III does not disappoint. Additions, such as Aerial Combos, add to the fantastic system and provide all the frenetic action the franchise is known for. In this way, it is not only a return to form but it is superior to its predecessors.

Visually as well, the game seriously pushes PS2 far beyond what you'd expect. Spectacular spell effects, robust character models, vibrant towns... all of it is a testament to the talent of the development team. The incredible scenery and artistic direction compliment a rock solid engine.

On the minus side, the soundtrack is a bit of a downer. None of it is particularly inspired, which is surprising considering how great Noriyuki Idaware's previous works were. None of the tracks really stay in your memory for long, which is generally one of the first signs that it's not leaving any lasting impact. Finally, the storyline is really not up to the standards of the rest of the games. The relationships between Yuki and the rest of the cast (with the exception of his mother) all fall into the cliche, one-dimensional range. The motivations of who you ultimately end up fighting all fall flat.

But at the core of this game is a battle system that simply cannot be beat in the RPG world. Emphasizing this over the story might be difficult for some players, but if you do you'll find a rewarding experience that anyone can enjoy.

I'm sure you're one of the Grandia fans from PS2 days and look forward to the same great experience. I doubt you'll be disappointed, and hope my review will cover all the bases so you know what type of games Grandia III is.

First of all, this game had all the hype it needed. There weren't any commercials or anything that made the game seem better then it is. This game brought back feelings of playing the first Grandia (PSX) as well as Lunar: Silver Star Story on the Sega CD. The first 5 hours spent playing this game I was blown away and remembered how fun the battle system was. It's been a while since I played an EXTREMELY good non-Square-enix game. You see...t.his game is made by Game Arts. Thank them for the Lunar series as well as Grandia on the original PlayStation. Even though most people are buying this to pass time til' Kingdom Hearts II, this game really IS worth buying. However, the game is very cutscene drivin' which so far, doesn't bother me at all. The cut-scenes are very well done with a great GRANDIA feeling. Not at all like Xenosaga, which was coldi in its portrayal of the characters. This game has spirit and life; you'll enjoy the plot advancement as well as getting to know your party of heroes.

It's games like this, that really make me wonder what else Square-enix can throw at us. It's going to get better and better each game. (Again, GameArts made this game but S-E was the publisher). I think Final Fantasy XII could be a revolutionary step between action and role-playing games that will bring in more fans. Star Ocean wasn't good enough. Neither is Tales of Legendia. Grandia III has the idea, but I believe FFXII will be _the_ game, but G3 will help you pass the time well.

Sadly the game only last about 30 hours...over two discs...short indeed, but last about as long as the story is going to hold it. There are not any side-quests really or anything extra to unlock. Very straight-forward game, but that doesn't mean it won't hold your attention.

Grandia III has finally brought back whats good in the series after Grandia Xtreme and the PS2 Grandia 2 port. This game has really brought me back to the series and has shown me that when square enix wants to they can breath life into a seies that was thought to be dead. grandia 1 and grandia 2 for the dreamcast were amazing games. but the recent ps2 efforts were not very good. Grandia III does face some problems story wise(it gets worse in the second disk), but players should not play the game for the story, but rather for the battles. They have now added a new way to equipt skills and magic along with a brand new system which allows arial attacks. the graphics are probably the crispist on the playstation 2 (sorry final fantasy). So where the story drops the game play makes up for it.

The music could be better, but the battles have a thrilling drive that makes you want to fight. Not run from battles, but get into them. Speaking of which, you won't have to waste time building levels, unless you don't have a hang of the battle system.

I'll leave the story for you to find out. It's an adventure that's not as up to par as previous games, but nevertheless it has Game Arts written all over it. Pick up this game for a rental if you doubt you'll want to own it. I'm proud to have bought this and will play it over a few months down the line with no less enthusiasm. Now if only they would begin work on LUNAR 3... maybe someday.