|
Grandia - Review |
|
A massive tale... perhaps too massive?
By: Jake Alley
Review Breakdown |
Battle System |
8 |
Interface |
5 |
Music/Sound |
3 |
Originality |
5 |
Plot |
10 |
Localization |
6 |
Replay Value |
2 |
Visuals |
3 |
Difficulty |
Very Easy |
Time to Complete |
60-80 hours
|
|
Overall |
|
Criteria
|
Game Arts is unique among developers. Rather than setting their protagonists
off on a quest to save the world, the hero in most of their titles is motivated simply by boredom.
Set in a truly vast and diversely populated world, Grandia demonstrates just how far the
theme of pure exploration can go.
While the plot does eventually turn into the standard RPG affair of saving the world,
throughout most of the game, the main character Justin has no motivation other than an intense desire
to see the world and make a name for himself. While this is refreshingly different, it also makes for
a somewhat slow paced experience. However, it also leaves plenty of time to thoroughly develop all
the characters in the game. If nothing else, upon completing the game, the player is extremely familiar
with each character's personality.
Although most of the game is exploring what should be a vast breathtaking world,
the graphics simply aren't up to the task of realizing it. Thanks to a fairly rough port from the
Sega Saturn, the world of Grandia is composed of rough ugly quadrilateral-based polygons. Even compared
to Playstation titles around the time Grandia was first released, the quality is extremely poor.
The characters who populate this world however are well drawn sprites, so not everything in the
game is an eyesore.
|
Steam filled town
|
|
While it may not be pretty, Grandia's world is an interesting place. The towns
are simply huge, and filled with people, each of whom provide a large number of well translated
tidbits of information. Unfortunately, all important text is accompanied by dubbing so irritating
that many players find it necessary to turn off the sound. Even worse than this however are the
phrases each character shouts constantly during combat. Muting out the annoying voices however deprives
the player of hearing the game's music, which is really quite good.
While Grandia is a very plot driven game, a large portion of it is still spent
fighting. The fights themselves are reminiscent of Chrono Trigger. Monsters move around, complicating
the casting of spells that hit all monsters in a small area. There is also a system similar to
Square's Active Time Battle system, but with one important difference. When characters and monsters
take damage, the delay before their next action is increased. This means that with proper timing,
even bosses can be rendered helpless from a barrage of attacks. The experience system of Grandia
however is more like that found in Secret of Mana. When a character attacks with a sword, their
sword skill increases. When a character casts a fire spell, their fire skill increases. When these
skill levels reach certain requirements, new spells and special attacks are learned. HP and MP
also increase with these skill levels.
|
Crossing the ocean |
|
As interesting as this skill system is, it has it's flaws. The more powerful a
spell or attack is, the more it increases the associated skill. Therefore, once a certain point
is reached, spells and special attacks snowball in effectiveness, increasing in damage much faster
than the monsters can keep up. The end result is a game which is painfully easy. Further damaging
the difficulty is the fact that all save points in the game restore all HP and MP.
In addition to the lack of challenge, Grandia is also an extremely linear game.
In fact, the only two side quests in the game feature large disclaimers, explaining the fact that
they are completely optional. Other than these, the game follows a rigid unchanging path, leaving
very little reason for a second play through.
In summary, for anyone looking for a solid story, Grandia is an excellent game,
with a solid eighty hours of exploration and character development. However, for anyone looking
for a challenging, engrossing game, It's best to look elsewhere.
|