Grandia Critic Reviews

Story is a great component of any RPG but it has to have a quality battle engine alongside. Thankfully Grandia utilizes one of the best we have played.

With an absolutely stellar story, and characters that are more lively and fleshed out than those found in other series this game provides the integral components to make for an RPG that will rule the players life until they’ve finished the game.

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's one really serious failing is its difficulty. My first run through clocked in at about 52 hours, so it certainly doesn't have a length problem, but however long and satisfying the journey, the experienced RPG player is unlikely to find many moments of genuine challenge.

With an emphasis on characterizations, and battles that are actually fun to play, this game totally grabbed me.

Grandia doesn't opt for grandiose (despite the title) effects or uber-fantastic events to draw gamers in. Instead, this is a game that relies more on characters to tell the story and it does it incredibly well.

Even though the characters aren’t as customizable as some other games, I found myself more involved molding each one so I don’t necessarily think this is a hindrance.

Ultimately, I think it's the focus on the characters and the growth they experience that takes Grandia over the top. The angle the designers took for Grandia as a more lighthearted and anecdotal adventure is refreshing. It never overwhelms like the newer, over-ambitious efforts that are out there but rather, offers up the less tangible part of gaming.

It is proof that a strong game accompanied by good, but not great visuals, can be a more compelling product than something with lots of flash, but no substance.

With an enormous world to explore, a great variety of puzzles, and a whole lot of humor, Grandia is sure to please any RPG fan who hungers for hours of immersing gameplay and puzzle solving.

The depth of story is surprisingly luxurious... This isn't a "Final Fantasy" beater but it's a cracking RPG nonetheless.

A solid RPG with a good story containing many twists and turns. The characters are a little too cutesy for my taste, but are adequate for the story.

Thanks to both CD's being full of gameplay rather than superfluous full motion video sequences, it will take quite a while for even the most avid gamer to make his or her way through to the fulfilling conclusion. It's time well spent.

A great game. While it's low on the pathos, the cheery nature of the quest is rivaled only by Working Design's "Lunar" series.