Grandia III (PlayStation 2)

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 3 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 8 stars

  A diamond in the rough

  by Amir0x on March 21, 2006

  Pros: Beautiful visuals; spectacular battle system

  Cons: Cliché, derivative storyline; weak soundtrack

  Summary: Grandia III comes at an interesting time. Next-gen has just started. And it launches before both Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy XII, two titles - also in popular franchises ...

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  Summary: Grandia III comes at an interesting time. Next-gen has just started. And it launches before both Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy XII, two titles - also in popular franchises - which are sure to make a incredible splash.
  
  So it might be easy to overlook Grandia III as you anticipate the latest hot game, never experiencing the truly great things that lie beneath the surface with this title. But that'd be a mistake, in my opinion.
  
  Because despite being surrounded by such high-profile events, Grandia III still manages to craft one of the best RPG battle systems ever... with the gloss you expect from only the most high budget titles. You're frequently planning ahead to cancel enemies moves and pile on your own. To utilize your skills and pour on the next flashy spell effect. Chaining combo after combo, including the new aerials, with blazing efficiency. The strategy here goes deep and is layers after layers thick. And it's pretty much unparalleled. You may read this and think it's a bit of enthusiastic hyperbole. Perhaps it is. But rest assured, it is this aspect - along with the visuals - that allows it to transcend any of its flaws.
  
  And it has a few problems. The storyline is pretty terrible, which happens to be a big thing in an RPG. And the soundtrack leaves something to be desired, especially considering the pedigree of the one who worked on it. But these can be looked past, because the core is solid gold... and genuinely fun. I don't think you'd be disappointed.

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• 7 stars

  While not the current-gen masterpiece it could've been, Grandia 3 still packs a wallop.

  by Megaten on March 14, 2006

  Pros: Great graphics, fun battle system

  Cons: Weak storyline, no character development, everything is only so-so

  Summary: So, here we have Grandia 3. Years and years of waiting after Grandia 2's release, and pretty much everyone who has played that gem of a game has pretty ...

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  Summary: So, here we have Grandia 3. Years and years of waiting after Grandia 2's release, and pretty much everyone who has played that gem of a game has pretty high expectations. Pity, because on most accounts, Grandia 3 doesn't improve on what Grandia 2 already established. Then again, it doesn't exactly backpedal, either. No, Grandia 3 is easily described as a "side-step" for the Grandia series.
  
  So yea, everyone is up in a tizzy about the battle system. Truth be told, yes, it really is pretty incredible. Incredible, in the sense that it keeps you a wee bit more alert than say, Final Fantasy X managed to do. This, of course, is a slightly half-handed compliment. It might be because I just came off of playing the excellent Devil May Cry 3, but I've come to expect a certain level of depth in my gameplay mechanics. Sure, maybe it isn't too fair to compare a lowly RPG's battle system to something out of a wizz-bang action title. But hey, I'm going to anyway. While combos are certainly fun, and cancelling is helpful - this game really doesn't feel like it went as far as it could've gone with various elements of the system. On one hand, perhaps the developers mere mearly trying to not bog down the system by making it overly complicated. The problem is that it doesn't come across as being something of that nature. It really just feels shallow. I'm sure some Grandia fans might call that heresy, but it is just the way I feel. But sure, it is much better than anything I've played in the RPG genre in a while. And I'll give it the respect it deserves, at least in that regard.
  
  Kind of like the battle system in Grandia 3, the music comes across as sort of hum-ho as well. The music is certainly nothing terrible - not in the least. But at the same time, I don't find myself humming anything either. And the same can be said towards the storyline. Now, Grandia games seem to have a history of not giving a damn about their stories, so I won't fault this game for that too much. After all, after fighting the butt of Valmar, the eyes of Valmar, the toenail fungus of Valmar in Grandia 2, I didn't expect exciting or surprising battles and story twists. But at least G2 threw in some pseudo-religious overtones to make it at least attempt to be an interesting romp. Grandia 3 feels more like a half-assed Skies of Arcadia to me instead.
  
  And for all the praise the graphics have been receiving as of late, I really can't say I agree. Oh yes, the graphics are pretty damn nice. But you see; I just finished playing PGR3, so you won't find me getting too awestruck. That really isn't fair to the aging PS2 however. Of course, this review isn't a general overview as much as it is my opinion thanks to my situation. That being said, I still think the graphics are only "good" at best. Honestly, I was a lot more dumbstruck when I first saw Metal Gear Solid 3. Still am, actually.
  
  So, while I think the battle system is fun, I think it could've been deeper. I think the graphics are good, yet overrated. The sounds and story certainly aren't going to make you cringe in pain, but they won't inspire you either. This seems to be the case in regards to everything Grandia 3. Yea, it's good...but it could've, and more importantly...SHOULD'VE, been better. I loved the hell out of Grandia 2, after all. It was something I found to be truly magical at that point in time. Of course, I was much younger then too. Hard to believe it came out on the Dreamcast in 2000, isn't it? Well, the year is 2006 folks, and that crap isn't going to cut it anymore. I've seen the greener pastures. And Grandia 3 just doesn't do much more for me than Grandia 2 did. So, for the same asking price of Grandia 3, you could easily find a Dreamcast, a copy of Grandia 2, and probably snag yourself Bangai-O and Samba de Amigo to boot. Seems like a much more worthwhile purchase if you ask me.
  
  (I will say this, however. This game has taken a lot of flak for being too "short". This is absolute bull. People tend to remember the old Grandia games as being longer than ****. In fact, my first Grandia 2 save was 25 hours. My first Grandia 3 save was 30. So no, it isn't too short, at least in Grandia terms.)
  
  (Another brief statement. Wow, that turned out a lot more negative than I expected. I honestly do recommend this game, wholeheartedly. I don't know, I might just be in a sour mood right now. Everything I said certainly is true, but it could've been worded a bit nicer, I suppose...)

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• 9 stars

  You should buy Grandia III

  by oncedead on February 22, 2006

  Pros: Good combat and graphics

  Cons: Too easy and the story isn't very good

  Summary: The graphics in Grandia III are excellent. Everything is beautiful and vibrant.
  
  The various characters are interesting. Alfina looks good and so do the other characters. Most have an interesting
  
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  Summary: The graphics in Grandia III are excellent. Everything is beautiful and vibrant.
  
  The various characters are interesting. Alfina looks good and so do the other characters. Most have an interesting backstory. The tension between Yuki and his mother is interesting.
  
  The combat is very fast. You can perform combos and kick your enemies into the air. The game keeps track of how high you kick you enemies. It's very fun but can be a bit too easy.
  
  I don't like how the game doesn't have a save anywhere feature.
  
  The story is OK. For the most part, it is standard "the fate of the world depends on us" stuff.
  
  Overall, I would recommend buying Grandia III.

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