Grandia III

[levi333]

I can't beleive there aren't more CAGs around here excited about this game!
Grandia II on the DC was one of my all time favorite RPGs, and this one looks to be shaping up into a pretty good one as well.
Granted, i havnt been reading into the game much since i want to be pleasantly surprised.

Loved the battle system, characters, cut-scenes, basically everything about 2. It's a very memorable game for me for some reason.

Im assuming 3 is still scheduled to come out next week, ill probably pick it up on launch day.

WHO'S WITH ME?

[rodeojones903]

Im with ya. :D I have it and the guide preordered at estarland. The enviroments in the game look amazing from the shots Ive seen so far. This and Tales of Legendia make me a happy man.

[Roufuss]

I can't beleive there aren't more CAGs around here excited about this game!
?

Most CAG's are going to wait until it gets alot cheaper :p

[whoknows]

I loved Grandia II, its the only RPG I've played through without cheating (gameshark)...I am hoping this is good....but I'll have to wait for reviews before I decide to get it.

[Moxio]

Looks like it'll kick ass, but no way I'll pick it up for retail price. ;)

[jlarlee]

Likewise the last dropped pretty quickly.

[VanillaGorilla]

Most idiots are too interested in Kingdom Hearts 2, which won't even be close to as good as Grandia 3.

I hate GamePro even more, after, in their review, they basically said "this game is something you should play to tide you over until FFXII". As if FFXII is the be all, end all RPG that will make every other RPG on the PS2 look like garbage. If FFXII is even half the game Grandia 3 is, I'll eat my own poop.

[medion7]

Well, tally up another pre-order. I loved Grandia II and thought Grandia I was pretty decent as well. I was kind of on the border but then that sweet carabiner/compass that comes with the preorder pushed me over the edge.

6 More days and let the good times roll.

[levi333]

Most idiots are too interested in Kingdom Hearts 2, which won't even be close to as good as Grandia 3.

I hate GamePro even more, after, in their review, they basically said "this game is something you should play to tide you over until FFXII". As if FFXII is the be all, end all RPG that will make every other RPG on the PS2 look like garbage. If FFXII is even half the game Grandia 3 is, I'll eat my own poop.

I'd have to agree for the most part.

By the way, why cant Grandia fans get a decent pre-order gift? I'd love to see an art-book or soundtrack cd, or something like that.
Something besides that stupid compass/carabinger(sp?).

[ITDEFX]

When I picked up Grandia 2 for the dreamcast back in Dec 2001 for 5 bucks during a clear out at my local sears, i had no idea it would be one of the best RPGs i have ever played. THe music, the story the game play, graphics were all great. Bought the PC version off ebay a few months back just for the heck of it :) I will wait for it to drop to 29.99 before I pick it up. Its too bad it doesn't follow Ruydo and gang but some other group...you actually want to see what happened to them :)

Defently a must pick up for 2006!

[SpottedNigel]

PO'd at Gamerush. Loved 2, cant wait to play 3

[The Successful Dropout]

will be pre-ordered at Gamestop shortly...i'm disappointed in the pre-order bonus, but whatever...i probably would've preordered it anyway

[Rozz]

Yeah, I posted a thread about the article I wrote on Grandia III here (http://ryuhadouken.blogspot.com/), before Msia went out like the trolll he is and thread-crapped in it.

And yes, I'm excited. I also read that Gamepro review... Tide you over 'till FF XII arrives? Final Fantasy XII looks like crap to me. Look at those character designs! Awful, awful.... [-(

[whoknows]

Hmmm...I think I'm going to pre-order KH2 now, it looks much better than Grandia III, and hopefully will keep me busy until FFXII comes out.

[kill3r7]

I'll wait for a price drop. RPG's take up so much time to beat (time which I don't have) that it makes no sense for me to buy them at full price.

[jlarlee]

When I picked up Grandia 2 for the dreamcast back in Dec 2001 for 5 bucks during a clear out at my local sears, i had no idea it would be one of the best RPGs i have ever played. THe music, the story the game play, graphics were all great. Bought the PC version off ebay a few months back just for the heck of it :) I will wait for it to drop to 29.99 before I pick it up. Its too bad it doesn't follow Ruydo and gang but some other group...you actually want to see what happened to them :)

Defently a must pick up for 2006!

I got my Grandia 2 the exact same way. I was quite surprised at how good it was

[DomLando]

First 2 Grandias were both great games. I cant wait for this one. Should make up for the last Grandia they put out.

[ITDEFX]

First 2 Grandias were both great games. I cant wait for this one. Should make up for the last Grandia they put out.


Granida Extreme?

[cletus]

I'm hoping for a increased difficulty or the option for a Very Hard mode right off the bat. Grandia 2 had a great battle system but after a while it just became to easy. I still haven't finished disc 1 yet because I got bored with it.

[DomLando]

Granida Extreme?
yes

[jshendel]

Grandia 2 has my favorite battle system ever, I'll pick this one up when it gets cheap.

I said that for Xtreme, but it got rare and I can't find it for less than 25 (hint for PM...)

[Dijital]

I will be picking up both Grandia 3 and KH2

[Blind the Thief]

Grandia 2's battle system was pretty cool, but I got bored with the game. Ah, well.

[LaseK]

It's really overrated, IMO. Grandia 2 was an amazing game overall, ignoring the cliche'd everything and predictable storyline/battles, but what is so great about the battle system when you stack it next to Tales of Symphonia?

[Indiana]

Most idiots are too interested in Kingdom Hearts 2, which won't even be close to as good as Grandia 3.

I hate GamePro even more, after, in their review, they basically said "this game is something you should play to tide you over until FFXII". As if FFXII is the be all, end all RPG that will make every other RPG on the PS2 look like garbage. If FFXII is even half the game Grandia 3 is, I'll eat my own poop.

Wow that seems like a stupid challenge. Remember VanillaGorilla will eat his own poop if FFXII is half the game of Grandia 3. Well I have to say that FFXII has the brand name to easily get 9.5's and 10s as well as Game of the Month/Game of the year.

[Moxio]

Wow that seems like a stupid challenge. Remember VanillaGorilla will eat his own poop if FFXII is half the game of Grandia 3. Well I have to say that FFXII has the brand name to easily get 9.5's and 10s as well as Game of the Month/Game of the year.

Just for having the Final Fantasy title, nobody would dare give it anything less.

[Roufuss]

I said that for Xtreme, but it got rare and I can't find it for less than 25 (hint for PM...)

Grandia Xtreme isn't that rare... copies can be found for $20 on Ebay frequently, which is 50% off its MSRP when it released ($49.99). Hell, some people even throw in the guide.

I got my copy off of Ebay for $19.99 buy it now about two weeks ago.

I want Grandia III really bad, I love love love the battle system, but Grandia games typically never hold their value, so I'm stuck playing the waiting game.

[Msia]

I want Grandia III really bad, I love love love the battle system, but Grandia games typically never hold their value, so I'm stuck playing the waiting game.
Outside of the awesome battle engine, I really dont you're going to be missing much for a while. The story apparently sucks, and even for a 2 disc game, its extremely short and unsatisfying.

Most idiots are too interested in Kingdom Hearts 2, which won't even be close to as good as Grandia 3.
I'm not sure whether you are retarded or just plain stupid.

[Ziv_Zulander]

I loved G1 and G2 so i'm pretty damn sure i'll love the third game in the series. I've held out reading about the game just so it can be more exciting.

[io]

PO'd at Gamerush. Loved 2, cant wait to play 3

Me too. Hopefully they will get it tomorrow or Weds. I'm still waiting for them to get Legendia in :bomb:. At least if they get Grandia I will have something to play and can wait for them to get Legendia or switch that to something else and wait for a Legendia price drop elsewhere.

[lobitoh]

Man seriously , grandia 3 is the bomb man since today it was released in US.. I can wait to get one copy too bad, i am waiting for the paycheck... Man i dont care much about the reviews but mostly i think this game is better than the other ones, besides i am really fan of the grandia 2 that came out on ps2 and i think that this game will be the best among this year releases, ya know I like all the Game and arts games hehehe

[onetrackmind]

Man seriously , grandia 3 is the bomb man since today it was released in US.. I can wait to get one copy too bad, i am waiting for the paycheck... Man i dont care much about the reviews but mostly i think this game is better than the other ones, besides i am really fan of the grandia 2 that came out on ps2 and i think that this game will be the best among this year releases, ya know I like all the Game and arts games hehehe

no offense but that made my brain hurt.

[Grave_Addiction]

Great franchise. Can't wait to buy. Premature ejaculation.

[ViolentLee]

Played it. Really liked it. Reviewed it: http://videogames.yahoo.com/gamereview?cid=1951181573&tab=reviews&page=0&eid=436868
(not my headline, though)

[Vegan]

Are you saying you finished it already? Daaaamn.

[Msia]

I just got this today and I love it. Fighting is fantastic.

[Vegan]

Grandia combat is way fun.

[adezero]

Just for having the Final Fantasy title, nobody would dare give it anything less.

well said, just because it's FF it has a pre-determined 10/10. the demo was a 2/10 for me though. DQ8 made up for it

[ITDEFX]

Played it. Really liked it. Reviewed it: http://videogames.yahoo.com/gamereview?cid=1951181573&tab=reviews&page=0&eid=436868
(not my headline, though)

any hints or mentions of previous characters from Grandia 2 in this game?

[SpottedNigel]

Damn this is fun, and good looking!

[Ziv_Zulander]

I love Aerial Combos, I really do.

[Chacrana]

Grabbed it today for $15... about 90 minutes in and I'm really enjoying it so far. So does it get better from here or is it about the same level of quality throughout?

[Roufuss]

I'm waiting for reviews from people who have beat it all the way through... every "professional" review I've read comes out the same: "Starts off excellent, loses alot of steam by the end, not many sidequests or extras to do".

[Vegan]

Grabbed it today for $15... about 90 minutes in and I'm really enjoying it so far. So does it get better from here or is it about the same level of quality throughout?

$15? Okay, what did I miss?

[Chacrana]

reward zone certificates. Without 'em it was $30 if you play your cards right.

[Blind the Thief]

the demo was a 2/10 for me though. DQ8 made up for it

Agreed.

Great avatar, by the way. :)

[zionoverfire]

I feel like I'm playing Star Ocean 3... again. The graphics are great, the combat system is exactly like the other two Grandias so far with the minor exception of aerial combos and the story is far better than the lukewarm week old coffee they surved up in part 2.


I'm waiting for reviews from people who have beat it all the way through... every "professional" review I've read comes out the same: "Starts off excellent, loses alot of steam by the end, not many sidequests or extras to do".

So then it's like every other RPG? DQ8 was pretty much the same way.

[VanillaGorilla]

This game kicks massive amounts of ass. Far better than DQVIII in my opinion, simply because I'm almost done, and I'm not dreading every single enemy encounter, unlike in DQVIII, where the battle system was so boring, I would just let the A.I. fight for me.

[karsh]

My only problem with Grandia III lies in one thing...

They took away my favorite character! >_< Miranda was so awesome and then she left...And now I'm stuck with Ulf and some time soon Dahna, who can't be as cool as Miranda.

[VanillaGorilla]

After getting killed 3 times by the final boss, I prepared a nice battle plan, and killed him while only taking one small hit from him. Great game.

[Chacrana]

What level were you at when you finished? I'm right at the end of the game so I should be facing off shortly.

[io]

This game kicks massive amounts of ass. Far better than DQVIII in my opinion, simply because I'm almost done, and I'm not dreading every single enemy encounter, unlike in DQVIII, where the battle system was so boring, I would just let the A.I. fight for me.

Look, I haven't played Grandia III yet, so can't comment on that. But you keep mentioning this random battle thing in DQ8 over and over again. You did know that you could avoid many of the random battles, right? Unless you are in an area where the monsters are at your level or above that is. Towards the end of the Dragovian trials there was NO place where I couldn't run around at will and not avoid random battles if I wanted to. I made great use of the holy protection spell in earlier parts of the game as well and avoided a huge number of battles, even while doing the normal story stuff.

I hope I like Grandia III as much as you - but if it is a button mashing combo-fest game (ie, an "action game") I can tell you right now I won't like it. I'm hoping it is more deep than that.

[Chacrana]

Look, I haven't played Grandia III yet, so can't comment on that. But you keep mentioning this random battle thing in DQ8 over and over again. You did know that you could avoid many of the random battles, right? Unless you are in an area where the monsters are at your level or above that is. Towards the end of the Dragovian trials there was NO place where I couldn't run around at will and not avoid random battles if I wanted to. I made great use of the holy protection spell in earlier parts of the game as well and avoided a huge number of battles, even while doing the normal story stuff.

I hope I like Grandia III as much as you - but if it is a button mashing combo-fest game (ie, an "action game") I can tell you right now I won't like it. I'm hoping it is more deep than that.


There's a lot more depth to Grandia's battle system... it's only more action-y because you have to time your attacks... but there's a huge layer of strategy to the game... Grandia has always had one of the best battle systems ever.

[Vegan]

Grandia is 100% turn-based, io. It's also the best combat system ever made.

[io]

Grandia is 100% turn-based, io. It's also the best combat system ever made.

Well, I might start playing in a few days - we'll see if it lives up to the hype :lol:.

[Vegan]

Enemy marker (moving left to right)
_____________V_______COM________ACTION
|Enemy meter | |
|_____________________|__________|
| Your marker | |
|Your meter________V__|__________|
Here's a simplification of it.

Everyone has a meter. A simplified version is shown above. This fight would be one hero vs. one enemy. Everyone's marker travels from left to right, at different speeds depending on stats. When the marker gets to COM, time stops and you get a prompt for "Attack," etc. The marker then proceeds until it gets to ACTION, at which point that action is executed. Different commands will move along this second portion at different speeds; some, like Defend, can occur instantly (this is great because if you notice that an enemy is about to execute a hideous attack in 2 seconds, you can Defend and beat him to the end of the meter).

Now, there are attacks that you can perform that will bump the enemy's meter back (to the left), especially if he's in the later half of the meter (however, these attacks are weaker, so what do you do?). If you're good, you can prevent an enemy from attacking you altogether.

[Dijital]

How can I score Grandia III for $30?

[Chacrana]

You can't anymore. Best Buy had the game for $40 a couple weeks ago and then the $10 off coupon still worked (even though it technically expired in January... and it supposedly won't work at all now) so that brought the price down to $30.

Great game though... I paid $15 total, but I definitely would've bought it at $50.

[lobitoh]

Well I read some reviews about the game take for example this review from a guy from IGn http://rr.ps2.ign.com/rr/738153/039/039427.html
which he has some points that are true about the game since most RPG that we played show almost the same story line the basics, such as a hero who finds it future its dreams.. but well most of us already played these based plot and we still like it adn keep playing them.. overall this is a must buy game.

[bluesyncopate]

The battle system in the Grandia series is better than the traditional DQ battle system. As mentioned above, it's probably the best RPG battle system ever created -- and it's what the new FF games are trying to emulate. But Grandia III's story and characters are not nearly as compelling as DQVIII's, nor is the quest as long, and there are some wasted opportunities with some of the "thrown-away" characters. How awesome would it be if a Grandia-style battle system had been integrated into DQVIII?

[VanillaGorilla]

The battle system in the Grandia series is better than the traditional DQ battle system. As mentioned above, it's probably the best RPG battle system ever created -- and it's what the new FF games are trying to emulate. But Grandia III's story and characters are not nearly as compelling as DQVIII's, nor is the quest as long, and there are some wasted opportunities with some of the "thrown-away" characters. How awesome would it be if a Grandia-style battle system had been integrated into DQVIII?

I'll take a main character who actually TALKS over "Hero" from DQVIII anyday. I also don't see what everyone sees in the DQVIII characters. Jessica and Angelo are both very bland, with only the most basic character development. And Yangus is universally loved just because he talks with a cockney accent. Bah.

How about this. What if Dragon Quest VIII's overworld exploration had been integrated into Grandia 3?

[io]

OK, so I finally started Grandia III after all the hype in this thread. So far it is enjoyable, but rather meh compared to DQ 8 in my opinion. I'm about 10 hours in by the way.

It is dreadfully linear for one thing (maybe this changes later??). The battle system is fun, but not breathtakingly better than DQ 8 (in my opinion of course). Sure, it is nice to have the differing speeds of attack and the ability to adjust tactics during turns (charcter to character I mean - which of course you can't with DQ8). But I have a hard time telling what is actually going on with all the running around advancing behavior :D. And it is nice to be able to avoid combat when it gets boring (and it has in some parts).

The main character talks - whoo-freaking-whoo. The game disturbs me because the mother looks as young as the kid. That is just wierd :D. Maybe there is some plot point I haven't seen yet to explain this.

And while the scenery is breathtaking, the graphics give me a huge headache on my 51" screen - which DQ8 (which also supported wide screen while Grandia doesn't) did not do. This game is in serious need of anti-aliasing (MAJOR stairstepping of edges on things like buildings and even the characters!).

Basically, though, I enjoy the combat systems of BOTH DQ8 and Grandia III. They are different enough to require different types of strategy, and that's good.

Don't get me wrong, I like the game so far, and will continue to play it a few hours every night till I'm done, but I wouldn't rate it as good as DQ8. I do agree, VanillaGorilla, that if Grandia had the DQ8 overworld exploration it might be the better game.

[VanillaGorilla]

Wait wait wait, you think DQVIII's battle system is just as good as Grandia III's?! I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with you on that one. DQ's battle system is the definition of "traditional to a fault". You give 4 commands, and then have no control over anything else, who does their command first, last, etc.

[io]

Wait wait wait, you think DQVIII's battle system is just as good as Grandia III's?! I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with you on that one. DQ's battle system is the definition of "traditional to a fault". You give 4 commands, and then have no control over anything else, who does their command first, last, etc.

Well, it's different - requires different strategy when you have to line up all the commands ahead of time without knowing what the enemies are going. In some ways this requires MORE strategy than the gang pummelings I can put on in Grandia. Granted, I do like the aerial combo business in Grandia though. But as for "traditional to a fault" I don't have any basis for that as I only really ever played PC RPG's before this so have no experience with SNES or PS1 RPG's. Maybe it is "traditional" because it works??

[Roufuss]

Wait wait wait, you think DQVIII's battle system is just as good as Grandia III's?! I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with you on that one. DQ's battle system is the definition of "traditional to a fault". You give 4 commands, and then have no control over anything else, who does their command first, last, etc.

I haven't even played either game yet, but as a big big fan of Grandia's battle system I'm going to agree with VanillaGorilla. Grandia 2 is one of the few games where I never ever skipped a battle.

DQ 8's traditional battle system, yea, it works, but it really needs to go. Developers only use it because its tried and true, but its still stale. Its right up there with "random encounter that you can't see every 5 steps" in terms of stale ideas.

[io]

I haven't even played either game yet, but as a big big fan of Grandia's battle system I'm going to agree with VanillaGorilla. Grandia 2 is one of the few games where I never ever skipped a battle.

DQ 8's traditional battle system, yea, it works, but it really needs to go. Developers only use it because its tried and true, but its still stale. Its right up there with "random encounter that you can't see every 5 steps" in terms of stale ideas.

Well, I had no problems with the battle system in DQ8. I think it requires some strategy precisely because you don't know exactly how the attacks are going to go. I do agree that the one annoying thing about DQ8 is the "random encounter that you can't see every 5 steps". However, you get a spell fairly early on that can negate many of these encounters - you just have to refresh the spell every so often, and it doesn't usually work when you are in new areas (monsters are too powerful - but generally you don't mind fighting them there because they are new enemies and fairly challenging). I'm finding in Grandia that although I can see the enemies coming and I can knock them down and pass if I want, I end up having to fight most of them anyway if I want to get to the treasure chests.

My point simply was that I didn't think Grandia III's system was overwhelmingly superior to DQ8. They are different and require different strategies to be employed. And that is a good thing. It would suck if all these RPG's used the same system for battles! Maybe they all used to use the DQ8 type system - like I said I never really played console RPG's before so it was new to me. Before DQ8 I had only played Tales of Symphonia and Radiata Stories. It was quite a shock to see a turn-based battle engine after those two! I thought I wouldn't like it, but I was wrong...

[VanillaGorilla]

I think DQVIII's battles would have been more enjoyable if they weren't random. Then you could moderate how involved you got in the battles, and such.

[SpottedNigel]

...I really wish the story wasnt so damn stupid and pointless. Sure, the battle system kicks every type of ass imagineable...but there's no fucking point to it. I wish they somehow continued Grandia II's story...or redid it with the new fighting system. Oh well.

[io]

...I really wish the story wasnt so damn stupid and pointless. Sure, the battle system kicks every type of ass imagineable...but there's no fucking point to it. I wish they somehow continued Grandia II's story...or redid it with the new fighting system. Oh well.

Well, I'm only about 12 hours in so far and it seems like pretty standard RPG fare - young boy (or couple, or whatever) is tasked with saving the world. I think I saw this same basic premise in all 4 of the console RPG's I've played so far (ToS, Radiata, DQ8, Grandia III). Oh yeah, and in Kingdom Hearts which I just started playing as well :D.

In fact there is even a striking similarity between the "bird gods" present in both DQ8 and Grandia III. I bet they are even voiced by the same person (not surprising given they are both Square Enix games and probably localized by the same group of people).

I just got through the destruction of the such-and-such place part, and certainly "big things" are happening in the game, and while I know I'll end up saving the world in the end, it is fairly interesting seeing in what way that will happen.

[io]

OK, I'm dredging this back up again because I actually have a gameplay question. It seems most people have moved on from this but I assume many here have completed it.

Unlike most RPG's, I'm staying away from the FAQ's as this one is pretty linear, with, it seems, not too many secrets (though I did get a cool item my helping the "boy detective" in Mendi). I'm trying to give this a shot purely on my own, and I'm finding that quite enjoyable (I hate, however, when I find out I missed some cool secret that I would have never found on my own!).

I've also found the game fairly easy through the 1st disc. Sure I got wiped out a few times - but then I make a little adjustment in strategy and win with ease on the second try. Starting with the beginning of the 2nd disc, though, I had some tough fights (that first Excise Psi I ran into was quite a shock - thing takes like 4 turns for each 1 turn my chars get).

Still, not TOO much trouble until I got where I am now - the floating island deal and the crystal monster that you fight when you first get there. I am using every trick I know, including the guardian orbs, and I can't even begin to wear this thing down. Each crystal has close to 30,000 HP, and I can get 1 or 2 down to 15,000 or so, but no more. My chars are level 30 right now. I backed off and went to do some levelling, and also to try to get everyone's skills up to ultimate (many are but not all) and everyone's magic level up to 9 so I can equip some of the better eggs (only Dahna is at that level now). Also, I want to collect and fuse more eggs so I can extract some of the better spells - I hadn't really done that before.

I just don't think a few levels and a few better spells will really make a difference though. Any ideas?

I remember in the Grandia vs Legendia comments someone said one game really picked up in the 2nd disc and one really got bad in the 2nd. I'm assuming from what I'm seeing now that Grandia is the one that picks up. It certainly got much harder anyway.

[Rodimus]

Wow, I'm surpeised people are still talking about this game, not that that's a bad thing.

I beat it several weeks ago and it was boring. The first 20 hours was fine, but then it went downhill fast. Before I figured I hated it I was already 30 hours in, so might as well finish it off then get something better, like Suikoden V.

It's good to see people that like it, cause I'm a big fan of Grandia 1 & 2. I hope more come out, but I hope next time they'll pay attention to characters and story alittle more.

[io]

Yeah, well, no one else is talking about it except me :D. I gave it another shot last night and came closer to beating that damn thing. Then I extracted a few more powerful spells (hopefully Galactic Bang will help) before stopping and will give it another shot tonight.

After this I may start on Suikoden V, and everyone will have moved on from that. Or maybe Legendia, which is also ancient history it seems :D.

[Rodimus]

Yeah, their were so many RPGs I wanted to play that came out within a months time.

I took me 2 tries to beat the last boss, he was a little pain. But what I'd expect from a last boss. Just level up those skills. Good luck.

[Chacrana]

Y' know, I'm really considering selling this RPG... yeah, the fighting system is great... but the characters, storyline, environments -- absolutely everything is second rate apart from the fighting system... anyone think I'm crazy?

[Rodimus]

Y' know, I'm really considering selling this RPG... yeah, the fighting system is great... but the characters, storyline, environments -- absolutely everything is second rate apart from the fighting system... anyone think I'm crazy?

I sold it after I beat it. And even if you didn't beat it go for it.

[Chacrana]

I'm at the end boss, I died once after fighting him for like 45 minutes, and I haven't picked it up since.

Eh, alright, I'm going to sell it. Apart from the battle system it just feels mediocre. Any interested parties, go ahead and PM me.

[Rodimus]

I'm at the end boss, I died once after fighting him for like 45 minutes, and I haven't picked it up since.

Eh, alright, I'm going to sell it. Apart from the battle system it just feels mediocre. Any interested parties, go ahead and PM me.

If it makes you feel any better the ending sucked. You can pretty much guess what happens at the end.

But you sure you don't want to stick with for just a little longer, just so you can say you beat it? Seems like a waste if you get to the last boss and give up.

[SpottedNigel]

BTW, anyone that aws unhappy with the story and never played Grandia 2...well, go play Grandia 2. There's no air combos, and the graphics are different (not bad, but a different style) but the story is fantastic.

[io]

BTW, anyone that aws unhappy with the story and never played Grandia 2...well, go play Grandia 2. There's no air combos, and the graphics are different (not bad, but a different style) but the story is fantastic.

Well, I've got no problem with the story but I might just get Grandia II anyway :D. Now, why is it that I've never seen Grandia II anywhere?

The wonderful thing about not reading a FAQ (or guide) is that I was all set for the game to end (when you fly up to Surmania and fight you know who) and then it put me back on the ground in a new town and more to do (and even a new party member). I really thought it was going to be over then! So far that crystal monster in Melc was BY FAR the hardest thing in the game. I have been cruising ever since then - took out you know who and his sword in one try.

SpottedNigel - not that I'm questioning your love of the story in Grandia II, but here's a quote from one of the reviews for Grandia II: "Tie the archaic visual presentation to the nauseating plot and uninteresting character personalities, and the end result is yet another RPG that doesn't live up to the expectations."

Just goes to show you that people can have wildly different opinions :D. There are also 2 different quotes from other reviews about the graphics - one calls it "great looking" and one "horrible".

[SpottedNigel]

SpottedNigel - not that I'm questioning your love of the story in Grandia II, but here's a quote from one of the reviews for Grandia II: "Tie the archaic visual presentation to the nauseating plot and uninteresting character personalities, and the end result is yet another RPG that doesn't live up to the expectations."

Just goes to show you that people can have wildly different opinions :D. There are also 2 different quotes from other reviews about the graphics - one calls it "great looking" and one "horrible".

For pre-FFX graphics without pre-rendered backgrounds, they were pretty damn good IMO.
As far as story goes, yeah, its good vs. evil... but the characters made it fun. I actually felt bad when a Character died later on in the game... and I normally dont give a shit.

[Vegan]

Now, why is it that I've never seen Grandia II anywhere?


Because no one wants to get rid of theirs.

[Rodimus]

Yes Grandia II was great. That and Skies of Arcadia ruled on the Dreamcast.

The characters in Grandia were cool, Merag (The big lion guy) and Milleena were intresting.

You know once I think about it Grandia III was missing a good tank character. I know Ulf is supposed to be the power house, but he wasn't a well developed character, in my opinion.

[Chacrana]

Yes Grandia II was great. That and Skies of Arcadia ruled on the Dreamcast.

The characters in Grandia were cool, Merag (The big lion guy) and Milleena were intresting.

You know once I think about it Grandia III was missing a good tank character. I know Ulf is supposed to be the power house, but he wasn't a well developed character, in my opinion.

Grandia II was fantastic. I had the PC version (which was a crappy port) and I still really enjoyed it, but I finally got the DC version a little while back and I know that this one won't be leaving my collection. And Ulf wasn't a tank because he talked like the stereotypical "little bitch" character.

[SpottedNigel]

BTW, Grandia 2 (PC version) is available through Gametap... so if you have the time to beat it within 2 weeks you can do it in thier free trial period.

[io]

You know once I think about it Grandia III was missing a good tank character. I know Ulf is supposed to be the power house, but he wasn't a well developed character, in my opinion.

That's funny - Ulf is the one always dying on me. I have to keep resurrecting that little bug. His special moves are starting to help a bit, finally. Yuki is more of a powerhouse fighter AND spell caster. Ulf is slightly better with fighting but way weaker with magic, and gets killed all the time :D

I didn't even know there were DC and PC versions of Grandia II. I may have to resort to eBay for this one. The PS2 version is one of those games that is rare but, fortunately for me, NOT valuable. Looks like you can get complete copies for under $20.

[Rodimus]

Techniclly Ulf is ment to be the power house (HP, STR, DEF) but his actual character was far from being a tank.

Arngrim (Valkyrie Profile) is a tank. In my opinion the best ever. Maybe cause he reminded me so much of Gutts.

[io]

Techniclly Ulf is ment to be the power house (HP, STR, DEF) but his actual character was far from being a tank.

Arngrim (Valkyrie Profile) is a tank. In my opinion the best ever. Maybe cause he reminded me so much of Gutts.

I dunno - my Yuki has more HP than Ulf I think, but I think Ulf does have a higher attack. They seem fairly equivalent in the "tank" category but Yuki has better spellcasting ability.

Anyway, just looked on EBgames.com and Grandia II is only $12.99. But damn them and their Gamestop inspired "may not include a box or instruction manual". It is available to buy online but not at any of the 13 EB/GS stores within 20 miles of me :cry:. Nor at any of the 27 stores within 40 miles! Ok, there's one at a store 84 miles from me :D.

[Rodimus]

I dunno - my Yuki has more HP than Ulf I think, but I think Ulf does have a higher attack. They seem fairly equivalent in the "tank" category but Yuki has better spellcasting ability.

You might have equiped Yuki with an ability to have more HP. My Ulf had the most HP by far. I only saw him die in the last battle, but then everyone in the last battle died at least 3-4 times. Since Ulf sucked with magic I made him my "offical item user." I gave him abilities that benifited that, since he was always the last to die.

Dahna died a bunch in the last battle for me.

[io]

You might have equiped Yuki with an ability to have more HP. My Ulf had the most HP by far. I only saw him die in the last battle, but then everyone in the last battle died at least 3-4 times. Since Ulf sucked with magic I made him my "offical item user." I gave him abilities that benifited that, since he was always the last to die.

Dahna died a bunch in the last battle for me.

Yeah Ulf is my item user as well. Yes, Dahna dies often as well - but now I have her wearing something that cuts elemental damage in half and that helps quite a bit. I have Ulf equipped with things that regenerate his SP, since he's fairly useful for cancels and for some of his better special attacks.

He only died in the last battle and not before that? Wow, my guys have all died multiple (dozens?) of times, but Ulf and Dahna by far the most, Yuki by far the least. I also have Yuki wearing that Ebony armor - the one that halves elemental damage. He's had that on for quite a while, so, for example, the big fire attacks that will kill all the other characters in one blow won't do that to him.

What levels were your characters at near the end?

[Rodimus]

Yeah Ulf is my item user as well. Yes, Dahna dies often as well - but now I have her wearing something that cuts elemental damage in half and that helps quite a bit. I have Ulf equipped with things that regenerate his SP, since he's fairly useful for cancels and for some of his better special attacks.

He only died in the last battle and not before that? Wow, my guys have all died multiple (dozens?) of times, but Ulf and Dahna by far the most, Yuki by far the least. I also have Yuki wearing that Ebony armor - the one that halves elemental damage. He's had that on for quite a while, so, for example, the big fire attacks that will kill all the other characters in one blow won't do that to him.

What levels were your characters at near the end?

I thnk they were around level 60. Not too high. Have you beat it yet?

[Chacrana]

Techniclly Ulf is ment to be the power house (HP, STR, DEF) but his actual character was far from being a tank.

Arngrim (Valkyrie Profile) is a tank. In my opinion the best ever. Maybe cause he reminded me so much of Gutts.


You should try Berserk on the PS2 then... since you actually are playing as Gutts, you are a friggin' tank. It's actually a successful modern beat-em-up.

[io]

I thnk they were around level 60. Not too high. Have you beat it yet?

:rofl:. Like I said earlier, I THOUGHT I was near the end - but maybe not, as my chars just hit level 40. And they went pretty quickly from like 32 to 40 because of the battles with Violetta and Emelious (which I thought would be the end), so before I played yesterday I was around level 30. Now I'm in that mountain town part about to head into the mountains to get the old plane.

I tried to avoid as many of the tedious battles as I could, so maybe I'm not levelled enough.

[Chacrana]

:rofl:. Like I said earlier, I THOUGHT I was near the end - but maybe not, as my chars just hit level 40. And they went pretty quickly from like 32 to 40 because of the battles with Violetta and Emelious (which I thought would be the end), so before I played yesterday I was around level 30. Now I'm in that mountain town part about to head into the mountains to get the old plane.

I tried to avoid as many of the tedious battles as I could, so maybe I'm not levelled enough.

I was level 45 at the very end of the game and I almost killed the boss....

[Rodimus]

You should try Berserk on the PS2 then... since you actually are playing as Gutts, you are a friggin' tank. It's actually a successful modern beat-em-up.

If I had a way to play import PS2 games I would. I loved the Dreamcast version when it came out, I still got it. And the manga is 1 of the 3 mangas I collect.

Back on topic - I know I was close to 60, anywhere between 55-60. And I lost my first time through. Since fighting was the funniest aspect of the game I fought alot, while sleeping through the story.

[io]

I was level 45 at the very end of the game and I almost killed the boss....

Well, I just beat the game tonight at level 46, first try on the final boss. I found him to be much less challenging than some of the previous ones. Hell, even the corridor leading up to the final battle was much tougher - I got wiped out there a few times. Because of how tough those monsters right before the final boss were, I ALMOST backed all the way out of the final area to go level up and get all my spellcasters to level 10 magic, equip some better spells, work on all the skills, etc. But I thought I'd give it one try first, and damn if I didn't beat him. I didn't even have the orb available because I used it just previously to beat 3 of those Lucky Minks (which by itself levelled me from 44 to 46).

What I don't get is that some of the reviews say it is such a short game - as in 25-30 hours. I was at about 45, and of couse that's just in-game time and doesn't count all the times I had to replay certain parts. Since there's so little in the way of sidequests I can't imagine how you could get through it much faster. Sure, I take the time to hit every treasure chest, but that's not too hard in this game (unlike, in say, Dragonquest VIII). Also, I talked to many of the NPC's (though by no means all of them).

I'll definitely pick up Grandia II - I tried to bid on one the other day but it went just out of my price range. I can be patient though - WAY too many other games to play.

So, next, do I start Suikoden V (or III), FF X, Xenosaga, Star Ocean, Tales of Legendia, Shadow Hearts, Magna Carta, Stella Deus, Atelier Iris, La Pucelle, Phantom Brave, Makai Kingdom, or Disgaea? All are sitting here not yet played by me (let alone any of their direct sequels) :D

Or I could catch up on Gamecube games - still haven't played Baten Kaitos or Skies of Arcadia Legends.

Any suggestions for someone who recently beat Dragonquest VIII, Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, and Grandia III and enjoyed all three? I know what to expect from Legendia (as I've played Tales of Symphonia) but I really don't know much about the rest.

[Rodimus]

The only reason why I died once was because the last boss does one attack that will pretty much kill your party if you don't get them out of range. I had my entire party in the path of that attack and only Ulf survived, but not to long.

I was 60 hours in, only cause I leveled up so much, but ultimatly it wasn't very long. Maybe that's a good thing though.

Of the games you've listed I beat Dragon Quest VIII, Tales of Symphonia, Skies of Arcadia ,Suikoden III, and currently working on Suikoden V.

You have a pretty solid list of games you want to play. I'm not big on the Nippon Ichi Sratagey games though. I would suggest Suikoden V, but I'm kinda biased since it's my favorite RPG series. Cheak out the Suikoden V thread for more info.

[io]

I think I'll start Suikoden V tonight. I might as well play the "expensive" new games right away - then I can back to the FFX's and Xenosaga's later (as I bought them cheap so don't feel the need to play right away :D).

My problem is that I like to get every item/optional thing in games when I play them. I actually enjoyed Grandia for NOT having too much of that - thus I didn't miss anything :D. I dread playing Suikoden because of the 108 characters and Legendia for all the optional/side quest things that will likely have.

[slidecage]

Man I hope leveling goes fast in disc 2 then

I just got done with disc one

Time around 15 hours everyone of my people are level 22 or 23

never lost once on disc1 --- that probally will change when i get farer into disc 2 : )


overall i got to say this is the best RPG game i played so far in 2006, Dont know if im going to rerent it tomorrow or take a week off (dont want to get too burned out on it) I got hollywood video coupons that allow me to rent this game for free .


Took me 6 days to play 15 hours) with school and work im lucky to put 2-4 hours a day into games now


I personally put this game even over Dragon quest 8

[Vegan]

Yeah, Grandia 2 is notoriously easy. But 3 is supposed to get hard near the end. Ass hard.

[slidecage]

man they really screwed this game up .


Disc 1 was a cake walk and now im 3 hours into disc 2 and im getting my ass kicked or the battles are taking alot longer ... Too bad there wasnt unlimited MP points cause i would really rock then (im burning though my mp way too fast)


sadly i think most will get turned off how hard the game becomes on disc 2 and never finsh it. After almost getting hit with every monster you see on disc 2, im getting sick of the monster encounter rate


i say disc 2 is 10 x harder then disc 1. I played around 3 hours last night (pushing my time up to around 19 hours ) and i will admit . The 3 hours i put in disc 2 has really made me lose interest (since i moved so little in the gameplay ) I doubt i will ever finsh this game (or take a few weeks off and come back to it)

[io]

man they really screwed this game up .


Disc 1 was a cake walk and now im 3 hours into disc 2 and im getting my ass kicked or the battles are taking alot longer ... Too bad there wasnt unlimited MP points cause i would really rock then (im burning though my mp way too fast)


sadly i think most will get turned off how hard the game becomes on disc 2 and never finsh it. After almost getting hit with every monster you see on disc 2, im getting sick of the monster encounter rate


i say disc 2 is 10 x harder then disc 1. I played around 3 hours last night (pushing my time up to around 19 hours ) and i will admit . The 3 hours i put in disc 2 has really made me lose interest (since i moved so little in the gameplay ) I doubt i will ever finsh this game (or take a few weeks off and come back to it)


Hmmmm... I didn't really have any problems until the very last stetch leading up to the final boss. Not the final boss himself, but the "bridge" deal that leads to him. I got whupped there a few times. I thought I would have to power level to be able to handle the boss after that, but I gave it a shot first and beat him first try.

Other than that, though, I don't remember it being much harder on Disc 2 - though it definitely does get a bit more challenging. If you are only at 19 hours you may not have spent enough time fighting (and levelling) prior to that. I didn't spend any extra time levelling, but I made sure to visit every part and get every treasure chest, which is really not too hard to do in this game. But in doing that I ended up fighting just the right amount.

Edit - OK, I just looked back a page and realized I wrote all this up a fre months ago :D. Slidecage, I was at level 46 at the end, and MANY more hours than you have done so far.

[slidecage]

Man i just got my ass kicked major time on disc 2. ANd seem to be stuck so i went over and look on gamefaqs and found the problem

GAMEFAQS

Melc Ruins

[My Level] Yuki [44], Alfina [43], Ulf [43], Dahna [43]
[Enemies]
*BOSS*-|-Melc Crystal A--(32000 HP) *[.NOTE.]* The Mimic here has a
|-Melc Crystal B--(28000 HP) chance to drop the Warp Boots, so
|-Melc Crystal C--(28000 HP)


Just found out why i was getting my ass kicked. My people are only around level 32 and i though that was with massive level building.

if this is Right im 12 levels too low and this will take hours to do it. I hate games like this where you got to go back and do more and more level building.

[io]

Oh yeah, those crystals were one of the toughest fights in the game. I remember I had a hard time getting through them. But like I said, I FINISHED the game at level 46 and I wasn't nearly as high as the FAQ dude when I hit those crystals. It did take me a few tries though (I'm sure I wrote about that here - look back a few pages). I may have gone back to the desert area to gain a level or two, but what it really came down to was a change in strategy and a bit of luck. You don't actually gain that much level-to-level so it doesn't help a ton like it does in other games. Also, make sure you have all the best equipment. I forget what the exact attacks of the crystals are, but if they are elemental, for example, you can find items that cut that damage in half and you can often wear two such things thereby almost completely negating the damage.

That fight does really push your strategerizing and use of the combat wheel though - you must cancel like crazy and hit with the right kinds of attacks, and do massive healing when you can.

[Chacrana]

I actually breezed through the Melc Crystals... I didn't level up at all... Sadly the final boss killed me twice when he had less than 10000 HP left... I decided that I'd had enough of the game then.

[Rodimus]

I remember alot of people having problems with those crystals. They were challenging but I didn't die. I only died on the last boss twice, learned how to defend against him, then kicked his ass easy.

But (IMO) this is a perfect example that even though a RPG has a good battle system, the story and characters must be there to draw the player in. Without it, game is boring and forgettable. This game could've been great.

[Chacrana]

I remember alot of people having problems with those crystals. They were challenging but I didn't die. I only died on the last boss twice, learned how to defend against him, then kicked his ass easy.

But (IMO) this is a perfect example that even though a RPG has a good battle system, the story and characters must be there to draw the player in. Without it, game is boring and forgettable. This game could've been great.

Yeah, it could've been great which was why it was my disappointment of the year. I don't even remember what the story was about anymore. Some bitch with a hand fetish and some evil guy. That's it. Hopefully Suikoden V will not be the same type of crap... still have to open that game actually.

[slidecage]

Yeah, it could've been great which was why it was my disappointment of the year. I don't even remember what the story was about anymore. Some bitch with a hand fetish and some evil guy. That's it. Hopefully Suikoden V will not be the same type of crap... still have to open that game actually.


i personally hated suikoden 5 since the first 10 hours is nothing but reading , reading, and more reading. I heard it gets better around the 15 hour mark but by then the game is long gone in my line up

[Rodimus]

Yeah, it could've been great which was why it was my disappointment of the year. I don't even remember what the story was about anymore. Some bitch with a hand fetish and some evil guy. That's it. Hopefully Suikoden V will not be the same type of crap... still have to open that game actually.

I loved Suikoden V. Infact I beat it twice already. However I must agree, that the first 10 hours is really boring. Just get passed that and you'll be a happy puppy.