Customer Reviews

Grandia III

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

The Grandia series is known for it's great battle system and Grandia III does not fail to deliver. From the first battle to the final boss, you will never feel bored as you enter the natural world of combat. Straying from the norm, G3's battles really keep you on your toes!

The story starts out awesome with a great look into the characters' lives. People like MIranda really break the RPG mold and involve you deeply into the story. One of the greatest relationships you see is between Miranda and her son, the protagonist, Yuki. The story is very character driven, and that's a great thing. However, later on the emphasis sort of dies, but it's no worse than your average JRPG.

The worlds are beautiful and the characters designs are stellar. It's a treat to the eyes and a testament to what the PS2 can do. It may not match the visuals on more powerful systems like the Gamecube or XBOX 360, but it gets the job done and it gets it done well.

The music is moving and the voice actors are spot on for the most part. Some, like Alfina, may remind you of annoying characters like Colette (Tales of Symphonia), but nothing on the level of nails on chalkboard!

It's a nice lengthy quest, longer than the average game but shorter than the average JRPG. It's a good ride and all should try it out!

~Firestorm

quite simply, this is one of the worst games ive ever played, in addition to being the biggest disappointment of any game that i could remember. granted, grandia II was one of my favorite games and so i had high expectations, but this game just fell flat on its face and is an embarassment to the franchise.

pros:
1) beautiful environments, even with outdated and mediocre graphics.
2) battle system with new aerial combos and cancel attacks, adding a whole new strategic level to each battle. combined with the mana egg fusion/extraction and the skill extraction, the level of gameplay is quite deep, providing intense and difficult battles for even hardcore rpg-ers. and so in a battle sense, character development is noteworthy.

cons:
1) horrible, horrible story. the story does not make any sense. throughout the game there will be many subplots, many of which do not get answered during the game or at its conclusion. there is no significant backstory to the plot and how it is developed. indeed, the storyline is quite disjointed and there is no seeming effort at making everything cohere.
2) extremely linear. despite 2 discs, the game is quite short (25-35 hrs). there are no sidequests. there is a world map which you can visit using the main character's airplane, but there is no need to do so because it advances/reveals nothing pertinent to the main (or any) story.
3) the characters are boring and not developed. actually, many of the characters are just childish and annoying. one cries all the time. you really dont care for the characters at all. in part this is due to just the bad script, but you can also chalk it up to bad acting. outside of the main characters, you just dont care for the grandia III world in general. i stopped talking to the all the village people as soon as i realized what they had to say was just inane, in addition to the fact that they never gave me anything nor did the houses have anything that i could take.
4) the music is bland, uninspired, and repetitive.
5) the cutscenes are long and boring.
6) the graphics are outdated and you can see how heavily pixelated objects appear especially during cutscenes. and on a related note, the sequences for magic spells were a huge step back from grandia II. there was no vibrant colors, no imagination, and seemed like they were thrown together quickly and without much thought.
7) the battles get hard very very quickly. even though you could have probably gotten the best spells and skills fairly early in the game (end of disc 1), many normal encounters on disc 2 are more difficult than the bosses themselves, and you will find yourself dying a lot. it is ludicrous that many of the normal enemies have 2-4x (and in some cases +10x) more life than you or even your entire party. they move at a much quicker rate than you and can sometimes kill you before you successfully pull off an attack. this is where the randomness comes in; a lot of times, you just need good luck in the beginning position of your characters so that they may be out of range of some enemies' powerful attacks. but then again, what happend to the option in which you were able to move your character to certain positions during battle? the learning curve is quite steep. the amount you level up is unproportional to the strength of the enemies for quite a while and some casual gamers will get really frustrated. as a result, even the battles become tedious and not fun. thus the main attraction of the game becomes a con.
8) you can only carry a max of 9 of any item even though the distance inbetween towns is far.

there you go. i hope this was helpful. however, in all fairness, the first 8 hrs or so of the game was a lot of fun. that was because before buying this game, i hadnt even heard that it had come out, so i didnt read any reviews. so this was pretty much an unbiased reveiw.

Okay, so I have played Grandia 2 and was impressed besides the fact that the camera was always over the top of your character and that the graphics stunk. When I first popped in Grandia 3, I was stunned by the graphics associated with the intro movie. But then again I thought, Well the beginning is always the best, let"s wait and see. But I was stunned... the graphics throughout the game are gorgeous!!! The characters are realistic and very likeable, and the battle system (in my opinion) rivals that of games like Final Fantasy. In all truth, I've only played through about 4 hours of the game, but it gets better every second, and promises to keep getting better. All in all, this game is a must have if you like beautiful graphics, good music, and sweet, genuine characters. A 5 out of 5 for sure!

I was really surprised the day I heard this long thought dead series was rising from the ashes once again. After playing Xtreme I was hoping for much more, and that's exactly what I got.

Grandia III is just like the other Grandia's that come before it. An epic journey where friendships are made and love is found. With a new unique battle system (like an improved Star Ocean 3), you travel with Yuki and friends around the world in a neat plane. I was excited when I found out I could take to the skies... However the skies are limited. Access to new and outside places that aren't on the linear gamepath go nowhere. One of the serious cons of this 2 disc game. Adding an addicting card game does not also cover up the lack of side quests in this game as well. The leveling system however was competely fun for me and a total blast with the new fighting system installed. Definitely tides me over till games other games are hitting the market.

I definitely enjoyed the unique background and the chemistry between most of the characters. The dubbing wasn't even that bad. I was pretty surprised overall with how enjoyable this game was.

I only gave it a 4 out of 5 due to it's few but minor flaws. I would recommend this to anyone who is out for another quick smash and grab.

Having picked up this title on, essentially, the understanding that it has the same, highly entertaining battle system as Grandia II, it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed on that count. It even embellishes and adds a couple of nice touches.

Unfortunately, that's pretty much where the fun stops. Mediocre voice acting, bland characters, a small world and a story that's difficult to care about all combine to form a thoroughly lackluster title.

But still a better buy than FFX.

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: Tim

The Cast:
Yuki - A wet behind the ears pilot.
Miranda - Yuki's much too young mother.
Alfina - A communicator.
Alonso - A captain and gambler.
Ulf - A dragon rider.
Dahna - A village chief.
Hect - A lonely girl with great violin talent.

Story (Score: 6/10): Guardians protect the world from great evil. Communicators are the chosen that can speak with the Guardians and pass down the wisdom imparted to them. When one of the Communicators starts to hunt down the Guardians it is up to Yuki and friends to save the Guardians and the world.

Music (Score: 8/10): Popish with some haunting violin tunes and orchestra music plays a big roll in the soundtrack of this game.

Battle System (Score: 6/10): Typical turn based attack system. No random battles! You can fight or stun an enemy and run away from them. Magic system is unique and fun to play with.

Although, after about the 30th time you see the same spell, you will wish for a shortened form of that spell. Mana Eggs can be found in dungeons, you can fuse the eggs together to make stronger Mana Eggs. Which can be converted into stronger spells.

Item of note: You can do combo attacks with your team members. Start by having one of your team members do a strong attack, this will knock the monster into the air. Then have another one of your team attack the monster before it hits the ground and watch the show.
You can have more them 2 people do a combo attack on the same monster if you can time it right.

Game-Play (Score: 6/10): Grandia III was a good game. It took me 41+ hours to complete. This is an average length for a PS2 RPG game.

Overall Score - 6/10: Grandia III was a fun game to play. I enjoyed the battle and magic systems. The story is what kept me playing, even at the times when I was about to walk away from the game forever, when another wonderful plot twist would unfold in the story. That would keep me glued to the TV to find out what would happen to Yuki and his friends. All in all, Grandia III is a good not great gaming experience. I recommend that you maybe rent this one or buy it used.

[...]

The First Grandia I ever played was 2 and then I bought 1 off the net but one day I went to walmart to see if they had Radiata Stories and it just so happened they didn't have it but they had this game. I decided to buy it since I know Square Enix makes some of the best rpgs of all time and to tell you the truth this game is better then 2 in my opinion. I mean the cut scenes are ten times better and one of the things that I really hated about 2 is the amount of character death in the game also the total number of times that characters will leave your party temporary. It's true that in this game two characters do leave early in the game but the next few you get will stay for good. Also this is really the first love story type game I have seen since the days of Lunar 1 and 2 and also since Final Fantasy 8, 9, and 10. Nowadays most of the rpgs you play doesn't have much romance in it or that element of love in it. It's sometimes imporant that you have some type of love story in rpgs in the game to make it more interesting.