Grandia (1997)
Genres:Role-playing (RPG)
Themes:Fantasy
Game modes:Single player
Story:Grandia is a role-playing video game, developed by Game Arts and published by Entertainment Software Publishing for the Sega Saturn console as the first game in their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in 1997, the game was later ported to the PlayStation in 1999, with an English version of the game appearing on the platform in North America in the following September by Sony Computer Entertainment America, and later in Europe in March 2000 by Ubisoft. The game was produced by much of the same staff who worked on the company's previous role-playing endeavor, the Lunar series, including producer Yoichi Miyagi and music composer Noriyuki Iwadare.
Since its release, Grandia has become notable for its combat mechanics which have been carried over to future games within the franchise, and has spawned two spin-off titles - Grandia: Digital Museum and Grandia: Parallel Trippers - both released exclusively in Japan. In celebration of the announcement of renewing development on Grandia Online, which acts as a prequel to Grandia, the game was re-released on Sony's PlayStation Network platform in Japan as a downloadable title in April 2009 and in North America on February 25, 2010. It was re-released in Europe on November 10, 2010.Show more
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It is absolutely crushing how little reception this game got when compared to its peers. It deserves far more love than it ever got.
Keep in mind this game came out in 1997, so while it's a bit on the rustic side, it is absolutely bursting with charm and sincerity. It's the closest we got to an RPG that felt like a Studio Ghibli movie, before the Ni No Kuni games.
The characters are all incredibly memorable, the environments are sprawling with little details, the music is godlike, the combat is unique and exciting, and the story is perfectly paced. And while the English voice acting isn't the best, it still feels really earnest. Besides, for the time, not a lot of games at this time period had good voice acting.
It is such an incredibly memorable experience and will last you for quite a while. The game originally came in 2 discs, and each one is roughly the average total length of a full-blown RPG on its own!
I believe it is widely overlooked when compared to Grandia II because it may be seen as kiddy and immature. But it is anything but. By the 2nd half of the game, things get really serious.
Grandia 1 may have had an HD remaster with Grandia 2, and it has been ported to PlayStation Plus, but a PC port of the original would be truly appreciated.
The Grandia 1 Fanbase are some of the most devoted fans around, and if nothing else, the modding scene can make this game look even better than before!
My foray into the world of JRPGs as a child. An incredible story about adventure and growth, and an incredibly unique battle system even to this day that features a blend of real-time and turn based mechanics. Great for beginners looking to get their feet wet with JRPGs.
Also features a small, obscure, but passionate community!
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