Grandia 2 | 
 enlarge | From: UbiSoft
Category: Video Games
Buy Used: $12.00
New (5) Used (21) from $12.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 5805
Platform: Playstation2
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Age: 13 - 17 years
Operating System: Playstation 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
UPC: 008888320159
EAN: 0008888320159
ASIN: B00005T7ZP
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Includes game in replacement case only. Free upgrade to first-class.
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| Features:
| • | Beautiful real-time 3D graphics and over 20 minutes of high-resolution CG graphics. | | • | Innovative, highly customizable combat system - part real-time, part turn-based. | | • | Fully 3D world with hundreds upon hundreds of people to interact with. | | • | Includes additional CD of Grandia II music as selected by composer Noriyuki Iwadare. |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
See if this story line sounds familiar. You're part of an outcast mercenary class that upstanding folk don't want around until there's trouble. You're sent on a mission alongside an innocent, idealistic woman with whom you don't immediately get along. Forces of darkness, safely contained until recently, have escaped and are threatening a world-ending clash with the forces of light unless you successfully intercede. This is one of the safest templates for console role-playing games, and it pretty much covers the story in Grandia II. Thankfully, everything else in the game is fresh and provides hours upon hours of fun. The backdrops and character designs are colorful without being flashy, the game has a great pace (for an RPG), and players never have to stand around too long looking for the next thing to do. Even the writing, within its cookie-cutter plot, is smart, well translated, and occasionally funny. The game's strongest element, however, is its battle system. Taking the best of turn-based and real-time battle engines, Grandia II forces you to choose your moves carefully with respect to timing and position. The battles are very simple in the beginning, but grow increasingly complex as you fight larger numbers of monsters with a growing party of allies. How you meet your encounters--whether you initiate the fight, are ambushed, or meet head on--affects both the timing of the blows and the positions of the contestants. Battles emphasize counterattacks and combination blows, but you'll soon find that movement and defense keep you alive against the tougher enemies. Elemental magic, items, and skill books are just icing on the cake. Even if the battles do grow old, the random fights are fairly easy to avoid, and a versatile AI option lets you use cruise control through the rest. Grandia II may be just the traditional role-playing game for which Dreamcast owners have been waiting. The question of whether it's too traditional doesn't matter, as it offers a better experience than most that have come before. --Porter B. Hall Note: This review refers to the Dreamcast version of the game. Pros: - Battle system creates interesting, complex fights
- Solid, traditional role-playing game for a system with few others in the genre
Cons: - Predictable plot and characters
Amazon.com Product Description
Your name is Ryudo, and you've been sent to protect a young priestess journeying to a distant land to participate in a special ceremony. Grandia II, the new story-based RPG, features an innovative battle system that is partially turn-based, partially real-time. The entire world of Grandia II is rendered in 3-D, with over 1,000 characters to interact with. Audio voice-overs accompany cinematic cutscenes and serve to reinforce the strong cast of characters.
Product Description
Grandia II marks the return of GameArts' classic franchise. Offering a wide array of characters, a deep and involving storyline and a combat system above and beyond all others, Grandia II harnesses the power of the PlayStation 2. You'll interact with hundreds of characters as you work to stop the rebirth of Valmar, the God of Darkness. Watch as the story unfolds through cinematic cut-scenes with voice-over. Grandia II is an RPG of epic proportions that no serious gamer should miss.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 38 more reviews...
This game is almost perfect! July 5, 2008
Grandia 2 is a fun game! I really did enjoy playing it. There are a few flaws that keep it from a perfect score; however, it is still an excellent and enjoyable experience overall. Let's begin the review!
Graphics (8/10): The graphics are somewhat similar to FF7 in that your characters are composed of simpler shapes and only have eyes on their faces (no mouths, folks!) However, the graphical world of Grandia 2 looks a lot smoother than FF7's and is less pixelated. Some people may not enjoy the simple graphical design after having seen more realistic looking games, but it didn't perturb me one bit, the graphics are bright and colorful. If you need further information about what this game actually looks like, just take a gander at some screen shots. Note, there are some graphical glitches from time to time, but they do not affect gameplay in any real way.
Music (7/10): Hmmm... is is just me or is the same song used for every dungeon? Why yes! Well, aside from the lack of variety, the music isn't too bad. It's nothing to run out and buy the soundtrack for, but it's not so annoying as to make your ears bleed. Also, the game features voice acting during some (but not all) dialogue. The voice acting is decent, and there was no one whose voice I really hated.
Characters (10/10): Yes, I know these characters are basically stereotypes; you've got the innocent, naive female character, the tough-acting mercenary, the strong, noble beast-man, etc. Even though I realized I had seen all this before, they didn't feel like stereotypes to me. The fresh interesting dialogue really made me fall in love with these characters. There was never a point in which I said, "gee, these people bore me". Personally, I think Ryudo steals the show. I know some people won't like his pessimism and sarcastic wit, but personally, I found his comments to be really funny.
Story (9/10): You start the game as a cold-hearted mercenary who takes a job escorting a young naive girl to a tower to perform a religious ceremony. Along the way, ancient evil is released and you discover the truth behind the ruling religion, etc. Sound familiar? Just like the characters, the story, too, has been done before. However, I still felt that the story was very interesting and entertaining, even if you may have an idea of what's going to happen next. Grandia 2 does a good job of re-telling this archetypal RPG story, such that it feels fresh and interesting. Plus, for an "already-done" plotline, at least it's more interesting than most.
Battle System (10/10): Grandia 2' battle system is more complex than your average turn-based affair. You actually have to factor in things such as range of spells/attacks and timing of attacks. There is a small bar at the bottom of the screen that tells when you or the enemy will take their turn, if you do certain attacks and hit the enemy while they are in the red section of the bar, it will cancel their attack, forcing them to wait longer to get off a move. This works in reverse, too, of course. This system really adds more depth to the gameplay. Another plus to the battle system is that your characters will move around on the screen during battle, eliminating the "let's all line up and attack" feel of other turn-based games (by the way, I'm not bothered by attacking in lines, but others may enjoy getting away from that). Also, because you move around and spells and attacks have ranges, factoring in how close you are to the enemy and how bunched together the enemies are (which means you can hit them all with one spell) is important. Overall, I found the battle system to be fun and interesting.
Gameplay (7/10): This is a bit of a catch-all category for me. Let's see... I really enjoyed the "meal conversations". This is where the character's are further developed by allowing you to choose people to talk to while having dinner. I feel this aspect really does enhance character development. On another note, the linearity of the game really hampers it. You can't ever backtrack to previous places past the last two places you visited. Even if there is no logical reason you couldn't return to the first town you were in (not like it was destroyed or anything) the game never allows you to. In fact, you don't have free travel even by the time you get to the end of the game. That, and the fact that the world map is a point and click to the next place sort of deal, might turn people off. There's also a disturbing lack of sidequests and mini-games available. I recall there only being one side dungeon and one minigame. Hmmm... The menus and controls are fine, and other than the points I've already mentioned, there's really nothing else that's note-worthy.
Overall (8/10): NOTE this score is not an average, it's my subjective overall score. Personally, I derived great enjoyment out of this game despite its flaws. It would have a perfect score if it weren't for the lack of sidequests and the linearity. Whether you not these limitations will prevent your enjoyment of the game is a matter of your own personal preferences, but I found the overall Grandia 2 experience to be worthwhile.
 One of the best Grandia games ever! April 17, 2008
I thought Grandia was a blast, but Grandia 2 proves the same fun as the first one. The main characer is a hoot, and the other characters are just as enjoyable.
I enjoyed the mana egg system in this game, instead of running around looking for them, like you did in the first game, you get one that you can power up and learn new spells. :D
The story is great, it's dinamic and keeps you in tune with the game. The theme around it was unique too, making this game the best, so far, in the series!
With a dinamic story, rememberable characters, and fun magic,talents,abilities level up system this game is sure to be a wonderful sucessor to Grandia.
Good game January 19, 2008
From what I've experienced in this game, it is rather a great game despite the slightly aging graphics. What holds you on for more is the actual storyline which can give you a good 30-35 hours of gameplay.
It may be a port from the Dreamcast version but it still holds up rather well storywise like Final Fantasy 7.
Yet another Rip Off July 6, 2006
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
Again just like final fantasy VII dont spend tons of money when you can get the very same game for only 12.99 at gamestop.
I dont understand why people post this for 50 and 60 bucks..
Its an old game, yet a very good game.
If you wanna save money go to a game store and buy these hard to find games, cause on here they just want your money.
I liked it, but it had the worst ending ever. July 5, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This game was pretty amusing.
Had some funny moments, good costumes, generic characters you've come to fall in love with (Millenia and Elana or basically Tenchi's Ryoko and Ayeka).
Enjoyed the scenery, don't recall the gameplay too strongly, but that didn't stop me from beating it.
I give it 4 stars overall because remembering this game gives me a sense of euphoria and quaintness, which are two things a game should always leave you with.
But I wish I didn't beat it.
The ending was terrible.
MILLENIA: I think I see what I have to do now.
(Sprouts wings)
ELANA: What...about me?
MILLENIA: Don't you get it by now?
ELANA: Of...of course (sprouts wings).
That's around the point I was a bit sad.
That's just as bad as the cheesy ending in Jade Coccoon.
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