Grandia

 PlayStation
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 116 out of 152
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 152
  3. Negative: 24 out of 152
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  1. b2345
    Jan 5, 2014
    9
    This is a great adventure with endearing characters, lively towns, and fun combat. The attention to detail is much higher than other games of the time. The interaction between the characters as well as the expressions on their portraits during dialogue is excellent. This game is absolutely gorgeous and the character sprites will stand the test of time compared to early polygonal charactersThis is a great adventure with endearing characters, lively towns, and fun combat. The attention to detail is much higher than other games of the time. The interaction between the characters as well as the expressions on their portraits during dialogue is excellent. This game is absolutely gorgeous and the character sprites will stand the test of time compared to early polygonal characters in other games (look at cloud in FF7)

    My only two issues with the game were to lack of field maps and the casting of spells took much longer than necessary, but they were still awesome.

    "Come power of the Universe! HA!!!!! Dragon King Slice!!"    … Expand
  2. DudeFromIceland
    Oct 14, 2017
    8
    I played this game for the first time ever this year on my PS Vita and I had a blast playing through it. I love Grandia 2 and playing through the first one seemed like a great idea.

    It has almost everything that I loved about Grandia 2. The great fluid combat system, a not so complicated way to upgrade your characters, a solid story with some fantastic music. The visuals are obviously    I played this game for the first time ever this year on my PS Vita and I had a blast playing through it. I love Grandia 2 and playing through the first one seemed like a great idea.

    It has almost everything that I loved about Grandia 2. The great fluid combat system, a not so complicated way to upgrade your characters, a solid story with some fantastic music. The visuals are obviously lacking by today's standards but they are very charming and I honestly had no problem with them, only a few times some of the areas were a bit hard to navigate due to the graphics.

    If you love old school JRPG's this one is simple to wrap your head around and is a really fun time. I spent around 60+ hours playing through the whole story so prepare for a long journey if you decide to try it out.    … Expand
  3. juanmartins
    Jan 19, 2019
    9
    Melhor rpg clássico que joguei até hoje, jornada incrível com gráficos e gameplay excelentes, recomendadíssimo.
  4. VendonJura
    Oct 5, 2018
    10
    Grandia 1 was my 1st rpg game for the Playstation 1. I was totally enjoying it as a kid. The hard thing about this time was that I did not know any english words at all so it was rlly hard to explore that game but I did manage to finish it. I played that game so often and long that I even could beat Gadwin in the 1st battle you met him but the game still told me that I've lost. Well yeahGrandia 1 was my 1st rpg game for the Playstation 1. I was totally enjoying it as a kid. The hard thing about this time was that I did not know any english words at all so it was rlly hard to explore that game but I did manage to finish it. I played that game so often and long that I even could beat Gadwin in the 1st battle you met him but the game still told me that I've lost. Well yeah the skill system was also rlly nice. You could lvl up earth to lvl 99 and water had a rlly cool lvling up way like standing infrond of a trap and taking damage untill you end up with 1 hp left then open the menu and heal yourself to max ofcourse it worked best near a savepoint to refill the manapoints aswell. This method made it easy to reach water lvl 99 really early in the game. It had allot of funny situations. The character are really amazing. I totally liked Sue and her little pet. Hope to play this game again as a HD remastered version for PS4 or PC. Just an amazing game and everyone who loves rpg should play it.… Expand
  5. GamecubeLover
    Aug 3, 2016
    10
    Really? Mixed ratings? Oh my this can't be! And 23 bad reviews right now? Why! This game is amazing but I do think that Grandia 2 is better but this is still great.
  6. StaticSpine
    Aug 1, 2014
    8
    A long adventure with a naive but touching story, nice characters, good battle system and lots of ingame details. The worst things are tedious random battles and awful navigation, though I still enjoyed the game.
  7. Carebare7333
    May 11, 2015
    10
    This is my favorite Playstation game I first started playing it when it first came out and still enjoy it today. It a really easy game and fun to play and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
  8. Snake6677
    Sep 28, 2014
    10
    This is the best game I have played till now. I loved every single moment of that game. The characters, the gameplay back in time, the History of never giving up. When Justin climbs that huge wall that divides the world and discovers a whole New World to be explored, it´s simply amazing. The love between Justin and Feena. The sad moments. Everything about the first Grandia is brilliant.
  9. thej_16
    Dec 22, 2013
    5
    The game becomes long and drawn out towards the end which does the game no favors in terms of enjoyment and the dialogue and plot is very, very cheesy. the battle system and magic and abilities was solid and kept me playing in what was otherwise your typical but overly cheesified cheese fest of a game that wasn't great in anyway shape or form. Oh yes, and Justin seriously began to grate onThe game becomes long and drawn out towards the end which does the game no favors in terms of enjoyment and the dialogue and plot is very, very cheesy. the battle system and magic and abilities was solid and kept me playing in what was otherwise your typical but overly cheesified cheese fest of a game that wasn't great in anyway shape or form. Oh yes, and Justin seriously began to grate on me too.
    graphics 4/10
    game play 7/10
    story 3/10    … Expand
  10. mcikes
    Jul 25, 2012
    5
    The game is worth playing for the battle system alone. The characters and story are dumb, and i just couldnt wait for the game to end, it dragged on and on.
  11. CaptainAssassin
    Mar 10, 2015
    8
    Grandia showcases one of the best RPG combat systems ever developed. The combat mechanics paired with a passable storyline and colorful characters makes Grandia one for the collection.
  12. Polysquid
    Jul 16, 2012
    3
    Things which seemed epic when you were fourteen don't usually stand the test of time. Grandia with its shambling plot and cringe-worthy anime moments fits squarely into this bracket.
  13. [Anonymous]
    Apr 2, 2007
    10
    The battle system still stands today as one of the best an RPG has to offer. The plot was entertaining throughout and led up to an epic finale. All around, one of my favorite games.
  14. AzimS.
    Apr 25, 2007
    10
    This game had a lot of lovely character.The way their interacted to each other was fantastic.The technology may not seem good enough for some players but the storyline is marvelous.Each characters were given a great chance to show themselves.This game had funny humor,great battle system of it's own,puzzles,creative monster design,and others.I'm very sure that this game will give This game had a lot of lovely character.The way their interacted to each other was fantastic.The technology may not seem good enough for some players but the storyline is marvelous.Each characters were given a great chance to show themselves.This game had funny humor,great battle system of it's own,puzzles,creative monster design,and others.I'm very sure that this game will give players the feeling of satisfaction,as long as you don't care about the visual.… Expand
  15. Dynel
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    Grandia in a word is: Excellent. New gamers may think the story drags or is too long. BUT! that's how a RPG is supposed to be, you know.

    Do not confuse story telling with the game dragging. From beginning to end, this is one of my favorite games on the PSX. A real RPG game, not like the current games that focuses too much on "fan service" leaving everything else aside. "New RPG's"    Grandia in a word is: Excellent. New gamers may think the story drags or is too long. BUT! that's how a RPG is supposed to be, you know.

    Do not confuse story telling with the game dragging. From beginning to end, this is one of my favorite games on the PSX. A real RPG game, not like the current games that focuses too much on "fan service" leaving everything else aside. "New RPG's" should learn from this.

    Can't really complain about anything. Progression, leveling, enemy encounters, every single thing is just amazingly done. Can't find a single fault. 11 out of 10.    … Expand
  16. Kamikazeshocki
    Jan 23, 2019
    10
    Quite..strange to write a review 18 years after playing it. BUT I saw this mixed score and I couldn't believe what I saw. Are people stupid? Yes people are stupid. I can sadly understand why this game did not get out of FFVII shadow back then, because it hit a more popular nerve and being released on Saturn first.
    I was bored back then and rented this game 3 days and thought this game    Quite..strange to write a review 18 years after playing it. BUT I saw this mixed score and I couldn't believe what I saw. Are people stupid? Yes people are stupid. I can sadly understand why this game did not get out of FFVII shadow back then, because it hit a more popular nerve and being released on Saturn first.
    I was bored back then and rented this game 3 days and thought this game might appeal to me. Then got hooked so pretty bad by every single characteristic of that game, that I amassed rental penalty fees. Then I had to return it...next weekend I rented it again and faked being ill at school to be able to complete the most emotional, passionate adventure story with the most likeable main characters I ever witnessed in a game. This adventurous passion the game transmits...and don't even get me started with the OST arranged at Skywalker sounds, best game score I ever listened to. Back then the battlesystem is also to be mentioned as revolutionary fresh and superb, THIS ladies and gentleman is not any game, THIS is not any JRPG. This game is the pinnacle of JRPG and for me even games alltogether with (FFVII quite side by side). I play videogames since 1989 across many platforms and those two games are on top of it all. If I would believe in God I would wish for a proper remastered version of this game (without doing much changes...). The 3-4 times I completed this game was not enough. Sadly the sequels are not even on the same level, but hey... Square also kind of failed FF series over time, so...    … Expand
  17. Neatqt
    Sep 8, 2019
    6
    Cast: 7/10
    Story: 5/10
    Fun: 5/10
    Gameplay: 6/10

    Not Recommended
    ----------------------
  18. Nerayo
    Aug 17, 2018
    10
    The game has some very witty and funny dialogues. Also, the display photos of the characters when they talk to show how they feel are just so expressive. The characters are easily some of the most memorable I've seen in a game.
  19. mkbillabo
    Aug 17, 2018
    10
    I feel when reviewing a game, the date it was released has to be considered. During its time, Grandia rivaled Final Fantasy 7 as the best RPG to date-- and in many ways surpassed it. A grand adventure that was light-hearted with a sense of humor but also a deep story with many happenings to keep you on your toes. As the story progresses, so do the characters. The battle system wasI feel when reviewing a game, the date it was released has to be considered. During its time, Grandia rivaled Final Fantasy 7 as the best RPG to date-- and in many ways surpassed it. A grand adventure that was light-hearted with a sense of humor but also a deep story with many happenings to keep you on your toes. As the story progresses, so do the characters. The battle system was cutting edge with the ability to level up weapons and magic separate from your character. Put it all together and you have Grandia. The cartoon-ish graphics don't work for most games, but in my opinion they combine with other elements of this game perfectly.… Expand
  20. iKen
    Apr 11, 2020
    8
    Played on PlayStation.
    Gameplay: GREAT.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GOOD.
    Control/Dialogue: GOOD.
  21. Trunks252
    May 10, 2017
    9
    Grandia is a game that sparked my fascination with RPG's when I was a young child, along with Final Fantasy IX (and X shortly after that). The visuals are well done, the story is great, and the audio is fantastic (aside from a few voice actors like Justin and Sue's characters). And the soundtrack, oh that soundtrack. Words cannot describe how amazingly fantastic the music is. It was one ofGrandia is a game that sparked my fascination with RPG's when I was a young child, along with Final Fantasy IX (and X shortly after that). The visuals are well done, the story is great, and the audio is fantastic (aside from a few voice actors like Justin and Sue's characters). And the soundtrack, oh that soundtrack. Words cannot describe how amazingly fantastic the music is. It was one of the first games to have a fully featured soundtrack. Personally, this is still my favorite game soundtrack ever.

    The gameplay is also expertly designed and insanely fun...under the right circumstances. The base game is horribly imbalanced, with many spells, skills, and items completely useless. It is an extremely easy game. I had to dock off a point for this only fault.

    This issue is easily fixed however, with the mod called "Grandia Redux." Look it up and play it. It changes the balance of gameplay to be challenging and rewarding, and easily makes the game a 10/10.    … Expand
  22. Kai82
    Apr 7, 2021
    9
    For its time a great RPG with some flaws. Lets start with the good things: The story and characters are charming (Be warned here too. It is the kind that can also be annoying for others), the battle system was refreshing and the humor works well. On the negative side the localization is poor, its starts a bit slow and for the magic system I should give you a warning later on. Just forFor its time a great RPG with some flaws. Lets start with the good things: The story and characters are charming (Be warned here too. It is the kind that can also be annoying for others), the battle system was refreshing and the humor works well. On the negative side the localization is poor, its starts a bit slow and for the magic system I should give you a warning later on. Just for clarification: The game is now really old and does of cause not hold up in the technical and graphics categories. This however can not be hold against the game but I think the warning is fair (Also some people say it was not that good graphically back then). It is the story of teenager Justin who sets out to be an adventurer like his vanished father. He is still a bit naive but has the hearth of a hero. His adventure will become much greater and impactful than he had imagined in his wildest dreams. Firstly it sounds and look like a cheesy and child-friendly story but the plot deals with some serious issues and it is the good kind of cheesy. I already warned you that it is also the kind of story and characters that can annoy you. Even if I enjoyed it a lot I can fully see why others dislike the story and characters. For me I enjoyed the main and side characters. There is a lot of character development and interaction that never fails to deliver. It was satisfying and enjoyable in this regard. They also get the mixture of humor and seriousness right. The humor in particular was great. Be it for example the accident on the ship with Feena, the dealing with Nana, Saki and Mio or miss-expectations that lead to hilarious situations (Special mention the whole Justin to the rescue of beautiful helpless females arc;-). Lets continue with the game play. The battle system has some interesting mechanics. You can see enemies and depending how you engage or the enemies vice versa can get the initiative (Touch them behind and avoid the opposite). Then the battle starts. It is close to the Final Fantasy active time turn based battles but with a twist. There is an IP bar that shows which party member or enemy will act next. If you reach a marker you can input your command. The twist is that you have to reach the next marker to execute the command. This gives tactical options as special attacks and powerful magics take longer to perform. It is possible to cancel attacks or delay your enemies and vice versa. For this you have a fast and strong normal basic attack. Some special attacks and magic will also do the trick. It total this was a good system that added tactical depth to the battles. For special attacks: Each character has a set of weapons he / she can use. If you use these they level up and get stronger. If you fulfill the requirements you learn new skills. Beware not all skills can be used with other weapons like for example a whip attack is not possible to use with a knife. Magic: I like the system but hate how you have to unlock magic. You have no access to magic until you find a special item which was called fairy egg if I remember correctly. With each you can unlock one element (Fire, water, earth and wind. Since we don't have love no Captain Planet support for us;-). Those work like weapons. If you use them you level them up and gain access to better spells. There are overlaps like multi element spells and elemental (weapon) special attacks. Be warned that there is a finite amount of fairy eggs and these are missable. What makes this worse is that not all party members are permanent. You can waste some on characters that leave the party permanently. I think I give you the final party composition for you to plan as it helps at the end of the review with a spoiler warning. Again the total battle and ability system works great and I beat the game multiple times from beginning to end. There are also 3 bonus dungeons which are not connected to the story. These have very good items, some additional fairy eggs and strong bosses. Presentation wise the game has a unique style but the graphics divided the players already back then. Some said it was already outdated. The soundtrack is still good but the voice acting is awful. This was screwed in the localization. Overall this was a remarkable good game back then and I enjoyed it a lot. Maybe not up to date but it still has charm and good characters. SPOILER: Final party consist of: Justin, Feena, Rapp and Liete. Only use fairy eggs on those.… Expand
  23. dashantaozi
    Aug 25, 2018
    8
    This game would be much more appreciated if it had fewer dungeons and towns; it way overstays its welcome.
  24. keydomknight
    Aug 19, 2015
    10
    Not only the characters are epic designed but also the story is. It may begin with a kid who's playing around and imagining of be on a adventure but it ends with an epic guy who's got the blessing of the spirits holding their sword and fighting against evil. I like the anime art they included. Its really epic,my first and favorite rpg as good as ff7 or even better. The way the mainNot only the characters are epic designed but also the story is. It may begin with a kid who's playing around and imagining of be on a adventure but it ends with an epic guy who's got the blessing of the spirits holding their sword and fighting against evil. I like the anime art they included. Its really epic,my first and favorite rpg as good as ff7 or even better. The way the main character deals with some situations is just good and the music is like someone mixed all epic soundtracks together into one track and presents it to you with gods earphone affiliated to the mp3 player. This game changed my life and my behavior and it's really worth play it.… Expand
  25. Phyrex
    Nov 24, 2015
    8
    I'd like to keep this review short and reasonable.

    Grandia is a J-RPG game that first came out to the Sega saturn but later was ported to PS1, it was one of my first introductions to an RPG and that includes FF8 and FF9. Anyway, Grandia stood out on it's own with it's design and colorful story that really made it feel like you were destined for ''grand'' adventure. With an unique    I'd like to keep this review short and reasonable.

    Grandia is a J-RPG game that first came out to the Sega saturn but later was ported to PS1,
    it was one of my first introductions to an RPG and that includes FF8 and FF9.

    Anyway, Grandia stood out on it's own with it's design and colorful story that really made it feel like you were destined for ''grand'' adventure.

    With an unique combat system that this game was praised for and some of the best soundtrack composed to fit in every mood in the game it was easy to fall in love.

    Let me summarise with the pros and cons.

    Pros.

    - Well phased story that didn't overstay its welcome.
    - Pretty pixelated graphics on a 3D landscape
    - Unique fighting system
    - Likeable characters
    - Three rewarding sidequests that extends gameplay.
    - 60-80 hours of gameplay.
    - Great soundtrack

    Cons

    - Voice acting hasn't aged well.
    - Sound effects seem to desync sometimes.
    - Enemies do not scale on your level.
    - Camera tends to get obstructed (this rarely happens)    … Expand
  26. 17_jrpg
    Aug 3, 2017
    10
    Grandia is a very good JRPG because it has a great story and a gameplay. The story is inspirational because through Justin they shows that we should never give up on our dreams. The story has everything: happy, sad, funny, dramatic and tragic moments. The main themes of the story are adventure, drama and dreams, but they also show human greed. The gameplay is great, I especially like theGrandia is a very good JRPG because it has a great story and a gameplay. The story is inspirational because through Justin they shows that we should never give up on our dreams. The story has everything: happy, sad, funny, dramatic and tragic moments. The main themes of the story are adventure, drama and dreams, but they also show human greed. The gameplay is great, I especially like the battle system. The idea of changing the characters in a party through the story is great because it allows the player to use all the characters in the battle. The battle system in Grandia games is one of my favorite because it is similar to the ATB system. Unlike the ATB system, it is more active and is much faster which makes it more interesting.

    This game deserves remake. They should revive this great JRPG so that new generations can enjoy Justin's adventure. With a brand new graphics and improved battle system from Grandia III, and with the same gameplay as the original, the remake should look perfect on PS4. Also, they could make a direct sequel of the first Grandia game. The story should continue where the first Grandia game ended. After defeating Gaia, Justin and Feena go to a new adventure where they discover a new continent which is located south of Elencia. On this new continent they found a strange relic which may be related to ancient civilization. They wanted to discover the secret of that strange relic, but Feena soon became pregnant and after the children are born it was difficult to continue the investigation of a strange relic. After ten years, Justin and Feena decided to return to Parm with their children. Year passes and they completely forgot about a strange relic. Fifteen years later, Justin and Feena's daughter Xeena finds a strange relic in grandmother's home (Seagull Restaurant). After learning something about a strange relic, Xeena decided to become a great adventurer like his parents and continue where they stop with their investigation. So Xeena went to the new continent to solve the mystery of a strange relic. On her journey she meets new people and humanoids, creates new friendships, falls in love, her Icarians power awaken and save the world from new threats. With a similar style of gameplay as in the first Grandia game and with an improved battle system from Grandia III, and with this story the new Grandia game would be great on PS4. They should definitely revive the Grandia series.    … Expand
  27. Vanta77
    Sep 6, 2021
    8
    For a PS1/ Dreamcast rpg, this game is absolutely phenomenal.

    Pros: - Insanely good battle mode and leveling up skills, my favorite about this game. - Great characters with good chemistry and interact with each other alot - Long rpg, with adventure mindset and many places to visit. - For its limitations of its console, its actually earthshattering how amazing the game looks - Disc    For a PS1/ Dreamcast rpg, this game is absolutely phenomenal.

    Pros:
    - Insanely good battle mode and leveling up skills, my favorite about this game.
    - Great characters with good chemistry and interact with each other alot
    - Long rpg, with adventure mindset and many places to visit.
    - For its limitations of its console, its actually earthshattering how amazing the game looks
    - Disc 1 is by far the most best experience that the game offers.
    - Buncha towns to explore, very lively atmosphere, so much details and stories to explore if you look for them. Just how an rpg should be.

    Cons:
    - Terrible camera and its hard to get use to or enjoy the dungeons because of it.
    - Fun music that seems to be sometimes playing for 15 secs then starts over on a forever loop, i thought the audio for this game needed some serious update for the remaster but its still pretty unpolished. The volcano section and its village i have to turn of the audio completely the whole time.
    - Disc 2 is 3/10 to me, i hate how the story went from being adventurous kids on a boat visiting new places and just having fun - into terrible anime plot that wasnt enjoyable at all. Disc 1 is 9/10 to me but the last 10 hours was dreadful in terms of story, characters and basically everything, i thought it really fell apart at the end.

    Overall one of my favorite jrpg's by far but i really dislike how unsatisfying the last 10 hours were, otherwise it's an easy 9/10 for me. A rich experience and few jrpg's match the creativity Grandia 1 exudes.    … Expand
  28. shootingstars99
    Aug 30, 2019
    8
    Cute, fun RPG about adventure that is just all around a good time. It does the RPG formula well with charming character designs, a simple yet fun plot, and a battle system that keeps the turn-based standard fun and interesting. Dungeons seem a little long at times, but feel rewarding for getting past them. The art direction in this game is simply beautiful! A great addition to theCute, fun RPG about adventure that is just all around a good time. It does the RPG formula well with charming character designs, a simple yet fun plot, and a battle system that keeps the turn-based standard fun and interesting. Dungeons seem a little long at times, but feel rewarding for getting past them. The art direction in this game is simply beautiful! A great addition to the Playstation's RPG library, and one that still plays well and is enjoyable to this day.… Expand
  29. ThePSButton
    May 6, 2020
    8
    Grandia es una joya que hay que saborear. Un cast entrañable que se embarca en una aventura más grande que la vida misma. Una obra clásica con pixeles de buen ver y un sistema de combate increíble que no le pide nada a los RPGs de siguientes generaciones. No hay pierde con este pedazo precioso de videojuego.
  30. Em307
    Sep 21, 2020
    10
    This game inspired me when I was young. It has the most beautiful wholesome story. You can't help but be in a great mood playing this game. I even encouraged my husband who never plays RPG'S to try it and he loves it. I feel that I'll never be able to articulate well enough how amazing this game is. :D
  31. Smoketornado
    Dec 20, 2020
    10
    One of the best rpg´s ever made. A must play game. The story is fantastic. The combat system is unic and awesome.
  32. MarkoDComet
    Jan 19, 2022
    8
    Grandia

    Genre: JRPG Age Rating: Teen Original System: Sega Saturn Original Release Date: 1997 Visuals: 7 - Though the 3D graphics are a bit dated by more modern standards, the 2D sprites are very detailed and is always easy to tell what actions the characters are doing. The animated cut-scenes are absolutely beautiful too. Audio: 6 - Sound effects are outstanding and very    Grandia

    Genre: JRPG

    Age Rating: Teen

    Original System: Sega Saturn

    Original Release Date: 1997

    Visuals: 7 - Though the 3D graphics are a bit dated by more modern standards, the 2D sprites are very detailed and is always easy to tell what actions the characters are doing. The animated cut-scenes are absolutely beautiful too.

    Audio: 6 - Sound effects are outstanding and very fitting. Voice acting is good and emotional (only played with Japanese voice acting, so the English voice acting is not considered in score). Music can range from mostly forgettable to genre inspiring!

    Story: 9 - The plot and characters of Grandia is full of life and wonder. The adventure the player embarks on will bring smiles to your face and tears down your cheeks for happy and sad reasons.

    Gameplay: 6 - Gameplay consists of standard JRPG tropes of exploring towns and dungeons fighting enemies, opening chests for loot, leveling up and talking to NPCs.

    Items appear frenquently and even represent what they are on the field before picking them up. It is always very exciting to find a new item on the ground and then figure out a way to get to them.

    NPCs are where this game really stand out. In Grandia very nearly every NPC has Multiple things to say and they change at what seems to be any small change in the plot. They also directly talk to certain characters in the party and even better, a good amount of the time a party member repsonds or reacts to what the NPCs say. I highly recommend taking the time to talk to NPCs as often as possible.

    Combat is basically turn based but with bars that need to fill before a character or enemy can act. In battle characters and enemies move about the screen, sometimes seemingly random, and stop when it is your turn to act. Actions can range from regular attacks, magic attacks, special attacks, critical attacks, defending, evading, using items and running away.

    There is a lot of complexity to combat, enemies have their own weaknesses and strengths and there is a good amount of strategies and options the player can take advantage of in combat.

    A frustrating flaw to combat that would appear every so often is that if a character is too for away or can't reach an enemy after an action is selected, the character would give up after a while and waste that turn.

    Another battle quirk that frustrated me personally is that there are many AOE attacks enemies have and it seems impossible to separate characters to keep all of them from getting hit, though it could just be me not understanding that particular part of the game. (Did I mention that this battle system is complex?)

    In Grandia The player can level up their proficiency in weapons they use, magic atrtibutes they learn and their overall stats.

    As typical for almost any RPG get enough EXP from killing enemies and characters will level up and better their stats.

    Magic and weapons only level up if the character uses them and it can lead to some extra grinding or some less effective battles specifically to increase one or both of these.

    Difficulty: 7 - Grandia is not as old as some other JRPGs so it doesn't try to break your spirit like some old classics, but that does not mean the game holds your hand. Knowing where to go is not a problem and since enemies appear on the field, instead of randomly encountered, it is hard to get screwed by an unlucky encounter.

    Actually battling, on the other hand, is where the difficulty lies. To my knowledge the game doesn't let it be known or really even hints most of the time what enemy is weak to or strong against for the most part. It is up to the player to try everything they have to see what weakness their enemy has, which can lead to botched first tries. While playing I battled every enemy I saw on screen even if they weren't in the way, while using them to increase a magic attribute or weapon level, because I do not like to grind in any game.

    Enemies and bosses for the most part did not pose too much of a threat for most of the game but, especially towards the end, bosses became more numerous and much tougher. I can imagine a Player rushing through levels just to see the next cut-scenes are going to have a very tough time and a lot of grinding later on.

    Grinding is a big factor in terms of difficulty to me personally. I did not grind in my play through, but on the last few bosses I had to use my tiny brain to its max to win.....with some luck.

    Final thoughts

    In the end Grandia is a Superb game that will stay with the player that is willing to put in the work and time to achieve victory late game. The visuals, audio and Story weave together to make a very moving, inspiring and fun adventure for players of all ages. The best way to play this game is through the HD remaster. I bought it online for $19.99 and it is worth every penny.    … Expand
  33. zaozabot30
    Jan 1, 2023
    8
    Plays great even in 2023. Combat is fun and upgrade system is addicting, auto fights are great for grinding. Environments are rich and everchanging, supported by great soundtrack. Story is intriguing, full of unexpected turns. Highly recommended for jrpg fans.
  34. Kow567
    Aug 25, 2023
    9
    A unique world which truly gives a sense of adventure. Iconic characters and music. Fun combat. Great story. One of the best JRPGs of all time

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PS1 Game of 1999
8
#8 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1999
8
#8 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1999

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. PSX Nation
    94
    Story is a great component of any RPG but it has to have a quality battle engine alongside. Thankfully Grandia utilizes one of the best we have played.
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  2. Armchair Empire
    94
    With an absolutely stellar story, and characters that are more lively and fleshed out than those found in other series this game provides the integral components to make for an RPG that will rule the players life until they’ve finished the game.
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  3. GameSpot
    92
    A role-playing masterpiece that delivers in all of the ways that really matter. While perhaps a little behind in the technology curve, Grandia's innovation, atmosphere, and story make it one of the most noteworthy RPGs in recent memory.
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