Series That Have Lost All Identity

re: Series That Have Lost All Identity

John H. — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:03:02 GMT

Grandia and Grandia II's characters are excellent. IMO of course, but I feel particularly strongly about them in a way I feel about few JRPGs. And the atmosphere of both games is pretty dead-on. Especially the first, which for two-thirds of its length is little more than three kids off on a trip around the world, and improbably making it. It's -fun- in a way few games are. GII's not got that, but its characters are USUALLY well-written, and have a wit and life to them little-seen in JRPGs.

The story of the games is less interesting; both the evil empire of the first one and the evil church plot of GII have been played into the ground. And the usually-good characterization of Ryudo in II breaks down when it gets to the Melfice chapter, and becomes laughable. When the voice actor whines tragically about his "past," it's one of those moments I felt embarrassed for witnessing... and yet, he keeps going on about it. Everything after that point in the game, where the atmosphere gets darker, tends to carry with it the pall of teh suck... and come to think of it, that's about the point where I first lost interest in Grandia 1.

But for about two-thirds of both games, they're still remarkably entertaining. That's the memory I take away from Grandia, even above the excellent battle system: Justin, Feena and Sue on a trip around the world! If only the series had stuck with that.

re: Series That Have Lost All Identity

sharc — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:24:50 GMT

so how is grandia xtreme a confused take on the series? unlike its predecessors (and successors) it largely shoves its story off into a corner and devotes about four times more attention to battles, dungeon crawls, and character building. which are, y'know, the best things about the grandia games to begin with.

re: Series That Have Lost All Identity

GeoX — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:54:23 GMT

I MIGHT have liked Grandia, if not for the fact that I was desperately rooting for Justin to die horribly every minute of the game. And Christ Jesus, those horrific little homunculi in the ending--were I can only assume Game Arts was TRYING to traumatize us, because I fail to see how anything that awful could have been an accident.

re: Series That Have Lost All Identity

Kenofthedead — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:47:26 GMT

I loved Grandia 2. It was a fun RPG that helped get me into RPGs. Not for the story or characters specificaly, but for the fun gameplay and battles.

Grandia may have been the better story and plot, but it wasn't as easy to get into for just playing and having fun with.

Extreme and 3 though I'll give you, right messes they be with no idea what they want to do gameplay or story wise.

re: Series That Have Lost All Identity

epenthesis — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:16:47 GMT

Jeremy beat me to it. Though in all fairness Suikoden V, three years ago, was beautifully executed and quite true to the roots of the series. As the new abortion for DS is selling well, there's at least a chance of a return to form.

re: Series That Have Lost All Identity

parish — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:08 GMT

Next on the generic chopping block: Suikoden.