Grandia III was released in February 2006. Created by Game Arts, published by Square Enix.
I absolutely loved Grandia II on the DC. So much so that it's my favorite DC game ever. Over 5 years later (with a detour in Grandia Xtreme), Grandia III is an exclusive on the PS2.
Grandia III is about its outstanding battle engine. You choose to attack an enemy. Both you and the enemy have an IP gauge. You attack the enemy when you are free to do so. You can also attempt to cancel its attack by landing a critical hit. There is also Magic and Special Moves that can be used. The action can get fast and furious with all hell breaking loose. There is that instant gratification of canceling a potentially dangerous enemy spell and then countering with critical that makes the enemy fly followed by your comrades comboing him.
The game is also very tough. Even with some powerful characters you can easily be killed off by the monsters. They put up a tough fight and strategy is necessary to survive.
The graphics are pretty decent; nothing mindblowing. The acting is pretty good and the characters are interesting. Alfina seems to be always be spazzed out or crying while Ulf is the little ball of hate towards his foes. Yuki reminded me a bit of Vyse from Skies Of Arcadia.
The story is decent but it's probably been told before and the worlds you visit are typical: ice mountain, jungle, desert, etc. Also, the game is linear; you're pretty much set on one path and there is little in the way of sidequests. There's a lot to collect, though and you will try and see if you can get all the spells, skills and weapons/armor. The gambling game of arranged dice is also addictive.
The music is O.K. nothing as good as Tales Of Legendia was. The theme song seems to be a rip-off of an Utada Hikaru combo of J-Pop and Hillary Duff.
Still, this game owns because going into battle and leveling up is so much fun. There's no tedium involved. Also, there is plenty of customization for your warriors. Like Gran Turismo, you can see if you can perfect your warriors.
All in all, an excellent game. It isn't in the same class as Dragon Quest VIII but it's in the next level. Hopefully, Grandia IV will be out sooner and I also hope to find Grandia Xtreme. Maybe I'll even play the original Grandia on the PSOne if I can find it.
