Grandia HD Collection - Still A Bloody Good Game (Jimpressions)

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Grandia HD Collection is a hefty reminder of what a clever, heartfelt, unique JRPG experience looks like. Square Enix could stand to take notes.
I have a history of starting Grandia and never finishing it, so I'm appreciating the chance to finally get through it. It's still really good. Holds up terrifically, with a famous battle system that feels as fresh as it ever did.
Great game... albeit one that really shows off in the graphics department, sometimes a bit too much.
#Grandia #GrandiaHD #JRPG #JimSterling #Jimpressions
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[@BionicPayer]

a hint for anyone who hasnt played this game yet. Level all your weapons not just focus on one, special move abilities require certain level of one or even multiple weapons to be unlocked ;v

[@michaelgildersleeve5813]

Not just that aswell as your magic specially Feena you'll have a lot of levelling up on her magic

[@catatonic165]

Spells, spells spells!

[@ManongBanTube]

"Machines that plays videogames" OMG, I have that one.

[@Archangelm127]

I built my own! It's blue and glowy and super OP :)

[@zodd131]

machine master race

[@ElvenMans]

Oh, so it's on Switch and later in September on PC too! yay

[@sevsnk3043]

Gotta thank Jim for clarifying that, was about to rage my toaster for not supporting this game even with a 2080 ti installed

[@j.dalzell5372]

Grandia 1

[@wdcain1]

3 having your mom be a teammate but still act like a teenager was too weird for me.

[@Isnogood12]

I only ever got to play G2, and I loved it to bits! My first JRPG of that generation!

[@j.dalzell5372]

@@wdcain1 uh i don't remember her joining the team in either 1 or 2

[@Mikon595]

When you wrote "

[@dondashall]

One of the best stories ever

[@zurajanaisephirothda3886]

Didnt want to Fräulein this episode of Jimpression

[@sushantheshreztha8777]

Miss?

[@coffee115]

"According to my calculations you don't need a bra" PFFFFTTT

[@junker-f3m]

an equation that describes my life

[@zoekelly9949]

I mean speaking as a girl with small boobs yes the support isn’t needed.

[@ManoredRed]

This game is very anime, complete with breast size jokes and random semi-nudity scenes.

[@zoekelly9949]

Manored gotta love those.

[@clonezero_RR]

FLAT IS JUSTICE!

[@CKT1138]

Game Arts is such an underrated developer. Grandia is great!

[@kryvar]

I lost so many days to the original Grandia. Great game. Love the cheerleading moth healer girl.

[@Laezar1]

You might love her but the game doesn't xD

[@Shadow60f]

Sue is great and thank's for the reminder Laezar dood T-T

[@akaimizu1]

Laezar heh heh. I remember back in the day my friends and I would always comment on how the monsters kept going after Sue. I’m like, geeze, if you’re cute and small you must get so much hate.

[@Uldihaa]

Sue is awesome. "It's a... _Tornado_ " is still one of my favorite spell casting lines. And her stat buff Cheer is OP as hell (iirc, maxed out it boosted Attack, Defense, and Speed by 25%).

[@junlim7330]

Ahh I love Sue so much. Shes probably the first one that made me cried in a video game for the first time, such a good writting on her character.

[@HOG_ZONE]

ah, one of your many positive videos! looking forward to hearing how badly it did on the podcast this week.

[@Srymak]

Top comment on the next negative video: *"WHY DON'T YOU EVER MAKE POSITIVE VIDEOS!?!"*

[@MelMelodyWerner]

in case Jim doesn't know why positive videos get so many people who want them but these videos do badly: it's because the people who want to see more positivity (and are saying that in good faith) probably _do_ watch videos like this, they just don't attract the people who watch Jim for his firebrand, anti-exploitation streak. I think it's a demographic issue; Jim has built his channel on being the place where someone lights up exploitative industry practices. not the place where you get good game recommendations. it's a shame positive videos are viewed as being something that can't do well, when no one prominent has ever tried to make that their thing. I know TotalBiscuit attempted to do that towards the end, but no one has really quite picked up that mantle. I like Jim a lot, so this isn't necessarily a criticism of him (I used to be very annoyed with Jim pretty much ignoring games people would actually be interested in, instead covering random shite no one was going to buy, but he doesn't really do Squirty Play style videos anymore so it's no longer something I take umbrage with). I just wish someone positivity-centric could rise through the cracks.

[@tenjenk]

honestly its refershing to have a positive one with all the shit going on right now

[@kyotheman69]

funny how he always start off video being a total dick, Jim doesn't have much love for JRPG's its a shame i find them far better then western ones, i rather play Final Fantasy over Elder scrolls any day of the week, especially ES games story is pretty "bleh" or "meh"

[@grthwllms]

@@MelMelodyWerner All fair, but I think the back and forth is less about Jim not 'knowing' why his positive videos do worse; He's acknowledged they do, he knows full well why. He just also STILL gets people asking why he "Never" does positive videos even as he continues to do them.

[@DraigoDragon]

i never played grandia 1... BUT!!! i have played grandia 2 and i loved it so much

[@DanoLefourbe]

Grandia I is a little bit rougher on the combat movement, but has a bit more depth. It's also longer, with more enemy variety and more characters. On the other side, it has a few dull moments. The beginning/intro is pretty long to get through. But as a whole, I'd say it's a slightly better RPG than II. And I love both to death tbh. If you can tolerate the graphics, you should try the first one.

[@metalbrainmextrememetalent6810]

I played Grandia 2 on Dreamcast. It’s an awesome game.

[@crucicarose4343]

Ah man, the steam port of Grandia II has issue with audio sync, and I dont think it was ever fixed.

[@darandomone1365]

@@DanoLefourbe that is exactly how to describe it.

[@georgefrankly]

"another act of professional self-sabotage on my part." This is why Jim Sterling is the hero we need. I'm looking forward to starting Grandia I for the sixth time.

[@vivisect53]

Im another one that for some reason has never finished the first game but started it a couple of times.

[@DarthTinkles]

"I'm staking my pride as a man and my soul as an adventurer on this treasure hunt!" - Justin, Grandia The first Grandia was always my favourite from a "good feel" perspective. Everything had a spirit of wonder and adventure to it, which only changes very late on when the action starts getting real. I love the bonus dungeons too - they were a nice touch. Grandia II was a lovely spiritual sequel, which has the running theme of facing the ego of man but in an entirely different setting. Both thoroughly worth playing and soaking in as much as you can.

[@cheetarah9199]

Jim, so you know I'm one of the few people who like your 'positive' videos. It's nice to hear you chilled, and enjoying games!

[@OhCrunchberries]

Oh! So this is where "Child Of Light" got it's attack system that interrupts enemies. Cool!

[@23Scadu]

FFX too.

[@Digital_Acid]

@@23Scadu FFX? the only one thats actually turn-based? you sure about that one, chief?

[@Archangelm127]

Also Zeeboyd Games' whole stable

[@23Scadu]

@@Digital_Acid Yes. It has the same timeline of turns and attacks that can delay enemies. Grandia is turn based too btw.

[@seagulyus9251]

@@Digital_Acid He is correct, literally the first aeon you get in the game has a move that you can spam that pushes back enemy turns. Tidus' final move he gets is Quick Hit which has very little turn cd so you can cast it a billion times in a row. And there is several push back mechanics on other moves. Plus haste/ slow is ok when you can use them.

[@Darashiva]

One of my favourite PS1 JRPGs. The voice acting is pretty much the only major negative thing about it, and even that has a certain clumsy charm.

[@WolfCoder]

So that's why you blasted us with the victory theme last episode. I love the anime af music Noriyuki Iwadare can do.

[@greenhowie]

This has me thirsty for Star Ocean 1&2 in HD.

[@introvertedwall44]

Omg.. those beautiful games! I miss Cliff 😭

[@TheLowBrassDude]

Well they're both on PSP soooo...

[@Lock2002ful]

Lee Anderson Soooo, that version getting an update for Switch is wonderful. Since the Switch the only reason to play other portables is that the games aren’t on Switch yet. Any portable game previously released on other platforms would be far superior on Switch, even if just mildly updated. Soooo...🤷🏻‍♂️

[@mattgrundy27]

That would be AWESOME!

[@shock019]

If I remember right the enhanced psp port of star ocean 1 is getting a release on switch and ps4

[@UnderdogRecords91]

One thing I absolutely love about Grandia (which the sequels unfortunately forgot a little) is how lighthearted and fun the story and the characters are. They really stand out in a genre that tends to confuse depth with just being angsty all the time. This is probably the closest JRPGs have come to a playable Ghibli movie (at least until Ni No Kuni, for obvious reasons).

[@prinny7963]

Holy damn, i was literaly waiting forever for the first Grandia, big thanks for informing me, Jim. Wait a second, you foreshadowed this Video with your Grandia theme yesterday, you are one smart one.

[@Shindai]

"Picked up some weak weed, story of my life" I feel your pain, buddy

[@Azerkeux]

@EliteGeek79 Just move to Colorado j/k please don't it's overcrowded a f go away

[@SoldierDelta]

Gonna be honest, looks like some high quality indie game or a smaller project by the people who made Octopath Traveler. It has held up very well.

[@akaimizu1]

Thomas Turner it also shows how far we have come with developer kits. This was top end high budget gaming back at release. It also took major advantage of the Saturn’s hardware advantage at the time. This version resembles a combination of both PSX and Saturn. UtiliIng a bit of the psx transparencies, combined with the lack of 3d object tearing (or breaking at the seams) that was a problem specifically with the psx version that the Saturn didn’t have.

[@SoldierDelta]

@@akaimizu1 I couldn't agree more, but the fact that a Sega Saturn game, a SATURN game, held up this well is worth a medal. Games like Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Panzer Dragoon, and even games like FF7 and MGS haven't held up this well, even comparing this game to the likes of OoT3D. It's outstanding. I do hope other games get this treatment, just a basic HD conversion holding up the old graphics from the original. I would kill for Panzer Dragoon and the original MGS (if Konami stops acting like fuck nuts) to get a similar treatment. We can hope.

[@storageheater]

All I remembered about Grandia was the combat really, which I loved, so I was moderately blown away by the towns with dozens of people and they all have their own little plots that develop the themes of the game and they usually have followup statements that act as if you've responded to them, or new things to say after you've done something or looked at something in their house. And I'm finding myself wanting to see it all instead of frustratedly clicking past until something relevant happens, cause almost all of it is entertaining and much of it *is* relevant, I don't even mind that some people won't even give you their quests til you've spoken to them three times! Also I'm cackling every time it does that "look at our 3D graphics" thing now, that's made it much better

[@Thunderwolf666]

Two of the greatest JRPGS in history.

[@DyaMetR]

It's launching on PC too on september. Might be a nice wholesome game to check out! I totally missed it out back in the day.

[@Uldihaa]

It really is worth it. Combat is fun, and it's damn nice to have central protagonists that _want_ to go on an adventure.

[@Jackallen88]

I thought Jim was going to say "now this is pod racing"

[@ubongenyiema4526]

Grandia 1, lunar, arc the lad, chrono trigger, saga frontier, tales of destiny are some of the greats. some of the most fun ive had with RPGS

[@michaelballard4452]

You get a like from me. I have a regret. Ill never finish saga frontier because i can find a tv that play it, without pixelating the graphics :(. I like fact that the characters have their own storylines. It even rewards you with a debugging mode if you finish with all the characters..... or so i've heard.

[@savedr]

YES. Those are still my favorite RPGs of all time, and I've played a lot of newer games

[@dango2917]

My top favorite JRPG of all time with trails in the sky coming in second. Jesus they dont make em how they used to.

[@Archangelm127]

Both for better and worse

[@arlosteiner8382]

Dude Skies of Arcadia still never topped

[@Ranylyn]

As a huge fan of Trails in the Sky, I just wanted to say thank you for mentioning it. Sometimes it feels like no one remembers it, so it always makes me smile when someone brings it up in a positive light

[@kokosan09]

sadly true. last game that actually gave me that same feeling of adventure and awe was Xenoblade Chronicles 1, but even then I'd say that the story played 2nd fiddle to the (unbelievably gorgeous) world.

[@arlosteiner8382]

kokosan09 Persona 5 really brought back that old feelings

[@Xetelian]

Grandia and especially Grandia 2 are in my top RPGs of all time.

[@TheBall12]

There where so many great jprgs in that time... the final series the suikoden series, xenogears, grandia, secret of mana, azure dreams and i am sure i am forgetting some. ;)

[@maninthemists2299]

@@TheBall12 Earthbound was pretty damn good.

[@TheBall12]

@@maninthemists2299 yea but i was talking about the playstation era of jrpgs (secret of mana was the snes one, i meant legend of mana), if i would include snes titles that list would have easly gotten a LOT longer. ;)

[@Xetelian]

@@TheBall12 I know someone who has all the JRPGs he wants to replay and try for the first time downloaded on his raspberry pi and its over 25gigs or so. It isn't even all of them. This friend of mine, doesn't even have any of the Final Fantasys because he bought them all on Steam. My friend wishes a lot of the Japanese only games would get translations, even fan translations like DeJap for Star Ocean 1 and porting over the original Final Fantasy 4 instead of the USA release with half the mechanics missing.

[@Zunken]

This was my second rpg in my life. I need this. Just hearing the music brings me back ~20 years.

[@CamsEyeView]

I wish the collection was a bit cheaper. I love these two games, but if I'm paying that much for a digital version, I might as well pay for a physical version

[@SimChucky]

The problem with the physical version is you need the console to play it... So of course they want to cash in big on this re-release.

[@vaguedreams]

@@SimChucky There is nothing stopping a company from releasing a physical version on PC.

[@69mickswagg]

I didn't regret the purchase. 50 hours in and still on the first game. Definitely have gotten my money's worth. Plus I never nm played them before, so double worth it.

[@MegaRetroRocket]

I'm in much the same boat. I absolutely love Grandia II; played through it more than any other game, but never had the chance to play any other Grandia. Really looking forward to tackling it on the Switch!

[@synchronizedelbow5702]

So THIS is where Child of Light got that battle system from!! I KNEW I seen it somewhere.

[@Heeroneko]

First rpg game I got that was actually mine. My grandma got it for me so playing it always makes me think of her. RIP Grandma, love you and thanks for always supporting your grandkids' love of games!

[@KatyWhitekavkj]

The original Grandia was one of my favourite games of all time! I loooove the music, the battle system, the characters, story and the cleverly designed maps

[@Blarglesnarfe]

I did not expect you to cover this. Thank you so much for doing this!

[@MonstaRastaVideos]

They kept the voice-acting? I'm in. Also

[@ShadowWolfRising]

Kept it in and threw in the Japanese VA i think too. Everyone wins.

[@severafan9262]

Been more of a Grandia 2 type. I fucking loved Ryudo and Melfice's battle, that game has so many memorable moments.

[@pseudonayme7717]

Yeah me too. One is hilarious aswell though. Both excellent games imo

[@SapphireDragonDX]

Not to mention some of the most fucked-up boss designs I've seen in a JRPG, and I mean that in the best way. It's the kind of designs David Cronenberg would be proud of.

[@YouDonkeyfu]

ya, young me was frighten of the eyes of valmar and would get my younger brother to run through that stage for me.

[@redjack2629]

Yeah, that was a pretty great game, but what about Grandia Extreme? :v

[@C64_Mat]

Here is a Comment For KZbin's Interaction Algorithm. Oh, and thanks for the vid Jim :-P

[@MrTomFung]

Nothing wrong with repeatedly starting Grandia 1 over, if only to hear that wonderful song during the opening cut-scene.

[@jacob7718]

the trick to grandia is set your party members to AI control ("each own") and only play one manual. the AI is great and it makes battles way faster. obviously set manual mode for bosses though. There is always a fullheal/save point before the boss so you don't have to worry about mana.

[@mykr0324]

No way, was telling a mate about grandia 2 the other day as he'd never heard of it. Loved it on my dreamcast. May need to buy the collection

[@lurkersunite8175]

Where’s breath of fire 3 4 & legend of dragoon remasters :(

[@greenhowie]

Don't make me cry, I have only so many tears.

[@lurkersunite8175]

Laaaaavvviittzzzzz

[@lurkersunite8175]

Don’t get me wrong this is awesome shout with going back to this game I’m shocked game arts are still alive

[@neilprice513]

There is also The Suikoden Series that I wants remasters too

[@Tashimi-Hayato]

Legend of Dragoon remaster? That'll be the day.

[@enioapolinario8538]

By far one of my fav games alongside Legend of Dragoon and Lunar Silver 2: Eternal Blue Grandia is very good and Feena best waifu!!!

[@kokosan09]

congrats on the grind, Jim. you're doing fantastic in those battles and making the game look wayyyyyy easier than it actually is!

[@hypethekomodo6495]

The memories of painstakingly leveling up Feena's skills so she can learn Time Stop. Good times.

[@Ysarro]

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH! I put so much time into that, and it wasn't remotely practical.

[@hypethekomodo6495]

@@Ysarro It's hyper bad, and not even worth the time investment...Ironically enough.

[@glitchylol2546]

@@hypethekomodo6495 what are you talking about. The best part of the game is crying as you grind your skills to level 99 then stopping your teammates and enemy's thus making time gate completely useless

[@TheRPGenius]

So this doesn't include Grandia 3? Wow, this really IS the perfect Grandia collection!

[@ludwig_jr]

i've never played Grandia 3. It is so Bad?

[@walinton]

@@ludwig_jr Grandia 3 and Xtreme have mediocre story, they're not bad.. IMO Grandia 1 is the best story wise, Grandia 1> 2>3= Xtreme. Gameplay Xtreme>3>2=1. If only they could've balanced them, Grandia 1 with Xtreme gameplay would be best in series🤐

[@TheRPGenius]

@@ludwig_jr If you value gameplay and don't care a lick about story elements, Grandia 3 is fine, mostly (there IS a poorly-designed difficulty spike, and then difficulty dive, near the middle, though). But with a facile and cliched cast, a hackneyed plot of the sillier side of anime bullshit, a shallow and frankly stupid antagonist, and Alfina, the most insipid, asinine, cloying, vapid, mincing, vexing little goody-goody _ever_ _conceived_ _by_ _mankind_ , Grandia 3 is the second worst RPG I've ever experienced. And for context, I have, as of this moment in time, played 363 RPGs to completion.

[@Uldihaa]

Grandia is still one of my absolute favorite JRPGs of all time. I loved the battle system and have been pretty disappointed that no one has tried to revive it. It's immensely satisfying to cancel every major attack a boss has. I also loved the magic system and the fact that if a single character has two different mana stones equipped, they'll have access to a combined third element, like Fire + Wind = Lightning or my personal favorite due to have an OP party buff spell: Fire + Earth = Explosion/Eruption. Then you have the characters and story. They are a delight, and were especially welcome to me when the game first came out. At the time, all the major JRPGs I played had reluctant heroes like Cloud, Squall, Fei (Xenogears) and the like. They were characters a part of me knew wouldn't be interested in going into some optional cave or tower. But Justin and Feena though? HELL YEAH they would go into that ruin or mysterious cave; probably before some NPC finished explaining what it is. It felt so _refreshing_ to have characters that wanted to go on an adventure as much as the player wanted to take them. Add in the scenes you get when you stay at an Inn, with characters chatting and joking, and it was damn near perfection. I still don't have a Switch, but you can bet your ass I'll be getting this on PC next month. *_I can't wait!_*

[@dondashall]

FINALLY this is out. I've been waiting for this since the announcement. Well September for PC. Can't wait

[@savedr]

Really!! I never played one but I played 2 for days on Dreamcast and still miss it, I've got to try 1.

[@TheIccy]

I'm a long time fan of Grandia, and have heard of the heard that the camera has always been a bit difficult for some people, making them motion sick, so it's super nice to hear about the handheld mode being a quick fix for it. I figure it's probably related to how your eyes track movement and interpret the environment. If you're playing grandia one a smaller screen and further away, your eyes probably relax more and handle it easier, whereas if you're used to looking at the screen a bit closer up, the constant movement and shifting would throw your brain for a loop and.make you nauseous.

[@fil8649]

Loved Grandia 2 back in the day. Definitely one of my favorite older JRPGs. Also, it's definitely worth noting that there's a great modern JRPG series that implements a similar turn-based combat style, called Trails in the Sky and Trails of Cold Steel. Would love to see this type of combat in more turn-based games... would love to see more good turn-based games in general really.

[@davidbalfour7217]

Well you pretty much summed up all of my same feelings about Grandia and this collection. Key of all is that I find handheld mode to alleviate the minor nauseating shakiness of the camera (especially in battle). Cheers! Enjoy the game, I hope you keep up with it.

[@PindleofKujata]

I played this game to death years ago on PlayStation 1. It's one of my favourite RPGs on the system. Bit of a pro tip for you: don't be afraid to give Mana eggs to your characters. Mana eggs are how you unlock Elemental abilities for your characters, and you should have enough to go around as you naturally progress through the story. However, you will have characters that permanently leave your party for one reason or another. The game understands this, and will leave their weapon and ability experience behind that you can use to bolster another character's level in that category. A nice bit of foresight on Game Arts' part.

[@doozerpindan]

Fell in love with this game when I played it back in the 90s, and am super hyped to play it once it releases on steam.

[@slayersrequiem]

Ahhh, Jim! I'm so happy you reviewed this, I played Grandia and FF8 more times than I can count when I was younger. I love everything about it, from the cheesy voice acting to the tongue in cheek humour. Like Justin accidentally groping Feena in the dark while you explore a pirate ghost ship.

[@CatComixzStudios]

I haven't even heard of these games before, but they look right up my alley! Thanks for bringing them up, Jim!

[@Cybershroom]

Grandia, my childhood and favorite JRPG of all time, and still is.

[@JustinY.]

Jim you don't need to play more JRPGs anymore, we understand you're secretly a weeb.

[@devastatheseeker9967]

Him saying fist of the north star was one of his games of the year shows how much of a weeb he is

[@Ellie_deMayo]

Secretly?

[@loveless8241]

A Justin Y. comment with less than 1k likes? What's going on?

[@kingmasterlord]

yeah but this is Grandia. best game on ps1

[@vicsrealms]

Oh finally. One of my favorite RPG's of the PSX era. Now if Atlus would just bring Lunar Silver Star Story to the PC as well.

[@kyotheman69]

atlus didn't make Lunar, it was Games Art same people made Grandia games NA release was done by company known as Working Design

[@vicsrealms]

@@kyotheman69 Hmm, could have sworn it was Atlus. Oh well, it has been a long time since my copy died on me from over use. Probably had them on my mind while I was playing Thousand Arms over the weekend.

[@hobartpaving8986]

It came from God’s Own Console, the Saturn, so is a product of the Age of Saturn (a far superior time). :)

[@Enclave.]

Gung-ho owns Lunar, the same company that put out this collection.

[@BigDaddyInfinite]

Grandia 1 was the first real game I've ever played. I can't even begin to tell you all the nostalgic memories of this game. My experiences mirror your own Jim. I've always started playing but stopped for one reason or another. This HD upgrade is exciting. Maybe I'll finally get to finish :D Thumbs up and Liked!

[@yorkieratproductions]

I've sill got the sequel on Dreamcast floating around somewhere.

[@arlosteiner8382]

Best way to play it

[@yorkieratproductions]

@@arlosteiner8382 I looked i've also got Evolution The World Of Sacred Device & My Fav Skies Of Arcadia

[@arlosteiner8382]

Yorkie Rat Productions skies is unfortunately still the best game ever made

[@savedr]

You've got the BEST version of it! I lost weeks to that game. It's so gorgeous and smart and good. It's still the best RPG battle system I've played. I miss it very badly and it's hard to buy it because it's still like >$100 to buy used

[@savedr]

Wow. You know what I just realized? One of the things that makes the combat system so great is because it's like Chrono Trigger.

[@darzakfanger1186]

I Love Love LOVE Grandia 1. I never got to play FF7 when I was a wee lad, Grandia was my first ever RPG/JRPG that I ever played, and what made me fall in love with RPG games. You really feel the sense of adventure in this game, and Justin (the main protag) really develops as a character by the end of the game, very memorable characters. I LOVE THIS GAME. Hopefully, they do something with Legend of Dragoon someday too!

[@storageheater]

the glee of that intro just persuaded me to buy it. Can't remember anything about Grandia 2 but I know I liked both of them very much back then.

[@zacherywebster7955]

I don't know what it is about you Jim. I could listen to you for hours.

[@cronoevo]

Awesome, had no idea this was being rereleased. Thank God for Jimmy Sterling

[@SeaOfTides]

Wow! Games that would actually interest me! I never played Grandia series, and so they're brand new to me. I honestly can't remember the last time a new (non sequel) game actually interested me (and didn't then subsequently disappoint me). I get to have that fun feeling of getting a new game again!

[@an3582]

One of my favorite games ever. This JRPG has all the best stuff, cheesy voice acting, an awesome battle system, loveable and memorable characters and flashy moves.

[@Genethagenius]

I love “Grandia” and “Grandia 2”!!! (I even love the English voice acting in “Grandia”. It’s so 90’s that it’s charming and gives me so much nostalgia). I just wish they were available for purchase separately since I already own the HD remaster of “Grandi 2” on Stram

[@ForgedParadox]

I said in your last video that I noticed the Grandia victory theme you used was a nice touch, then you drop this on me, very clever.

[@stephencrossley4154]

Jim: "back in the 90s" Me: "I was a very famous teeeeeveeeee shooow" I need help

[@maegnificant]

*in

[@KainDrake]

Love Bojack.

[@TheCaptainHERO69]

grandia was what brought me into jrpgs in my childhood and it was the best game ive ever played. i cant remember how many times i beat the game but i keep on playing it.

[@Noobie2k7]

The Grandia art style is honestly my favourite. That kind of 2D classic JRPG style but updated to 3D and it looks super clean.

[@Sturmfall1]

Played Grandia 2 again just a few short years back when my friend dusted off his old Dreamcast. Held up extremely well, I played through the whole thing.

[@shadowsage2636]

So many grandia 2 flash backs. Now i'm going to have many days of "SKY DRAGON SLASH!" stuck in my head again.

[@AlkisGD]

This game is my childhood. I had a save at the point of no return and kept leveling up. I wanted to 100% all my JRPGs on my first playthrough despite a lack of guides back then, which is why I've finished so few of them. Eventually my PlayStation stopped reading the disk before I decided to see the ending. Years later I replayed the game but didn't finish it that time either! Let's hope the third time will be the charm 😛 (I beat the second game in a pretty straightforward fashion and had a friend who'd often come to my place and speed run it.)

[@osto1964]

A generation of rpgs , I remember playing like every single rpg for the ps1. I found this game which then led me to buying a dreamcast for grandia 2.

[@worsel555]

I was excited about this until the developer said there was no way to turn off the horrible smear filter. Owning the Sega Saturn and PS1 versions of this game it's such a shame, it had GREAT pixel art.

[@Archangelm127]

It's coming to Steam. Let's mod the filter out

[@-Steven-]

Grandia 1, my favourite of the grandia games. Like you i always never completed it as i got distracted by the latest game or i would suddenly realise how to get past another game i would be stuck on and jump back to that. Amazing game and brilliant video.

[@Ritchian]

I always liked Grandia. Innocent is a good word for it. In an era where RPGs were becoming grim and gritty, there was nice, light and fuffy fun in Grandia. That said, Grandia 2 is one of my favorite games of that era of RPGs. In contrast, Grandia 2 is a lot more, for want of a better phrase, grown up. The themes and story are more mature. The main character is a jaded, cynical wise ass and the story can get downright dark. But the thing is, Grandia 2 is the story of finding hope. It's a game where the happy ending is well-earned. The main character might be a cynic, but the story isn't a cynical one. I don't know how better to explain it without dropping spoilers. It's easily one of the best JRPG endings I can think of. Look, it has the woman who voiced Ariel in the Little Mermaid playing a demonic seductress. What more do you want?

[@drunkendevil]

I remember loving this game in middle school. I definitely give it a play when I have time.

[@newbluedisk]

This is excellent! Perhaps we can get HD cuts of Suikoden or Valkyrie Profile!

[@Adrakaan]

Grandia is one of the best games I have ever played and just like you never finished (the 157-th time is the charm I just know it!), yet even after so many years, I can still remember the tunes of "Delightful Adventure" and the Theme. Can't wait to get my hands on it again.

[@otakon17]

I had Grandia for the PS1, one of my favorite games ever. I had a 10 year hiatus after hitting the second disc due to losing access to a PS1. I finally did beat it a few years ago.

[@HoMiNGHeaD]

Grandia Xtreme is hands down my favourite, it's the best in the series gameplay-wise IMO, but for some reason nobody pays attention to it...

[@TheLordGlenn]

HoMiNGHeaD Agreed about the gameplay. Say what you will about III, but if you took the Aerial Combos (and made them easier to initiate), slapped them in Xtreme's battle system, and put a non-dungeon crawler with a captivating, not-as-anime-trope-y (compared to III, anyway) story around it, I'd probably rate it the best in the series. (Don't get me wrong, I like the dungeon crawler aspect of Xtreme since that's what it was intended to be, but you had the full control and options Xtreme has in an actual remake of Grandia 1 or 2? It'd be like heaven.) Heck, I wish someone would take a stab at a spiritual successor-style indie game (less like Child of Light though) where the battlefields had more complex features like terrain/height (instead of always being a flat field) which modified attack reach, travel pathing and how much movement going up a hill (for example) would take, time to reach the target when factoring all of that in, etc.

[@walinton]

I still own the ps1&ps2 versions of Grandia 1, 2, 3 and Xtreme. Xtreme has the best battle system of them all IMO. Not sure why they're neglecting Grandia 3 and Xtreme.

[@TheLordGlenn]

walinton I've heard speculation that it's rights issues/rights uncertainty with 3 at least due to Square Enix's involvement. Xtreme might be a case of most of the attention on the series going to 1 and 2 as those are the ones that the majority of the world had access to (and were actually good) and have nostalgia for, especially since Xtreme is the unusual beast of not being a linear, story-focused game like the other three.

[@walinton]

@@TheLordGlenn hmm, SE bought Grandia, but not the rights? well no wonder, its sucks too, because 3 and xtreme were/are good games.

[@TheLordGlenn]

walinton They published it, but I don't know if they might have funded it as well or something, so there may be an issue of joint ownership going on with that specific game, which is why GungHo is reluctant or unable to do something with it, despite owning the IP as a whole.

[@slaverstrike]

Bought it and still love it. Hope it sells well enough so we can get other remakes too. Would love to get breath of fire 3 hd remake for the switch.

[@Muddflud]

Grandia made me cry as a child, I barely played the second one so Im focusing on that now im 20 hours in, its good but I still prefer the first one

[@ImmaPandaRawr]

Grandia and Grandia 2 are my two favorite rpgs. Funny, fantastic story, fun battle system and great characters.

[@Pause4011]

I love the characters in this game, one of the few games where I got a little tear in my eye at the ending epilogue. Did think the price tag was a bit steep when I first saw it, glad I watched the gameplay you did. The store-page didn't really give the enhancements justice, it looks like they put some work into it

[@chiboiscool3583]

Sees Jim Sterling video on Grandia (my favourite game)- Yes! Realises this probably means the Switch/PC release date has been announced - YES! (it was supposed to be winter last year) Finds out it comes out September - YUS!!

[@boogitydoogity5704]

This is by far the happiest news you can give me right now. I needed this dopamine

[@tymmezinni]

I was just onto the second disc when playing Grandia the first time, when my memory card corrupted. I tried to restart but it'd been too soon after and I didn't wanna go through it all again. Glad to know this is out; might end up picking it up.

[@StevenUlyssesPerhero]

You earned my Like on this video specifically by talking about how modern Square Enix seems embarrassed about making actual JRPGs. I got into Dragon Quest because it gives me everything Final Fantasy used to give me during it's SNES era, which it had completely abandoned by the PS2 era.

[@TerminallyNerdy]

I knew you had great taste Jim. Absolutely classic JRPG and I love it.

[@KolmCayoz]

"Picked up some weak weed, story of my life.." Feels bad Jim(Come out to the SF Bay Area for Cali power flower.) But on a serious note I have been anticipating the release of this for Years! Without even know it was even a thing of course. Something told me deep down that with all the HD remakes, this beautiful gem of a serious would have it's day.....and here we are~

[@EdwardClayMeow]

I use to watch my friend play Grandia before bed back when we were rooming together in college. It was my bedtime story. Then when Grandia 2 came out I played the heck out of it. Then Xtreme came out and I ended up sinking 250 hours into that one. Great series with fun combat, colorful characters, and interesting settings to explore. That sums up a good RPG in my books.

[@AnarickTheDevil]

OMG 250 hours in Xtreme! How did you not go insane? That and 3 are just awful.

[@alondite8]

I was still on the fence about getting it when I saw it on sale yesterday, but that flawless turtle's finally convinced me.

[@BainesMkII]

For the jittery camera, the issue isn't necessarily that the camera moves too much. The issue is that the screen positions for 2D sprites are not in sync with the 3D environment. It really stands out in the battles, which have a lot of camera movement with theoretically stationary characters. At times, it looks like the 2D sprites lag behind the 3D elements; only the 3D world will update on one frame while the next frame will see all the 2D elements shift screen position to match, then the 3D world will update the next frame, then the 2D... At other times, 2D characters will seemingly randomly move in unexpected directions (possibly to keep pixel alignment?), shifting to the side of camera movement or even temporarily in reverse.

[@frankallen3634]

My rose colored glasses were broken decades ago and I have never enjoyed jrpgs or rpgs of any kind. But I'm glad you're enjoying this game. I just cant play games I played in the 70s 80s or even ten years ago it's been there done that for me.

[@Siarawaszympanemjest]

Duuude, when you said about starting Grandia and not finishing it I got shivers...I must've started it about 7 times since it came out and there was ALWAYS something getting my attention and I never finished the damn thing. Great game though,,,

[@Zanji1234]

xD fun story: Grandia 2 has received the first German translation... and it's riddled with small errors. Best one: in battle when you MISS (like in "you didn't hit) they translated it with "Fräulein" (an old way of say Miss so a women which is not married) instead of "Daneben" or any similar xD

[@FramerTerminater]

Even before you mentioned it I was getting motion sickness from the way the camera wobbles around during combat.

[@noktanold]

I have played all the games, so it's kind of disappointing they haven't remastered the third game.

[@puckerbutton7025]

Star Ocean had a battle system similar and Lunar silver star story had a battle system closer to grandia

[@TheLordGlenn]

Weaponized Sarcasm I mean, Grandia is basically an evolution of Lunar done by the same studio, so...

[@savedr]

Yeah, but there wasn't any positioning in Lunar, was there? I really liked its battles too, SSSC was great on PlayStation. Star Ocean had positioning but I still don't like it as well for some reason and I don't know why. I have Second Story on PSX, I need to mute the music volume and give it a serious try