Grandia - The Most Overlooked PlayStation RPG?

[@Xygor]

What was the most memorable part of Grandia to you? Have any special nostalgia or stories about it? Please consider supporting me at www.patreon.com/xygorgaming OR through KZbin membership by clicking the JOIN button above!

[@getbn6547]

Most memorable part? All of it to be honest, but if I were to choose something specific: "Come! Power of the universe! HWAAA, Dragon King Slice"

[@Sronmar]

The sheer sense of adventure that it invokes. No other game has ever done that for me, in spite of having played so many games. Also, as you mentioned, the combat is something unique and special. To this day it kind of blows my mind that no developer (that I know of) has bothered to learn from it. One more thing, the game is funny as hell. Definitely my favorite RPG of the PS1.

[@Sronmar]

@@getbn6547 Wow! I actually remember that from so long ago. I have always wanted to play it again. Maybe it's time I did.

[@Xygor]

@@Sronmar Right on! Great point about the sense of adventure.

[@warrior31283]

Unless it is exclusive to the HD or Saturn there is no playable epilogue in the PSX version. There is a cut scene epilogue that happens after the ending, but you are not able to control any of the characters. Still nice to get one though.

[@LeonardoBramante]

What I love most about this game is that the entire first half of the game is nothing but adventure, no big overarching plot from what you can tell, no big plot hooks sinking into you. It truly captures the spirit of the older JRPGs, where the majority of the fun and excitement was reaching new places, seeing new things, and just the exploration aspect. The second half is the main plot, but I can't think of another JRPG that just captivates you into playing so much without any major plot hooks.

[@8KilgoreTrout4]

I love my Final Fantasy from the 90s, but when I played this game, I actually laughed out loud and enjoyed the dialogue

[@UselessKnowbody]

Yeah that gets annoying. I played Star Ocean 2 recently and you're always in a hurry to go somewhere and do something, but at the same time, you have all these side quests going on, including, I kid you not, having all of your characters write novels. So the game is like, you need to go here tomorrow, but you still have time to write an entire novel. RPGs do this a lot, where there is a sense of urgency, bu the main quest will wait forever until you are good and ready to bother with it.

[@LostAndroids]

Nobody seems to talk to much about it, but one thing that I remember really foundly was when the battle music changed by reaching the second disc. Today this is really common, but back in the day I think it was something really new and special. It felt like you were on the second season of a anime or something like that.

[@djtremix1]

Grandia will forever have a big place in my heart. its was my very first open world jrpg , and the second game i ever heard having a lot voice acting, metal gear being the first. It is by far my fav game of all time, more than FF but to be fair it was my first so it cant be help

[@badassoverlordzetta]

First played this game back back in 2000 and loved every bit of it. It was the step after Chrono Trigger, my first taste of voice acting in a video game, and just an absolutely mind blowing experience for a pre teen with a budding passion for JRPGs. Reaching the top of the wall at The End of the World remains firmly fixed in my mind as one of the most important video game memories I've ever made. But I think the most important moment in Grandia is actually Sue's farewell when Justin and Feena send her back home for the sake of her health. A lot of JRPGs feature very young major characters, but Sue's arc hit me like an emotional freight train and I don't think any RPG I've played before or since has had quite the same impact. The fact that they were able to acknowledge the importance of both physical and emotional maturity in such a nuanced way speaks volumes about the writing ability of the Game Arts team at the time.

[@Xygor]

Thanks for sharing your memories of it!

[@whatismyname5151]

I owned both on PS1, plus Both Lunars and Xenogears. Xenogears was my favorite of all time, Lunar I played multiple times, Grandia I only played once. The biggest thing I remember is getting to the wall and really feeling the sense of awe and wonder of finally being able to see what's on the other side.

[@Xygor]

Appreciate this take, a few others have mentioned the wall as well! Definitely a key moment.

[@kevingrundhofer5135]

I had this and its sequel as well as both Lunar games, and loved them all, even to this day. The battle system in Grandia was phenomenal, and the Lunar stories were absolute perfection.

[@randonicus1]

1000% agree about the wall. I got halfway up by midnight, saved, went to bed…..got up an hr later at 1am cuz I HAD to get to the top! Amazing game, adventure. People ,ay think it “childish” who gives a shit, it’s charming as hell.

[@oink988]

I remember playing this game as a kid and the story gave me watery eyes like three times. When I got older, I realized it's actually an allegorical story explaining human nature itself. The game is a hidden gem (along with Mr.Iwadare's awesome soundrack)

[@BAIGAMING]

Grandia is my favorite video game. It has such a sense of adventure with so many continents to explore. There's so much character development and the "dinner" inn scenes in each region really shows the thoughts of all the party members. The character face sprites are also really good, for Justin and Feena especially they each have like 20-30 faces with so many expressions. The NPC dialogue is amazing too, in other JRPGs it's just the NPC talking or just the NPC and the main protagonist talking, but in this game they would show all the party members interacting with the NPC back and forth. The volcano region was especially funny because their island had a tradition of sacrificing the first couple in public to a monster, and all the NPCs would act scared of your party members, and then when you defeat the monster the townspeople all go back to being normal and having relationships. I also liked how the party kept changing, the endgame party is one of the quirkiest I've ever seen (Justin, Feena, a space goddess, and a merchant rabbit), and if you leveled up someone who ended up leaving I remember the game gave you exp eggs or something like that to give to the new party members. The voice acting was bad but it was the old days, those animated cutscenes still left me in awe as a kid. The ending is very adorable too.

[@UselessKnowbody]

It looks decent and innovative, but the characters don't seem very inspired and I can't see myself building emotional attachment with them, so I'm not sure I would get into this game. Not like I would with the characters from most Final Fantasy Games, Chrono Trigger, or other classics. Average looking cartoonish characters with generic names just don't do it for me. Then again, I thought the same for One Piece and wound up enjoying it.

[@ShockStormRPG]

The battle system of Grandia was genius and it was very far ahead of it's time./ And that's just the combat not even the other parts. The other parts of the game like the characters, the world and the music in the game are exceptional as well.

[@Xygor]

So true!

[@MrVariant]

That isn't even true. It lags like the ps1 load times while you cancel attacks with criticals and magic so there is no difficulty, which grandia 2 was even easier (I did have a fun melfice battle lol but nightmare ball can make a part go to sleep kzbin.infockyODL-hzj0?feature=share ). At least hd pulled loading for every item though it was lazily done with no extras, many patches and keeping the stupid storage limits and 3 icon shops while speaking to merchants to sell when this all could have had one menu. At least vid mentions bad graphics in HD (animation is awful especially with 2) but omits a lot, as the load times are a big deal. 5:30 Grandia ps1 had voice acting so I'm confused by this error as I had it on the ps3 digital version of ps1, which has manuals (that of course HD couldn't include).

[@AhuzacosConlang]

Yea the battle system is possibly my favorite non story aspect.

[@kevingrundhofer5135]

This was one of the few RPGs of the time that actually had me actively seeking out battles because they were just so damn much fun. Still one of the best battle systems of all time, in my opinion.

[@UselessKnowbody]

It looks decent and innovative, but the characters don't seem very inspired and I can't see myself building emotional attachment with them, so I'm not sure I would get into this game. Not like I would with the characters from most Final Fantasy Games, Chrono Trigger, or other classics. Average looking cartoonish characters with generic names just don't do it for me. Then again, I thought the same for One Piece and wound up enjoying it.

[@Alamyst2011]

I loved climbing the wall as a kid. Felt like a real adventure.

[@Xygor]

That's right, great memory!

[@fredvarr5372]

I’m a teenager and I played this game on the Nintendo switch HD Remaster collection, my brothers told me how nostalgic Grandia 2 was it was their favorite childhood game of all time. I started with Grandia 1 and holy shit. It’s one of my most favorite games of all time I never would have thought a game from 1999 would end of being one of my favorite games of all time and I genuinely cried in the ending. The music is just incredible, the battling system, holy fuck was it ahead of it’s time. Now I bought the PS1 original vintaged Game with manual and everything and can’t wait to replay it again year after year it’s always gonna be an adventure to me. Thank you for creating this video. It brings me joy that other people love this game just as much as I do.

[@Xygor]

Glad you loved it too!

[@captainthunderbolt7541]

I wouldn't say it flew under the radar at all. It spawned a series of five games, the first two of which were given a recent physical re-release on the Switch.

[@Xygor]

Fair enough!

[@PS1Fan1991]

I have played Grandia and it is one of my favourite games of all time. Spoiler Alert When I got to the edge of the world as a kid, that is where I got stuck. I started the game all over again as an adult on my PS3 and when I got past that part, it was one of the best feelings ever especially when hearing the piece "Edge of the World" that plays when you reach the top.

[@Xygor]

Appreciate the memories!

[@djdavis1420]

Grandia remains, to this day, the only JRPG I've ever beat in a single weekend. Bought it the day it was released and stayed up a whole weekend playing it. Yes, I was in my teens. No, I don't have that kind of energy anymore. :)

[@Xygor]

Nice, that's hardcore!

[@alib315]

The best magic system, the best combat system, amazing music and a tear-jerking story. I wish Grandia was more popular.

[@JB-mm5ff]

This is honestly just a fun RPG with a wonderful story. 10/10

[@j644]

The spell/move visuals, the fact that it does an ATB system better than any FF on its first attempt, and the special battle finale music and dialogue are my fave parts of this glorious adventure!

[@Xygor]

Yeah, the ATB system was just unique and special!

[@TAGanimation]

I bought the Remastered game on Switch during COVID ( I buy anything that's related to retro gaming.) And even at 28/29 I have to call it one of my top games of all time.

[@Xygor]

A good pick!

[@ericolivencia]

I never played Grandia, but it's sequel Grandia 2 was one of my fave RPGs from PS2, which was my favorite console of all time. Glad to see a lot of its spiritual predecessors here like colorful sprites and the mana egg system. 100% agree about the combat system with the sliding bars and the ability to cancel, made combat much more engaging than other RPGs. Great vid!

[@Xygor]

Appreciate the memories here. I will cover Grandia II at some point soon.

[@johntracy72]

I love Grandia and have both the Playstation version and the HD remaster on Switch. It's the humor that makes this game fun.

[@Xygor]

Definitely the GameArts touch!

[@mike9139]

Such a great game! I was thinking about grandia the other day then saw this video!! I remember being excited to go over the giant wall because I didn't know what was there lol

[@Xygor]

Part of the wonder of it all!

[@rennierzamora3582]

When I played this as a kid, I was blown away! I really enjoyed it. Especially when you reached the end of disc 1(played on the ps1), you know that you are entering a new uncharted territory.

[@StrangerHappened]

*ONE of the most beautiful games* in terms of colour palette. It is like a candy, you almost want to lick it.

[@Xygor]

Yeah, it's really nice to look at!

[@nitramdh]

Thanks you Xygor for suggesting this game, I'm clearing my PsOne rpg backlog and wasn't sure what game to tackle next so after watching your video I jumped straight into Grandia. It was beautiful journey. The characters, story, music and the gameplay are top notch, it even made shed some tears a couple of times. Truly an overlooked GEM.

[@Xygor]

Thanks for watching it!

[@BiohazardBinkie777]

I'm a huge grandia 2 fan. I replay every summer.

[@Xygor]

I will cover that one soon!

[@LoneWolfAudio0524]

I really enjoyed the second one, with its - sort of - more voice acting and fantastic story and music. The battle system and the progression system of thesecond was good too. The first was also good, though I didn't enjoy it quite so much. I didn't know they got rereleased on Steam though. May have to look that up.

[@Xygor]

Glad you enjoyed it! I have the second one reviewed and its in early viewing for my Patreon/KZbin supporters right now!

[@AcesStation]

Grandia is my favorite game of all time. Has been since 1999 and has never wavered

[@Xygor]

A great selection!

[@juanortiz9123]

LOOOOOVED THIS GAME! The characters, story, gameplay, THE MUSIC IS MAJESTIC. It wasn't that long for me. Only 42 hours. I really like a game that tells you how much time you spend on it. I also played grandia 2 for the pc years ago and liked it a lot!

[@rafaelrasillo7356]

Never played Grandia, but it looks like it was fun! I wish I had more time to go back and play more retro games. Before I got my switch, I loved emulating Chrono Trigger and FFVI from my phone. But I enjoy hearing you share your experience with all the games that slipped through my childhood.

[@Progearspec]

@@That1PissedOffBoomer It got a physical release through lrg and a asian one to.

[@Hravokh]

should you care, a remaster for both games is on steam :)

[@Barbro247]

@@Hravokh Ps4?

[@vintagepennies6899]

Man, please play this game. It's a great time.

[@anonamatron]

@@Progearspec Yup.. I didn't know how easy it would be to get ahold of because I'm in Taiwan, but it was on the shelf at the game store, in English. Lots of stuff only gets released physically in Asia. I find recently though Taiwan only sells the Chinese only version, even when many of the Asian releases have Chinese plus other languages... That's been annoying recently. For a while I assumed every Switch game sold here just had English by default. I went to buy Ys 8, and it wasn't in English (they told me before buying). Now I check everything carefully, and lately I'd say 80% of the games I want have English Asian releases, but they're not selling it in the shops here. I can snag them second hand now and then... It was great for a while....

[@eppskevin]

Yes! Justin, Sue, and Feena! Loved this story and gameplay. One of my all time favs

[@anonamatron]

I thought Justin was going to go home and find Sue grown up and sexy and then they'd fuck with Puffy (her bow creature, I think that was the name) wrapped around them to help with the pushin'

[@StrangerHappened]

I remember Justin sounding cute, as well as others. Great voice acting.

[@deividilavitz6645]

This video is a love letter, like all others you create. I get happy and sad due the nostalgia punch. Also: Gadwin secret move, dragon king's flight!

[@Xygor]

Thanks Deividi, appreciate the praise!

[@Jamer70]

My friend owned this so i never really played it myself but watched them play it often. I dont have many specific memories i do remember the bright colours and how expressive the character's faces were.

[@Xygor]

Thanks for the memories!

[@LM-ul8ij]

This game is one of my favorite RPG. It made me feel like im on a real adventure and discovery.

[@Xygor]

It's a great pick!

[@sneakyskunk1]

My favorite Grandia moment happens fairly early in the game. That goofy little dance Justin and Sue do after they get off the boat in a new city is one of my favorite memories of that game.

[@Xygor]

Wow, you have a good memory!

[@sneakyskunk1]

@@Xygor To be fair, it is a pretty memorable dance. Thanks for replying!

[@MasterLittica]

I always liked and was amused by the Endgame Equipment having the same name as the 'Legendary Equipment' you go questing for at the start of the game, it was a really nice call back. And I adored the intro theme, used to boot up the game then start a new game just to listen to that play before going to school.

[@sneakyskunk1]

@@MasterLittica Grandia had a great sense of humor, which is one of a million reasons to love that game. The game never got bleak, which was very much not a done thing at the time. I still laugh over a grown up Sue reuniting with old friends. I loved the soundtrack as well, and that intro was a big part of getting you ready to go on a wonderful adventure. In an era of absolutely incredible RPGs, Grandia still stands on equal footing with its peers. Thanks for replying! I think I will go roll that intro right now😃

[@albundy1485]

If you liked Grandia, you should definitely try the first Trails in the Sky .

[@Xygor]

I really should then!

[@lufasumafalu5069]

what a down to earth prexentation and review liked and subbed

[@Xygor]

Thank you!

[@jackal27]

I’ve been slowly playing through the Saturn version for a couple of months and REALLY enjoying it. It’s always stuck out in my mind because my Japanese friend in school used to always talk about how it was his favorite game of all time.

[@Xygor]

Great, the Saturn version being the original makes it special!

[@SalKhayer]

I'm so fkn happy you made a video about this absolute CLASSIC. The story, the gameplay, the incredible magic system. I wish more games would do that mixing thing of elements, would be so awesome

[@Xygor]

Yes, they don't make RPGs like this anymore.

[@muckypup-riot]

One of my favorite games of all time

[@Xygor]

It's a great one!

[@petsdinner]

I didn't play Grandia at the time (like you said, the FF7 hype was real) although I did play the hell out of Grandia 2 on the Dreamcast back in the day. Many of the same observations you made about Grandia can also be made about Grandia 2: chirpy characters, vibrant aesthetics and low difficulty! However, regardless of the lack of challenge, the dynamic combat mechanics made the game so much fun to play that you felt like you had achieved something even in an easy fight. I also played a load of Star Ocean 3 on the PS2, which had a similar combat system.

[@Xygor]

Good points, and I loved Star Ocean 3!

[@StewNWT]

Man I can't believe I haven't subscribed sooner. You share ALL of my taste in games, and you were posting freaking Suikoden playthroughs 15 years ago! Wish we were buds! I transcribe a ton of classic vid game music to piano sheet music. Like your vids and even more your game choices.

[@JoHe_SonicBanana]

Grandia is amazing in mechanical details but where it truly shines is the feeling of adventure. I always remeber the scene where Justin embarks for the adventure in the morning.

[@NevermindThee]

Grandia is marvelous. Grandia 2, too, but my heart lies with the first.

[@forgottenartform]

I adore the story of Grandia, simply because it can make you laugh one minute and then choke you up the next. Replaying the remaster I also noticed some little things that had gone over my head when I was younger (in one part they flip Justin's avatar to match his sprite being upside down which just made me smile)

[@davebert6018]

Hell of a game! Great video. I remember getting this game for Christmas as a kid (maybe 2001?) And I got far (the wall) but didn't beat it. Ended up sitting on my shelf for 10 years as I moved on to other games including grandia 2 and xtreme. Eventually went back and restarted it and thought "why did I drop this?" A+ title

[@Xygor]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Appreciate the Christmas memory!

[@MasterLittica]

I dont think we ever got xtreme or 3 in the UK, which is too badhonestly I lived both 1 and 2, still have my Saturn and PS1/2 versions even if I only really play the Steam Version now. The Hard Type Mods really spiced the combat up

[@amen1990chl]

I once played it about 25 years ago and it is an amazing game . Now I’m playing it again on steam and so much memory comes in my head .

[@planescaped]

Lunar 2 Eternal Blue's playable epilogue is one of my favorite things I've ever experienced in an RPG, and I too wish more games did this.\ The two Lunar's are tied for my third favorite game, and I always regretted never playing Grandia.

[@Xygor]

Yeah, the Lunar Eternal Blue epilogue was sweet!

[@theopatino2379]

I keep forgetting to get this on Switch, HD collection currently on sale on the eShop for $20

[@Xygor]

Good deal for two great games!

[@khaimera512]

Best RPG of all Time that wars my childhood 😢

[@Xygor]

It was a great one!

[@insaneasock3156]

I unfortunately played Grandia II before this. So when I tried it way back when, I just couldn't get into it. I purchased the HD collection and dove headfirst in to this game and enjoyed the heck out of it. Glad I gave it another run.

[@joek3023]

Loved this series

[@Xygor]

It really was a great one!

[@Felblaze]

I remember that high five where you press up into the air, the secret handshake. My sister loves that so much we do that to this day.

[@ILoveBees]

Still my favorite RPG combat system to this day.

[@Xygor]

It's a respectable pick!

[@veghesther3204]

its also a long game just disc 1 took me over 60+ hours BUT exp LVING takes so long that by the time I learnt Heaven and Earth Cut Justine not only did I only learn IT in the FINAL DUNGEON but I ONLY had lv 20 to 25 party members for a DUNGEON that has LV 40 PLUS enemies in it as in weapon/spell lvls lv up faster then you DO.

[@k.w.a118]

The two RPGs I played as a kid were Grandia and FFVII. 10 year old me preferred Grandia. Someone made a fan-made mod called Grandia redux a while back and it greatly improves the difficulty level and there was going to be an improved redux 2.0 but it looks like that plan fell by the wayside. I wish Grandia HD did something like the redux mod and added difficulty levels. The game has such great mechanics and leveling systems that I feel like it goes to waste because you don't need to push the limits and make full use of them. Also shout out to RPGloony who has done some great Grandia let's plays and Jullemasa who has the Grandia speedrun WR @ 8hours48minutes.

[@belazarius727]

I don't really remember anything special about Grandia except that I really liked it. I found the combat gauge original and the push back/return to zero mechanic. And also that the placement of the characters mattered compared to other games. If I remember correctly the movement was to be considered because it took time to go the the monsters to attack them ? And you could also be attacked by another monster while going to your target and this could be also be used against the monsters.

[@austinmckee2484]

This was definitely an underated gem.

[@Xygor]

It really was!

[@DonkThikkness]

The original eluded me but played Grandia 2 on Dreamcast and loved it. Really liked the strategy of combo hit for more damage, or heavy hit to delay enemy turn. It’s 12.3.2022 and the Grandia HD Collection is 50% on the Switch right now. Sold.

[@vikashv1]

Read the title before watching the video and my Sega Saturn fan was fuming :)

[@ThePandaProcrastinates]

When I play Grandia back in the 90s it really was very story driven. Once you finish you got left with feel good excitement. I thought I remembered the old one had some voice acting.

[@daniel_cofresi]

I liked the story and characters of this game a lot, but i never could get into the combat system because of the shaky camera in all battles, is it the same in Grandia 2 and the remasters?

[@MarioGonzalez-di9fn]

the locker room scene made my ten-year-old self really happy.

[@Arx_724]

The HD Remaster is also a port of the PSX version, which has textures in the wrong spots, missing shadows on some stuff, side views of sprites are mirrored (rather than having unique L/R versions), and some other issues. Nicer-looking FMV's and visual effects, though. I'd recommend emulating the fan-patched Saturn version in stead.

[@Xygor]

Good points about the remasters!

[@Sammmmmmmm617]

I own Grandia 2, but I don't want to play it yet until I get and play 1. Gotta play it in order!

[@LegoGBlok]

first time hearing, seeing about this game, thank you

[@Xygor]

No problem, give it a try!

[@gwgux]

I actually played this game after playing Grandia 2. I liked how the magic worked in this game more, but missed Millenia. Her fiery personality and being the opposite of Elena and how her and Elena handled each other was a major highlight of the story. The first Grandia game just didn't that that spark and felt like it dragged at a few parts. I like both games a lot, but Grandia 2 edges it out by little bit. Now if only they'd remaster Grandia 3 already, I'd happily buy that on Steam...

[@MasterLittica]

I liked the comming of age adventure of the first one a little more than some of the themes in 2 but yeah it did drag on a bit in places, honestly both did at times but I can just as easily attribute that to a full Saturday / sunday of playing it it always did start to drag at around the same time of day lol

[@gwgux]

@@MasterLittica That's fair. The second one does also drag at times too and I get it for playing it on a full Saturday/Sunday. That was how I did my play through of them too. The Grandia games are great and something any RPG fan should play through at least once, but they aren't without their flaws.

[@dugonman8360]

No RPG gives you the sense of the Jules Verne or Edgar Rice Burrough sense of adventurr wrapped up in a anime aesthetic as Grandia does. Its truly a masterpiece in my eyes and I'm just sad that the series had to end so abruptly.

[@Xygor]

Good point, it really is! You never know, maybe it will be revived some day.

[@razorsharp5643]

Grandia has an incredible mod/patch called Grandia ReDux, which adds much more difficulty, changes enemy and party member stats, makes Gadwin's first battle winnable and changes effects of some moves. If you're someone who likes Grandia, it's a really fun experience - and remains my favourite game of *all time*. If I had to pinpoint the one of very few flaws in the original Grandia, it's that enemies do very little damage and magic spam beats everything. ReDux gives more strategy to using things like Criticals to interrupt enemies who won't just die to one spell now.

[@truno7]

Loved this game just started it back up. What a wonderful trip. It’s a little world I love escaping to!

[@alexcalixto4422]

I stopped playing TOTK and started playing Grandia HD remaster. I’m 21 hours in and I love it. I remember when I was in middle school I first played the original and to me it was big and too much so I stopped. I was a beginner RPG gamer at that point. I am so happy I get to finish it now! ❤️😌

[@sylehu7056]

Personnally I loved the battle theme of the first part of the game. It really rocked. And as a young boy, Feena was a little crush of mine😇

[@Ka_tari_na]

I love Grandia series. 1, 2, 3 even Grandia extreme. The battle system is especially my favorite.

[@ErukanuSenpai]

I remember pretty much everything about the game, since I played it ... I don't know ... probably over 40 times by now The Story is simply fantastic, and like you mentioned, the music - OH THE MUSIC ! I was hyped when I heard about the HD Remaster, but was quickly disappointed by the same reasons you mentioned, thankfully there is a way to remove the filter :) What I wish for the game is a TRUE Remaster! I would love to see it in the Art style of the first Valkyrie Chronicles game but keeping the perspective etc. maybe even some "cutscenes" when you use skills etc. Imagine Justin using his Heaven and Earth Cut Skill, and right before he slams his weapon into the ground, you see him smirking - just like in the chatbox portraits! Because of Grandia's Art style, I fell in Love with the MMO Ragnarok Online in 2002, and never stopped playing it - got my own P-server too >:P

[@Xygor]

Thanks for leaving your memories of it!

[@MicBain]

I remember I wanted this game so bad, but it never released in Australia. I loved that it had traditional sprites with a moveable 3d background, basically the opposite of ff7's graphics.

[@montywh]

friend got Grandia 2 on pc long time ago. he'd always praise it, so one day he let me borrow it, and i got hooked, marathoning through the game over the next few weeks until i beat it. given it had a religious story, i was able to draw comparison to Legend of Dragoon, which was my first RPG. whenever the game came up, i hear others say they liked the first better. i gave the first game a try every now and then, but then i get distracted by some other game. i've got the collection on my switch, so i'll likely be going through it at some point as i've been going through my switch backlog

[@daily_pocket_review]

5:30 the original had voice acting. I'm playing the ps1 version and it def has voiceacting.

[@kitsune87]

I finished it on the Switch for the first time two months ago. It obviously has its flaws (mainly predictable character behaviour, easy battles and story for the second half of the game). But the first half of the game is WOW, amazing! And the amount of dialogue and how it changes with different events! Wow! If it had played it on PS1 back in the day, I'd have blown my mind!

[@viktor4236]

when i see the attacks i can still feel the vibration rhythm of my PS1 controller from over 20 years ago. 84h for my first playthrough :D

[@anarekist]

Love this game, one of my fav fighting system

[@Xygor]

It definitely was one of a kind!

[@retroprogamer7009]

I love this Game. Bought it when it came out. And then again for PSP when they added PS Games. I even Imported the HD Collection for Switch. Such a Great Game. One cool thing was the Manual. It had a Strategy Guide Like Part up until the First Boss. I also liked the Part right at the beginning where you collected some Kitchen Stuff to use as some "awesome" Equipment^^ And lastly those conversations you had while eating. Really a great thing no other really has.

[@HollowRick]

I'm happy that working designs didn't get to localise this game because as a pal gamer all the games they localised Never came to Europe where because Sony did the translation they were able to get it done and it released in 2000 in pal territories still one of my favourite JRPGs on the PS1

[@edenknight777entertainment5]

I was a huge Grandia 2 fan as a kid. I played it on the PC and man was it great.

[@Truxzord]

When i was playing this in 99 all my friends would come along to watch, It was like a tv show filled with adventure not just for Justin and the gang but for all of us kids too!

[@guardianrandy]

I'm confused about your comment regarding the Steam version including voice acting..... It's ALWAYS had voice acting ever since the PS1 release. Did you mean because they were initially unsure whether or not they'd have the rights to include the English voice tracks in the re-release?

[@warrior31283]

Unless it is exclusive to the HD or Saturn there is no playable epilogue in the PSX version. There is a cut scene epilogue that happens after the ending, but you are not able to control any of the characters. Still nice to get one though.

[@warrior31283]

@MASSAGEXYGOR_GAMING scam. Don’t reply to the above account.

[@AliO]

Grandia is my favorite RPG of all time. I felt like an adventurer myself. It's one of the few RPGs that I finished on the PS1. The gameplay was so fun. Unlike the majority of RPGs with a standard menu selection. I feel the HD remaster looks good from the KZbin footage. I'm getting a Switch copy delivered soon. I can't wait to get back and relive the adventure. The sequel is a lot shorter from what I remember. The story though is fantastic and makes you think about good vs evil deeply. There is a third game but it is linear and was made without the original creator. I learned that he died before the 3rd game started production. It has a completely different feeling as a result.

[@Xygor]

Thanks for your thoughts on this classic!

[@eppskevin]

I actually bought the steam remaster the sec it came out and still loved but still loved it. I do agree with you on the filter though and thought it was just me

[@Dermetsu]

I loved this game so much, I went through 3 used copies at GameStop cause they kept freezing and blocking progress, so I would take it back and swap it with another copy. I think it's amazing that my small Vegas GameStop had 3 copies to begin with.

[@dixel2047]

The gameplay is my favourite part I started playing it in highschool but didn't finish it till I got the hd collection but honestly I loved the voice acting and it still looked good imo (not as good as the original but it didn't interrupt gameplay so I didn't mind)

[@johnnymo4000]

You should do a review of Shining the Holy Ark, I'd love to hear your take on it. Personally I think it's amazing even now!

[@an3582]

One of my favorite games ever! Lighthearted story, fun and full of wonder, One of my favorite battle systems and great music.

[@kingmasterlord]

I wish there was so much more content before you leave an area, this felt like one 20 episode season, and I want like seven from this

[@roberto1519]

Grandia was made for the Saturn and the PS1 port suffered as a result, there are videos comparing them, even the HD version, which is based on the PS1 port shows its rough edges comparing to the original. There's an English translation for the Saturn original, if possible, I recommend playing this way. The still exclusive extra content, Digital Museum, is only on the Saturn as well, but it still is in Japanese, though.

[@frankfernandez8637]

Man I love your content!!! Grandia is in my opinion the most beautiful RPG of the 32 bits era. The Battle mechanics is a masterpiece and for me still being the best of turn based rpg. This channel bring me good memories. You won a suscriber

[@Xygor]

Glad you enjoy it! Many more videos to come!

[@graymars1097]

There are some games in my backlog that I actively avoid any sort of spoilers & walkthroughs & playthroughs & let’s plays even though the game is very “old” at this point. There aren’t many but there are some. Grandia is 1 of them. Both 1 & 2. This is why while I “play” videos like this one, I don’t actually listen or watch them! 😅 that’s just my way of avoiding spoilers but bumping video view count to help.

[@suhdongbin8248]

This was one of the most entertaining game with awesome original sound track ever. It's a shame that not many know about this wonderful game!

[@cruelwraith2games926]

Grandia was one of the first RPGs I beat on the original PlayStation and I have both the games grandia 1 and 2 on the switch

[@GreatMewtwo]

Fun factoid: Game Arts is also known for developing the "Thexder" games in the 1980s.

[@2stroke438]

I missed grandia 1 , but I played the shit outta grandia 2. I love that game. I got the grandia remaster for switch and I've been meaning to play the first one. Edit: this video definitely decided for me, I'm going to start playing tomorrow.

[@Xygor]

I will cover Grandia II at some point soon! Have fun with Grandia again!

[@Jack-nj9pi]

Dont remember the epilogue now i gotta give it another whirl. This game is just raw classic at its finest. Back when the psx rocked the world this was one of the many greats that kept us busy

[@Xygor]

It really was! I had the same memories in 1999.