Grandia II
Encyclopedia
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts
originally for the Dreamcast console as part of their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in August 2000 by Sega
, the game was later made available in English for North America the following December, and in Europe in February 2001, with both released published by Ubisoft
. The game was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 2
, where it was released worldwide throughout 2002, and later for Windows
-based PCs exclusively in North America and Europe later that year. It was developed by many of the same staff members who worked on the original Grandia
, including music composer Noriyuki Iwadare
but was designed around the idea of creating a more "mature" product than the previous title, as well as the first in the series to feature fully three-dimensional graphics.
The game is set in a fantasy
world thousands of years after a battle between Granas, the god of light, and Valmar, the god of darkness, nearly destroyed the planet until Valmar was split into pieces and scattered across the land. In the aftermath of the battle, the Church of Granas has led humanity to prosperity by spreading the word of good, but when a young mercenary named Ryudo is charged to protect a songstress from the church named Elena, their journey reveals that the church's history, as well as the history of the world, is not all it seems.
While the original Dreamcast version of the game received a largely positive response from critics in Japan and the West, its later ports to the PlayStation 2 and PC were typically seen as inferior due to a combination of technical shortcomings and other high-profile games released during the transition.
series, the game supports limited movement during battle. Characters can run around or strike opponents and then retreat. Dependent on the timing, a playable character or enemy can "cancel" an opponent's move. The battle system uses Initiative Points, Magic Points, Hit Points and Special Points. A combo attack allows a character to land two hits on an enemy. The hits can be increased with certain accessories, up to four hits per combo. A combo attack can also "counter" if it hits an enemy in an attack pose, dealing additional damage. Additionally, if the combo kills the intended target before reaching the final blow, the character will attack the closest enemy to complete the combo.
Characters can use magic from equipped Mana Eggs. Using magic consumes MP
. More powerful magic takes longer to cast. Special moves and spells can be learned with Skills Coins and Magic Coins, and have a maximum level of 5. Spell efficiency is increased and casting time decreased as the level increases. Magic spells can cast instantly if a character has skills equipped giving a +100% bonus to the element of that particular spell. Special move sets are learned from Skill Books, then equipped onto characters. Skills can either boost stats or add additional effects, such as increased item drops or adding a cancel effect to certain spells.
) and his talking bird, Skye. Together they accept a mission from the town of Carbo's church as bodyguards for Elena, a Songstress of Granas, who is on her way to Garmia Tower. The job turns into something much more after an incident at the tower, and Ryudo and Elena find themselves travelling all over the world, meeting some new friends and some new enemies.
The game is preceded by a war between two gods 10,000 years before the current events, called the Battle of Good and Evil. In this war, Valmar, the Devil of Darkness, battled Granas, the God of Light; their followers fought as well. This war devastated the planet; it is said that Granas's sword created the Granacliffs, a series of giant cliffs across the face of the planet, as it fell from the sky. In legend, Granas defeated Valmar, but did not destroy him. Parts of Valmar's body, his essence, are stored all over the world in seals maintained by the church of Granas while Granas sleeps, regaining strength. However, unbeknownst to the general population of the world, Granas was actually killed by Valmar during the Battle of Good and Evil. Only a few individuals, mostly members of the church of Granas, are aware that Granas is actually dead and that Valmar was the true winner of that war. It was decided long ago to conceal the truth of Granas's death to prevent the world from sinking into chaos and barbarism, as the population would know themselves to be effectively doomed. For an unknown reason, the church did not hide the fact that the moon of Valmar would appear in the sky to signal the dark god's revival. However, Granas left a powerful reminder of his legacy behind in the form of the Granasaber.
Ryudo is presented an easy job of escorting a Granas Priestess, a simple job that he takes to make easy money. He meets the priestess Elena and escort her to her destination. But he senses something is off, and assists Elena when the other priestess' perform a dark ritual on her. Eventually the two return to town, later that night Ryudo is attacked by a mysterious and darkly powerful woman, Millennia. She easily defeats Ryudo and escapes the town. Ryudo is then offered another job, to escort Elena to the holy state capital, Ryudo agrees, and the two start their journey. Ryudo eventually runs into Millennia again, but this time on more friendlier terms. And the two of them agree to assist Roan with clearing out a cave of monsters. Roan joins the group, and Millennia continues to mysteriously appear and disappear. The group continue to travel and are attacked by Mareg, a beast-man. Mareg attacked because he thought Ryudo was Melfice, a evil and terrible man whose murdered and destroyed hundreds of people and towns. Mareg joins the party, and Elena asks Ryudo who Melfice is, Ryudo reveals that Melfice is his brother. The group continues their journey, and eventually come face to face with a piece of Valmar. The Tongue of Valamr is defeated by the party, and Millennia absorbs its power, revealing that she is too a piece of Valmar, also revealing that her and Elena are the same person. Elena is now scared because Valmar is inside her, but the party reassure he she is in no danger, and they'll settle things when they get to the capitol.
The group enters another town under the taint of darkness, and it is revealed to be another piece of Valmar. The Eye of Valmar is defeated and Millennia absorbs its powers again. The town is saved and the group can continue their journey and finally arrive at the holy capitol. The holy capitol, St. Heim Papal State, is home to the Granas Cathedral, and the Church of Granas. As Ryudo leads Elena to the Cathedral, she thanks him and he simply states it was his job, making Elena angry. At the Inn, everyone is sad and confused as to what is happening, when a Cathedral Guard enters and tells Ryudo that the Pope summoned him. Ryudo goes to the Cathedral, and meets with Pope Zera. He is upset that Valmar is reappearing and wants Ryudo to find the Granasaber, the only weapon capable of destroying Valmar. Also, he must take Elena with him. After a night, Ryudo agrees and the group leaves to find the Granasaber.
The group head toward the Kingdom of Cyrum, where Roan lives, and meets with the king. It is revealed that Roan is the prince. It is revealed that the King is trying to use a piece of Valmar to cause the end of the world. The party enters an underground plant, where the King has been performing experiments. Roan is sickened that he never knew about this. The group is then attacked by an Automaton possessed by the Claws of Valmar. The group defeats the Claws, and Millennia absorbs it. Afterwards, another Automaton is revived, and calls herself Tio. She falls into Maregs arms, and asks for directions, Mareg simply tells her to be free before the group leaves. Mareg claims that he smells the scent of Melfice. The group heads back to the castle to confront the King, when they see the King being attacked by Melfice. Melfice mocks the party and attacks them, easily overpowering the group. It is revealed that Melfice possess the Horns of Valmar, and flees from the group, mocking Ryudo stating he will see him at home, the island of Garlan. Roan decides to stay in the kingdom to help it recover and change its ways. The automaton approaches the group and asks what she should do, Mareg tells he to be free, but she doesn't understand, he then suggest her coming with them. She agrees, and introduces herself as Tio.
Roan gives the group a boat which they use to travel to Ryudos home to confront Melfice. At his home, Garlan Village, much is revealed about Ryudos past, Ryudo and Melfice were guardians of the village idol, a powerful sword. One day, a great storm hit the island, Ryudo and others went to the temple to find the village elders daughter, Reena, but found nothing. Upon arriving back to the village, Ryudo sees Melfice with the sword slaughtering the whole village including Reena. Because of these atrocities, Ryudo was cast out of the town, and became a Geohound. Elena says she feels sorry for Ryudo, and wishes to help. The group then head after Melfice. The group find him on top of Grail Mountains, and engage him. After a brutal and difficult battle, they defeat him. Before striking the final blow, Melfice laments about everything, stating that his greed and lust for power resulted in his downfall and that he is glad to see Ryudo again. He tells them where to find the Granasaber before dying, Ryudo screams for him not to die but is enveloped by darkness. Ryudo passes out and is taken back to the village. The Horns are trying to take Ryudo and there is nothing the party can do. Elena laments and after a conversation with Millennia, they agree to help Ryudo. With their combined power, they save Ryudo from being possessed, but he still has the Horns inside him. Ryudo mourns his brother, and the group heads off to the Granasaber.
The group continue toward the told location of the Granasaber. The group arrive at the Granasaber, discovering that it is a massive sword. They eventually discover that the Church of Granas has actually been actively trying to resurrect Valmar for some time, and a priestess Selene sacrifices several of her knights to resurrect the Body of Valmar. The Body of Valmar raises up and the group enter it with Millennias help. Inside, the group traverse its demonic innards and arrive and defeat the core. With the body defeated and the Granasaber in reach, the group ponder what will happen to Millennia and Elena. Tio reveals that the Granasaber is actually a magical ship, capable of quick travel through the planet, and teleports them inside. The group begin to head back to the capitol, but a dark moon rises and eclipses the sun.
Back at the capitol, everyone is scared, and the Knights of Granas of turned the Cathedral into a fortress and are murdering civilians. Fighting their way inside, the group encounters Zera and Selene, and Selene sacrifices herself to be resurrected as the Heart of Valmar. Elena then absorbs the Heart and reveals her true task to Ryudo, she was to absorb all of Valmar, and the Granasaber was to be used to kill her and all of Valmar. Ryudo says that there is another way to defeat Valmar, something he believes with every fiber of his being, and the group continues onward to meet Zera. Zera then admits he is the mastermind behind the whole events. He tells them the story that when Granas and Valmar fought, they eventually defeated one another. However, Granas had been killed, while Valmar only became splintered, therefore can be revived. That is his intentions, and he takes Elena/Millennia to the Moon of Valmar to revive Valmar.
Even though there are risks involved, the group decides to head to the moon using the Granasaber. The group make their way to the center, and confronts Zera. He says they're too late, and begins the process of reviving Valmar, driving the Wings out of Elena first. Millennia appears, and uses whats left of her power to allow the group to escape to the Granasaber with Elena. There are too many monsters to take off, but Mareg sacrifices himself to defend the Granasaber, and the group leaves the moon without him. The group touch down outside of the Cyrum kingdom and agree to assist it from the monsters that are raining down. Roan rejoins the group, and they successfully defend the kingdom. Roan suggest that they head into the royal families mausoleum, as there is Granas history there. Inside the mausoleum, the group enters a special area known as the Birthplace of the Gods. Inside, much of Valmar and Granas is explained, and that Valmar has the power to control a persons soul, but not if they do not give in. Another automaton, Elmo, reveals this information about the Gods, and Ryudo wishes to use the Horns inside him for good instead of evil. Ryudo says his goodbyes to everyone, and Elena confirms her love for Ryudo. Elmo using a special machine to activate Ryudos Horns and Ryudo is taken to a dark place.
Inside, Ryudo is tempted to give into the power of Valmar, and eventually he is unable to resist, and is placed into a void. Outside, Elena and the group is worried about Ryudo, and Elena begins to sing to help Ryudo. Inside, Ryudo hears Elenas singing, and it empowers him to resist and believe. Ryudo then appears in a beam of light on a hill in the Cyrum kingdom, wielding the Granasaber. The group begins their final assault on Valmar. The New Valmar is a colossal entity, and the group traverses inside it. They fight each piece again, and eventually fight Millennia, but Elena calls out the real Millennia and she rejoins the group as a separate entity then Elena. Roan and Tio are separated from the group, and Ryudo, Elena, and Millennia attack Zera who emerges as the final form of Valmar.
The group defeats Zera, and destroys Valmar once and for all. Millennia is sad that she needs to leave, but parts with the group on good terms. The group arrive in Cyrum and celebrate the victory. Ryudo and Elena confess their love, and Ryudos new found faith in humanity.
On the PC port, there is a glitch in the first fight with Millenia. There are also several video files on the disc which contain extra frames appearing as a freeze after the casting of certain spells.
, which earned it the magazine's editor's choice Platinum award. Famitsu DC would additionally grant the game a 26 out of 30 based on three reviews. Despite good reception, sales of the game remained relatively low in the region, with an estimated 184,863 copies sold.
Grandia IIs English release met with an overwhelming positive response, earning the game a 90% average rating on aggregate review website Metacritic
, as well as a 88% average on GameRankings. GamePro
magazine found the game to be "solidly-built and features stunning visuals, dead-on controls, and a innovative combat system" yet remarked that that game's scenarios seemed too linear at times. On a similar note, GameSpot
stated that "While the first Grandia had lengthy dungeons full of puzzles and side routes, Grandia II's dungeons are more compartmental and linear affairs," and ultimately found the game to be "a solid RPG... even if it isn't as deep or difficult as the original." IGN
granted the game an Editor's Choice distinction, calling it a "classic" of the Dreamcast and remarking that its battle system was "arguably the most advanced system in play today", yet found the game's story and character development to be cliche and predictable. Eurogamer
also found the game's story and gameplay to be largely methodical, and despite being dubbed "the best RPG on the Dreamcast in Europe" and "strongly recommended", editors felt seasoned role-playing game players would find the game too generic, calling it "an incredibly tough game to call". Electronic Gaming Monthly
granted the game a 9 out of 10, earning it a Gold Award.
, color, and texture quality, adding that its "Inexplicably horrible graphics completely ruin an otherwise splendid title." Some reviewers such as GamePro found the conversion shortcomings to be largely negligible, claiming that it "still holds its own as a solidly constructed but direct port in the more crowded PlayStation 2 fantasy camp" but added that it was still "overshadowed by Final Fantasy X
." IGN still regarded the PlayStation 2 version as "a good game" and one of the top role-playing games for the system at the time, but remarked that the "time and stress of transition" as well as the emergence of other prominent games during the one-year time frame had diluted the port's appeal. GameSpot called the Dreamcast release "technically superior", but the new version was recommended to those who did not play the original and that it was still "well worth playing".
Like the PlayStation 2 version, the PC release of Grandia II had a much milder response from critics than the Dreamcast version. Critiquing the game by a computer role-playing game standpoint, IGN PC stated that "[t]his game is not like a PC RPG. It's light. It's fluffy. It's colorful. It's not exactly deep. Its storyline is console stereotypical. Its jokes are silly. Its gameplay is cartoony. And the characters all have huge eyes and no mouths," but adding that it "still manages to be fun, maybe even just because it's so different than most of the dark, dreary and serious RPGs that find their ways to our favorite platform." Similarly, GameSpot found that the game would be difficult for consumers accustomed to western computer role-playing games to get into, remarking that "Grandia II's linear gameplay, "young adult" sensibility, and anime
artwork aren't likely to impress someone looking for another Baldur's Gate II
. Still, Grandia II can be fun if you're used to Japanese RPGs to begin with or if you approach it with an open mind."
Game Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
originally for the Dreamcast console as part of their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in August 2000 by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, the game was later made available in English for North America the following December, and in Europe in February 2001, with both released published by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. The game was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, where it was released worldwide throughout 2002, and later for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based PCs exclusively in North America and Europe later that year. It was developed by many of the same staff members who worked on the original Grandia
Grandia (video game)
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts originally for the Sega Saturn console as the first game in their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in January 1997, the game was later ported to the PlayStation in June 1999, with an English version of the game appearing on the platform...
, including music composer Noriyuki Iwadare
Noriyuki Iwadare
is a Japanese video game composer.-Biography:He was born in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. He began to compose video game music after years of being involved with university bands. The first award he won the Best Game Music award, the Mega Drive/Genesis category for Lunar: The Silver...
but was designed around the idea of creating a more "mature" product than the previous title, as well as the first in the series to feature fully three-dimensional graphics.
The game is set in a fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
world thousands of years after a battle between Granas, the god of light, and Valmar, the god of darkness, nearly destroyed the planet until Valmar was split into pieces and scattered across the land. In the aftermath of the battle, the Church of Granas has led humanity to prosperity by spreading the word of good, but when a young mercenary named Ryudo is charged to protect a songstress from the church named Elena, their journey reveals that the church's history, as well as the history of the world, is not all it seems.
While the original Dreamcast version of the game received a largely positive response from critics in Japan and the West, its later ports to the PlayStation 2 and PC were typically seen as inferior due to a combination of technical shortcomings and other high-profile games released during the transition.
Gameplay
Grandia II sports a unique battle system. Apart from running its turn-based battle system in real time, similarly to the Final FantasyFinal Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series, the game supports limited movement during battle. Characters can run around or strike opponents and then retreat. Dependent on the timing, a playable character or enemy can "cancel" an opponent's move. The battle system uses Initiative Points, Magic Points, Hit Points and Special Points. A combo attack allows a character to land two hits on an enemy. The hits can be increased with certain accessories, up to four hits per combo. A combo attack can also "counter" if it hits an enemy in an attack pose, dealing additional damage. Additionally, if the combo kills the intended target before reaching the final blow, the character will attack the closest enemy to complete the combo.
Characters can use magic from equipped Mana Eggs. Using magic consumes MP
Magic Point
Magic Point is a coastal headland in Maroubra, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is about 10 km south of Sydney’s central business district. It is a rugged heathland area with cliffs overlooking the ocean....
. More powerful magic takes longer to cast. Special moves and spells can be learned with Skills Coins and Magic Coins, and have a maximum level of 5. Spell efficiency is increased and casting time decreased as the level increases. Magic spells can cast instantly if a character has skills equipped giving a +100% bonus to the element of that particular spell. Special move sets are learned from Skill Books, then equipped onto characters. Skills can either boost stats or add additional effects, such as increased item drops or adding a cancel effect to certain spells.
Characters
Grandia II features an assortment of playable and non-playable characters designed to give life to the world in which the game is set. The primary protagonist is Ryudo, a "sarcastic, snide, and irreverent" young mercenary-for-hire known as a Geohound who lives as a wanderer taking whatever job will pay him, including slaying dangerous monsters. As the game and story progress, players will recruit five other characters that they may use in battle, each joining or leaving the group at a certain point in the plot. These include Elena, a songstress for the Church of Granas who knows healing magic; Millenia, a sultry sorceress who draws energy from the evil god Valmar to use as destructive power; Roan, a young boy from a noble background; Mareg, a veteran beast-man warrior who wields a large axe; and Tio, an android who lacks emotion but was built to be an acrobatic fighter. Ryudo is accompanied at all times by his pet talking eagle, Skye, who attempts to curb his rebellious streak and acts as a voice of reason, as well as aiding him in battle.Story
The story focuses on Ryudo the Geohound (a kind of mercenaryMercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
) and his talking bird, Skye. Together they accept a mission from the town of Carbo's church as bodyguards for Elena, a Songstress of Granas, who is on her way to Garmia Tower. The job turns into something much more after an incident at the tower, and Ryudo and Elena find themselves travelling all over the world, meeting some new friends and some new enemies.
The game is preceded by a war between two gods 10,000 years before the current events, called the Battle of Good and Evil. In this war, Valmar, the Devil of Darkness, battled Granas, the God of Light; their followers fought as well. This war devastated the planet; it is said that Granas's sword created the Granacliffs, a series of giant cliffs across the face of the planet, as it fell from the sky. In legend, Granas defeated Valmar, but did not destroy him. Parts of Valmar's body, his essence, are stored all over the world in seals maintained by the church of Granas while Granas sleeps, regaining strength. However, unbeknownst to the general population of the world, Granas was actually killed by Valmar during the Battle of Good and Evil. Only a few individuals, mostly members of the church of Granas, are aware that Granas is actually dead and that Valmar was the true winner of that war. It was decided long ago to conceal the truth of Granas's death to prevent the world from sinking into chaos and barbarism, as the population would know themselves to be effectively doomed. For an unknown reason, the church did not hide the fact that the moon of Valmar would appear in the sky to signal the dark god's revival. However, Granas left a powerful reminder of his legacy behind in the form of the Granasaber.
Ryudo is presented an easy job of escorting a Granas Priestess, a simple job that he takes to make easy money. He meets the priestess Elena and escort her to her destination. But he senses something is off, and assists Elena when the other priestess' perform a dark ritual on her. Eventually the two return to town, later that night Ryudo is attacked by a mysterious and darkly powerful woman, Millennia. She easily defeats Ryudo and escapes the town. Ryudo is then offered another job, to escort Elena to the holy state capital, Ryudo agrees, and the two start their journey. Ryudo eventually runs into Millennia again, but this time on more friendlier terms. And the two of them agree to assist Roan with clearing out a cave of monsters. Roan joins the group, and Millennia continues to mysteriously appear and disappear. The group continue to travel and are attacked by Mareg, a beast-man. Mareg attacked because he thought Ryudo was Melfice, a evil and terrible man whose murdered and destroyed hundreds of people and towns. Mareg joins the party, and Elena asks Ryudo who Melfice is, Ryudo reveals that Melfice is his brother. The group continues their journey, and eventually come face to face with a piece of Valmar. The Tongue of Valamr is defeated by the party, and Millennia absorbs its power, revealing that she is too a piece of Valmar, also revealing that her and Elena are the same person. Elena is now scared because Valmar is inside her, but the party reassure he she is in no danger, and they'll settle things when they get to the capitol.
The group enters another town under the taint of darkness, and it is revealed to be another piece of Valmar. The Eye of Valmar is defeated and Millennia absorbs its powers again. The town is saved and the group can continue their journey and finally arrive at the holy capitol. The holy capitol, St. Heim Papal State, is home to the Granas Cathedral, and the Church of Granas. As Ryudo leads Elena to the Cathedral, she thanks him and he simply states it was his job, making Elena angry. At the Inn, everyone is sad and confused as to what is happening, when a Cathedral Guard enters and tells Ryudo that the Pope summoned him. Ryudo goes to the Cathedral, and meets with Pope Zera. He is upset that Valmar is reappearing and wants Ryudo to find the Granasaber, the only weapon capable of destroying Valmar. Also, he must take Elena with him. After a night, Ryudo agrees and the group leaves to find the Granasaber.
The group head toward the Kingdom of Cyrum, where Roan lives, and meets with the king. It is revealed that Roan is the prince. It is revealed that the King is trying to use a piece of Valmar to cause the end of the world. The party enters an underground plant, where the King has been performing experiments. Roan is sickened that he never knew about this. The group is then attacked by an Automaton possessed by the Claws of Valmar. The group defeats the Claws, and Millennia absorbs it. Afterwards, another Automaton is revived, and calls herself Tio. She falls into Maregs arms, and asks for directions, Mareg simply tells her to be free before the group leaves. Mareg claims that he smells the scent of Melfice. The group heads back to the castle to confront the King, when they see the King being attacked by Melfice. Melfice mocks the party and attacks them, easily overpowering the group. It is revealed that Melfice possess the Horns of Valmar, and flees from the group, mocking Ryudo stating he will see him at home, the island of Garlan. Roan decides to stay in the kingdom to help it recover and change its ways. The automaton approaches the group and asks what she should do, Mareg tells he to be free, but she doesn't understand, he then suggest her coming with them. She agrees, and introduces herself as Tio.
Roan gives the group a boat which they use to travel to Ryudos home to confront Melfice. At his home, Garlan Village, much is revealed about Ryudos past, Ryudo and Melfice were guardians of the village idol, a powerful sword. One day, a great storm hit the island, Ryudo and others went to the temple to find the village elders daughter, Reena, but found nothing. Upon arriving back to the village, Ryudo sees Melfice with the sword slaughtering the whole village including Reena. Because of these atrocities, Ryudo was cast out of the town, and became a Geohound. Elena says she feels sorry for Ryudo, and wishes to help. The group then head after Melfice. The group find him on top of Grail Mountains, and engage him. After a brutal and difficult battle, they defeat him. Before striking the final blow, Melfice laments about everything, stating that his greed and lust for power resulted in his downfall and that he is glad to see Ryudo again. He tells them where to find the Granasaber before dying, Ryudo screams for him not to die but is enveloped by darkness. Ryudo passes out and is taken back to the village. The Horns are trying to take Ryudo and there is nothing the party can do. Elena laments and after a conversation with Millennia, they agree to help Ryudo. With their combined power, they save Ryudo from being possessed, but he still has the Horns inside him. Ryudo mourns his brother, and the group heads off to the Granasaber.
The group continue toward the told location of the Granasaber. The group arrive at the Granasaber, discovering that it is a massive sword. They eventually discover that the Church of Granas has actually been actively trying to resurrect Valmar for some time, and a priestess Selene sacrifices several of her knights to resurrect the Body of Valmar. The Body of Valmar raises up and the group enter it with Millennias help. Inside, the group traverse its demonic innards and arrive and defeat the core. With the body defeated and the Granasaber in reach, the group ponder what will happen to Millennia and Elena. Tio reveals that the Granasaber is actually a magical ship, capable of quick travel through the planet, and teleports them inside. The group begin to head back to the capitol, but a dark moon rises and eclipses the sun.
Back at the capitol, everyone is scared, and the Knights of Granas of turned the Cathedral into a fortress and are murdering civilians. Fighting their way inside, the group encounters Zera and Selene, and Selene sacrifices herself to be resurrected as the Heart of Valmar. Elena then absorbs the Heart and reveals her true task to Ryudo, she was to absorb all of Valmar, and the Granasaber was to be used to kill her and all of Valmar. Ryudo says that there is another way to defeat Valmar, something he believes with every fiber of his being, and the group continues onward to meet Zera. Zera then admits he is the mastermind behind the whole events. He tells them the story that when Granas and Valmar fought, they eventually defeated one another. However, Granas had been killed, while Valmar only became splintered, therefore can be revived. That is his intentions, and he takes Elena/Millennia to the Moon of Valmar to revive Valmar.
Even though there are risks involved, the group decides to head to the moon using the Granasaber. The group make their way to the center, and confronts Zera. He says they're too late, and begins the process of reviving Valmar, driving the Wings out of Elena first. Millennia appears, and uses whats left of her power to allow the group to escape to the Granasaber with Elena. There are too many monsters to take off, but Mareg sacrifices himself to defend the Granasaber, and the group leaves the moon without him. The group touch down outside of the Cyrum kingdom and agree to assist it from the monsters that are raining down. Roan rejoins the group, and they successfully defend the kingdom. Roan suggest that they head into the royal families mausoleum, as there is Granas history there. Inside the mausoleum, the group enters a special area known as the Birthplace of the Gods. Inside, much of Valmar and Granas is explained, and that Valmar has the power to control a persons soul, but not if they do not give in. Another automaton, Elmo, reveals this information about the Gods, and Ryudo wishes to use the Horns inside him for good instead of evil. Ryudo says his goodbyes to everyone, and Elena confirms her love for Ryudo. Elmo using a special machine to activate Ryudos Horns and Ryudo is taken to a dark place.
Inside, Ryudo is tempted to give into the power of Valmar, and eventually he is unable to resist, and is placed into a void. Outside, Elena and the group is worried about Ryudo, and Elena begins to sing to help Ryudo. Inside, Ryudo hears Elenas singing, and it empowers him to resist and believe. Ryudo then appears in a beam of light on a hill in the Cyrum kingdom, wielding the Granasaber. The group begins their final assault on Valmar. The New Valmar is a colossal entity, and the group traverses inside it. They fight each piece again, and eventually fight Millennia, but Elena calls out the real Millennia and she rejoins the group as a separate entity then Elena. Roan and Tio are separated from the group, and Ryudo, Elena, and Millennia attack Zera who emerges as the final form of Valmar.
The group defeats Zera, and destroys Valmar once and for all. Millennia is sad that she needs to leave, but parts with the group on good terms. The group arrive in Cyrum and celebrate the victory. Ryudo and Elena confess their love, and Ryudos new found faith in humanity.
Ports
Grandia II was ported to PlayStation 2 and PC after its initial release on Dreamcast. In the PlayStation 2 version, some of the textures and characters are less graphically detailed than on the Dreamcast version. Also, there is a tendency for graphical glitches and slow down to occur in areas with heavy graphic data. For instance, when a party member defeats the last enemy standing while using the Warp effect of weapon or accessory, the character's color scheme vanishes and only a bright white model is left.On the PC port, there is a glitch in the first fight with Millenia. There are also several video files on the disc which contain extra frames appearing as a freeze after the casting of certain spells.
English voice cast
- Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
— Ryudo/Father Carius/Risotto - Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
— Elena/Paella - Jodi BensonJodi BensonJodi Marie Benson is an American actress, voice actress, soprano singer, and Disney Legend. She is best known for providing both the speaking and the singing voices of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels. In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the English...
— Millenia/Reena - Peter LuriePeter LuriePeter Hill Lurie is an American television personality, Sports anchor and voice actor who has worked in several television shows, movies, and dubbed anime, since the mid-1990s. He is well known as the voice of Vulcan Raven in the Metal Gear Solid video game series, and the Marvel Comics...
— Mareg/Gatta/Brother 2 - B.J. Ward — Roan/Elmo
- Kim Mai GuestKim Mai GuestKim Mai Angela Guest is a voice actress of European and Vietnamese descent. She is known to speak fluent French and Italian.- Anime/Animation roles :* .hack//Liminality - Narumi* .hack//SIGN - Subaru...
— Tio/Selene/Client's Daughter - Paul EidingPaul EidingPaul Eiding is an American voice actor, voice instructor, and actor, perhaps best known as the voice actor behind Perceptor in the original Transformers cartoon, Roy Campbell in the Metal Gear series, the narrator in Diablo, Judicator Aldaris in StarCraft, and Max Tennyson in Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien...
— Skye/Oro/Carpaccio/Brother 3 - John CyganJohn CyganJohn Cygan is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian.-Career:Cygan is notable for his television work and his voice work .-Filmography:*The Commish ......
— Melfice/Client/Brother 1 - Richard DoyleRichard Doyle (actor)Richard Doyle , sometimes credited as Richard Doyal, is an American actor and voice actor.- Early life :Richard Doyle was born in 1945 in Brockton, Massachusetts...
— Zera/Gonzola/Village Chief
Japanese voice cast
- Showtaro MorikuboShowtaro Morikubois a Japanese voice actor, and singer who has voiced characters in anime, drama CDs and video games. According to the Anime News Network and as of July 8, 2006, Morikubo has about 55 voice role credits under his name. He was formerly affiliated with I'm Enterprise.He was born in Hachiōji, Tokyo....
— Ryudo - Hiroko KonishiHiroko Konishiis a Japanese voice actress. She is currently not affiliated with any production, and has largely retired from voice acting.- Notable voice roles :* Aida Rion in Agent Aika* Nene Romanova in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040...
— Elena - Yukitoshi HoriYukitoshi Horiis a Japanese voice actor from Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the elder brother of fellow voice actor Hideyuki Hori and is currently represented by Aoni Production....
— Skye - Tomoko IshimuraTomoko Ishimurais a Japanese voice actress who works for 81 Produce. She was formerly credited as and . She is the only actor to have played the role of Luna in the Sailor Moon musicals .-Notable voice roles:*Mimi in Buttobi CPU*Raichi in Mirmo!...
— Roan - Mai HoshikawaMai Hoshikawais a Japanese voice actress. She was part of Haikyo, now she's part of Atomic Monkey.-Anime:* Crest of the Stars as Waitress* Manmaru the Ninja Penguin as Nimenzaru * The Legend of Black Heaven as Eriko...
— Millenia - Daisuke Gouri — Mareg
- Junko IwaoJunko Iwaois a Japanese voice actress who has also released several CD albums as a J-pop singer. Her most notable role is in Cardcaptor Sakura providing the voice to Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo.-TV Anime:*.hack *.hack//Roots...
— Tio - Misa WatanabeMisa Watanabeis a Japanese voice actress . She is currently affiliated with Aoni Production. She is well known for voicing Nefertari Vivi in One Piece. She is the official Japanese dub-over artist for Cameron Diaz.-Television Animation:*Absolute Boy - Hana Tokimiya...
— Selene - Isshin ChibaIsshin Chibais a Japanese voice actor who currently works for Arts Vision. He is best known for doing the voice of Jin Kazama from the Tekken series.-Anime:*Aoki Densetsu Shoot *.hack//SIGN *Bleach *Chobits...
— Melfice - Osamu SakaOsamu Sakais a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Wheeljack in the Japanese dub of , as well as Seitaro Sakaki , Jotaro Honma , and Daisuke Aramaki .-Anime:* Noah Van Hellsing in Blade* Dr...
— Zera
Reception
Dreamcast version
The original Dreamcast release of Grandia II received a largely positive response during its initial release in Japan, earning a 9.75 out of 10 rating from Dreamcast Magazine, as well as a 35 out of 40 from Weekly FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
, which earned it the magazine's editor's choice Platinum award. Famitsu DC would additionally grant the game a 26 out of 30 based on three reviews. Despite good reception, sales of the game remained relatively low in the region, with an estimated 184,863 copies sold.
Grandia IIs English release met with an overwhelming positive response, earning the game a 90% average rating on aggregate review website Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, as well as a 88% average on GameRankings. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
magazine found the game to be "solidly-built and features stunning visuals, dead-on controls, and a innovative combat system" yet remarked that that game's scenarios seemed too linear at times. On a similar note, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
stated that "While the first Grandia had lengthy dungeons full of puzzles and side routes, Grandia II's dungeons are more compartmental and linear affairs," and ultimately found the game to be "a solid RPG... even if it isn't as deep or difficult as the original." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
granted the game an Editor's Choice distinction, calling it a "classic" of the Dreamcast and remarking that its battle system was "arguably the most advanced system in play today", yet found the game's story and character development to be cliche and predictable. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
also found the game's story and gameplay to be largely methodical, and despite being dubbed "the best RPG on the Dreamcast in Europe" and "strongly recommended", editors felt seasoned role-playing game players would find the game too generic, calling it "an incredibly tough game to call". Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
granted the game a 9 out of 10, earning it a Gold Award.
PlayStation 2 and PC ports
The PlayStation 2 re-release of Grandia II in 2002 experienced lower sales than the Dreamcast version in Japan despite a higher install base, selling approximately 42,060 copies in its first month. In North America and Europe, the game received mostly lower reviews than the original, with many publications remarking on the technical shortcomings of the port to the new console. Electronic Gaming Monthly found the PlayStation version to be vastly inferior to the original, citing reduced frame rateFrame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
, color, and texture quality, adding that its "Inexplicably horrible graphics completely ruin an otherwise splendid title." Some reviewers such as GamePro found the conversion shortcomings to be largely negligible, claiming that it "still holds its own as a solidly constructed but direct port in the more crowded PlayStation 2 fantasy camp" but added that it was still "overshadowed by Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
." IGN still regarded the PlayStation 2 version as "a good game" and one of the top role-playing games for the system at the time, but remarked that the "time and stress of transition" as well as the emergence of other prominent games during the one-year time frame had diluted the port's appeal. GameSpot called the Dreamcast release "technically superior", but the new version was recommended to those who did not play the original and that it was still "well worth playing".
Like the PlayStation 2 version, the PC release of Grandia II had a much milder response from critics than the Dreamcast version. Critiquing the game by a computer role-playing game standpoint, IGN PC stated that "[t]his game is not like a PC RPG. It's light. It's fluffy. It's colorful. It's not exactly deep. Its storyline is console stereotypical. Its jokes are silly. Its gameplay is cartoony. And the characters all have huge eyes and no mouths," but adding that it "still manages to be fun, maybe even just because it's so different than most of the dark, dreary and serious RPGs that find their ways to our favorite platform." Similarly, GameSpot found that the game would be difficult for consumers accustomed to western computer role-playing games to get into, remarking that "Grandia II's linear gameplay, "young adult" sensibility, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
artwork aren't likely to impress someone looking for another Baldur's Gate II
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is a computer role-playing game developed by BioWare and released on September 26, 2000. The game is the sequel to Baldur's Gate, and, opening only a few months after the events of the earlier game, continues the story of the player character, whose unique heritage...
. Still, Grandia II can be fun if you're used to Japanese RPGs to begin with or if you approach it with an open mind."