The Japanese RPG is a dying breed on this side of the ocean. Recent entries in the genre have met with a chilling reception at best, and many a game has suffered critical backlash in the very fan-circles who once embraced them. Game play doesn't seem to be the central issue; rather it's the way these pseudo epics tell their stories that has fallen into question. That's where Grandia III comes in. No, it doesn't do things drastically different from its JRPG brethren, it features a colorful cast of characters with funny names fighting to, what else, save the world. Where Grandia III excels is in its execution.
In Grandia III, developed by series creator Game Arts, with the muscle of Square-Enix behind them, you take the role of Yuki, a young boy who dreams of flying, like his hero, Sky Captain Schmidt. When his mother stows away on Yuki's first real flight, and Yuki runs into a young elfin girl named Alfina, the real adventure begins. For the first 12 hours or so you are joined by Yuki's mother Amanda (who barely looks old enough to be Yuki's sister), Alfina, and the rogue-ish sailing captain Alonzo. Things take a change (in a pretty touching scene) at about the 12 hour mark, and from there some new characters come along. Throughout, the storyline remains quite engaging. Not everythign is wrapped up overly neatly, but fans of this sort of RPG experience should be pleased overall.
Grandia III's biggest strength is in it's game play mechanics. The combat system is one of the most robust and well developed systems I’ve ever come across. During combat, much of the top left corner of the screen is occupied by a large circular wheel, which displays icons for each character involved in the conflict. The icons spin slowly around the wheel, and when one enters a specific section, you know it's about to attack. What makes things interesting is that you can view the order in which other characters will attack, and if you can manage to land a heavy attack at the right time, you can knock an icon to the rear of the procession, thus canceling it's attack or disrupting the nasty spell it was about to toss your way. It's a deep system that plays very well, and it's actually much more effortless to play it than it is to describe it, and there's a great tutorial during the first fight that does a wonderful job of teaching the inns and outs.
Graphically Grandia III is a solid effort. Character designs are universally excellent, easily the best seen in the Grandia series thus far. Level design is also solid and many of the outdoor environments look absolutely gorgeous, featuring blooming sunlight or low hanging mist. Some of the more beautiful environs unfortunately, are also given only fleeting glimpses, lasting literally minutes in game time. You'll also see some pretty heavy alias shimmer on many displays, but after 6 years with the PS2 we should all be used to that by now, and it honestly doesn't do much to harm the otherwise very pretty eye candy.
The Grandia series, and Game Arts themselves, have always been known for their music, and Grandia III doesn't disappoint, even the pseudo j-pop song that opens the game is a catchy affair that does a wonderful job of portraying the mood of the game. Battle themes are rousing, and regions have themes that suit them well. The English voice acting is also quite solid; about as good as you'll hear outside of AAA affairs like Metal Gear solid or Soul Reaver. Amanda's voice is suitably brash and overbearing, Yuki's is that of a despondent teen, Alfina's is a subdued whisper for the most part, and the villain is menacing and, well, villainous. All of the characters are well represented. Action sounds get the job done, with the customary clanking of swords and whooshing of fireballs, but there's nothing exemplary there.
Overall Grandia III is a JRPG that follows the formula more or less, it's linear to a fault, and the story is nothing new, but it's hoisted beyond "also ran" status by the exceptional production design and its wonderful combat system. It's a game any fan of the genre shouldn't miss. It doesn't push the envelope, but it doesn't have to. It's quite simply the best title in the long running Grandia series (the first game was originally released in Japan on the Sega Saturn, and had a low-key Playstation release in North America at the tail end of that systems lifespan, and Grandia II made a splash on Sega's Dreamcast console before being ported "quick and dirty" to the PS2 and PC back in 2001). It's really a solid RPG experience that fans shouldn't miss. If nothing else, it'll help pass the time until Final Fantasy XII hits North American shores.
Grandia III is rated "T" for Teen, and contains some violence, but if the little ones can grasp the complexities of its game play, they're welcome to give it a try; it's a fantastic story that's suitable for most ages.
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