Grandia (PlayStation, 1999)

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: T.R.C.

You start out as a boy named Justin. He dreams of becoming an adventurer just like his dad. Justin has a childhood friend and cousin named Sue. Sue has a great pet named Puffy, that Justin's Dad found on one of his many adventures. As you start your adventures you will meet tons of funny and interesting people. Like Feena, a fellow adventurer, Guido, a wise, if enigmatic bunny rabbit, Gadwin, the masterful warrior, Milda, an Amazonian that likes using her body instead her head, Rapp, a hot blooded young man with a bad attitude and a host of other cast members that make this game a joy to play.

The Story - 8/10: This Game starts out a bit slow till you are about 3 hours into the game. That is when this game starts to shine and keeps shining. You will laugh, Cry, get upset, and feel joy while playing this great game.

The Battle System - 7/10: This is your typical turn based battle system with a unique leveling system. You must use your attacks and magic over and over again because they gain experience with every use. Then that leads to new spells and attacks. You must also change your party's weapons, because each weapon type gains its own experience.

Game play - 9/10: The puzzles in this game were just hard enough to give you the feeling of accomplishment. I loved the mazes in this game because most of the dungeons had a 360-degree camera control, with a nice little compass to point you in the right direction. My advice is to use the compass if you get lost. (You will get lost at some point) This game has 50+ hours of game play.

Overall - 9/10: This game was a joy to play. It has it's ups and downs, like 40+ hours into the game you want it to be over, but the game's story keeps the plot twists coming and the game keeps you glued to your seat to find out what happens next.

If you want a great game this is one of the best RPG's for the Playstation.