Grandia Xtreme
- September 30, 2002 00:00 AM PST
Don�t expect another legendary Grandia adventure with Xtreme. Instead, get dazzled with a cool combat system and a simple story line.
Forget what you�ve experienced in previous Grandia games. The �Xtreme� in this newest incarnation of the fabled series means just that: extreme combat and extreme item, skill, and magic management. The rest, though, suffers.
Can�t We All Just Get Along?
The story is themed with leadership, teamwork, and cultural awareness�centering on Evann, a skilled Ranger who is unwillingly recruited by the local army to stop the Elemental Disorders from harming the land. Evann leads seven other misfits from different lands across the country to stop what seems to be an environmental mess caused by the ancient Disorders. But as the story progresses, Evann and his team start to realize that the army has an ulterior motive.
Staying with tradition, Grandia Xtreme�s battles are the heart of the game. A unique blend of turn-based and real-time action is at your fingertips without any confusing menu options to worry about. In fact, you can choose to have the computer fight for you in a variety of styles (aggressive, defensive, supportive, and more), or you can battle manually, directing each magic spell or special attack on a particular enemy with ease.
Say What?
Despite the slick combat system, Grandia Xtreme�s overall visuals and sounds aren�t as ingenious. During fights, flashy and eye-pleasing effects take center stage, but as you explore towns, dungeons, and everywhere else, the graphics are blocky with little detail. Likewise, the sounds of weapon effects are a blast for the ears during battles, but the overall voice-acting is horrendous. Thankfully, though, the wonderfully eclectic mix of music appeases the ears.
As an engaging role-playing game, Grandia Xtreme doesn�t quite cut it. The predictable and slow story line only makes you want to skip all the cut-scenes and move directly to the next fight. The adventure is also linear with very little challenging puzzles or side quests. Even your humongous library of magic, special skills, items, and accessories can get cumbersome to manage.
Xtreme to the Extreme
With good reason, Grandia Xtreme is not an entirely new adventure to the series. It�s more like a Grandia 2.5�with an emphasis on a fast-paced battle system within a familiar-looking world. Grandia fans shouldn�t miss out, but the rest of the RPG enthusiasts should be satisfied after a weekend rental.
