Grandia II (2000)

Developer: Game Arts
Publisher: Enix Corporation, Game Arts, Ubi Soft Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
Genres: Role-playing (RPG)
Rating: 4.0 of 5, 60 player ratings
Main story: about 36 hours
Completionist: about 18 hours

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this Watch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A classic Japanese RPG that flows between lively town exploration and methodical turn-based battles, carrying you through a grand fantasy adventure with a sense of steady, earnest momentum.

adventurousstory-drivencolorfulmoderate pacingstrategicclassicengagingfantasy epic

About

Grandia 2 is a 3D RPG, viewed from a top-down perspective for most of the game and a 3rd person view during battle. Controlling Ryudo, the player will explore various locations, locating townspeople and objects within an area to interact with. Towns and dungeons are displayed in the same manner, though dungeons tend to be mazes filled with monsters and towns tend to be friendly areas filled instead with conversation and shops. Any monsters present in these areas will be shown walking around. Walking over to and touching the monster in any way will activate a battle. If the monster notices the player approaching it is considered a normal battle, if Ryudo is able to approach undetected the player's party will gain the initiative in battle, if any party member besides Ryudo is approached by the enemy then the party loses initiative.

What players say

A forgotten, underrated JRPG with a snappy, beloved real-time battle system and a strong character-driven story; note the PS2 release is a notoriously sloppy port of the superior Dreamcast original.

Screenshots

More games like this

More by NetEase

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.