Pretty much the only thing I DON'T like about RPGs is the lack of quality in pretty much all we get these days. The chances of a good RPG coming out are slim to none. So, when a really, really good one comes out, you can almost hear the resounding "HUH?!?" from RPG fans all over the country. Such is the sound I heard coming out of my own lips when I first sat down to play Grandia II. I didn't get any sleep that first night (and I haven't had a 24 hr game-a-thon since...um...Chrono Trigger actually). I said good-bye to my roommate when he left for work at 5:00AM and continued to play. But enough babble, you guys want to read a review right? Well, let's get to it...

The graphics in this game are absolutely beautiful. Lush colors, and brilliant atmosphere make an experience unlike any other. The FMVs do get rather pixilated, so that takes it down a bit. However, there aren't that many FMVs so you don't have to put up with that too often. The in-game graphics are spectacular. Bright and vibrant colors make the field play very nice. You can rush right through the game, but if you do you'll miss out on some awesome graphics. I spent plenty of time in each area just soaking in the look of it all. The battle graphics are the same. Each spell has it's own special sequence (albeit some of them too long), most of them have a little FMV along with it. The characters are all crisp and sharp, making each one unique in their own way. All in all, it's probably one of the best-looking RPGs ever.

Ho ho, but looks aren't everything. Without sound you pretty much have no game. As a long-time musician, the music is the first thing I notice about any game. Let me tell you, the music is AMAZING! Lunar: Silver Star Story and Grandia have always had my heart as the best game soundtracks, so it goes without saying that I was extremely happy when I learned that the same composer (Noriyuki Iwadare) was doing the music for this game as well. While, not as good as Grandia 1 or Lunar: SSS, the music in Grandia II has it's own unique essence that makes it great. More than once I found myself playing my drums (knees) to the rhythm of the music. So, the music, while not as good as others, is still really good.

I have this theory about voice acting. A Ninja Turtle can make any RPG role spectacular. Until now my theory has gone untested, however our main character Ryudo is voiced by none other than Cam "Leonardo the Ninja Turtle" Clarke himself (Anime fans will know him as Kaneda in the dubbed version of Akira). One of the things that really stuck out in this game is the fact that all the VAs are professional. Good quality game VAs are about as rare as a good quality RPG. Wonder Woman joins us (BJ Ward voice of Roan) as well as Seducia from the Powerpuff Girls (Jennifer Hale voice of Elena). In short, the voices are very well done. When the characters are emotional, you feel it as well. Very rare for an RPG unfortunately.

As far as storyline goes, this is an interesting one. The one thing that I can't stand is a clichéd story, and frankly, I've played through way too many. While on the surface Grandia II is incredibly cliché (and for the most part it is), there are enough twists to make it different. For example, we've all seen the "Guy falls in love with a girl" story millions of times, but in how many of them is the girl a nun with a Multiple Personality Disorder? That's just Days of Our Lives style right there (but don't let that turn you away, it's really rather funny). The script is well written - although there are a few really lame lines - and there's one plot device that I could've gone without, but aside from that, you're in for a great story.

Well, as for Gameplay, it was really good. The Real-time/turn based battle system from Grandia 1 is back and better than ever. It is harder to knock your opponent back on the IP meter in this one, as you have to use moves (like Critical, or certain 'skills) that specifically say "Cancel effect" or "IP damage". The Magic and Skill leveling system from Grandia 1 isn't there, which kind of depressed me. Now you level them up by collecting Magic Coins and Special Coins, which you're allowed to spend leveling up each different skill or spell.

Leveling them up means that they do both more damage and are quicker to the gun. I found that after leveling up all of the characters basic Special Moves, I discovered the "Game Genie" of the game. The Specials performed instantly, taking out about 2 or 3 times the damage that a normal hit would have. Don't let this fool you, though. You are in for some VERY tough battles (I think I died on three of the bosses). There are plenty of enemies to fight, plenty of chances to level up, the enemies are all on the screen (Chrono Trigger style) so you can avoid them if you want too.

Now, if you're like me, you HATE leveling up with a deep-rooted passion. In this game I didn't have to. All I did was be sure that the area was completely cleared before I left, and I beat the game easily enough. Now, if I would've leveled up, I'm sure the above "tough battles" would not have been that tough, but it doesn't matter, I still beat the game with little difficulty. Well, I think I've covered everything in the gameplay department.

Overall? If you have a Dreamcast then you are missing out on a brilliant masterpiece if you don't get this game. In fact, I'd go as far as too say if you were to only buy one DC game this month or two, I would recommend Grandia II without a single fear that I'd let loose a great evil upon this world. Well, I've probably taken up enough space already, so I'll end it here. There's just SO much I want to say bout this game. IT ROCKS!