Grandia

No, the title isn't a reference to the PS1 game Azure Dreams by Konami. Rather, it's a reference to the beautifully rendered skies in Grandia III.

When referring to an 'RPG'-style videogame, the game in question is usually a game made in Japan for consoles. The structure of the game is generally that of a group of adventurers traveling through lands, killing monsters and collecting treasure using largely non-reaction based gameplay while an epic story unfolds. Unlike the pen-and-paper Role Playing Games that the genre is named for, videogame RPGs are generally fairly linear in the sense of plot, with the player having little or no control over the actions of the characters.

After forcing myself to sit through Final Fantasy VIII and The Legend Of Dragoon, I appreciate any game or developer that does away with prerendered 2D backgrounds. Though not always as pretty, 3D graphics like those found in the game add a level of interactivity—and dare I say realism—that the aforementioned titles were missing.

Grandia II isn't a landmark game by any means, but it comes pretty close to being an amazing role-playing game done in the traditional style. It looks great, has solid gameplay, great characters and a well-written story, but it's basically as straight-forward a role-playing game as you're likely to find.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Animated Violence, Mild Language

Game Description: Dive into a world of fantasy, combat, and magical intrigue in Grandia II for the Dreamcast. You are Ryudo, a young hero entrusted with a vital mission to escort the priestess Elena. In your epic journey you'll explore dank and dangerous dungeons, utilize powerful magic, gather precious items, and battle fierce enemies. Improve your skills, meet scores of colorful characters, and save the world in the beautiful, 3D, interactive, role-playing of Grandia II from Game Arts.

I must admit, early on in the game, I wasn't overly impressed with Grandia. I liked the overall production values with the exception of the terrible voice acting, but I had issues with other elements. I found manually rotating the camera-angles to be an awkward and disorienting experience for a console RPG.

The battle system in Grandia is one of the best I've ever seen and this is all the more impressive when one considers that the game's two years old now.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Comic Mischief, Mild Animated Violence