CaptainAssassin

Grandia II is one of my favorite RPGs of all time. The combat system is one of the best ever developed, the storyline was heavy with anime influence, but still managed to throw in a few genuine surprises, and often took the rather light-hearted mood along a much darker path. The ending is rather contrived and totally cliche-anime... but overall the journey was worth it, and mastery of the combat system will likely give players the incentive for another playthrough.

The Grandia series has one of the best RPG combat systems ever developed. Grandia III has refined this system even further, adding a 'juggling' mechanic (aerial combos/finishes) which makes combat even more exciting and potentially improves the loot dropped by enemies. That been said, the storyline is the weakest of diluted anime sauces— totally predictable, and the characters follow suit with standard anime typecasting. Yes, I can still give it a 7... the combat system is that good.

Grandia showcases one of the best RPG combat systems ever developed. The combat mechanics paired with a passable storyline and colorful characters makes Grandia one for the collection.

Most video games consists of gaming, with some story aspects to them. Valiant Hearts is a "story" with some gaming aspects to it, which are very rudimentary by today's standards. Paired with a lovely classical score and chapter-based narrative— these elements are able to fill in the gaps throughout a story who's message is conveyed effectively with virtually no dialog at all. Think of it as an interactive story book— with wonderfully designed characters, paying homage to classic 2D parallax environments.

If you play this game the way it was intended, it's enjoyable for your inner-ninja. If you aren't the stealthy type, the controls are rather unintuitive in combat. There are a few boss battles littered throughout the 50 missions, and being forced into open combat after numerous missions filled with nothing but stealth kills— the sudden shift in pacing can feel totally unfamiliar and put you at a serious disadvantage. Not to mention dying at the end of the mission will still require you to start the mission over at the very beginning. Checkpoints would've been nice. I learned early on that my ninja was the only person in feudal Japan who knows how to swim, so my tactic for boss battles quickly became a game of "let's go down to the river" ...made easier still when I learned that your ultimate offensive weapon in open combat.... is a dead body. They have no defense against a corpse being thrown at them. Multiplayer seemed like an afterthought for the developer. This was one of the last games I played where its preferable to play with friends via system link. Matchmaking over the internet was practically unplayable.

This is a fine example of why you should STOP PRE-ORDERING GAMES. I really think it deserves a 3, but decided to give it a bonus point for only costing $10 in the clearance bin. This will be an ongoing example of how NOT to make video games— the only thing missing is its own desert landfill.

A diluted, dumbed-down version of a once groundbreaking tactical shooter franchise— obviously catering to the casual gamers in a futile attempt to grab a piece of the COD/BF pie. The first title update rendered co-op mode totally unplayable, with another 6-8 weeks to undo the damage. So Ubisoft continues to disappoint and alienate their core fan base. All they have to do now is ruin their RainbowSix franchise and their obsolescence as a AAA developer will be all encompassing.

This is what fantasy gaming is supposed to be... immersive, whimsical storytelling with little to no dialogue. The Hero's Journey incarnate, and still to this day— unique. Well done.

Interesting characters, a big world to explore, decent storyline, and few fresh additions to traditional RPG combat mechanics. Quite enjoyable and worth owning, they even made a port to GameCube.

This is essentially a "tower defense" mode for SoD. Faster paced, with heavier emphasis on guns and explosives. Some slight refinement to the facility builds. Scavenging and exploring is constricted heavily by the map layout— offering little time for either, before beckoning the player back to the base for the next round of tower defense. This element offers little sense of accomplishment once the base is properly established with sufficient manpower and weapons. The aspects of SoD I found appealing and addictive, were almost surgically removed in this DLC.

This is a game mode for people who enjoyed the State of Decay formula, but wanted it to be more challenging. It provides an gradually increasing difficulty curve, new weapons and survivors.