Product Description

Sky Captain Schmidt was a legendary flyer who could fly faster and more beautifully than anyone in the world. Although he has nearly faded from the memories of most, he is still an inspiration to a generation of aspiring young pilots. On a small island in the middle of the sea is Anfog, a quiet and peaceful village. And tucked away in a corner of this village is a simple garage, from which the sounds of hammering can frequently be heard. Inspired by tales of Sky Captain Schmidt, a young man named Yuki is building his own airplane. Someday Ill leave this village and fly over the sea, all the way to the mainland, he thinks. Yuki stares at his Flight Unit, the magical orb that provides power for all airplanes, his eyes distant as he imagines the vast sky stretching out in front of him. In the woods not far away, a young girl rides alone on a horse-drawn carriage. Her name is Alfina, and she is a Communicator, one of the few who can speak with the Guardians, the giant beastlike gods that protect the citizens of this world. She is hurrying to the temple at Arcriff to take the place of her brother, who has disappeared. As the world faces the greatest danger it has ever known, fate brings these two young people together. Can a would-be pilot and an inexperienced Communicator save the world?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2058 in Video Games
• Brand: Square Enix
• Model: 662248906010
• Released on: 2006-09-08
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds

Features

• Create incredible combos and try your hand at magic as you explore a strange new world filled with amazing enemies
• Intuitive combat system with a wide range of options -- and even more waiting to be unlocked
• Incredible visuals bring the strange and beautiful world of Grandia to life

Customer Reviews

Not best in series... but a nice return
Hello Amazon shoppers, Amir0x from Hangar-G3 here.

When you think of Grandia, you automatically think of the battle system. The reason for this is simple: it's the one thing that sets the series apart. It's furious, fast, and strategic. And it leaves you wishing more RPGs did something like this. As long as this aspect of Grandia is in place, you're guaranteed a great experience.

And Grandia III does not disappoint. Additions, such as Aerial Combos, add to the fantastic system and provide all the frenetic action the franchise is known for. In this way, it is not only a return to form but it is superior to its predecessors.

Visually as well, the game seriously pushes PS2 far beyond what you'd expect. Spectacular spell effects, robust character models, vibrant towns... all of it is a testament to the talent of the development team. The incredible scenery and artistic direction compliment a rock solid engine.

On the minus side, the soundtrack is a bit of a downer. None of it is particularly inspired, which is surprising considering how great Noriyuki Idaware's previous works were. None of the tracks really stay in your memory for long, which is generally one of the first signs that it's not leaving any lasting impact. Finally, the storyline is really not up to the standards of the rest of the games. The relationships between Yuki and the rest of the cast (with the exception of his mother) all fall into the cliche, one-dimensional range. The motivations of who you ultimately end up fighting all fall flat.

But at the core of this game is a battle system that simply cannot be beat in the RPG world. Emphasizing this over the story might be difficult for some players, but if you do you'll find a rewarding experience that anyone can enjoy.

Go Go Grandia III!
The Grandia series is known for it's great battle system and Grandia III does not fail to deliver. From the first battle to the final boss, you will never feel bored as you enter the natural world of combat. Straying from the norm, G3's battles really keep you on your toes!

The story starts out awesome with a great look into the characters' lives. People like MIranda really break the RPG mold and involve you deeply into the story. One of the greatest relationships you see is between Miranda and her son, the protagonist, Yuki. The story is very character driven, and that's a great thing. However, later on the emphasis sort of dies, but it's no worse than your average JRPG.

The worlds are beautiful and the characters designs are stellar. It's a treat to the eyes and a testament to what the PS2 can do. It may not match the visuals on more powerful systems like the Gamecube or XBOX 360, but it gets the job done and it gets it done well.

The music is moving and the voice actors are spot on for the most part. Some, like Alfina, may remind you of annoying characters like Colette (Tales of Symphonia), but nothing on the level of nails on chalkboard!

It's a nice lengthy quest, longer than the average game but shorter than the average JRPG. It's a good ride and all should try it out!

~Firestorm

Short, but an overall great gaming experience
I'm sure you're one of the Grandia fans from PS2 days and look forward to the same great experience. I doubt you'll be disappointed, and hope my review will cover all the bases so you know what type of games Grandia III is.

First of all, this game had all the hype it needed. There weren't any commercials or anything that made the game seem better then it is. This game brought back feelings of playing the first Grandia (PSX) as well as Lunar: Silver Star Story on the Sega CD. The first 5 hours spent playing this game I was blown away and remembered how fun the battle system was. It's been a while since I played an EXTREMELY good non-Square-enix game. You see...t.his game is made by Game Arts. Thank them for the Lunar series as well as Grandia on the original PlayStation. Even though most people are buying this to pass time til' Kingdom Hearts II, this game really IS worth buying. However, the game is very cutscene drivin' which so far, doesn't bother me at all. The cut-scenes are very well done with a great GRANDIA feeling. Not at all like Xenosaga, which was coldi in its portrayal of the characters. This game has spirit and life; you'll enjoy the plot advancement as well as getting to know your party of heroes.

It's games like this, that really make me wonder what else Square-enix can throw at us. It's going to get better and better each game. (Again, GameArts made this game but S-E was the publisher). I think Final Fantasy XII could be a revolutionary step between action and role-playing games that will bring in more fans. Star Ocean wasn't good enough. Neither is Tales of Legendia. Grandia III has the idea, but I believe FFXII will be _the_ game, but G3 will help you pass the time well.

Sadly the game only last about 30 hours...over two discs...short indeed, but last about as long as the story is going to hold it. There are not any side-quests really or anything extra to unlock. Very straight-forward game, but that doesn't mean it won't hold your attention.

Grandia III has finally brought back whats good in the series after Grandia Xtreme and the PS2 Grandia 2 port. This game has really brought me back to the series and has shown me that when square enix wants to they can breath life into a seies that was thought to be dead. grandia 1 and grandia 2 for the dreamcast were amazing games. but the recent ps2 efforts were not very good. Grandia III does face some problems story wise(it gets worse in the second disk), but players should not play the game for the story, but rather for the battles. They have now added a new way to equipt skills and magic along with a brand new system which allows arial attacks. the graphics are probably the crispist on the playstation 2 (sorry final fantasy). So where the story drops the game play makes up for it.

The music could be better, but the battles have a thrilling drive that makes you want to fight. Not run from battles, but get into them. Speaking of which, you won't have to waste time building levels, unless you don't have a hang of the battle system.

I'll leave the story for you to find out. It's an adventure that's not as up to par as previous games, but nevertheless it has Game Arts written all over it. Pick up this game for a rental if you doubt you'll want to own it. I'm proud to have bought this and will play it over a few months down the line with no less enthusiasm. Now if only they would begin work on LUNAR 3... maybe someday.