Grandia II is a role-playing video game created by Game Arts for the Dreamcast console as part of the Grandia series. It was first released in Japan by Game Arts in August 2000. In December 2000, Ubi Soft published the game in North America, and in February 2001, it was published in Europe. Later, the game was adapted for the PlayStation 2 and released worldwide in 2002. A version for Windows was also released in North America and Europe in 2000.

An improved version of the game, called Grandia II Anniversary Edition, was released in August 2015 by GungHo Online Entertainment for Steam and GOG.com. This version was based on the original Dreamcast version. In August 2019, a high-definition remaster of Grandia II and the original Grandia was released for Nintendo Switch. An update for the Anniversary Edition was released in October 2019. Versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in March 2024.

The game was developed by many of the same team members who worked on the original Grandia, including music composer Noriyuki Iwadare. It was designed to be more mature than the first game in the series and was the first to use fully 3D graphics.

The story takes place in a fantasy world thousands of years after a battle between Granas, the god of light, and Valmar, the god of darkness. This battle almost destroyed the planet until Valmar was broken into pieces and scattered across the land. After the battle, the Church of Granas helped humans thrive by spreading teachings about goodness. However, when a young mercenary named Ryudo is asked to protect a church songstress named Elena, their journey uncovers secrets about the church and the world’s history that are not as they seem.

The original Dreamcast version of the game received mostly positive reviews from critics in Japan and the West. However, later versions for the PlayStation 2 and PC were often considered less successful due to technical issues and competition from other popular games during that time.

Gameplay

The turn-based battle system uses an IP gauge to control when characters take actions. Icons representing characters move from left to right along the gauge. When a character’s icon reaches the start of the action phase on the gauge, they choose an action. The action is completed when their icon reaches the end of the action phase. During battles, characters can only move within the arena because an invisible barrier stops them from leaving the area.

Characters can move to different positions, attack opponents, and then move away. Choosing "critical" allows a character or enemy to attack an opponent at the same time. If a critical attack happens during an opponent’s action phase, it stops the opponent’s move and moves their icon far back on the IP gauge, delaying their next action. Choosing "combo" lets a character attack an enemy twice. Some accessories can increase the number of hits in a combo to four. A combo can also "counter" if it hits an enemy while they are attacking, causing extra damage. If a combo kills the target before the final hit, the character will attack the nearest enemy to finish the combo.

Characters can use magic by equipping Mana Eggs. Using magic uses MP, a type of energy. More powerful spells take longer to cast. Special moves and spells can be learned using Skills Coins and Magic Coins, and they can reach a maximum level of 5. As the level increases, spells become more efficient and take less time to cast. If a character has specific skills equipped, spells can be cast instantly, giving a +100% bonus to the spell’s element. Special move sets are learned from Skill Books and then equipped to characters. Skills can improve character stats or add effects, such as increasing item drops or canceling certain spells.

Plot

Ryudo is a mercenary known as a Geohound. He is joined by his talking bird companion, Skye. The Church of Granas hires Ryudo to escort Elena, a Songstress of Granas, to Garmia Tower for a ceremony. When they arrive, Ryudo is asked to wait while the ritual is performed. However, he hears a scream and runs to the top floor. He finds everyone dead and Elena with a pair of wings. Ryudo rescues her, and they return to Carbo Village. There, the priest asks Ryudo to escort Elena to St. Heim Papal State to seek help from Pope Zera to remove the Wings of Valmar, one of several pieces of Valmar that now possess Elena.

Before Ryudo can refuse, the village is attacked by a mysterious winged woman. She fights Ryudo and defeats him. She introduces herself as Millenia and disappears. Ryudo accepts the mission and travels to St. Heim with Elena. In the town of Agear, Millenia appears again, this time as an ally. She reveals she is the Wings of Valmar and that she shares Elena’s body as a separate being. After Roan and Mareg, a Beast Man, join the group, they find more pieces of Valmar, which Millenia absorbs after defeating them.

When the group reaches St. Heim Papal State, Elena meets with Pope Zera. The Pope asks Ryudo to find the legendary Granasaber, a weapon used by Granas to defeat Valmar. Ryudo agrees, and the group travels to Roan’s hometown, Cyrum. They rest at an inn while Roan leaves. The next day, it is revealed that Roan is the prince, and the people of Cyrum once helped Valmar fight Granas in an ancient war. The group enters the castle, finds the Gate of Darkness open, and discovers an ancient factory beneath it. They face the Claws of Valmar and later encounter Melfice, Ryudo’s brother, who flees after defeating them. Melfice tells Ryudo to face him at home. Roan is crowned king and chooses to stay in Cyrum to inspire its people. Tio, a being possessed by the Claws and an Automata, joins the group after being rescued.

The group arrives by boat in Garlan, Ryudo’s hometown. He is scolded for returning and told to leave. He explains that Melfice has returned and plans to kill him to end his torment. At the inn, Skye, disguised, tells Elena about Ryudo’s past. Garlan was once a village of swordsmen, with Melfice being the best. During a storm, the villagers sent Reena, Melfice’s fiancé, to pray at an altar. She never returned, and Melfice investigated, secretly followed by Ryudo. Ryudo witnessed Melfice kill Reena and fled, causing the villagers to believe he abandoned them. The group travels to the mountain to confront Melfice.

At the peak, they defeat Melfice, who reconciles with Ryudo and reveals the Granasaber’s location before dying. Ryudo is possessed by the Horns and loses consciousness. Elena asks Millenia for help, and Millenia uses her powers to seal the Horns inside Ryudo, who awakens with new purpose. Elena questions Granas, as Valmar saved Ryudo.

The group travels to Nannan, Mareg’s hometown, near the Granasaber’s location. They learn the weapon is inside a giant cyclone to the east. They deactivate the storm, revealing the Granasaber. However, Selene, the High Priestess, sacrifices a Cathedral Knight to revive the Body of Valmar around the weapon. The group destroys the Body of Valmar. Tio reveals the Granasaber is a ship, teleporting them inside and guiding the sword back to St. Heim.

The "Day of Darkness" arrives, and the group sees Cathedral Knights attacking townspeople. They fight to the cathedral, where Elena reveals her mission: to absorb Valmar’s pieces so the Granasaber can destroy them. Selene reappears as the Heart of Valmar, but the group defeats her. They confront Pope Zera, who admits Valmar won the ancient war and plans to use Elena to revive Valmar. He abducts Elena to the Moon of Valmar.

The group uses the Granasaber to reach the moon and save Elena. Mareg sacrifices himself to help them escape. They crash near Cyrum, now under attack by moon monsters, and reunite with Roan to defend the town. Valmar’s Moon crashes into the Granas Cathedral, and the new Valmar emerges. The group cannot defeat him, so Roan suggests traveling to the Birthplace of the Gods for answers. The site explains the ancient war and the origins of the gods.

Ryudo meets another Automata named Elmo and confronts the Horns within himself. He overcomes his fears and is given the true Granasaber. The group challenges Valmar and enters his body. They face Zera, who attacks them and sends a false Millenia after them. Ryudo’s party defeats Zera, and the real Millenia joins them. Zera attacks Ryudo, Elena, and Millenia in a final battle. They defeat Zera and destroy Valmar, restoring peace.

One year later, Roan remains king and searches for his friends. Tio becomes a nurse in Cyrum, Millenia becomes a teacher, and Elena tours the world as a singer. Ryudo says goodbye to the Granasaber, burying it under a tree. He concludes that humans will care for themselves and no longer rely on gods.

Characters

• Ryudo: The main hero of the story. Ryudo is a Geohound, a hired fighter. He is skilled with a sword and has a sharp mind. At first, he cares little for others besides himself, but later he wants to make the world better.
• Elena: The main heroine of the story. She is a Sister of the Church of Granas and a Songstress. She joins Ryudo early in the adventure and is often unaware of many things about the world. She uses healing and divine magic and fights with a mace or staff.
• Millenia: A mysterious woman who meets Ryudo after a failed ceremony at Garmia Tower. She is known as the "Wings of Valmar." She is direct and quick to anger, and she first uses Ryudo to achieve her goals but later falls in love with him. She fights with a crossbow and gains dark powers by absorbing pieces of Valmar.
• Roan: A boy Ryudo meets in Agear town who asks for help finding his lost medal. He joins Ryudo’s group until it is discovered he is the prince of the Cyrum kingdom, whose people once served Valmar during the "Battle between Good and Evil." He becomes king and later rejoins the group. He fights with daggers or knives.
• Mareg: A beast man who attacks Ryudo, thinking he is his brother, but later joins him on his journey. He teaches Tio about what it means to be alive. He is strong and fights with an axe or spear.
• Tio: An Automata from the Cyrum kingdom. She is awakened by Ryudo’s group and joins them because she has no other purpose. She calls Mareg "Master" but eventually sees everyone as family. She fights with chakrams.

• Valmar: The God of Darkness. He was destroyed, broken into pieces, and sealed after the Battle of Good and Evil. His pieces are now being released, and he appears to be returning.
• Melfice: An evil swordsman who Mareg is chasing. He is Ryudo’s brother and has unholy strength because of the Horns of Valmar inside him.
• His Holiness Zera: The Pope of Granas Cathedral and its leader. He sees evil in the world and vows to defeat it no matter what.
• Selene: The High Priestess of Granas. She follows Zera’s leadership without question and is very zealous.
• Skye: Ryudo’s loyal bird companion. He is as snarky and quick-witted as Ryudo but is more mature and wise.
• Granas: The God of Light. He destroyed Valmar and sealed his pieces.

Ports

Grandia II was released on PlayStation 2 and PC after its first release on Dreamcast. On the PlayStation 2 version, some textures and characters look less detailed than on the Dreamcast version. Also, there are problems with graphics and slow performance in areas with complex visual details. For example, when a party member defeats the last enemy while using the Warp effect from a weapon or accessory, the character's colors disappear, leaving only a bright white model.

On the PC version, there is a problem during the first battle with Millenia. Some video files on the disc have extra frames that cause a freeze after certain spells are cast.

On May 11, 2015, Jun Iwasaki, president of GungHo America, told GameSpot that Grandia II would get an HD remaster on Steam and GOG.com. Based on the Dreamcast version, the remaster will support mouse, keyboard, and gamepad controls. It will also include improved visuals, Steam achievements, and Trading Cards. On August 24, 2015, the Grandia II Anniversary Edition for PC was released. It includes better textures, lighting, and shadows, original Japanese voice options, an extra difficulty level, gamepad support, Steam Trading Cards, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud Save support (for PC only), customizable video settings, remappable controls, 100 save slots, and support for Dreamcast VMS save files.

Grandia II received a remastered version on Nintendo Switch as part of the Grandia HD Collection on August 16, 2019. The Grandia II Anniversary Edition was updated with new features and renamed Grandia II HD Remaster on October 15, 2019. People who already owned the Anniversary Edition received the upgraded version for free. Changes in the remaster include improved details for the user interface, character designs, and textures, better visuals for original cinematic videos, widescreen support, and customizable resolutions (for PC only). It also includes Japanese and English audio, and additional French and German language options. The remaster was released in Japan and added Japanese language support to other regions, along with various fixes, on March 25, 2020.

Reception

The original Dreamcast version of Grandia II was well-received when it was first released in Japan. It received a 9.75 out of 10 rating from Dreamcast Magazine and a 35 out of 40 from Weekly Famitsu, which gave it the magazine's Editor's Choice Platinum award. Famitsu DC gave the game a 26 out of 30 score based on three reviews. However, despite these positive reviews, the game sold only about 184,863 copies in Japan.

The English version of Grandia II was highly praised. It had an average score of 88.81% on GameRankings and a 90 out of 100 on Metacritic. GamePro magazine described the game as "well-built" with "stunning visuals" and "good controls," but noted that the story sometimes felt too straightforward.

GameSpot mentioned that while the first Grandia had complex dungeons with puzzles, Grandia II's dungeons were more divided and linear. Still, it called the game a "solid RPG" even if it was not as deep or challenging as the original. IGN gave the game an Editor's Choice award, calling it a "classic" Dreamcast title with an "advanced battle system," but said the story and character development were predictable.

Eurogamer found the game's story and gameplay to be methodical. Though it was called "the best RPG on the Dreamcast in Europe" and "strongly recommended," editors said experienced RPG players might find it too generic. Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the game's graphics but found the battles too easy.

Francesca Reyes of Next Generation gave the Dreamcast version four out of five stars, calling it "a winner" in the RPG category and noting its battle system balanced out a straightforward story.

The PlayStation 2 version of Grandia II, released in 2002, sold about 42,060 copies in its first month in Japan, even though more people owned PlayStation 2 consoles. Reviews in North America and Europe were mostly lower than the original, with many criticizing the game's poor quality when moved to the new console. Electronic Gaming Monthly said the PlayStation version was much worse, with lower frame rates, colors, and textures.

GamePro noted that the PlayStation 2 version had only minor issues and still called it a "solid" port, but said it was overshadowed by Final Fantasy X. IGN called it a "good game" but said the effort to move it to PlayStation 2 and the popularity of other games reduced its appeal. GameSpot said the Dreamcast version was technically better, but the PlayStation 2 version was still worth playing for those who had not played the original.

The PC version of Grandia II received milder reviews compared to the Dreamcast version. IGN PC said the game was different from typical PC RPGs, calling it "light" and "colorful" but not very deep. They also said the story was typical of console games and the characters were cartoonish. However, they noted the game was still fun because it was so different from other RPGs.

GameSpot said the game might be hard for people used to Western RPGs to enjoy, as it had linear gameplay and anime-style artwork. However, it could still be fun for those who like Japanese RPGs or are open to trying something new.