![flagship character diablo 2 flagship character diablo 2](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Diablo-2-Resurrected-Mercenary-Tips-Collage-Rogue-And-Dragon-Fight.jpg)
Casting spells within a particular element will gain you experience, eventually resulting in new spells and, later in the game, multi-element spells.
![flagship character diablo 2 flagship character diablo 2](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/diablo/images/2/2c/Nephalem_vs_Diablo.jpg)
You start with no magic but will quickly find Mana Eggs, items exchanged in stores for magic in one of the four elements.
![flagship character diablo 2 flagship character diablo 2](https://assets1.ignimgs.com/thumbs/userUploaded/2019/11/1/gameplay-d4-1572633167094.jpg)
While Grandia's spells lack the jaw-drop quotient of FF7's, they still remain impressive and take less time to execute.īecause Grandia's story forces you to spend an extended period of time with a handful of characters, the game's magic and character development system become especially important. This usually results in shorter-lived battles, as all four of your characters can attack simultaneously. When planning attacks, you must also factor distance into the usual equation. In battle, time constantly passes, only pausing for your commands. Grandia's combat engine merges bits of Square's Active Battle system with pieces of Lunar's system, all presented from an overhead 2D view. This gives you the chance to escape from battles before they even begin, a nice feature when the party is in desperate condition or you just aren't feeling belligerent. Various enemies roam the environments, collision with which will result in battle. A useful feature for exploring and finding hidden items, overuse can result in the loss of one's bearings, even with the compass that points towards the dungeons' exits. Using the L and R buttons you can rotate the viewpoint any way you desire, with a few exceptions. Each environment is presented in real-time 3D from an overhead perspective and painstakingly textured. However, the technology is not just for technology's sake. Technologically, Grandia is one of the Saturn's more impressive titles. Grandia is an enormous game, yet these seemingly small items help keep the game interesting throughout the 60+ hours it will take an experienced, somewhat Japanese-capable role-player to complete. Enhanced by an amazing attention to detail, you will spend plenty of time wandering around the game's locales, mostly without regret. Brightly colored throughout, each town has an architectural style all its own, giving you an incentive to explore, which Final Fantasy's static cookie-cutter towns lacked. Unlike FF7, Grandia's world is warm and inviting. While some will say this limits your customization of your experience, it forces you to get to know the characters and their abilities, something Final Fantasy VII's materia system ignored, while adding a personal touch to the story. Up to four story-chosen characters can occupy your party. For example, while most of the game's conversation takes place in standard text form, important segments feature lively voice acting, adding another level of character familiarity. You will immediately get a sense of the characters' personalities and the feel of the world. As in GameArts' flagship Lunar series, characters play a vital role in the game. Destined to come into conflict with the army's plans, a precocious 15-year-old, Justin, and his friends, Sue and Fina, stumble upon the Garyle army's plans and begin a globe-spanning race to discover what happened to the ancients and stop General Baal and his lackeys from awakening a deadly secret.Īll story similarities aside, Grandia is an entirely different, and ultimately more satisfying experience, than Final Fantasy VII. Under the corrupt leadership of General Baal, the Garyle army has been scouring the world for bits of magic and technology that will lead it to the ancient capital of Arento and its secrets. Humanity developed a strong government, and out of that government grew the Garyle army. While humanity embraced technology, the other embraced religion and magic. Following their departure, humanity and a horned, feral race developed independently on opposite sides of the world. After dividing the world in half with a great wall, they used their vast knowledge to transcend the bonds of flesh and become beings of pure light and thought. Long before humans could claim world superiority, a benevolent race ruled the world in peace. Grandia makes up for its comparative technological inferiority with innovation and a strong character-driven story. Easily the most hyped and delayed 32-bit RPG, Grandia is a role-playing masterpiece that delivers in all of the ways that really matter.