Grandia III

With dreams of becoming a successful pilot, Yuki watches in awe as his hero takes flight. The unnamed man is the star of what appears to be a documentary on flying. He's shown going through the trials of building a plane, his first of which fails. He was a child at the time, destined for greatness and destined to inspire others to follow in his footsteps. As he lay flat on the grass, he clenches his goggles as a large bird passes. The shape of the bird apparently gave the aspiring pilot an idea, and in the next scene we see him soaring to the finish line during an aerial race. We see him save a damsel in distress, and make it out of a rainstorm unscathed.

The view changes and we see Yuki, the star of this adventure, wide-eyed and overly eager to take flight. Fast forward ten years or so and the boy is all grown up, ready with a new plane and as confident as ever. Though flying is important, that's not what this game or the story is about. An underlying evil is eager as well, but it has nothing to do with the skies. With little explanation as to why and no history explaining how, Yuki is thrust into battle and manages to defend himself. Miranda and a long-eared mystery girl named Alfina make up your preliminary party. You'll have to wait till the game is released to learn about their story.

Grandia III's graphics are extremely surprising. Long-time fans of the series should remember the first two Grandia games as being some of the most visually impressive RPGs of their time. This new one comes at the very end of PS2's lifespan. Games will be made for it after 2006, but the best games will undoubtedly appear on PlayStation 3.

That’s why – despite the series’ grand history – Grandia III is so surprising. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I began to explore Grandia III's world. The characters are purposely quirky and don't look particularly realistic, but if that's not your thing it'll be forgiven the moment you step outside. Every town/village is populated by the most beautiful architecture. Unique homes and shops have a great fictitious appearance to them. They're realistically detailed but do not look like something you would see on modern-day Earth. The combination of bright colors, mood lighting, water, and trees that fill the screen add to the feeling that you are in a fantasy. It's not Final Fantasy, but in fact a grand fantasy all its own. 

Players will be especially impressed by that fact as soon as they get their hands on the combat. It's turn-based as most console RPGs are, and its core mechanics are a lot like the genre that was more or less started by Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. There are some differences that prevent the game from feeling like filler – a journey taken only to tide you over till FF XII arrives – turning the game into a faster-paced adventure that'll engage players from the start of the first battle.

One button and the left analog stick is all you need to make your selections. I know what you're thinking, and I wasn't exactly blown away by this revelation either. Though I was intrigued by the circular thing on the top left corner of the screen. As it turns out that's a battle meter that tells you exactly when you, your teammates, and your opponents can attack. The beauty of this handy invention is being able to time your attacks and strike at precisely the right moment.

In other RPGs you can't be certain of when your opponent will attack and may be slaughtered at any time. [Cue the dramatic music; lead into triumphant victory song.] Since you know when your opponent will attack in Grandia III, one strategy is to wait for the enemy's meter to approach the point where he will strike. Then, just before he makes his move, attack! This not only deals damage but it also stops him from completing his life-threatening technique.

Combo, Critical, Item, Strategy, Flee, Defend, Special and Magic are the options listed in battle – Critical is the one you want when trying to stop an enemy from attacking. Combo, which allows your party members to attack with weak consecutive strikes, might work some of the time. But if a monster is about to unleash a special attack, you'd better preempt that move with a Critical hit.

Battles are as fun to watch as they are to fight thanks to the array of large, Final Fantasy-quality spells. Massive explosions, colorful fireballs, enormous earthquakes – these are just a few of the exciting spells you'll get to cast.

Call in sick, pack your bags and kiss your family goodbye; Grandia III's February release date is almost here. You'll be addicted to the gameplay, amused by the characters and enthused by the music for quite some time. It'll be hard to take your eyes off the scenery, which has thus far made this the most graphically rich RPG since Final Fantasy X. Be impressed. Be enamored. Just make sure you're ready to be owned by this game on February 15th.