Grandia III

Deeko

A marvelous game with a few minor flaws that don't really kill the experience. With a lovable cast, mouth-watering graphics, and an innovative battle system, Grandia III is an excellent addition to any RPG aficionado's collection. [JPN Import]

Play Magazine

Grandia III may not be everything it could have been, but it's a great game nonetheless. [Mar 2006, p.39]

Gamer 2.0

Grandia III could be a bit deeper on the length and replay value, but if you play toward its strengths, build up your characters properly, and get everything you can out of the combat, this game will give you your 40 hours of addiction and then some.

Digital Entertainment News

The design of the game will be familiar to all fans of the series, and I believe it’s safe to saw that Grandia III may be the best installment of the series so far. A must-have, especially for fans of the series.

Play UK

Does almost everything well, from the involving story and beautiful graphics to the compelling characters, and does one thing - the battle system - better than any other RPG we've seen. [Issue#139, p.90]

Game Informer

Grandia III's beauty never ceases to amaze, but above all, this game just grips you with its winsome storytelling. [Mar 2006, p.104]

Weekly Famitsu

9 / 8 / 9 / 9 - 35 platinum [Aug 2005]

Just RPG

What it lacks in an original storyline and length, it more than makes up for with its gorgeous graphics, interesting characters, and polished to perfection battle system.

Game Over Online

If you're looking for great, satisfying combat, look no further, but be ready and willing to wade through the story.

The New York Times

Grandia III's story isn't tedious, but neither is it memorable. It begins well but never gels.

Worth Playing

Playing it may bring back memories of the multi-disc RPG epics the PlayStation often played host to, full of promising storylines and lovable characters. They often felt like they fell a little short of the mark in the end, and Grandia III in some ways shared that feeling.

GameZone

Grandia III hooked me in every other way possible, which is an amazing feat no doubt. I love it and am glad to have experienced it. But unlike RPGs with a great story, which I must experience again and again, I can't see myself playing through Grandia III a second time.

RPG Fan

An incredibly fun, enjoyable game. I know, however, that GameArts is a much more capable developer than what they demonstrate through their latest release in the series. [JPN Import]

Gaming Horizon

If you've got the patience and don't mind the forgettable plot, give Grandia III a try. You might just be hooked.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Grandia's semi-real-time battles are superb, offering just the right balance of strategy and visual flair, and the new aerial combos are a blast. The plot starts to suffer a bit on disc 2, and the quest is fairly linear, but the fun battles and quick pacing will keep you hooked.

Cheat Code Central

Grandia III takes the basic RPG ingredients and cooks up a great, solid RPG that is guaranteed to satisfy millions of hungry RPG fans worldwide.

G4 TV

Still, if you can stick with it through the boring movie and dialogue sequences, there’s an excellent adventure waiting for you in this grand world.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Grandia III is a game filled with polish, slick visuals, and a fantastic battle system. It just happens to be bogged down by a fairly mediocre story.

1UP

Grandia is a game best served in smaller doses, although the paucity of save globes in some of the more dangerous areas of the game means the intrepid gamer will have to trek on for long stretches at a time.

Yahoo! Games

It's hard to pin down why it's great in a few words or bullet points, but once you play it -- and play it you should -- the quality will be evident.

GamePro

The brilliant graphics and intriguing combat system make Grandia III an excellent choice for PS2 RPGers-and should happily tide them over until "Final Fantasy XII" arrives. [Mar 2006, p.102]

eToychest

The only real problem is that the game can and does feel very restricted, almost claustrophobic in how it drags you along from area to area, and plot point to plot point. There is next to no sense of getting to explore on your own.

DarkStation

The underrated Grandia RPG series gets its third game, and wows us with its engaging story, superbly involving battles and sleek visuals.

GameBrink

Grandia III is nowhere near perfect and it's definitely not one of the better rpgs on the system. But the battles are so much fun that most won't really mind when the story falls to pieces. [JPN Import]

IGN

Despite its relatively short playing time and lack of things to do outside the main quest, its battle system, initial character introductions, and boss fights are compelling enough to warrant a total playthough.

GameSpot

The bad news is that the story's a bit uninspired, and the game itself doesn't last very long. Despite that, the experience is still sustained well by its character interactions and enjoyable combat, and it's a nice option for role-playing fans looking for something unique.

Detroit Free Press

If you're looking for an epic RPG, forget it. The game is linear, not lending itself to exploration. The maps' paths are laid out for you, so you don't have to fire up a brain cell to navigate.

PSM Magazine

Unfortunately, the adventure is too predictable--particularly on a system known for awesome RPG's--but it's still distinctive enough to warrant exploration. [Jun 2006, p.86]

GameSpy

The characters are sweet but the story is bland. The battles are sexy but sometimes overstay their welcome. The graphics are great but the music is forgettable.

Computer Games Magazine

The combat is frequently challenging, especially by the time you get to the second disk, and it certainly sets the game apart from the party-based monotony found in most games of the genre. [Apr 2006, p.90]

Siliconera

It’s not like there aren’t any genuinely emotional moments in Grandia 3, but they’re balanced out by all of the cornball cheesiness. Still, if you can forgive this, and are up to the challenge of the battle system, then Grandia 3’s sprawling worlds are well worth adventuring through. [JPN Import]

GameShark

The game's combat system and excellent graphics makes up for a weak second half storyline and ho-hum characters that bring the go down a notch and I have no problem recommending it to role-players that find themselves mostly ignoring those aspects of these games.

Edge Magazine

Judged purely on its battle system, Grandia III is the best RPG on PS2...But battles are only part of the RPG experience, and elsewhere the game struggles. [May 2006, p.93]

Eurogamer

Grandia III can be an enjoyable trip for the 30 to 40 hours it takes to complete, as each battle is a joy even in the most boring of dungeons.

Thunderbolt

Grandia III makes great strides in the magic and skill systems, and the battles are as exciting as ever. It’s just that the storyline is so disappointing that at times it is difficult to continue playing through the game.

Gaming Age

The story isn't all that noteworthy, especially given the amount of cinematics the player is forced to sit through, but it gets the job done. And sure, the battle system is fun, but as the game develops, it grows more annoying, frustrating, and tedious, requiring a fair amount of dedication and patience to work through.

netjak

Grandia III is one of those games that you enjoy enough while you play, but afterwards, you can’t remember for the life of you why. Everything in this game has been done before better elsewhere.

Game Revolution

If you've got a lot of house work to do, Grandia III might be for you. Do the dishes or clean up the dog's mess while the dire plot unwinds, then plop back onto the couch in time to crack skulls.