If you are a Dreamcast owner Grandia II is a must have! I just finished the game and it's awesome! Grandia was a most enjoyable game, and indeed Grandia II is a superior among RPG's.

When it comes to graphics there is no substitute, Dreamcast takes Grandia II to the max! The color and detail were splendid. Sometimes I would just stand on top of a mountain with Skye on my shoulder and look to the horizon and breathe in nature's beauty. The graphics are that good. I jest you not. I highly recommend that while playing the game, you stop every once in awhile and just look at the scenery, honor the people that made this a superb game.

Since the birth of Dreamcast and the newly born PlayStation 2 there have been quite a few RPG's, yet only some have been considered reasonable 128-bit titles. I think Grandia II takes the cake and also takes Dreamcast to its full potential. Yes, quite a game indeed.

Music was great, quite a treat for my ears I must say. Noriyuki Iwadare is back again. Of course, he's awesome! He composed great scores in Grandia, so without a doubt they would ask him to come back. Now, I loved Grandia's music, so I bought the soundtrack. I go to sleep to Leen's theme every night. I recommend you download this song!

As you have probably noticed, I have been talking about Grandia's music more than Grandia II's. The reason is, I think Grandia's soundtrack was better. But don't get me wrong, Grandia II still had an outstanding soundtrack. Every town's music was perfect for its scenery. When you walk into a town nestled in the mountains you are treated to a unique beat and flavor. It makes you want to snap your fingers, it's that kind of a beat! When you walk into a jungle, you hear a thousand hands banging on bongos, it's what you'd expect and it's good. The music flowed very nicely to each new land and lent the game a good sense of adventure.

The story line is a classic background for RPG's: GOOD vs. EVIL. DING! DING! I mean, it's great saving the world and all, I can't get enough of it! O.K. guys, listen well. The God of Light, Granas; awesome guy, everyone loves him. Many years ago in the land of Grandia, Granas showered his love over all the people of the world, land of milk and honey, that kind of stuff. He was praised by all. Yet, some did not want to bathe in the light. These little rebels decided to follow Valmar, God of Darkness. This guy's wish was to conquer the world and spread darkness to every nook and cranny of it.

Of course, good old Granas is gonna do something about it. He's not about to let this guy run things, so they wage a horrific war. Thus begins the "Battle of Good and Evil". You, on the other hand are not a god, but a mercenary, a Geohound as they call it, named Ryudo. You take on your jobs with a falcon named Skye (makes sense seeing as how they spend so much time up there). He is the only one Ryudo can trust.

Just how can a human take on a god? With a heart of gold, that's how! Ryudo is full of compassion, you can just tell. Through the course of the game the story line can be followed quite easily and is very enjoyable. The characters are some of the most lovable in any RPG I have played, which makes the story ROCK! Awesome characters, awesome story line, it's that simple.

Gameplay was, by far, the game's best quality. I could not put this game down till I finished it. The battle system is very unique and very enjoyable. The magic is probably the best I've seen, the detail is extraordinary.

Another thing I like is that you not only have MP (magic points), but SP (special points) as well. SP lets you do the character's special moves. I love having both of these choices. The Battle system is very colorful indeed giving the gamer many options for strategy. You don't just get gold in this game, you get a whopping three different types of coins! Pretty cool huh? You get magic coins, special coins, and gold. The special and magic coins can be distributed amongst your magic and special moves.

You learn skills from skill books. Another thing I love is, while on a journey, you can pitch a tent, and the conversations while camping out on the frontier or talking about the day's travels at your favorite Inn are so much fun! They let you get in touch with the characters at a point of view that other RPGs just don't.

Dungeons are tons of fun too, and not too hard, though there are plenty of battles. Make sure to check everywhere, you don't want to miss any treasure chests! Also, before you leave a dungeon make sure you have fought all the monsters because you need to be in constant battles to level up.

Overall, Grandia II is great! This truly is one of my favorite RPGs. I highly recommend it to anyone who owns a Dreamcast. This game must be played! Those of you who have a PS2, you're in luck, since Grandia II should come out for it in about a year. Any RPG fan will enjoy this game.