Grandia Xtreme
Encyclopedia
is a console role-playing game developed by Game Arts
and published by Enix
(now known as Square Enix
) for the PlayStation 2
video game console
. Released in both Japan
and North America
in 2002, the game is a side story
in the Grandia series.
's battle system, with the notable exception being that the Battle Gauge, formerly stylized as a horizontal line, is now a circle that the character icons move along clockwise. Each icon represents a character or enemy currently in battle, and they move along it at a rate which corresponds to their "speed" rating. Once an icon reaches the top of the circle, they are allowed to either attack, use items, defend, or flee the battle.
Players are able to progress in the game by going through various dungeons and completing a number of puzzle
-based problems. Instead of saving the progress using the recurrent rainbow-colored save points, a few "Geo Gates" are to be located, which transport the player back to the city - the only place with a save point in the armory. Some gates are one-way, and can only be used to return to Locca not leaving an opportunity to return. After using these gates, players are required to begin the dungeon again.
Unlike story-driven RPGs, Grandia Xtreme is a grind-heavy game, meaning there is far more focus on leveling up and acquiring new equipment and skills than similar titles like the Final Fantasy
series. There are only 7 main dungeons and three random dungeons (one of which becomes unavailable after the final boss is defeated). For a first-time play through, it will usually be necessary to play through some areas multiple times in order to become strong enough to advance past certain difficult battles.
After the first set of dungeons, each related to one of the four elements
, the game's difficulty ramps up in all areas (known as the first boost). The second boost takes place after the first randomized dungeon (a thirty-floor tower which links to three other dungeons every 10 floors), and a final boost occurs at the end of the main game. These can be markedly frustrating for inexperienced players, as the abilities of all monsters will increase simultaneously—meaning if under leveled at the time of a boost, the player will find it exceedingly difficult to proceed forward in the story or even train at the now-deadly earlier areas.
The player takes on the role of Evann, a young ranger
, voiced by Dean Cain
, who can activate the technology present in certain ruins of the world. He has trained himself to use a sword
after his father's death, but has not developed a proper work ethic. Evann is thrown into a series of events that will lead him to discover the cause of the Elemental Disorder, the military's real intentions, and hidden truths behind the ruins.
Seven characters join Evann as playable characters during the game: Carmyne, a female sergeant of the Nortis Army who fights with a saber and dislikes taking orders, but revels in giving them; Brandol, a brave but gentle soldier who wields a long sword and has a knack for engineering
; Myam, a young and impulsive female archer from Hazma; Lutina,(voiced by singer Lisa Loeb
) a cold-blooded, experimented officer from Arcadia fighting with a dagger
; Ulk, an aged Hazman wielding an axe
and working with the Nortis Army; Titto, a young and timid Arcadian knife
-user only comfortable around Jaid; and Jaid himself, an arrogant staff
-wielding knight from Arcadia. All eight characters are eventually led to combine their forces in an attempt to put an end to the problems facing their world.
series developed by Game Arts
was officially announced on June 1, 2001 with the tentative name of Grandia X. The game, later retitled Grandia Xtreme, was to published by Enix
as they had just invested capital
in Game Arts for a total of ¥99.2 million, or 15% of the company. The game was the first title Game Arts developed exclusively for the PlayStation 2
. While previous installments in the series were traditional console role-playing games, the developers took the new title in a different direction and designed it more as an action role-playing game
or dungeon crawl
er to make it more accessible to casual gamers. They nevertheless kept and enhanced mainstays such as the combat and magic systems, as well as the "enchantment" aspect of the story. To design the characters of the game, Enix and Game Arts selected Kamui Fujiwara
, the character designer of Terranigma
. Development for the game spanned roughly 18 months.
An "aggressive" marketing campaign was planned to push the game and the series as a "brand for the future, not a one shot deal". Grandia Xtreme was showcased with a trailer at the Tokyo Game Show
in August 2001 and in playable form at the World Hobby Fair of Tokyo in January 2002. A video of the game was also featured in an issue of Famitsu
Game Wave DVD. The game was released in Japan on January 31, 2002 in either regular or limited edition
, the latter including as bonuses a Grandia Xtreme pocket watch
and a small "Geo Gate" diorama
depicting the protagonist Evann. Customers who pre-order
ed the game also received a Grandia miniature tote bag.
The voice acting for the English-language version was directed by WorldLink Technologies in Seattle, Washington
, with large involvement from Enix America. Mark Hamill
voiced the antagonist Colonel Kroitz, while Dean Cain
did Evann and Lisa Loeb
did Lutina. The North American version was showcased at the E3 in Los Angeles, California
in May 2002, and was released on September 30, 2002. Enix America partnered with Versus Books to publish a strategy guide
of the game and "expan[d] awareness of the franchise". The company also partnered with gaming website RPGFan for a quiz
contest to win free copies of the game and strategy guide.
in about half a year, with a focus on battle and dungeon music and an overall theme of friendship. The composer used the looped streaming ADX
format as in previous Grandia titles and had no technical issues working with the PlayStation 2 hardware. However, he was perplexed at first due to not being specialized in the militaristic aspects of the game's plot; in particular, he had difficulties completing the opening "Theme of Xtreme", and could not find any inspiration for it for two months. After getting advice from one of the development staff member and realizing the game is "still Grandia, after all", Iwadare managed to compose the track. He tried to imbue it with a feeling of camaraderie and to make it a "song of support for everyone who [would hear] it". The track "Quan Li" was composed with the same melodic motif
as the ending theme, but with the sharp
note omitted to musically convey the wrongness associated with "causing pain and spilling blood in the name of a Holy War", as witnessed in the plot of the game. Iwadare felt that giving people the chance to contemplate this was what he was most proud of concerning the score. The ending theme was further based on the feeling of love for mankind.
The soundtrack for the game was published in Japan by Two Five Records on March 1, 2002. In place of the game's ending theme, the album features its vocal arrangement
, "Rein-car-nation", sung in Japanese
by Kaori Kawasumi. One of the battle themes of the game, "Combat 2", was not included on the album as Iwadare thought it was not one of his favorites and felt it was not perfect. He stated that if a second volume of the album is ever released, he would agree to include the track.
Game Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
(now known as Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. Released in both Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 2002, the game is a side story
Side story
A side story is a story that occurs alongside established stories set within a fictional universe. As opposed to a prequel, sequel, or interquel, a side story takes place within the same time frame as an existing work....
in the Grandia series.
Gameplay
Grandia Xtreme plays very similarly to the rest of the games in the Grandia series, which all resemble a traditional CRPG with somewhat random battles that occur within dungeons or during scripted situations. Combat takes place on a three-dimensional battlefield where the characters move around, striking enemies as they get near them. Very similar in both style and execution to Grandia IIGrandia II
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts originally for the Dreamcast console as part of their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in August 2000 by Sega, the game was later made available in English for North America the following December, and in Europe in February 2001, with...
's battle system, with the notable exception being that the Battle Gauge, formerly stylized as a horizontal line, is now a circle that the character icons move along clockwise. Each icon represents a character or enemy currently in battle, and they move along it at a rate which corresponds to their "speed" rating. Once an icon reaches the top of the circle, they are allowed to either attack, use items, defend, or flee the battle.
Players are able to progress in the game by going through various dungeons and completing a number of puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
-based problems. Instead of saving the progress using the recurrent rainbow-colored save points, a few "Geo Gates" are to be located, which transport the player back to the city - the only place with a save point in the armory. Some gates are one-way, and can only be used to return to Locca not leaving an opportunity to return. After using these gates, players are required to begin the dungeon again.
Unlike story-driven RPGs, Grandia Xtreme is a grind-heavy game, meaning there is far more focus on leveling up and acquiring new equipment and skills than similar titles like the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series. There are only 7 main dungeons and three random dungeons (one of which becomes unavailable after the final boss is defeated). For a first-time play through, it will usually be necessary to play through some areas multiple times in order to become strong enough to advance past certain difficult battles.
After the first set of dungeons, each related to one of the four elements
Four elements
Four elements may refer to:* Classical elements, such as air, fire, earth and water* 4 Elements, an album by Chronic Future* Group 4 element, one of the chemical elements in Group 4 of the periodic table...
, the game's difficulty ramps up in all areas (known as the first boost). The second boost takes place after the first randomized dungeon (a thirty-floor tower which links to three other dungeons every 10 floors), and a final boost occurs at the end of the main game. These can be markedly frustrating for inexperienced players, as the abilities of all monsters will increase simultaneously—meaning if under leveled at the time of a boost, the player will find it exceedingly difficult to proceed forward in the story or even train at the now-deadly earlier areas.
Plot and setting
The fictional world of Grandia Xtreme is populated by three races: the militaristic and resourceful Humans; the pointy-eared Arcadians characterized by their magic; and the tribal, beast-like Hazmans. At the beginning of the game, the three races have co-existed in an uneasy alliance for several years, but a natural disaster known as the "Elemental Disorder" occurs and threatens them. In response, the Humans focus their Nortis Army into researching the cause of the disturbances. Representatives from the other races gather to help but tensions and distrust arise along with the possibility of the disasters having been created artificially.The player takes on the role of Evann, a young ranger
Ranger (character class)
A Ranger is a type of warrior appearing in fantasy fiction and role-playing games....
, voiced by Dean Cain
Dean Cain
Dean Cain is an American actor. He is most widely known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in the popular American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
, who can activate the technology present in certain ruins of the world. He has trained himself to use a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
after his father's death, but has not developed a proper work ethic. Evann is thrown into a series of events that will lead him to discover the cause of the Elemental Disorder, the military's real intentions, and hidden truths behind the ruins.
Seven characters join Evann as playable characters during the game: Carmyne, a female sergeant of the Nortis Army who fights with a saber and dislikes taking orders, but revels in giving them; Brandol, a brave but gentle soldier who wields a long sword and has a knack for engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
; Myam, a young and impulsive female archer from Hazma; Lutina,(voiced by singer Lisa Loeb
Lisa Loeb
Lisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She launched her career in 1994 with the song, "Stay ". She was the first artist to have a number one single in the United States while not signed to a recording contract.Loeb's efforts now include music, film, television, voice-over...
) a cold-blooded, experimented officer from Arcadia fighting with a dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
; Ulk, an aged Hazman wielding an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
and working with the Nortis Army; Titto, a young and timid Arcadian knife
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
-user only comfortable around Jaid; and Jaid himself, an arrogant staff
Bo (weapon)
A bō or kon , is a long staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan. Bō are typically around long and are now used in Japanese martial arts, in particular bōjutsu...
-wielding knight from Arcadia. All eight characters are eventually led to combine their forces in an attempt to put an end to the problems facing their world.
Development
A new installment in the GrandiaGrandia
Grandia is a console role-playing game series created by Game Arts. Games in the Grandia series have been published on Sega and Sony consoles, and Game Boy Color. The Grandia games have been published by Sega, Ubisoft, Enix and Hudson Soft...
series developed by Game Arts
Game Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
was officially announced on June 1, 2001 with the tentative name of Grandia X. The game, later retitled Grandia Xtreme, was to published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
as they had just invested capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
in Game Arts for a total of ¥99.2 million, or 15% of the company. The game was the first title Game Arts developed exclusively for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. While previous installments in the series were traditional console role-playing games, the developers took the new title in a different direction and designed it more as an action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
or dungeon crawl
Dungeon crawl
A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinthine environment, battling various monsters, and looting any treasure they may find...
er to make it more accessible to casual gamers. They nevertheless kept and enhanced mainstays such as the combat and magic systems, as well as the "enchantment" aspect of the story. To design the characters of the game, Enix and Game Arts selected Kamui Fujiwara
Kamui Fujiwara
is a Japanese character designer and manga artist. Fujiwara's father was a soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He excelled in mathematics and computer science when in grade school. He graduated from the Kuwasawa Design School, which is attached to Tokyo Zokei University...
, the character designer of Terranigma
Terranigma
Terranigma, known as in Japan, is a 1995 action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Quintet. It was published by Enix in Japan before Nintendo localized the game and released an English version in Europe and Australia. The game was never officially released...
. Development for the game spanned roughly 18 months.
An "aggressive" marketing campaign was planned to push the game and the series as a "brand for the future, not a one shot deal". Grandia Xtreme was showcased with a trailer at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
in August 2001 and in playable form at the World Hobby Fair of Tokyo in January 2002. A video of the game was also featured in an issue of Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
Game Wave DVD. The game was released in Japan on January 31, 2002 in either regular or limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
, the latter including as bonuses a Grandia Xtreme pocket watch
Pocket watch
A pocket watch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popular after World War I during which a transitional design,...
and a small "Geo Gate" diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
depicting the protagonist Evann. Customers who pre-order
Pre-order
A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular items in stores due to their popularity. Companies were then given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, before the release, ...
ed the game also received a Grandia miniature tote bag.
The voice acting for the English-language version was directed by WorldLink Technologies in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, with large involvement from Enix America. Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
voiced the antagonist Colonel Kroitz, while Dean Cain
Dean Cain
Dean Cain is an American actor. He is most widely known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in the popular American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
did Evann and Lisa Loeb
Lisa Loeb
Lisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She launched her career in 1994 with the song, "Stay ". She was the first artist to have a number one single in the United States while not signed to a recording contract.Loeb's efforts now include music, film, television, voice-over...
did Lutina. The North American version was showcased at the E3 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in May 2002, and was released on September 30, 2002. Enix America partnered with Versus Books to publish a strategy guide
Strategy guide
Strategy guides are instruction books that contain hints or complete solutions to specific video games. The line between strategy guides and walkthroughs is somewhat blurred, with the former often containing or being written around the latter. Strategy guides are often published in print, both in...
of the game and "expan[d] awareness of the franchise". The company also partnered with gaming website RPGFan for a quiz
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
contest to win free copies of the game and strategy guide.
Music
The score of the game was composed by Noriyuki IwadareNoriyuki Iwadare
is a Japanese video game composer.-Biography:He was born in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. He began to compose video game music after years of being involved with university bands. The first award he won the Best Game Music award, the Mega Drive/Genesis category for Lunar: The Silver...
in about half a year, with a focus on battle and dungeon music and an overall theme of friendship. The composer used the looped streaming ADX
ADX (file format)
ADX is a lossy proprietary audio storage and compression format developed by CRI Middleware specifically for use in video games, it is derived from ADPCM. Its most notable feature is a looping function that has proved useful for background music in various games that have adopted the format,...
format as in previous Grandia titles and had no technical issues working with the PlayStation 2 hardware. However, he was perplexed at first due to not being specialized in the militaristic aspects of the game's plot; in particular, he had difficulties completing the opening "Theme of Xtreme", and could not find any inspiration for it for two months. After getting advice from one of the development staff member and realizing the game is "still Grandia, after all", Iwadare managed to compose the track. He tried to imbue it with a feeling of camaraderie and to make it a "song of support for everyone who [would hear] it". The track "Quan Li" was composed with the same melodic motif
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
as the ending theme, but with the sharp
Sharp (music)
In music, sharp, dièse , or diesis means higher in pitch and the sharp symbol raises a note by a half tone. Intonation may be flat, sharp, or both, successively or simultaneously...
note omitted to musically convey the wrongness associated with "causing pain and spilling blood in the name of a Holy War", as witnessed in the plot of the game. Iwadare felt that giving people the chance to contemplate this was what he was most proud of concerning the score. The ending theme was further based on the feeling of love for mankind.
The soundtrack for the game was published in Japan by Two Five Records on March 1, 2002. In place of the game's ending theme, the album features its vocal arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, "Rein-car-nation", sung in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
by Kaori Kawasumi. One of the battle themes of the game, "Combat 2", was not included on the album as Iwadare thought it was not one of his favorites and felt it was not perfect. He stated that if a second volume of the album is ever released, he would agree to include the track.