Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Thank you, Takeshi Miyaji

I was very sad to find out Takeshi Miyaji, co-founder of Game Arts and daddy to the Grandia series, passed away a few days ago to unknown causes.

To me, Grandia is one of those games that just oozes with charm. It quickly grew a spot in my heart with its light-natured story of romance and adventure that you don’t find in many games these days. It features a great cast with one of the most lovable protagonists of all time, and his bright spirit and unrivaled moxie will have you constantly rooting for him to succeed in his struggle. I can’t think of many 14-year-olds that crash weddings, travel to the ends of the world, solve mysteries of an ancient civilization, rescue his dream girl, and save the world, all in one adventure! The plot may be simple, but its execution is—dare I say it?—grand!

Grandia—the ultimate feel-good RPG.

And if the story didn't reel you in, the gameplay surely did. Grandia delivered a battle formula that would become a staple for its sequels, combining real-time and turn-based combat that was quite revolutionary for its time. It's simple to pick up, and incredibly rewarding to master--using the right attacks at the right time can cancel enemy attacks, for example. Play your cards right, and you can even defeat some bosses without letting them ever get a turn!

One of the game's many crowning moments of awesome. I remember it well.

It may not be perfect, but I love it for its quirks. The dialogue can get a little cheesy, and the voice acting falls into the so bad it's good category (another staple of the Grandia series) on many occasions. I will be following the footsteps of our Dr. Fink and do a Playing the Classics piece on this wonderful game in remembrance. Thank you very much, Takeshi Miyaji, for what you have given the gaming community. You will be missed.

1 comment:

  1. I've had Grandia for the PSN awhile as I was intending to play it after finishing and enjoying Grandia II.

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