Switch is becoming the go to console for exciting remasters of classic JRPG’s many players have grown up with over decades in time. Now two more classics are coming to the Switch in one bundle. The Grandia HD Collection will have both Grandia, originally on Sega Saturn and PlayStation 1 and Grandia 2, that was initially released on the Dreamcast. Details were released way back in September detailing enhancements and info about the remasters. To follow up, this year’s E3 provided some visual gameplay to demonstrate how the game plays on the Switch. Grandia will also be released on the PC to join Grandia 2, which is currently on Steam. The Grandia franchise provides a one of a kind battle system and some epic stories to be told. For those not familiar with the games, playing these on the go will be a real treat.
GungHo Online Entertainment released details on changes and upgrades both Grandia games will undergo. The original Grandia seems to get the most improvements given that the game has not seen a re-release since the PlayStation 1. Grandia 2 was released for the PS2 and PC and will use the most recent PC source code for the Switch. Grandia will see an improvement in the following aspects:
- Enhanced details to UI, sprites, and texture art.
- Original cinematic videos receiving visual enhancements
- Widescreen support and customizable resolutions for PC
- Addition of MSAA, bloom, normal mapping, and blur effects
- Steam cards and Achievements
- Japanese Audio & English Subtitles
- Language Support: English & Japanese
- Digitally converted game manual
- Utilizing PS1 & Sega Saturn source code
- Gamepad and keyboard support with remappable controls
Grandia 2 will see a digitally converted game manual that will be accessible to players and some audio fixes but changes to visuals are not apparent at this time.
The Grandia franchise is well-known for its unique combat system. Combat will feel turn based but also real time as characters dash across the battlefield unless an action is being implemented. This opens up unique strategies to completely cancel enemy attacks, guard against devastating abilities, and even move around the battlefield to avoid AOE damage. Grandia 2 also brought an exciting way to implement CG cutscenes during spell effects in the middle of real-time gameplay creating dazzling effects. Overall, you won’t find a battle system similar to the Grandia franchise and experiencing it feels fresh.
Still not an exact date on when Grandia HD Collection is getting released but GungHo has promised in the near future. Nevertheless, both of these games will be a great addition to the Nintendo Switches JRPG library. To keep up with the latest information about the game, stay in touch here at MXDWN Games.