"With its tremendous legacy as one of the premier role-playing franchises in the world, we worked meticulously hard to ensure that the translation of the game remained letter-perfect to its Japanese original," said Paul Handelman, president of Enix America. "Our online forums have been filled with messages from fans anxiously waiting for the game to ship, and we are pleased to announce that the day is here."
A dramatic story-driven adventure featuring an extremely sophisticated AI engine and deep character skill development, Grandia Xtreme also includes an enhanced version of the renowned battle system. The battle system captures the chaotic nature of group combat, and combines it with the finest elements of real-time and turn-based combat systems, resulting in a unique blend of strategy and fighting. Combat highlights include an Initiative Point System for determining who attacks first; bonuses for timing and combos; and the ability to utilize the elemental powers of Fire, Air, Earth and Water against enemies.
Adding star appeal to the powerful franchise are the voice talents of Mark Hamill, Lisa Loeb, and Dean Cain. Actor Mark Hamill expertly assumes the role of Colonel Kroitz, the Supreme Commander, who is filled with a fierce loathing for the hero, Evann, portrayed by actor and TV personality, Dean Cain. Recording artist Lisa Loeb rounds out the high-profile cast, providing the voice-over talent for Lutina, confident officer of an elite Arcadian unit and the heroine of the story.
Other features of Grandia Xtreme include:
- 360-degree viewing radius in fully rendered 3-D environments creates dramatic worlds and integrates physical puzzles into game play;
- Sophisticated AI options ranging from 'Totally Aggressive' to 'Safety First' streamline game play and add additional strategic depth to combat. Two AI settings can be configured for each player and players can switch between both settings;
- Map and radar functions to ease exploration. Radar alerts the gamer to the presence of enemies so the user can choose to engage or run. No random combat to frustrate the user;
- Deep character development system whereby attaching skill books and magical Mana Eggs enable each character to grow in a variety of ways;
- Innovative strategy sessions occur in-game as characters discuss issues and learn which actions they should take next.
Grandia Xtreme is now available for the suggested retail price of $49.99. More information regarding the game can be found at www.enix.com/grandia-xtreme/. Enix's entire lineup of exciting products can be found at www.enix.com.
About Grandia
Developed by Game Arts and originally released in North America for the PlayStation(r) game console in October 1999, Grandia quickly leaped to the forefront of a new generation of RPGs. Its critically acclaimed combat system and deep character development combined to position Grandia as a key contributor to the emergence of RPG games into the mainstream. The series continued its prominence at the forefront of the genre with the December 2000 North American release of Grandia 2 for Sega Dreamcast(tm); Grandia 2 remains the all-time, best-selling traditional RPG game for the Dreamcast platform and has recently been re-released for both the PlayStation(r)2 and PC. Grandia Xtreme represents the first original Grandia series game for the PlayStation(r)2 system and continues the legacy of the series.