The Granstream Saga
| The Granstream Saga | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Shade |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Kōhei Tanaka Masanori Hikichi Miyoko Kobayashi Takako Ochiai |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | 1 CD-ROM |
The Granstream Saga (グランストリーム伝記 Guransutorīmu Denki) is an action role-playing game for the PlayStation. The game was developed by a team consisting of staff from the developer Quintet under the name Shade.
The Granstream Saga is lauded as one of the first fully polygonal RPGs, as opposed to using pre-rendered backgrounds. The game features anime-style cutscenes by Production I.G. It is also somewhat unique in that the characters the player meets in the game are faceless. The game's plot is based on the manga series Kros.[1]
Prior to release, it was highly anticipated, but sales were ultimately disappointing.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
Gameplay consists of top-down rpg-exploration and storytelling. When confronted or ambushed by an enemy, the camera angle shifts to a 45 degree angle, and combat gameplay begins. Combat gameplay consists of realtime battles, as opposed to the norm of turn based rpg combat. In realtime combat, you will utilize several weapons and abilities, such as swords, daggers, axes, warhammers, and various spells. When not in combat, you will spend a very large time exploring, gaining new weapons and armor, and conversing with the many characters of the different continents.
[edit] Story
One hundred years prior to the story's beginning, there was a great war waged between the Allied Spirit Army and the Imperial Wizardry. The war waged for ages, with neither side having a clear advantage. The Imperial Wizardry employed a new weapon that would fire at the core, with the intent of causing heavy terrain damage to enemy territory, but a severe miscalculation caused the planet's axis to shift and cause global warming. Before the Earth could sink, four wise men created a machine to allow four of the continents to float, avoiding death. The wise men left the mechanism in the hands of their descendants. However, in the present day, their descendants have disappeared, and the remaining continents have begun to sink.
[edit] Music
The game's anime cutscenes feature music by composer Kōhei Tanaka while the rest of the in-game music was composed by Quintet's sound staff including Masanori Hikichi, Miyoko Kobayashi, and Takako Ochiai.[2]
[edit] Reception
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 73.43%[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
The game received an average score of 73.43% at Game Rankings, based on an aggregate of 7 reviews,[3] THQ was the United States publisher, and their job with the English version voice acting in the game was poorly reviewed.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Boor, Jason (February 6, 1998). "Granstream Saga". IGN.com. http://psx.ign.com/articles/122/122305p1.html. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- ^ (CD liner). The Granstream Saga Original Sound Track. Kohei Tanaka. Japan: First Smile Entertainment. 1998. FSCA-10029.
- ^ a b "The Granstream Saga". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197486-the-granstream-saga/index.html. Retrieved 2011-06-11.
- ^ "Audio Atrocities". http://www.audioatrocities.com/games/granstream/index.html. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
[edit] External links
- The Granstream Saga at GameFAQs
- The Granstream Saga at MobyGames
- The Granstream Saga at Game Rankings
- [1] (Overview of the Soul Blazer trilogy and Granstream Saga)
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