There's so much I like about this game, but I'll say the bottom line first, it's just WAY too damn long for what it is.
While the combat is possibly the best part of the game, the gameplay is essentially 80% battles. The grinding of skills is awful, especially when you can't skip spell animations.

I got up to Cafu but I can't go on anymore. The world is interesting, but the exploration is lacking. The world doesn't look the best (maybe the HD version makes it look muddier or something?) and the map and minimap orientation is terrible. This is one of my biggest complaints, I never know where I am, no matter which town or field I'm in.

I can definitely forgive the lack of an in-your-face story, it doesn't try to do anything crazy. It's about the exploration, the adventure. It nails that feeling, no doubt.
I wish it was voice acted more than just a few important story scenes, and I wish the dialogue was better. It feels extremely stilted sometimes.
Lots of complaints but I do love a lot about this game; maybe I'll enjoy Grandia 2 more.

Always wanted to play this, and while the remaster itself has its issues, the underlying game is incredible. It is biologically impossible not to fall in love with Grandia's characters. I was already finding the character design, their interactions and their story compelling, and then Sue and Puffy did their cheer attack, and that was that. Love.

While the overall story is a familiar one - an organization of baddies is digging into ancient ruins and awakening powers they don't fully understand and certainly cannot control - the details greatly differentiate it from similar stories I've played before. The light steampunk setting, the way the story unfolds over a massive amount of terrain, the cross seas adventuring, the naked medusas and guitar-wielding bad guys - great ideas are packed into every corner.

The remaster itself is a bit sloppy. I'd greatly have preferred the original pixel art over this very smudgy "smoothing" of the artwork. And the game is far too easy, only really rising up to a challenge on optional dungeons or a few major bosses. But the wildly engaging and smart battle system keeps even the easy fights fun.

All in all I loved this game, the world, the characters, the quest the systems. I just wish the remaster did it more justice.