Grandia III

Grandia III from 2006 is a JRPG by Game Arts, published under the Square Enix label, continuing the series' tradition of a distinctive combat system and a pleasant, adventurous spirit. The story follows young pilot Yuki, whose dream is to fly higher than anyone before him, and his journey — together with a group of friends, including a talented aircraft mechanic and a mysterious girl with a strange power — takes him across a colorful world full of flight motifs, islands in the clouds, and ancient mysteries.

The core of the gameplay remains the hybrid IP Gauge combat system, which combines turn-based strategy with real-time timing — players can interrupt enemy actions with well-timed strikes, gaining a tactical advantage that turns battles into more of a fluid dance than the stiff turn-taking of classic JRPGs. Visually, the game draws on a striking anime character style and colorful, open environments, a noticeable contrast to the darker, more realistic JRPGs of its generation. The music and full English voice acting give the story the lighter, adventurous tone typical of the Grandia series since its beginnings.

Contemporary reviews praised the elaborate and enjoyable combat system but criticized the slower pacing of the story and the smaller scale of the game world compared to what fans of the series' previous entries expected. Even so, thanks to its quality combat system and pleasant atmosphere, Grandia III found its audience, and for lovers of classic JRPGs it remains a solid, if imperfect, farewell to the series on home consoles of that generation. Although the story and world feel more contained than in previous entries, the battles themselves remain, thanks to the clear IP Gauge system, one of the most technically well-executed combat systems of the PS2 generation. The game also offers an elaborate skill-growth system using so-called Skill Books, letting players gradually tailor each character's combat style to their own preferences.

Why play it: For a quality, clearly readable combat system built around the IP Gauge, even though the slower pacing and smaller world compared to previous entries may somewhat disappoint fans of the series.