Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Surprisingly good"

Grim Grimoire is a real time strategy game on the PS2 with charming graphics and an intriguing story. However, can a RTS really have fantastic and memorable game play on a console?

Gameplay: The first thing to know about Grim Grimoire is it's a 2D RTS. Or a two dimensional real time strategy game meaning the player builds an army by collecting resources and then leads that army on a 2D plane. The first and foremost thing I want to talk about first is how a RTS holds up on the PS2. The controls are solid for being on a controller. The player uses square to select units and uses the triggers (I believe, sorry if my memory fails) to scroll though abilities or commands. The X button is used to select the use of an ability or command such as attack, defend, or a spell. The right analog stick can be used to quickly scroll to different parts of the map or the player can move the cursor to the edge of the screen to scroll. The left analog is used to maneuver the cursor on the screen. These controls would be too slow with no hotkeys if the game didn't allow the player to freeze the action. Being able to pause and issue out orders is essential to the game because with the lack of hotkeys it is difficult to be quick with the controls. The controls work fine for this game and I feel as if Grim Grimoire did all it could being given a controller to work with.

For the actual gameplay, it is entertaining. There is only one resource in the game and it can be mined dry. However, there are plenty of spots to mine resources from and with only one resource to worry about it is a simple task to gather. There are basically four races or as the game calls them, Grimoire's to choose from. All four could be used in a single match if there are the resources to support them, which is unlikely. Each Grimoire has a Grimoire is does well and poorly when pitted against. It's supposed to be rock-paper-scissors fashion even though I found any Grimoire can beat any Grimoire if done right. Each Grimoire has unique abilities and units, but there are the basics each Grimoire has. Such as four structures to choose from to build, defensive structures, builders, and other things. The combat is balanced and is done on floors. There are many floors on each level and units have to walk up or down stairs to engage units on a different level. There are exceptions such as ranged or flying units. The variety of units is awesome from beasts that take up a third of the screen, to little flying fairies, to ghost. There is a large variety of units with plenty of abilities. By progressing in the campaign new abilities and Grimoire's will be unlocked (in the beginning the game gives the player a Grimoire with only of its four structures available) which gave me the feeling that my army was growing larger and stronger. Each Grimoire does feel unique and more than likely the player will have a favorite and use it heavily. Luckily there are a couple of times Grim Grimoire puts in match settings to force the player to play with a certain Grimoire. Other match settings include survive for a blank amount of time, defend a spot, and others. I guess one of my complaints would be the AI at times because I could build a single unit and win the game. The AI would have the option of building the counter unit, but opted not to. The game still gave me a challenge especially the final levels which truly tested my abilities.

The gameplay was deep with the 4 Grimoires and wide variety of unit types. If the player wanted to, the game offers enough depth to micro manage all the units and pause the game constantly to perfectly plan assaults. That's where this game shines, the sheer amount of paths to choose from to defend or attack. Perhaps a swarm of smaller flying creatures supported by long range attacks is the answer to penetrating a fortress. Or maybe a different route of the ultimate weapons of war (large, expensive, and hard hitting creatres) supported by healers. A whole new option opens up with perhaps spell casters to soften up the defense and hit with a medium army of solid units. That's just the beginning, which Grimoire should be used; shall the player call upon the power of nature or raise the dead? Maybe a different army would be better than either of the two. The choice is usually up to the player and that by itself is a joy to do.

Story: The story in Grim Grimoire is an enjoyable one. It will remind the player of Harry Potter. It starts out with a new student of magic named Lillet Blan. She wants to become a great wizard to provide income for her family. Along the way she meets other students each with a unique personality such as a student with an ego or a student who seems to be strange. I don't want to spoil much so I won't give away much about the students. The teachers are also unique in their own ways. The story would have been enough alone to keep playing for me even if the gameplay would have been mediocre. It's not one of the greatest stories of all time, but I enjoyed it very much. Lillet Blan was a solid lead character and I thought she had quality character design along with all the other characters and units. Lillet goes through some changes and is a caring friend. Seeing her go through her adventure is a pleasure and the great story has to thank her.

Soundtrack and Graphics: Well the first thing to know is some of the units say the same thing every time they are chosen, which to some may become annoying. I just got use to their voices, but if others are in the room I could see the voices becoming slightly annoying. The characters on the other hand have good voice acting. The music was decent and does fit the setting, but none of the songs stuck out to me very much except the opening. The game may be old, but the graphics hold up pretty well. They do show their age, but the 2D art style is cool to look at and I love the colors of the characters. The other thing I would have changed is each level has the same back ground. It would have been nice for different back grounds for the visuals.

Graphics: 8
Gameplay: 8
Main Story: 8.5
Side Missions: none
Characters: 8
Main Character: 8.5
Replay Value: 6
Freshness: 7.5
Exploration: none
Voice acting: 8
Emotion: 6.5
Weapons: 9 (I decided to make this units for this game)
Powers: 8.5 (For unit powers)
Level Design: 6.5
Freedom: 8.5
Music: 7
Overall: 8.5


Final Thoughts: I didn't do any of the extra missions for the game because although I enjoyed the game play, I didn't feel the need to do 25 more missions. The game is solid all around, but didn't blow me away in any specific category. The one category I gave a 9 is weapons (units in this case) because I thought the units were well balanced and just plain fun to use especially once they gained new abilities. That is the reason for the 8.5, it was a solid in so many categories, but not superb in any.