SuperDerek examines the Grandia HD Collection, and inspecting the remaster, determines what worked in the HD remake and what did not. The Grandia HD Collection contains both Grandia and Grandia 2. Grandia 1 was originally released on Sega Saturn and ported to the PlayStation in the west, and Grandia 2 was originally released on the Sega Dreamcast, and eventually ported to the PlayStation 2. The HD Collection appears to be based on the PlayStation release of Grandia 1, and the Dreamcast version of Grandia 2.

The good: The games both run well at a constant 30fps and I didn't notice any frame-drops in the course of my time with each. The Japanese audio options are also fantastic, and will be preferable to many people out there except for nostalgia nerds like myself. Finally the wide-screen support is also really nice overall.

The not so good: The $40 price tag is a big ask for a couple of digital-only remasters, and the smoothing on the game is also not fantastic. Ideally I would like to be able to turn off the smoothing on Grandia 1, and maybe add some difficulty options, but none of these gripes take away from the overall experience of either game.

So unless you're a purist, I would recommend taking a look at these games. because even with the retail price tag, the games will still be cheaper than if you were to purchase them physcially on their original platforms.

Grandia 2 is already available on Steam for $20, and Grandia 1 will be joining it on Steam in September.


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