History Videogame / GrandiaII

* AnAesop: The game places a lot of emphasis on the importance of making one's own decisions. Throughout the game, Roan learns that following authority is not a way of living, Mareg teaches Tio to learn to be her own master instead of following orders, and Ryudo hammers it into Elena that even though they were playing into Pope Zera's hand the whole second half of the quest, she is not a servant to anyone, not even the [[spoiler: dead]] God of Light Granas or the returning [[GodOfEvil Valmar]]. And since that game was made in a country where the interests of the group is emphasized over those of the individual, this is one anvil that especially needed to be dropped ''there''.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: The Granasaber is all set up to be one of these. [[spoiler: But it turns out to be a spaceship no one could possibly wield.]]
** Ryudo gets a more usable version in the climax, and it's the single best weapon in the game by quite a margin in terms of attack power, as well as cutting all of Ryudo's move costs by 15%.

* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Just like the original, with the TagalongKid visiting old locations. (Sue is substituted with Roan in this version.)

* BlondBrunetteRedhead: Elena (the good), Selene (the bad), and Millenia ([[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers the naughty]]).

The second entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Grandia}}'' series, ''Grandia II'' was the only game developed by Creator/GameArts for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast. Originally released in 2000, it received UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and Windows ports two years later. The game received its English localization from Creator/{{Ubisoft}}.

* GameBreakingBug: Millenia's Zap! ability may cause the game to freeze.
** In the first battle against Millenia (a HopelessBossFight), the battle is scripted to end when Millenia casts her Zap! spell. She can get caught in an AI loop that causes her to ''never'' use Zap!, and it's impossible to end the battle in any other way (her HP doesn't decrease, and you can't escape the battle).

** The previous ''Grandia'''s [[BattleThemeMusic battle music]] can be heard while arm-wrestling Hemble. The deck-swabbing music plays during the Nanan village minigame.

* AwfulTruth: [[spoiler: [[GodIsDead Granas is dead]] and the [[CorruptChurch church is a sham]] working to ressurect Valmar.]]

* AwfulTruth: [[spoiler: [[GodIsDead Granada is dead]] and the [[CorruptChurch church is a sham]] working to ressurect Valmar.]]

* AwfulTruth: [[spoiler: [[GodIsDead Granada is dead]] and the [[CorruptChurch church is a sham]] working to ressurect Valmar.]]]

%%* AwfulTruth

* AnAesop: The game places a lot of emphasis on the importance of making one's own decisions. Throughout the game, Roan learns that following authority is not a way of living, Mareg teaches Tio to learn to be her own master instead of following orders, and Ryudo hammers it into Elena that even though they were playing into Pope Zera's hand the whole second half of the quest, she is not a servant to anyone, not even the dead God of Light Granas or the returning [[GodOfEvil Valmar]]. And since that game was made in a country where the interests of the group is emphasized over those of the individual, this is one anvil that especially needed to be dropped ''there''.

* ContractualBossImmunity: Bosses are mostly immune to status ailments, but there is one major exception: [[spoiler:None of the bosses -- up to and including the final boss -- are immune to Spellbinding Eye's paralysis effect.]]

* GoldfishScoopingGame

* LoveTriangle: And both women share the same body [[spoiler:(for most of the game)]]. Awkward.

--->'''NPC:''' You call them [[NamesTheSame sandmen]]? How original. I bet they travel single file to hide their numbers, too.

** Practically [[NecessaryWeasel lampooned]] in Raul Hills by having a main road which is severed by a broken bridge and (further down) a rockslide, necessitating a massive detour.

** The Mirumu quest takes this trope UpToEleven.

* CompletelyMissingThePoint: When talking to one of the Agear guards, he mentions that the Sandmen in an upcoming area use sand attacks.

* GodGuise: [[spoiler:Essentially ''everything'' that had to do with Granas and Valmar was a great big ScamReligion. Granas is dead, the seals on Valmar were designed to help resurrect him, the Church is evil and both Granas and Valmar weren't gods but merely really powerful scientists.]] Of course, [[spoiler:Zera]] later steps into this role.
* GodAndSatanAreBothJerks: It's implied (though not directly stated) that Granas and Valmar were originally [[spoiler:mere mortals who somehow elevated themselves to god-like beings via technology]]. The pair of them more or less enslaved humanity, eventually pitting them against one another in an apocalyptic war. Though Granas was [[spoiler:killed, his followers continued to dupe the world into believing that he will someday rise again to save them]].

* {{Gotterdammerung}}: The prologue depicts a great war between "Good and Evil". [[spoiler:Evil eventually won]], but needed a couple thousand years of rest. The remnants of humanity deluded each other into thinking [[spoiler:good had won and built a whole religion around brain-washing control]].

* BubblyClouds: The first level of Aira's dreamspace.
* BurnTheWitch: When a sleep curse starts tormenting Mirumu, the village chief reaches out to nearby Granas Cathedral for help. Who ya gonna call? The Head Inquisitor of the church, who places the village on lockdown and announces her plans to "[[KillItWithFire cleanse]]" the town to save it.

* ButThouMust: When Ryudo activates [[spoiler: the "seal of Granas," which just injects his soul into the consciousness of Valmar]], he is forced to answer three questions about whether he desires power. However, if he says that he desires it, he is told that that is not his real opinion, and must answer again. Which is kinda weird, since after answering all the questions 'properly', the inner voice explains to you why your answers ''do'' mean that you want the power. Are you trying to confuse us, game?
** [[spoiler:This is just Valmar's attempt to corrupt Ryudo's soul.]]

* KnightOfCerebus: The story is not exactly a buddy comedy; nevertheless, the Eye of Valmar is the most sinister of the sealed bosses, using Ryudo's own memories against him. It's also the most difficult to thwart. Selene could also count as Elena's Knight of Cerebus.

* LightIsNotGood: Contrary to its name, the [[spoiler:Church of Granas]] turns out to be helping to revive Valmar. [[spoiler:The Pope]] could actually be said to be ''much more'' evil than Valmar, as he seeks to absorb Valmar's power in the same manner as Millenia and make himself [[spoiler:a replacement for the long-dead Granas]].

* EvilIsNotAToy: [[spoiler:Pope Zera and Valmar. After reconstructing the evil god, Pope Zera successfully seizes control of it himself. Of course, Zera was insane to begin with, so it doesn't help the protagonists much at all.]]

* EvilIsNotAToy: [[Pope Zera and Valmar. After reconstructing the evil god, Pope Zera successfully seizes control of it himself. Of course, Zera was insane to begin with, so it doesn't help the protagonists much at all.]]

* YinYangBomb: The ultimate message of the game is that good and evil must coexist. Both are necessary to win the game, as your final party arrangement consists of a holy priestess (Elena) and [[spoiler:a servant of evil (Millenia)]] -- and Ryudo, the hero, is kind of a neutral mix of both.

* FlowerInHerHair: Aira.

''Grandia II'''s most notable aspects are the battle system: A refinement of the battle system from [[Videogame/Grandia1 the original]] and the benchmark for successful [[CombatantCooldownSystem merging of real-time and turn-based battle]]. And the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic music]]. Particularly the battle themes. Yes, the battle system was so popular that [[VideoGame/GrandiaXtreme the next game]] was almost entirely built around it (with less-than-stellar results).

* AttackOfTheTownFestival: Subverted with Cyrum Kingdom, which uses the crisis as an excuse to launch a brand new festival on the heels of an old one.
* AutobotsRockOut: Possibly inverted, since the majority of the battle themes qualify as this.

* {{BFS}}: The Granasaber, which is so huge it could cleave mountains (literally; it's that huge). [[spoiler:Subverted. Turns out it's a spacecraft.]]
-->'''Ryudo''': So this is the power of the Granasaber. It fights evil and has [[spoiler:plenty of leg room]].
** Though you do get a more usable one near the end of the game.
** The Cathedral Knights are packing broadswords that are nearly as big as themselves.

* BriarPatching: Subverted when Gonzola threatens to march right into the monster-infested Durham Cave and rescue Roan. Ryudo irritably calls his bluff by staying mute.

* EvilRedhead: Subverted. Millenia is a piece of the world's devil, so many think Millenia is evil, even herself. But helping Roan shows early on that she might be something else.

* EvilIsNotAToy: [[spoiler:Averted (or even inverted) with Pope Zera and Valmar; after reconstructing the evil god, Pope Zera successfully seizes control of it himself. Of course, Zera was insane to begin with, so it doesn't help the protagonists much at all.]]

** As she is devoured by Valmar, [[spoiler:Millenia]] expresses happiness at experiencing love, even it it was for a short while. [[spoiler:Subverted when she gets better.)]]

* ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacguffin: Inverted with the dying Melfice, who inadvertently [[spoiler: passes the Horns of Valmar on to Ryudo]].

* MacGuffinDeliveryService: Millenia is on the hunt for pieces of Valmar, absorbing them into herself and learning their abilities. Gee, what an impossibly convenient way of gathering of all Valmar's parts in one place! [[spoiler:This is the entire reason why Pope Zera wanted Elena to go with Ryudo.]] Later subverted by Ryudo after he kills [[spoiler:Melfice and absorbs ''his'' piece of Valmar]].

** When Ryudo is placed in a coma from [[spoiler:Valmar's Horn]], Millenia resurfaces to do her work. Her mood is [[NothingPersonal calm and detached]]: Ryudo might have been a comrade and lover once, but he's grist for Valmar now. [[spoiler:Subverted when she cracks and starts sobbing at his bedside.]]

* MysteriousInformant: Subverted with Hemble, who pretends to be one of these, but is only interested in showing off to women.

* NewsTravelsFast: Subverted by the self-proclaimed "Trade King" of St. Heim, who is unaware of a) the collapse of the Skyway into the Granacliffs (courtesy of you), and b) Liligue's curse being lifted, meaning that its citizens no longer have any appetite for the "King's" disgusting arum root.

* SinInvitesPossession: Subverted: At first, it seems the people possessed by the [[SealedEvilInASixPack pieces of Valmar]] are guilty of some vice, such as the wealthy trade magnate who becomes a gluttonous blob while his employees starve. Gradually, it comes to light that Valmar can possess anyone who possesses strong desire, such as [[spoiler:a young girl's desire to make the people of her village happy]], and can as easily infect the innocent and good as the false and wicked.

* SwordOfPlotAdvancement: Finding the Granasaber, a sword that fell to earth during a battle between two Gods, is the focal point of the game's second act. Subverted as it turns out to be [[spoiler:a spacecraft, not a sword at all]], and then played straight at the end of the game when the hero actually ''does'' acquire a sword called the Granasaber, capable of harming the evil God.

* WeakenedByTheLight: Subverted (and played for laughs) when Millenia exits the Durham Cave at daybreak. She cries, "Aaaa! The accursed light of the sun! It burns! It burns!" (Kidding.)

** Before the final battle, a chasm separates Roan and Tio from the rest of the party, forcing them to go it alone against Valmar's insectoids. This means they're left with no path of escape when Vamlar's body starts to crumble (in space). Subverted when Tio activates some sort of shield around her body and grabs Roan, protecting both of them as they drift down toward the planet.

* TickingClock: To lift Mirumu's curse before the entire town dies in their sleep. Or Selene burns them to death -- whichever comes first. This is one quest that won't be easily solved by beating something up; meanwhile, the villagers drop one by one and the town atrophies.

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