Looks like Dreamcast wins again

[Detestable Geohound]

Hate to say it, but despite the 'upgraded' graphics (of which was only half done) it seems like the Dreamcast version is still the best version of the game.

• This version has some pretty poorly made UI graphics (New Compass is pretty awful looking)
  
  
• This version has some serious sound issues. We have badly looped music, out of sync music, they added music in places where it doesn't make any sense (never having been there before), or all together sounds are drowned out or too low.
  
  
• Timing issues (fights start immediately instead of a slightly delayed reaction so you know what the hell happened).
  
  
• They didn't update/upgrade the cinematics both for content (such as the opening credits) or the fights (no awesome HD Lightning Dragons). Even in aspect ratio, the scenes are unbearable and were better on the Dreamcast.

I think Gung Ho may have actually been using the PC Port and throwing in DreamCast content, because it's far more remeniscent of the old port than the original game. It's a major dissapointment. If they had fixed the sound issues at least it'd be bearable; but I can't even hear anyone talk in half the scenes because they decided to add music in scenes where music never existed in the original version.

[keehu]

When was the last time you played the Dreamcast version on the monitor you're playing this version on?

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by You N'wah:

When was the last time you played the Dreamcast version on the monitor you're playing this version on?

A few months ago.

The plus of having HDMI ports on your laptop is you can actually play games on your TV.

[zshadez]

Originally posted by Detestable Geohound:

Originally posted by You N'wah:

When was the last time you played the Dreamcast version on the monitor you're playing this version on?

A few months ago.

The plus of having HDMI ports on your laptop is you can actually play games on your TV.

And you were playing at native resolution and rendering? Like a lot of older games, Grandia 2 looks great when you're rendering it at 4x native resolution and outputting it at 1080... but it looks like ♥♥♥♥ otherwise. Even with all of that disabled you're still upscaling it with your video card's support. That isn't a comparison to actually playing native on a Dreamcast. The FF X/X2 remaster edition looked worse than cranking the hell out of settings on an emulator too... that doesn't mean it (and this) isn't a good step forward from the original.

[keehu]

well the difference is that the Dreamcast version was actually a 2 year project that was built for the Dreamcast from the ground up. Everything else has just ported that to work on more modern platforms, so the sound system that was heavily engrained in the Dreamcast will not work the same way on PC, unless everything is scrapped.

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by zshadez:

Originally posted by Detestable Geohound:

A few months ago.

The plus of having HDMI ports on your laptop is you can actually play games on your TV.

And you were playing at native resolution and rendering? Like a lot of older games, Grandia 2 looks great when you're rendering it at 4x native resolution and outputting it at 1080... but it looks like ♥♥♥♥ otherwise. Even with all of that disabled you're still upscaling it with your video card's support. That isn't a comparison to actually playing native on a Dreamcast. The FF X/X2 remaster edition looked worse than cranking the hell out of settings on an emulator too... that doesn't mean it (and this) isn't a good step forward from the original.

As I've said, graphically I can let is slide; but audio wise it's completely messed up. To the point where it's actually been comical. Fix that and I'll manage to keep playing.

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by You N'wah:

well the difference is that the Dreamcast version was actually a 2 year project that was built for the Dreamcast from the ground up. Everything else has just ported that to work on more modern platforms, so the sound system that was heavily engrained in the Dreamcast will not work the same way on PC, unless everything is scrapped.

Except that they've clearly scrapped the way the audio worked in the original. They've added music to scenes.

None of the music fades or sound cuts from the original are here; they've been either completely removed or replaced. After the fight with Milenia in the beginning for example, there was no music playing on the Dreamcast version (or the electrical sound, that was a PS2 port addition) when Ryudo is trapped and down on one knee. Here there is and it's really out of place, because the music and the scene don't really fit.

[CereaL KillA]

we got achievements that gives us a reason to replay the game, so sorry you lose...

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by CeriaL KillA:

we got achievements that gives us a reason to replay the game, so sorry you lose...

What? You mean people don't replay games because they enjoyed them?

Smells kinda trolly.

[Shinrin Cole]

I can see how the battle loading quickly isn't quite an issue if you think about it, the dream cast had to load data from a disc which takes longer from when reading from a hard drive. you may say, you use an ISO on an emulator and it's fine. but the emulator actually emulates the cd loading. That's all i'm able to think of for the battles on the PC version.

[Ahramanyu]

I just got around to install the game, played the first 40 minutes and finished my battle with Millenia. Weird things all over the place, if i compare it with ps2/dreamcast, which i recently used to route the game.

While i like the fast dialogue, so many other things are way too fast. People seem to glide over the floor, like the Father when Millenia shows up. Speaking of Millenia: Whatever lightbeam the Father is shooting her her, it doesn't even has an animation. Battle-intro? Gone. Soundeffects too loud, overpowering voices.
Im not far into the game yet, so i won't call the entire port a failure yet. But i am worried about what's coming.

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by ahramanyu:

Whatever lightbeam the Father is shooting her her, it doesn't even has an animation.

I actually noticed that. What I think happened was that they had it all in place but the transition between Carius and Milenia was too slow; it looks like you catch Milennia reflecting the attack mid-way through her animation.

But yes, it does not bode well. If they could fix the audio issues though, it would definitely make the game more playable. To the point that I'd argue it'd be nearly on par with the Dreamcast version.

[BONKERS]

Comparisons with pictures and videos or placebo. And only one of those reasons actually seems valid to me.

The game is seriously old by this point, I doubt they have the sources to the original rendering software, even if they did they'd probably have to run it on old PCs for the software to work.

[Detestable Geohound]

Originally posted by BONKERS:

Comparisons with pictures and videos or placebo.

You show me a walkthrough of this version of the game and I can find you one with any other version. I can't imagine there are many quality youtube videos up for this version of the game right now.

Originally posted by BONKERS:

The game is seriously old by this point, I doubt they have the sources to the original rendering software, even if they did they'd probably have to run it on old PCs for the software to work.

I can see that for cutscenes, but the battle magic stuff could have easily just been redone entirely; none of them are that long and there are maybe 30 of them total. Half of what made the game fun was using the crazy magic spells like DragonZap and Ba Boom.

[Artemis-kun]

Originally posted by You N'wah:

When was the last time you played the Dreamcast version on the monitor you're playing this version on?

Literally, less than a year ago, on actual Dreamcast hardware. The nice thing about the Dreamcast is that it was leagues ahead of its time, and included native RGB/VGA support. Sure, this version is decidedly sharper looking, and it's nice to have a contoller that doesn't nearly ruin your thumb (why oh why Sega did you choose hard plastic grips on the analog stick T_T), but the DC version, played properly, is also very impressive, despite the age of everything involved. My DC games look orders of magnitude better than my PS2 ones, for example.

That all said, it is nice that this version exists, even with the flaws. It breathes new life into things, introduces one of the greatest JRPGs ever to an entirely new audience, and, best of all, allows for room to improve. The nice thing about Steam releases and digital distribution is that it gives the production company a chance to tidy things up and listen to user feedback. Some companies do this better than others, and while I'm wholly unfamiliar with Gung Ho, given the whole survey thing that led to this even being made into reality, I'm willing to bet they'll do more listening to us than most. If it's physically possible to do, I'm holding out hope that they'll deliver.

[Warrior of Right]

and that's why i keep Grandia 2 in the disc tray of my dreamcast.....
(only remove it to play other games)

Dreamcast and VGA box for 480p FTW!!!!