Nippon Ichi Software, Vanillaware
3.39 from 46 ratings
169 members have it in their collection · 3 playing now · 86 backlogged · 67 wish listed
How long? Main story 14h (from 2 logged playthroughs)
Status BMO Apr 14, 2022
Oh look GrimGrimoire is being remade. I always wanted a PS Vita version, so I expect I'll pick this up for Switch. Vanillaware games are a rare bunch where I don't mind remakes. Vanillaware does an impeccable job and usually it just lets them present their already gorgeous visuals at a higher resolution.
Review Slantindicular 3/5 · Jan 26, 2019
This was a strange game, at least from my American perspective. It is a real-time strategy game that is much more interested in aesthetics and story than in the actual game play. Here were my experiences with it:
--The Good--
I personally enjoy Vanillaware's style, with Odin Sphere being one of my favorite titles of all time. If you aren't …
This was a strange game, at least from my American perspective. It is a real-time strategy game that is much more interested in aesthetics and story than in the actual game play. Here were my experiences with it:
--The Good--
I personally enjoy Vanillaware's style, with Odin Sphere being one of my favorite titles of all time. If you aren't familiar, their games basically look like gothic picture books with some stylistic deformation. Characters are a little too big, they are a little too bent, and a little too disproportional in different ways. I know it sounds strange (and it is), but it is not actually ugly for all its strangeness. Instead it is simply unique, and can sometimes even be beautiful. While the story is structured in a classic way it has a weird tempo, and the voice acting is also pleasantly strange. It all contributed to the slightly odd feel of this game's style.
--The Bad--
Real time strategy games need to have maps that are easy to navigate, units that are easy to select, and tech trees that feel intuitive. None of that is present in this game. You can't group units and there is no way to zip around the map, so I often found myself slowly scrolling back and forth. Sometimes the game even forces you to do that, giving you two starting bases almost across the map from each other. Some of the units are very big and some are very small, so selecting the right one can be a pain if they are stack together (and with some units being almost as large as the screen that happens pretty often). Unless you are careful units also tend to run off to their deaths, chasing enemies mindlessly. Unit movement is imprecise too. It is easy to accidentally try and send your units to an inaccessible are because of how repetitive the map terrain is. Then your units running off to try and figure out a path, only to die in the middle of an enemy base.
---The Verdict---
The saving grace of this game is its short playtime. I finished in about 15 hours, without completing any of the optional maps. Because it is relatively short you can enjoy the story and stylistic elements without having the clunky game-play wear you out. I think it is a unique enough experience that it is worth it. But if you are not convinced it might be a better idea to start off with Odin Sphere (the Leifthrasir edition for PS4 if you can) or Muramasa (Wii/Vita), which are both better games that still capture that unique Vanillaware style.
