(This is for the fan-translated version of the game, patched and played on original hardware. I'm not sure if I would have liked this better with save states, fast-forwarding, and improved graphics on a larger screen, but maybe.)

This is my second attempt with this game and once again I'm bouncing off of it. It's strange because this game seems like it should hit all the Vanillaware marks. The art is on point, really leaning into the hand-drawn aesthetic. The music does what it needs to do, not overly memorable but really contributes to the fantasy vibe. Voice acting is passable but sparse (it is a PSP game after all). Gameplay is solid as it often is with Vanillaware, where it is not ground breaking and includes nothing truly unexpected, with nothing to really complain about. Even the translation patch is nearly perfect, with only some small formatting and consistency errors, while still managing to have some tone and characterization.

Vanillaware is a favorite developer of mine, with both Odin Sphere and Unicorn Overlord in my top 10 game list. So with this kind of pedigree and with all these features in place, what happened?

I think the problem I have with this game is the same problem people seem to have with board-games based on TTRPGs. A game like d&d (at least modern d&d) is all about characters and plot. The system is there only to provide stakes and consequences for those characters and for that story. But board games are abstractions of those story games, reducing the importance of story and characters almost to the point of irrelevance in favor of the system. I think Grand Knights History has the same problem. It feels like a board-game where the characters are almost irrelevant and the story is almost non-existent, but the RPG system is not engaging and robust enough to take the place of those lost things.

So I guess that's my review. This is a game that is focusing on the wrong stuff. The system is not engaging enough to make up for the lack of story engagement or interesting characters. If you really like turn-based RPGs with some random little events mixed in (which usually just leads to more turn-based battles) then this might work. But if you need a reason to play, or a friendly face to latch on to, this is probably not the right title for you.