Aug 22, 2018 - Aside from their HD treatment, what the remaster treatment entails is a mystery right now. Grandia II on Steam adds 'visual upgrades to textures.

• Grandia Switch Release Date

Grandia and

1. Grandia I and Grandia II HD remaster announced for Nintendo Switch GungHo Online Entertainment America is pleased to reveal today that Grandia I and Grandia II will be getting a HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch sometime in Winter 2018.
2. Grandia & Grandia II HD Remaster is headed to the Nintendo Switch this winter season. Check out some of the updated features for the collection right here.

Grandia II are getting HD remastered versions for the Switch this Winter.

According to IGN, GungHo will be porting these much-loved role-playing games to the Switch with new HD remasters later this year.

This is in addition to the already existing Steam port of Grandia II released back in 2015 but these new versions will be remastered, so I am curious as to what that will entail.

If you are unfamiliar with the Grandia games, the first in the series was released back in 1997 in Japan on the Sega Saturn. Often thought of as the rival to Final Fantasy VII, many still regard Grandia as the better game of the two.

Much of this is down to the superior pacing and lack of dull patches in the setting. As for the latter, I always felt the first Grandia game had a real similarity to the classic Studio Ghibli anime Laputa, what with all the ancient technology and the protagonist’s relationship with his absentee father.

Grandia Switch Release Date

As for the sequel, Grandia II was originally released on the Dreamcast in Japan in 2000. While the review scores outside of Japan tended to be better, I actually think the first game is superior but the fact the second game is also getting re-released is something I very much welcome.

While I am generally not a fan of remasters, I am glad in this instance that two very good role-playing games are getting a wider release yet again, especially on a platform as buoyant as the Switch.

With no specific release dates planned for these remastered versions of Grandia and Grandia II on the Switch, we only know the games will be out this Winter. In the meantime though, the Grandia II HD Remaster will playable at PAX West 2018 at the end of this month.

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By Jared Petty

Venerable Japanese RPG series Grandia is coming to Switch this winter. According to a statement by publisher GungHo, Grandia and Grandia II HD Remaster are both heading to Nintendo’s hybrid handheld.

The Grandia series is rooted in the halcyon days of PlayStation and Saturn JRPGs when the franchise first drew a dedicated following.

Originally developed by Game Arts, creators of Thexder, Silpheed, and Lunar, Grandia is noted for its colorful sprite work and innovative battle system. IGN reviewed the original Grandia back in 1999, scoring the RPG a 9/10.

In addition to the Switch release, Grandia HD Remaster will also be coming to Steam, joining Grandia II – which is already for sale on the service. A demo of Grandia II HD Remaster will be playable at PAX West 2018.

Jared Petty produces Red Dead Radio: The Red Dead Redemption Podcast, Hop, Blip, and a Jump, and Pockets Full of Soup. He's a host at Kinda Funny Games and a frequent contributor to IGN. He thinks this announcement is pretty GRANDia. Follow him on Twitter @pettycommajared and on Instagram @pettycommajared.