Quote Originally Posted by Forsaken Lover View Post
I would be interested in hearing how FFX ripped off this other game because that sounds incredibly unlikely.

I don't doubt there are similarities but is the plot of Grandia 2 that a guy who doesn't exist helps change a theocratic world trapped in an unending cycle of death by making the messianic summoner break away from her indoctrination and do what is actually right and not what she was taught?

I mean...if it is that, I'd honestly be very, very shocked.
Oh, I will be glad to prove you wrong

I'm going to spoiler tag all of this, because this is an excellent game and I can recommend it to anyone. Treat it as a proto-FFX... That does absolutely EVERYTHING better than FFX

(SPOILER)OK, Ryudo might exist, unlike Tidus, but Tidus' daddy issues are parallel to Ryudo's issues with his brother, with whom he shared a more realistic rivalry and who becomes a vessel for one of the resident Eldritch Abomination Valmar's (Sin) parts. You see, this world has a certain problem, because it is governed by the Church of Granas, which turns out to be corrupt and evil. They say they worship Granas who can save everybody from the evil Valmar (who is sealed, but still keeps coming back - ring a bell?), but actually they are perpetuating the spiral of death, because the seals are actually meant to release Valmar, not keep him contained. You see, the pope Zera wants to end all suffering on earth, by destroying it using Valmar. But I digress. Ryudo must accompany a young songstress named Elena on a pilgrimage, to "put an end" to the evil Valmar, but once they reach their destination, it turns out that the church doesn't want her to really destroy it, but just play her role, so that the evil corrupt Catholic Church expy can do their evil thing (because in Japan all Catholics are evil). So Elena has to break away from her indoctrination and do what is actually right and not what she was taught. Of course, in the end, they all ahcnage the world

What FFX does better is that it has a better defined concept of the world. It fails everywhere else, compared to Grandia. The horror of the influence Valmar has on the people of the world is much larger than Sin's in Spira, because we do not know what happens after death and because we actually get to really know the characters before they die, making it all the more tragic. Like Sin, Valmar is not completely evil, as evidenced by Jecht in FFX and Millenia and Melfice in Grandia, more like people utilizing it are evil (Zera/Seymour). The battle system is more engaging, but this is strictly opinion. The characters are also much more vivid and have a more enticing dynamic than FFX, with Ryudo's love triangle with Milenia and Elena being far more satisfying than the Tidu/Yuna narm-inducing romance. But, again, just my opinion.
What is not an opinion, however, is that Grandia had Kimahri first:
Mareg_1.jpg
Now THIS is undeniable proof