Grand Knights History

Grand Knights History is a traditional console role-playing game set in a fantasy world where players must take control of a group of up to four characters from three separate classes--knight, archer, or wizard--who must travel through various landscapes battling enemies and take part in the story. While knights specializes in close combat and melee weapons, archers are adept at ranged attacks with bows or guns while wizards can cast magic spells to attack enemies or aid allies. Each character can be customized in a number of ways, including appearance, voice, weapon specialty and magical spells, and may be organized in one of 20 separate fighting formations which affect their battle performance. Depending on a player's choices, characters may learn specific skills and techniques which may further aid them in combat, which is carried out in a turn-based fashion where the character or enemy with the highest speed will attack first. Battle sequences take place on convex fighting area known as the "Battle Sphere Reel", which the game's camera pans across when party members or enemies take action. By outfitting characters in new weapons, armor, and ornaments, a player may increase a characters statistics which allow them to become stronger, as well as further affect their appearance. The story is advanced by taking part in quests which require the player to travel across the game world on a map with interconnected areas and towns.[6] As players complete more quests, paths to new areas become available to explore.

Making use of the PlayStation Portable's PlayStation Network online function, players may battle each other in groups representing one of the game's three kingdoms. As each group wins battles against opposing factions, they expand their territory within the online environment, granting them access to rewards and a standing on community-based leaderboards. Winning groups may vote on which territory to attack next, and individual players may opt to have their characters controlled by artificial intelligence rather than themselves manually.

- Grand Knights History (10/9/9/8, 36 points): Very high marks for Vanillaware's new PSP game, one that comes closer to being a traditional RPG than anything else they've produced. "The traditionally-Vanillaware graphics, along with all the little animations mid-battle, are just amazing," one writer said. "The easy entry into online play is just as great, and raising characters to send to the battlefield is both innovative and very smooth in action. This game gets top marks in fun."

"The intricately-drawn graphics and well-designed interface are both great," another added, "making this game a feast for the eyes. Even though it's a standard RPG, all the little touches make it seem fresh all over again."