I'll start by saying I actually like this game, but you have to go into it with the right mindset. One of people's complaints about this game is that there is alot more running around and fighting than the other grandia's, without much story, and the story that is there isn't very good. I've played all of the grandia games, an I have to say that I wasn't spectacularly impressed with ANY of the stories in them. What has always impressed about the grandia series is the battles and character upgrade systems, and at that, Grandia Xtreme excels. Sure, you do alot of fighting, but that's what the game is all about. The story, voice-acting, and characters aren't that spectaculary designed, but the battle system and character skill development more than make up for what's lacking. Just make sure you approach this game with the right mindset if you do approach it. It's a dungeon crawler through-and-through, and it focuses on it's story about as much as Baldur's Gate:Dark Alliance, which noone complained about. If you want a strong story, you'll want a different RPG.