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Grand Fantasia

Grand Fantasia is a 3D anime-inspired fantasy MMORPG with bright graphics. Players are immersed in a fantastical world where they are accompanied by Sprites, small creatures that gather resources and produce gear for the player.

Publisher: Aeria Games
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: Dec 1, 2009 (NA/EU)
PvP: Duels, Arenas, Sprite Arenas
Pros: +Great Sprite system. +Lots of quests. +Good variety of mounts. +Good class variety.
Cons: -Dated graphics. -Generic anime/fantasy theme.

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Overview

Grand Fantasia Overview

Grand Fantasia is a 3D MMORPG released in 2009. It is developed by X-Legend and published by Aeria Games. Players begin by customizing their character and their Sprite, a companion creature that handles resource gathering and crafting. While players keep their initial Sprite, they can own a total of three simultaneously. Different Sprites will have different gathering and production skills, meaning players will have to choose their Sprites carefully to find what skills benefit their playstyle and needs. Players start as classless Novices until Level 5, where they choose their first class. Job advancements are available at Levels 15, 30, 65, and 85. Grand Fantasia is the first game developed by X-Legend to be published in the West.

Grand Fantasia Key Features:

  • 5 Starting Classes – four job advancements available at Level 15, 30, 65 and 85. Players can choose from one of two paths at Level 30.
  • In-Depth Sprite System – Sprites are used for foraging, crafting, battling, and more.
  • Varied PvP Options – players can test their strength in various PvP capacities, including Sprite battles.
  • Master System Skills – the Master system unlocks unique passive skills at Level 45, 60, and 75.
  • Tons of Content players will find themselves busy with all the quests available for completion.

Grand Fantasia Screenshots

Grand Fantasia Featured Video

Grand Fantasia - Level 100 Expansion Trailer

Classes

Grand Fantasia Classes

  • Acolyes – the traditional supportive class. They can revive, heal, and remove debuffs from their allies. Acolytes become Priests at Level 15 and then become:
    • Cleric – Clerics are the best healers in Grand Fantasia. Clerics become Prophets at Level 65, then Saints at Level 85.
    • Sage – can transform into various beasts to defeat their enemies. Sages become Mystics at Level 65, and Shamans at Level 85.
  • Fighter – the traditional melee class in Grand Fantasia. They are known for their strength and power and are capable of using various weapons. Fighters become Warriors at Level 15 and then become:
    • Berserker – focus on dealing as much melee damage as possible to their opponents. Berserkers become Warlords at Level 65 and DeathKnights at Level 85.
    • Paladin – a unique mix of healing and defense. Paladins become Templars at Level 65 and Crusaders at Level 85.
  • Hunter – masters of ranged attacks. Hunters use swords, guns, and bows. Hunters have some of the highest DPS in Grand Fantasia. Hunters become Archers at Level 15 and then become:
    • Ranger – specialize in dealing damage to their enemies from a distance. Rangers become Sharpshooters at Level 65 and Hawkeyes at Level 85.
    • Assassin – focus on dealing tons of melee damage to their opponents. Assassins become Darkstalkers at Level 65 and WindShadows at Level 85.
  • Spellcaster – as the name implies, Spellcasters are masters of the mystic arts. They can cast powerful offensive magic. Spellcasters become Mages at Level 15 and then become:
    • Wizard – Wizards specialize in dealing powerful elemental damage. Wizards become Archmages at Level 65 and Avatars at Level 85.
    • Necromancer – summon the undead to do their bidding. They also have powerful debuffs. Necromancers become Demonologists at Level 65 and ShadowLords at Level 85.

Full Review

Grand Fantasia Review

By Dimitri Jordan

Grand Fantasia is a 3D MMORPG developed by X-Legend and published by Aeria Games that was released on November 6, 2009. It features anime-inspired visuals mixed with classic fantasy, though it does little to advance the genre. The most novel feature of Grand Fantasia is the Sprite pet system, which takes a lot of the difficulty out of gathering resources and producing materials and equipment when compared to other MMOs.

Grand Fantasia features plenty of quests, taking place in the world of Saphael, which is split into different regions that encompass quests and mobs of a certain level range. To help navigate the large world, players have access to a wide variety of mounts, from large, chocobo-like birds and horses to bizarre zebras and flying saucers. For those looking for PvP options, Grand Fantasia has Duels and different arena PvP options.

Starting Up

After first creating a character and a guardian sprite, players are guided through several quests that explain combat and sprites. The NPC dialogue is written much like a novel, telling when NPCs smile, sigh, or fall down to the ground in laughter. While during longer text it can be tedious or overly silly to read, the levity is a charming addition to interacting with NPCs.

Players can move either by clicking the ground, using the arrow keys, or using the WASD keys, and skills are set to the 1 through 0 keys. However, all key bindings can be configured to the player’s preference.

As players level, they unlock skills that they can purchase. Most skills have multiple levels, and requires a certain player level to be unlocked. For example, a Spellcaster’s Magic Rocket 1 spell is available at Level 5, but Magic Rocket 3 isn’t unlocked until Level 14. The price for higher level spells also increases, with the same spell’s Level 1 costing eighty copper coins while the Level 3 costs three silver coins and fifty-four copper coins.

The First Few Levels

The first few levels go by quickly, and once the player reaches Level 5 and chooses a class, leveling is much easier. It isn’t until Level 15 when players advance their class that leveling begins to slow. Luckily, there are plenty of quests to get through the levels, and having different areas to level takes out much of the monotony. Going from desert biomes to lush forest areas give the player a sense of exploration, and really improves the game’s longevity.

At Level 30, players choose their specialization between two options. This choice impacts the rest of their game until the level cap of 100, as these classes continue down a set path with no further options. However, when players open the skills tab, they are able to see all the skills that every class can learn. This lets players map out their plans for leveling in advance, or even leveling for a different class if they begin a new character. While many games offer this information on their website, it’s nice to be able to access it in-game, no matter what class the player chose.

Gameplay

Players travel from region to region, each with higher level quests and monsters than the last. In addition, players have a better chance of finding higher level Sprites in higher level areas, allowing them to gather better materials and craft better equipment.

Players will spend a lot of time moving between quest givers and locations, and two features of Grand Fantasia aid in this immensely. First, players can auto-travel to NPCs that are in the same region. The accuracy of the auto-travel is very high, with players being able to automatically move around fences or hilly areas, where in other games they attempt to walk a straight line and are stopped by obstacles. The second feature is the quest assistance on the map. When a player is looking for a particular mob or item location for their quest, the exact areas are marked by red circles on the map, cutting down on time wasted wandering around, looking for the correct location.

Players' Best Friend: The Sprites

During character creation, players create a Sprite companion that will accompany them throughout the entire game. Players choose what skills the Sprite has, and that will determine what resources they gather and what equipment they can create. As players level, their guardian Sprite will evolve, growing a body at Level 21, wings at Level 51, and finally sparkles at Level 71. As Sprites search for items or create equipment, their skill rises. This allows them to make or find better items, until they reach the skill cap. When they evolve, their skill cap will also increase, allowing them to find and create higher level items. Sprites live in cottages, where the player can send them on errands, have them create equipment, or summon them to the field. Players decorate their Sprite’s cottages with different items, which give boosts like 5% more experience to the Sprite when gathering items.

In addition to the player’s guardian Sprite, there are wild Sprites dropped by monsters. These Sprites will have random abilities, which could help to gather materials faster or produce different equipment than the guardian Sprite. Unlike the guardian Sprite, wild Sprites do not evolve and can be released once the player outgrows what those Sprites can create. Released Sprites will either grant more reputation or subtract reputation with the Sprite King, depending on their mood and skill levels. A high reputation allows players to purchase special equipment from the Sprite King.

PvP

Grand Fantasia has PvP options for many different players. There are Duels, Sprite Arena, Fire Hell Arena, and the weekly Kaslow Guardian Contest.

Duels are run the same as they are for most MMORPGs. Players can challenge each other to fight in a one-on-one battle to see who is the best. During the duel, players cannot be attacked by a third player, and will not suffer any penalty for death. However, players can not engage in Duels if either is currently attacking or being attacked by a monster, so Duels should be held in safe places.

Sprite Arena and Hell Fire Arena are two battlegrounds that open up to the player at Level 31. They are split into four tiers, by level range: 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and 61-70. In the Sprite Arena, players are split into red and blue teams of 15 players each. They attack five crystals on the field, earning points through reclaiming the crystals and killing the opposing team. The first team to 250 points, or the team with the most points after 20 minutes, wins.

Hell Fire Arena is very similar to Sprite Arena. Players are again split into red and blue teams, of 10 players each. Red players attack the single crystal on the battlefield, while blue players defend it. Once the red team claims the crystal, the teams switch colors, and play the opposite role. In addition, there is a patrolling flying dragon, an elite-class monster. His lair contains eggs that can temporarily increase power, somewhat similar to Jungling in games like League of Legends. Again, the first team to 250 points, or with the most points after 20 minutes, wins.

Grand Fantasia also hosts a weekly Kaslow Guardian Contest for the top 8 guilds, with each guild allowed up to 3 allied guilds. On Saturday at 3pm and 8pm EST, the guilds compete in the Quarter Finals, massive battles of 75v75. Players must gain kills, capture crystals, and break quartz growths scattered around the map for points. The first team to 5,000 points wins. However, there is a shortcut. If a team manages to hold all five crystals for five consecutive minutes, they win the contest immediately. Further, if the battle takes less than 30 out of the total 60 minutes, the winning team receives a bonus for points awarded.

Cash Shop

There are many positive aspects to Grand Fantasia’s Cash Shop. There are a ton of items to buy in terms of potions, crafting materials, mounts, and costumes. There is a $1 section, regular sales, Buy-One-Get-One mystery boxes, and other enticing, small purchases. However, there are also equipment which boosts player stats, which is a huge negative as it can lead to pay-to-win situations, especially with so many PvP options. The sets for lower tier classes are only $5, but for high level armor, players will be paying $50, meaning those with a lot of excess money are certainly able to have a distinct advantage. The armor pieces gives stat bonuses when worn together, and they also level and grow stronger with the player. Further, they are not available any other way in-game.

Final Verdict – Good

The issue with the Cash Shop aside, Grand Fantasia is a solid MMORPG that features a robust Sprite pet system, tons of character customization and crafting, plenty of decent costume pieces and mounts from the Cash Shop, and solid PvP options. It may not do anything to make the fantasy MMO genre fresh, but it certainly doesn’t do anything wrong either. It’s a solid choice for those looking to get lost in a new MMORPG.

Screenshots

Grand Fantasia Screenshots

Videos

Grand Fantasia Videos

Playlist: Grand Fantasia

System Requirements

Grand Fantasia System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: XP / 2000 / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or AMD Equivalent
Video Card: GeForce FX 5200 / ATI Radeon 9600
RAM: 512 MB
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: XP / 2000 / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz
Video Card: GeForce FX 5700 / ATI X1600
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB

Music

Grand Fantasia Music & Soundtrack


Additional Info

Grand Fantasia Additional Information

Developer: X-Legend Entertainment
Game Engine: Gamebryo

Closed Beta: November 19, 2009
Open Beta:
December 1, 2009

Foreign Release(s):

South Korea: March, 2010
Taiwan: December 4, 2008 (X-Legend)
Japan: May, 2009 (Aeria Games Japan)
Hong Kong: January, 2009 (Alta Multimedia)
Thailand: August, 2010 (Published as GF Online by Winner Online Co)

Development History / Background:

Grand Fantasia, called GFO Online or Grand Fantasia Online in some regions, was developed by the Taiwanese game studio X-Legend Entertainment and built using the Gamebryo Engine. The game originally launched in its home market of Taiwan into open beta on December 4, 2008 and quickly grew in popularity. Grand Fantasia was awarded the 2010 Best MMORPG Bronze award as well as the Bahamut Best Domestic Online Game award for 3 years. The game was praised in Japan as well, and won the Japan 2009 Online Game Award as well as the Japan Online Gamer MMORPG 2nd place award. Given the game's success in Taiwan, the game quickly expanded overseas and launched in the U.S. and Europe through Aeria Games on December 1, 2009. The success of Grand Fantasia led to the development of similar anime-inspired titles from X-Legend like Eden Eternal, Aura Kingdom, Glory Destiny Online, and more.