What's this, a side perspective 2D RTS that actually works extremely well on a console? Yeah that kind of blew my mind as well, but Grim Grimoire ultimately feels like a warped Warcraft II in terms of gameplay and that's a very good thing. It also feels heavily influenced by Harry Potter and generic anime in the graphics and story department which help to make this one of the best PS2 games I've ever played. So lets grab our wands, a Grimoire or two, roleplay an underage girl, and pimp out some elves for the greater good of The Silver Star.
The scale of some of the units is awesome.
Like any typical RTS, the first few missions in Grim Grimoire involved learning the ropes. After a ridiculous amount of cinematics and backstory you'll finally gain control. A silly little elf in the bottom left of your screen will wait for you to move your jolly cursor over him and select him with the square button. In true Warcraft fashion the elf and all other units in the game sound off with their own unique sayings. Once selected you merely scroll over and select a crystal for the elf to harvest and you're on your way. As that elf harvests you some resources you'll be able to create more of these little devils at your green home base by simply selecting it and selecting the option to insta-breed an elf. After completing some easy objectives involving elves you get some more cinemas and a chance to save and then it's on to day 2 at the academy.
I don't know if I trust those elves.
Day 2 is where the controls in this RTS really start to shine. Simply by holding down the square button you can easily select the group of fairies on screen just as if you were using a mouse. Then you can move them by simply scrolling to the intended destination and commanding them to move. It's simple and extremely effective. After learning some more about elves and their abilities to revive a kind of dead crystal for harvesting and a couple more fights you're ready for more cinemas and day 3.
And on Day 3 they said let there be magic. The game now reveals how deep it can get with 4 types of Grimoires, aka magical tomes, which can be selected on the bottom right of the screen. They are in no particular order Glamour, Alchemy, Scorcery, and Necromancy. Each branch of magic has several Grimoire slots available but only a few are initially unlocked. These magic abilities are easily cycled with the shoulder buttons and appropriate tomes are shown depending on which units you have selected. You actually get to use your elf to make defense towers this time around as well as manufacture some of your own fairies. The plot thickens.
