Grand Chase is a 2D, side-scrolling action MMO with anime inspired graphics. Play as one of three characters and clear stages of monsters and bosses in this coop dungeon crawler. With three continents to explore, plenty of rewarding quests and a PvP Battle System, Grand Chase has plenty of content to explore.

Grand Chase Information
Game Title: Grand Chase
Genres: 2D, MMO, Fantasy
Publisher: Ntreev
Developer: KOG Studioes
Area: North America
Official Site: Click Here
Platforms: Microsoft Windows

Pros: +Cooperative Game play. +Dozens of stages. +Players can switch between characters. +Enticing Quest rewards. +Battle Mode for PvP and Park channel for chatting.

Cons: -Not challenging enough. -Repetitive game play. -Low game population. -Too much button mashing. -Limited customization.

Grand Chase Reviewed

Grand Chase is published by Ntreev, the same folks behind Trickster Online. The graphics themselves are not very impressive in Grand Chase but the style is unique. Grand Chase ditches the camerae in the sky and instead plays as a side scroller. Like Trickster, the anime inspired graphics may be too cutesy for some older gamers but behind those graphics lies a good deal of content. The game most closely resembling Grand Chase is likely Tcrew. Both are cooperative action adventure dungeon crawlers.

There are three characters to play as a new player but eventually others become available as players level up the original three. In total there are currently 8 classes but more are currently in the works. The 8 classes available now are: Knight, Archer, Magician, Spell Knight, Spearman, Crossbow, Alchemist, and Dragon Knight. Each player can alternative between the characters he has unlocked and each one gains experience independantly.

The basic concept of Grand Chase is for 2-4 players to work together to clear dozens of multi-roomed dungeons, each with a boss at the end. This sort of game play is rarely seen in free MMOs which is unfortunate since these sorts of games were popular once upon a time. (think Gauntlet Legends) There are a total of three continents, each with multiple levels, and each level has several difficulty settings. Oddly, most of these stages are not available to new players, who must first complete each stage SEVERAL times in order to finish missions. Missions are quests which usually require the player to play a specific stage but unlike most games the quest rewards in Grand Chase are very helpful and important. Entire armor sets are given away by completing beginner stages.

But even with the colorful graphics, the rewarding quests, and the large number of stages, Grand Chase is far too repetitive. Its not just the fact that I had to play the very first level no less than 5 times, but more importantly the combat system is extremely dull. In an interview the developers specifically mentioned that Grand Chase was designed NOT to be a button masher but that happens to be exactly what it is. Even the ranged classes will end up walking right next to monsters and spamming one button until the monster is defeated. The horrible AI means the monster being attacked is almost certain to simply stand still and wait to die. At first this is great since it means players can rush through levels and collect their amazing quest rewards but that can only keep players excited for so long. Even the boss fights are rarely a challenge, especially if playing with 3-4 people.

Besides the main cooperative mode, Grand Chase offers a PvP Battle but like main mode, there are very few active players. The only channel players can expect to find a battle is the free channel where they will stand little chance against far more powerful players. But even with enough players, the small map sizes and 2D graphics guarantee that anything besides a 1v1 will quickly devolve into chaos. There is also a ‘Park’ channel where players can move around and chat but not much else. With a low game population and repetitive, dull combat Grand Chase is a difficult game to recommend. As a casual game, or a game for a younger audience, Grand Chase could prove to be quite entertaining. Fast experience rates mean players will likely level every stage and with each stage taking only a few minutes to complete, players can expect rapid character growth which makes Grand Chase ideal for those without hours to burn each day.

Grand Chase Screenshots

Grand Chase Video

Grand Chase Guides / Resources

Official Site

Wikipedia Page