Wow, a game with voice acting that doesn't make me cringe. The flaws in the game can be overlooked by an amazing story.
The main thing that's good about Grandia 2 is its story. Ok, so the story is a bit cliched, but the way it was told and character development is suberb. Without you realizing it, you become quite attached to some of the characters, and during some of the major plot twists in the game, it suddenly hits just how much you came to like them during er...those moments. I have also played through Grandia 3, and though it's more pretty looking, the game felt very hallow. It's like all flash and no substance, and can certainly learn a few things from its predecessor.
The battle system is very fun, and easy to use to your advantage. I'm not going to go into details, but used the right way, it can cancel enemy moves so you can get more hits in between getting hit. This game is VERY easy, due to weak bosses and save points all over the place that instantly heal all party members. When I played it, there was a boss battle that I came out of without getting hit even once. But because the battle system is so fun, lacking some challenge doesn't take much away from the game.
However, there is one very major flaw to Grandia 2, and that is lagging when in towns and cities. I don't know how a game is supposed to lag during cutscenes, but in certain towns, movement and dialogs (as printed in the windows) slow down significantly, and it can get on a person's nerves. But it doesn't happen during battles, and that's all that really matters.
Despite the problems present in the game, Grandia 2 is definitely a journey worth taking.