Grand Kingdom

Grand Kingdom (グラン キングダム Guran Kingudamu) is a 2015 tactical JRPG developed by Monochrome Corporation for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. The game was published by Spike Chunsoft (Japan) and NIS America (North America).

Development of this game was first publicly revealed within a June 2015 weekly issue of *Famitsu*. The game was directed by Tomohiko Deguchi, a former employee of Vanillawarewho had previously worked as a system planner for 2009's Muramasa: The Demon Blade and the director of 2011's *Grand Knights History*, for which *Grand Kingdom* is considered a spiritual successor. Chizu Hashii is responsible for character designs, while the audio is composed by Basiscape.

The game was released on November 19, 2015 in Japan, June 28, 2016 in North Ameria and June 17, 2016 in Europe.

## Gameplay

Players engage in turn-based battles where they command groups of mercenaries (referred to as squads) who are able to attack using weapons and magic attacks (depending on the specific combat class each unit belongs to) as well as support, defense, and healing moves. Battles involve arranging the positions of units into formations and executing action techniques.

Each unit, which includes humans and demons, has a unique set of moves to employ in combat; for example, Medics can use medicine to heal allied units, set traps, or attack enemies, while Challengers can sacrifice themselves to inflict damage over a large area. Status conditions such as confusion, blindness, or poisoning, which affect the movement and strength of units, can help tip the odds in favor of either side. Obstacles and traps can be placed onto the field itself to hinder formations, as well as flags that change how units can be directed and commanded.

When not battling, squads will be represented as chess pieces, with a limited number of turns allowed per mission. If they run into an enemy piece, a battle will be triggered. Alternatively, if they encounter an allied piece, they can be healed, usually for a fee. If squads encounter a roadblock like a tornado or a fierce storm, they can choose to force their way through it (and lose health), go through it slowly (and lose some turns), remove it with an item, or find another way around. During certain quests, enemy forces will deploy armaments such as cannons or catapults, which will periodically launch attacks in the middle of battles that occur within their aiming radius. These armaments can be destroyed if the squads manage to defeat the enemies guarding them.

In addition to the standard campaign mode, there are also quests assigned by different nations with specific objectives, or the player can choose a region for their units to freely move around in. Within these areas, the squads can collect resources, battle enemies, open chests to obtain rare items, take part in fights for money or prizes, and defeat "bounty" squads for rewards. If there's a contract between the squad and a nation, additional quests can be unlocked as well. If these quests are completed successfully, extra money and rewards will be distributed; alternatively, if there is a high rate of failure, then the contract may not be renewed.

Outside of quests, players will have the opportunity to travel to the capitals of the four nations, where they can purchase items, form contracts, obtain new equipment from blacksmiths, and review their war records. The Guild, which serves as a home base for all units, also offers its own merchant shop with unique items and training camps where units can learn new skills for the field, and can provide information on rival squads working for other nations.

The game supports single player and online multiplayer modes, where players can fight against other players belonging to other nations, and expand the territory of their nation via invasions. There is online cross-play support for PS4 and Vita players. However, there is no cross-save.