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One point worth considering: there’s a whole lot of content from Cygames’ Granblue Fantasy franchise out there. Another: the mobile game that started the craze was never officially released in the West. Sure, you can play it just fine – it’s in English and it’s even available via browser – but you can’t just hop on an App Store and grab it.
That’s a little bizarre for a series that’s proven to produce hit after hit; the anime’s not bad, the fighting game Granblue Fantasy Versus and its expansion Rising are rock solid, and now we’ve got Granblue Fantasy: Relink, an action-RPG spinoff with plenty of that Granblue goodness to go around.
via YouTubeThe world of Granblue Fantasy is still recovering from the fallout of the War with the Astrals, a race of superior beings endowed with magical and technological might that were only contained through the effort of the swashbuckling Skyfarers. Amidst this backdrop, we follow Gran or Djeeta, per your preference, who serve as captain of the skyship Grandcypher. The Grandcypher and its crew are on a journey to the long-lost home in the Astrals, and on the latest leg of that trip they’ve taken a route through the Zegagrande Skydom. There, they’ll come into conflict with a villainous church and an array of godlike mystical beings. Seems like this is the kind of thing Skyfarers deal with on the regular, though, so expect some buckles to get swashed.
Relink gathers elements from across the ever-popular Granblue Fantasy franchise and mixes them all with stylish action-RPG gameplay. It’s a mix that turns out great, as the bombastic nature of Relink’s combat does a lot for the characters and their foes. You’ll control one of a party of four Skyfarers, including many of the cast’s heavy hitters like Narmaya, Charlotta, Lancelot and so on, and get to monster-bashing. There’s a main story to follow that’ll last you around 10-15 hours, but Relink really starts to shine when that’s complete, unlocking a vast array of content and character development that might allow for tens of hours beyond that point. Leveling your characters, crawling through their skill trees, upgrading their weapons and the like will keep you busy as you strive to complete more and more difficult quests.
The closest comparison in terms of gameplay is probably something like Nier: Automata, with its particular focus on precision dodging. While the basics of combat, including light and heavy attack strings and a variety of cooldown-based skills, remain the same throughout the cast, each character has notable quirks and plays a little differently. Whip-wielding Ferry, for instance, does well at range and is also capable of summoning a pack of spectral beasts to attack on her behalf, while mighty Vaseraga uses his bulk and powerful charged attacks to invade enemies’ personal space while tanking for the team.
You’ll unlock characters at a relatively slow but steady pace, allowing you to get a feel for the cast as you pick and choose your favorites. Likewise, there’s an element of team-building involved in constructing your party in order to maximize their effectiveness. It’s a lot of depth for a game that, on its surface, might feel like a button-masher.
Once you’ve gotten through the main story – which, again, really serves as a very extended prologue to Relink’s main event – you’ll spend much of your time clearing Monster Hunter-style quests. There’s a similar loot-chasing element to those games at play here; you’re after upgrade materials in order to take your squad to the next level so they can perform at their best.
A variety of systems are at play here, particularly with regards to collectible and upgradable gear options, and getting the most out of your party will involve interacting with all of them. If things get a little spicy while playing solo, you can even grab some pals and hop online to complete quests together, which makes for some of Relink’s best moments as everyone teams up to solve seemingly impossible challenges. Don’t let Relink’s early moments fool you, as there’s a surprising amount of challenging content later on.
Granblue Fantasy is also known for its gorgeous art style and presentation, so it’s no surprise that Relink looks and sounds great. Characters and environments are bright and colorful, with gorgeous animation, and battles are appropriately impressive to match. Soundwise, the English dub isn’t embarrassing but you’re able to switch over to Japanese if you prefer. There’s not a lot to complain about here, particularly given the game’s stellar performance on console and PC alike.
Put simply, Granblue Fantasy: Relink didn’t really have to be as good as it is. The main story alone would be a short but sweet tribute to the series’ superlative design and cast, but this is a game that goes above and beyond. There’s a surprisingly decent action-RPG here with a lot more to offer fans and newcomers than it might initially seem. Grab some pals and take to the skies.