Published and developed by Cygames, Granblue Fantasy Relink has been eagerly anticipated for quite a few years now. The game has finally launched on PS5 and PC in 2024 and it’s already an early contender for JRPG Game of the Year.
Cygames have crafted such an enjoyable title here and thankfully, newcomers to the franchise can dive right in too without missing too much from the overarching Granblue Fantasy franchise because of a few design choices.
Granblue Fantasy Relink
Granblue Fantasy Relink can be seen as an addition to the Granblue Fantasy saga but one that’s not necessary to enjoy the mainline Granblue Fantasy mobile game. If anything, the mobile game’s story enhances the storytelling in Granblue Fantasy Relink since the game thrusts you straight into the deep end along with its colourful cast of characters. The deep end here being a flying ship that faces an immense threat from a powerful beast. There’s almost zero explanation as to what the heck is going on and why certain things are happening at the beginning but the game onboards you in a gripping fashion anyway. You can choose to play as either Gran or Djeeta but as the game goes on, other characters will become available too.
After your brief little encounter on the ship, 3 of your party are separated from the rest of the crew and end up in a dense forest. Here the game slowly teaches you about exploration and how to fight and use skills. The game’s combat system is fairly straightforward and honestly feels great in action. Describing it simply, it feels very similar to how the “Tales of” series plays out. Players will string together combos and be able to perform “Link attacks” with other members of their party. These “Link Attacks” are the star of the show and are key to victory in Granblue Fantasy Relink.
Movement in the game is incredibly fluid and is really satisfying when exploring the world as well as when in combat. Each character in Granblue Fantasy Relink is vastly different from each other with their own special playstyles and attacks. You can swap your playable character and it’s encouraged to use different characters throughout the game for maximum enjoyment.
The story of Granblue Fantasy Relink comes in at around 14 hours but the game doesn’t really “end” there. The endgame content of Granblue Fantasy Relink is an excellent example of how addictive this game is since it will have you questing with your party trying to obtain ever stronger loot and upgrades to assist with taking on some truly spectacular bosses.
The Quest mode can also be played co-operatively with up to 4 friends and is extremely reminiscent of the Monster Hunter franchise. This is where the game truly excels and will keep you entertained for hours and hours on end while you play with friends. It’s incredibly satisfying to be able to take down and defeat a tough boss enemy after applying the right strategies in battle. Coupling this with the loot system and weapon upgrade system present in the game means that players can easily sink upwards of 50 hours into this game and possibly even more.
The story of Granblue Fantasy Relink is great with an almost seamless transition from storytelling to gameplay throughout. Lore and in-game storytelling in delivered via cutscenes or character conversations like a traditional JRPG. The game also features beautiful visuals with an art style that is so visually pleasing to look at. It really helps elevate the storytelling further when the visuals are so eye-wateringly beautiful to behold. Character designs in Granblue Fantasy Relink are fantastic and players will definitely grow attached to some characters due to their personalities as well as their play styles.
The OST of Granblue Fantasy Relink features catchy music but the voice acting is where it stands out. There’s an all-star cast of both English and Japanese Voice Actors here and they’ve really put in a lot of effort in bringing their respective characters to life.
Granblue Fantasy Relink features an in-game journal which has a tonne of lore in it and newcomers should definitely read through these tidbits of info to gain more insight into the game’s world. If you haven’t played the original Granblue Fantasy mobile game, Granblue Fantasy Relink may make you want to give it a try because the world the game is set in is teeming with life. In fact, you may want to also pick up Granblue Fantasy Versus and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising too to satiate the need for all things Granblue.
Final Verdict
Overall, Granblue Fantasy Relink is a fun-filled adventure through the Sky Realm. The cast of characters and their unique play styles as well as the gorgeous visuals really draw you in and don’t let go. The game’s endgame as well as co-op features also add to its longevity and Granblue Fantasy Relink gets a solid recommendation as a JRPG that’s worth playing. Give the game’s demo a try if you’re on the fence. Chances are you will enjoy it!
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