[GAME REVIEW] Granblue Fantasy: Relink

A Granblue Fantasy 3D JRPG game, 7 years in the making!

    With Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising just released a month ago, fans of the Granblue Fantasy IP, have waited long enough for Granblue Fantasy: Relink to hit PS4/PS5 and PC due to multiple production delays.

    Fast-forward, it is finally here and the wait was so worth it that opening the game made it feel like opening Granblue Fantasy on a browser for the first time. With a fresh coat of paint in gameplay mechanics, plus the same formula from the original browser/mobile game, fans will be familiar with the characters, the plot setting, and most of all, the grinding aspect the fans all know and love… sort of.

 [Introduction of the game]

    Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a 3D Action JRPG based on the Granblue Fantasy browser/mobile game, developed by Cygames, initially with PlatinumGames but backed out on its development duties back in February 2019. Originally called Granblue Fantasy Project Re:Link, the game features a familiar setting, characters, and lore, with a hint of 3D JRPG goodness baked into it. The game is published by Cygames in Japan, but SEGA is also involved in their publishing duties in Southeast Asia and is playable on PS5/PS4 and PC via Steam. 

    The game takes place in a world full of floating islands called the Sky Realm. The protagonist known as The Captain, namely Gran (Male) or Djeeta (Female), and their winged companion, Vyrn, sets off on a journey towards the legendary island called Estalucia. They meet new friends along their adventures and meet a girl named Lyria, who possesses mysterious powers.

[Story]

    While not digging deep into spoilers, you and your crew are flying through the stormy skies riding in the Grandcypher, a giant airship, heading towards the Zegagrande Skydom. From there, you get to choose either Gran or Djeeta. I personally picked Gran myself. As you get out of the storm, you are greeted by your companions, Vyrn, Lyria, Katalina, Io, Rackam, Eugen, and Rosetta. 

    As you progress through the first part, you are shown a little backstory from the original game, where Lyria is linked up with The Captain, and their souls are bound.

    While it is set in a different location, it is nice to see familiar characters but there are also some fresh new faces not found in the original game while still being crucial to the storyline. What I also liked was the delivery of the story. As a fan of Granblue Fantasy, I felt like there was more to the lore than what was delivered. Some parts of the story as far as I can tell are comedic, but there are also dramatic moments that got me on the edge of my seat.

    What bothers me though is the story is a bit short for a Granblue Fantasy game, considering that Granblue Fantasy: Relink took 7 years to produce. I felt like something was missing along the lines or maybe it was just me.

 [Graphical Delivery]

    When I first saw the public gameplay back in GranblueFes 2017, I was blown away by the graphics that were showcased. Mainly by the fact that this game is 3D instead of 2D sprites from the original game; definitely a huge endeavor for the IP.

    There is no doubt about it that Cygames really did a great job of retaining the art aesthetic as the original game. The character models, the environment, the colors, and the aesthetic if I should say it again. You can definitely feel immersed as if you are a part of the crew. 

[Music]

    Whether it be rock or the classical orchestra, I really appreciate how the game knocked it out of the park with its compositions and musical scores. Whether you are just chilling, doing quests, or battling numerous foes and bosses, the music gives you a sense of hype, especially during boss fights where in crucial moments, the musical score is dialed up to 11. The composition department really did cook for the most part.

[Gameplay]

    Like most JRPGs, you have exhilarating combat, attack combos that are easy to pick up, and character skills at your fingertips, this game is as JRPG as it gets. With an added flair, you can unleash the tides of your opponent with a combination of Skybound Arts and Full Burst attacks.

    Collecting materials and skill points to upgrade your gear and fill up your skill tree to fight a more powerful horde of enemies and bosses is the surefire way to get stronger as you press on; these can be done by progressing through the story or doing side missions in the mission board or various side quests from NPCs on the game. Assist Mode is available for those who want to get into the story without fear of dying every time they get into boss fights.

    Those rewards double as you get close to the Endgame Content of the game which gives you even more Skill Points and Materials every time you accomplish them. The higher the rank, the better the rewards you can get, plus other materials in the shop by exchanging certain items for the quantity you need for upgrading or forging your weapons. You can even recruit featured SSR characters from the original game. I picked up Narmaya first the moment I got that recruitment ticket. You can even choose to lay aside the main story to find items and treasures, or, just grind your way and level up your characters, weapons, sigils, and more.

    Grinding, however, is the one aspect that made Granblue Fantasy infamous as told by the community. Thankfully, material grinding is easier in this game, though there is still the probability factor when you need item drops. But hey, no grind hell for this game at least for now.

    I do like the Monster Hunter-esque approach to this game because it gives some sense of familiarity. The combat is great, the combos are fantastic and so are dodging and blocking attacks, casting your character skill to do attacks or to buff your allies and debuff your enemies, it is all there. Whether you use a controller or mouse and keyboard, executing combos and timing your dodge and blocks takes no time at all to pick up. The one thing that I didn’t like during combat was the enemy lock-on when there were constructions or rock formations in the way. When I press the lock-on button when I need to, it just locks some rock formations first when I am facing like 20 goblins. Hopefully with plenty of optimizations on the way post-launch, I can only hope that the lock-on feature in the future will, at least, not suck at all.

    What doesn’t suck is the multiplayer side of things. Doing quests with friends, help out with material grinding, or just chilling out or something. Granblue Fantasy: Relink has that fun factor where doing co-op is fulfilling especially when you get to the Endgame Content. Although the game has a massive amount of Endgame Content it still has the sense of repetitiveness where you fight a different variation of the bosses and enemies that you encountered previously in the story mode.

[Content Value]

    With so many quests, lots of grinding, and tons of Endgame Content at your disposal, I can see why Granblue Fantasy: Relink was delayed multiple times to get to this point. They poured out a lot of love, hard work, and dedication into the production of this game. Content-wise, this is everything a Granblue Fantasy fan deserves.

    At the time of writing this game review, there is no way to pre-order on its Steam Store page when you can on the Playstation Store. While it is listed as USD 59.99 and USD 79.99 for the Standard Edition and Special Edition respectively, it is easy to judge if we can recommend this game to an average user at that price point. Maybe if you’re an avid fan of JPRG or a fan of the IP who has heavily invested a lot of time, money, and elbow grease, I’d say go buy it. It is definitely a game that is long overdue after all. But for others, Maybe wait for a sale.

    Also, if you are like me and use Japanese Voiceovers, I highly recommend using those while English Voiceovers are also ready for those who prefer them.

[Conclusion]