I've been a player of the original Granblue Fantasy for almost 8 years now, and although I've been playing on-and-off (what veterans call a seasonal), it still holds a special place in my heart. It was fun joining various raids with my friends, powering up by building my weapon grids (if you know, you know), and rolling for my favorite character Vira. That's why when gameplay footage of Granblue Fantasy: Relink went up almost six years ago, I was very much hyped. It took six years to get here but finally, I was able to play it, and honestly, it was worth the wait. Here is our review and score for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, a look at its gameplay and story.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Review
Granblue Fantasy: Relink has a release date of February 1, 2024. It will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam. Players who pre-ordered the game before January 31, 2024, were able to play the game early via Early Access.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Background
Although the original game is a 2D turn-based mobile RPG, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a third-person action role-playing game. Players take direct control of their characters and will fight and explore in the game's various locations. Various characters from the original game make their appearance in Relink, as well as some original characters. The game itself has an original story, which is considered a side story to the mobile game.
Players are not required to play the original game to enjoy this one. However, players who have played the original game will definitely enjoy this more, for reasons that I will explain later. But for now, let's start this Granblue Fantasy: Relink review with a look at the game's gameplay, and then its story right after.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Gameplay
Let's first start this trailer by talking about the combat mechanics. As with most action RPGs, players take direct control of their character. The player can move their character around to navigate the game's various beautiful set-pieces, while also directly controlling them in combat. The combat itself is fairly simple. Players have a normal attack that they can use to deal damage, as well as the ability to block or dodge enemy attacks. Each character can also equip up to four skills, which they can unlock via the game's Mastery system (which I will explain later).
All this sounds normal until now, but it gets more complicated, and in my opinion, more fun, the moment you look at each character. Although each of the characters is the same in that they all have skills, dodges, blocks, and normal attacks, all of them have their own little gimmicks. Take Zeta, for example. Zeta was one of the first characters I unlocked and has become my main throughout my playthrough. Her playstyle revolves around two things: Jumping into the air to do air combos against enemies, and parrying enemy attacks. Her entire kit revolves around dealing a lot of damage with her combos, thanks in no small part to the unique debuff she can place on enemies. This makes her a very mobile character, and one that actually needs good timing.
Compare that to Rackam, for example, who is one of the characters that you start with. Using him effectively turns the game into a third-person shooter, with the player shooting Rackam's gun at enemies while walking around. The other gun character in the game, Eugen, also uses a gun but is more of a sniper. The player can make him post up at a specific spot in the map, and just rain down bullets on the enemy.
What I'm trying to say is that combat in this game is not boring, and it is very rewarding. Each character that the player can unlock has their unique playstyle and rules, all of which take time to master. If the player wants to play a slow-attacking, heavy-hitting tank, they can play Vane. If they want a character that uses endless combos, they can unlock Lancelot. Someone who can do a little bit of both is also possible, as they can use Narmaya. There's a character for everyone, and finding that character is half the fun. Mastering them is the other, and once you do master them, it is such a great feeling.
Of course, no action RPG is complete without its exploration. Granblue Fantasy: Relink's gameplay loop revolves around switching between side missions and the main story. Playing through the main story brings players to certain locations, which they must explore to meet whatever their objective can be. Each location varies, with players traversing grasslands, deserts, icy caves, and even volcanoes. The hub towns themselves are also very pretty, be it the small town of Folca, or the bustling castle city of Seedhollow, players will always have a place to explore.
And explore they must if they want to find the various chests and collectibles scattered around the maps. Some of the chests, for example, require keys, so players are expected to come back once they have them. Others are locked behind big fights or puzzles, so players will need to beat them to claim their prize. Exploration never gets boring in Granblue Fantasy Relink, as there is always something to find.
Once players finish the main story for that location, they will unlock side missions. These side missions drop the player off at a small part of the recently explored location, in which they must accomplish a series of (usually timed) objectives. These side quests reward the player with EXP, weapon upgrade materials, and more.
The gameplay loop of Granblue Fantasy: Relink reminds me a lot of the original game. Players must do the game's Main Story, and when they get stuck at certain points, they do side content to power up. The same thing happens in Relink. Whenever new side content gets unlocked, I end up doing them because they make my team more powerful. This makes doing the main story easier, which leads to more side content, and the cycle continues. Thankfully, it doesn't get boring. Each mission has a letter rating, with S++ as the highest. Getting an S in a side mission, and going back after powering up to turn it into an S++ is one of my main sources of enjoyment in this game. Even after already finishing the game, trying to beat my score in a mission is still one of my favorite things to do.
The main problem that I think players will have with this game is its repetitiveness. Eventually, players can feel that they're just repeating the same quests over and over again just to get stronger. They can feel that the grind can get, well, too grindy. Funnily enough, that's the essence of what Granblue Fantasy is. The original game is just endless grinding and getting stronger, before getting power crept by the next new weapon.
Thankfully, we don't have to do much of that in Relink, and although the grind does get tiring sometimes, it's still pretty fun. There are plenty of ways to get rid of that feeling of repetitiveness, like changing up your character or trying a new build. You can craft new weapons, equip new Sigils, and upgrade said weapons and Sigils. The game gives players the tools to experiment in the game. That way, it doesn't get too repetitive, even if you've been trying to get that S++ rank for two hours already but you can't because that last Goblin Soldier keeps spawning too late.
In summary, Granblue Fantasy: Relink's gameplay shines in its character variety, as well as the set pieces where the main quest and side missions take place. It can get repetitive for some players, with missions being somewhat repetitive, but there are more than enough solutions to the monotony that players can potentially face.
Now that we're done with Granblue Fantasy: Relink's gameplay, let's dive into its story.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Story
As mentioned above, Granblue Fantasy: Relink's story is a side story to the mobile game. The player, who takes control of either Gran or Djeeta, the mobile game's male and female protagonists respectively, arrives in the Zegagrande Skydom. Skydoms are similar to continents, in that each one contains a group of floating islands where various people reside. After an attack on their airship leaves it in need of repairs, the Captain (your character) and the crew find themselves in the port island of Folca. There, they get dragged into a series of events that will bring danger to the Skydom, and the entire world. Only the Captain and his Crew stand in the way of the world's end.
I can't reveal many details about the story, as it has a lot of twists and turns that are better-experienced blind. What I can say, however, is that the game's writing is on par with the writing of the original game. It does a great job of introducing its villains, as well as making sure that you feel your powerlessness against them in the beginning. Throughout the story, you start to feel yourself getting stronger, both via the story and through the gameplay. Finally, in the end, you stand triumphant against the enemy that once caused you despair. The pacing of the story is great, and I feel like there are no dull moments throughout.
Other than the Main Story, Granblue Fantasy: Relink brings with it the Fate Episode mechanic. Fate Episodes are small quests that are tied to a specific character. Each character has a list of Fate Episodes, which unlock as the player progresses through the story. Think of them as Character Quests from other games. These Fate Episodes serve two purposes. The first is that going through a Fate Episode improves the character's stats, mainly their HP and Attack, and sometimes Sigil slots. The second is that it gives players a more in-depth look at what that character is like. The first few Fate Episodes are usually backstories of that character, specifically how they met the Captain. The rest of the Fate Episodes, on the other hand, are original stories made for this game.
Take Zeta for example. The first few Fate Episodes detail how she met the Captain, and that she joined the Crew to be able to fight against Primals, which are beings similar to gods in the game. Her Fate episodes then switch over to how one of the younger citizens of Seedhollow develops a crush on Zeta and does his best to get her to look his way. Zeta, of course, does not reciprocate his feelings for various reasons, mainly because of how young he is, but also because she believes that he will grow out of his feelings for her. The various Fate Episodes showcase her friendship with the young boy, and how they eventually develop a friendship that inspires the boy to better himself.
These Fate Episodes add an extra layer of character and lore to all of the game's characters, which I appreciate. It also serves as an introduction for players who are coming into this game without any prior knowledge of the mobile game. I like that they included this, as it makes sure that players who have no prior knowledge of the game can still get to know the characters they play. At the same time, players who have played the game get additional stories for their additional characters.
There are so many things I want to say about the Granblue Fantasy: Relink's story, but if I were to summarize my feelings, it would be that both players and non-players of the mobile game will like what they did with the game's writing. It is properly written, with good character development, and even better hype moments.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Review Summary
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a must-have for fans of the series, who are looking for something to play other than the mobile game or the fighting game. It has a good combination of gameplay and story, with enough fan service that fans of the series will enjoy. However, even non-fans of the series or newcomers will enjoy the game, as on its own, it is a decently made action RPG with beautiful set pieces, with a story that is well-written and properly paced. There are some problems here and there, but they are not enough to overshadow all of the good that the game is.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be crying and waiting in the corner for a DLC that introduces Vira into the game. Maybe I'll give the game its missing point then.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink Score: 9/10
Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a PC review copy of Granblue Fantasy: Relink to allow us to cover the game. This copy did not, in any way, affect this Granblue Fantasy: Relink review’s verdict.
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