Granblue Fantasy: Relink Reviews
Granblue Fantasy: Relink does a few things very well. Its art direction and music are gorgeous. The online multiplayer co-op combat gameplay works really well. But as a single-player action JRPG, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is mostly quite generic. It’s also the story sequel to a game not released in North America, which really soured my ability to get invested in the story or characters. Action JRPG fans looking for more games in the genre might enjoy Granblue Fantasy: Relink, but there are too many other better options for non-diehard JRPG fans to recommend the game.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink was unfortunately a rather disappointing experience for me, which is a shame to say considering how excited I was for it all those years. It does offer excellent combat that achieves genuine variation between its vast cast of characters, and many spectacle-filled boss fights - but remains largely unengaging due to a bland narrative that barriers off much of its character development behind tedious text segments. There is likely to be plenty of life found within its extensive post-game segments, as players can team up to take down countless missions across numerous forms, but that grind might not be for everyone in the long run, especially if you're playing solo.
Despite the myriad troubles, Granblue Fantasy: Relink has turned out to be rather excellent. But with several lackluster aspects, there is a real sense of disappointment that Relink could have been so much better.
The problem is that, as many of us know, gacha games are inherently exploitative, and even though I'm confident in resisting spending any money on them, I still feel a bit strange about the pull I'm experiencing towards such a game thanks to a seperate, supposedly stand-alone RPG. Should you play Relink for a taste of Granblue Fantasy's world? I think so! But go in knowing that it won't give you everything you might want, and take it as it is.
A truly excellent combat system and neat character-centric episodes complement a compelling tale, but weak side activities and some turgid grinding hold it back.
Granblue Fantasy Relink is a game that wears its heart on its sleeve with its sincere narrative and engrossing combat.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an excellent first step into console RPGs for the series. The story doesn't quite live up to expectations with poor pacing and an overall lack of character development, but the second half features epic fights and a streamlined narrative. Additionally, the gameplay is a thrill to experiment with, and it is a blast to play with friends online. Combined with its jaw-dropping mosaic-like visuals and beautiful soundtrack, it's safe to say that the six-year wait has mostly paid off for Cygames & Granblue with a solid first entry into the world of RPGs.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink offers a captivating albeit simple narrative, mesmerizing visuals, and a fun gameplay experience. If you’re a JRPG fan looking for a great new experience, then you’ll do no wrong with the game, but don’t expect anything out of the ordinary.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a beautiful burst of fantasy anime colours with a good amount of substance to keep your action RPG tendencies sated. The wait for its release was a long one, but in gameplay, character selection, and music, it delivers to its fans and any action RPG fan looking for a Monster Hunter-like clone without the control "nuances". For first-time players of this franchise, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a good start. It may not be Final Fantasy but damn I felt that every hour I spent playing was not wasted.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink does stumble when it comes to being newcomer-friendly, but it does make up for it as the story goes on. Although the combat can feel repetitive, the power moves and boss fights offer enough to spice things up.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink's plot falters in several ways despite some impressive combat, bosses and gorgeous visuals. Nevertheless, it's a solid holdover for action RPG fans who don't mind grinding.
Detailed characters, vivid fights, and interesting bosses force the player to tear through a dark forest of cliched dialog and predictable plot twists. And that's quite the accomplishment for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, which has crawled out of the realm of smartphone trash.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Great action sequences and a lean story highlight an RPG adventure that doesn't overstay its welcome.
The saving grace of these extended gameplay encounters is that the combat is reasonably engaging, and interactions between characters will likely delight existing Granblue Fantasy fans. Relink is unlikely to be any newcomer’s favorite game. Still, the basic gameplay is fun and keeps you moving along the treadmill, especially if you have a gathering of like-minded source material fans to help you slay its biggest figurative and literal dragons.
But in the end, Granblue Fantasy is still tucked away in my phone. Perhaps they thought that a console game like Relink was merely the best way to onboard new players. You can’t hit them with the toxic, cannibalistic lesbians (this is a thing that happened, and was fantastic) or the Lowain Brothers Hostess Club out of nowhere. Most recently in Granblue Fantasy, my Captain got canonically married in a parallel timeline to Catura. Catura is a big-titty cow girl who is the Divine Ox of the 12 Divine Generals. She loves milk, her sentient motorcycle named Milky, her parents, a little cow named Moomoo, and me. And now my big-titty cowgirl is one of the hardest hitting attackers I have on my Wind element team. When she does her ougi, we divebomb the enemies on her motorcycle in our wedding dresses. It’s amazing. And while I admit that this is definitely the energy missing from Relink, it did take Granblue some time to get here.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a diamond in the rough, with a limited number of colossal opponents and a lot of choices and concessions that contribute to a less rewarding challenge and long-term interest. If you are a fan of (or even just interested in) the universe created by Cygames, however, it is likely that the rich and charismatic cast of playable characters may make you turn a blind eye. Definitely a game made for fans.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a much less ambitious game than it seems, but its simplicity shouldn't necessarily be considered as a flaw. Cygames' latest work is fun and well polished, and it has an exciting combat system, great art and music. Unfortunately, the story falls short, and after reaching the endgame it devolves in a repetitive cycle of 80 or so hours of mindless fighting, without any real challenge or new ideas to keep things fresh.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There are few games that have been able to break out of development hell and satisfy those who have been waiting for it for a long time and their fans. Granblue Fantasy succeeded in this test with a highly polished gameplay and a charming adventure atmosphere, thanks to which it was able to place itself as a strong candidate as one of the best games of this year in the JRPG classification.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
It took me around 32 hours to complete the Main Story and Postgame Story in Relink. I found no glaring grammatical issues throughout my playthrough, which is a big plus. Afterwards, an even more difficult level (Maniac) for Counter Quests is unlocked, and completing those quests will unlock an even tougher difficulty level (Proud). Completing the Main Story also unlocks the Chapter Select, which allows you to replay past Story Chapters at different difficulty levels, and also lets you find collectibles you may have missed the first time around. The Chapter Select menu also tells you how many collectibles you found in each chapter, so you can be on the lookout for certain things as you replay the chapter. However, this only tells you overall the missing collectibles. This is an issue because when you choose to replay a Story Chapter, you can choose a specific part to start from. So if you choose to start a chapter from a specific point, you could possibly be skipping over a collectible and not even realize. You really have to go through each chapter from the beginning with a fine tooth comb if you’re looking to find all the collectibles. So, with the addition of new Counter Quests to tackle and the ability to replay Story Chapters, there’s plenty to do for the completionists out there. And even if you’re not a completionist, you can still tackle more difficult Counter Quests online with friends for fun.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink transitions from mobile to console and PC, offering a balanced mix of action-oriented combat and deep storytelling that competes with top RPGs like Final Fantasy. Despite minor exploration and performance issues, its compelling narrative, striking visuals, and innovative blend of single-player and live-service elements make it a standout title in the RPG genre.