Granblue Fantasy: Relink Reviews

While Granblue Fantasy: Relink does boast excellent combat with true variance between its many characters, the predictable narrative robs it of any motivation while removing the sense of adventure from the game.

Granblue Fantasy, as a franchise, began life as a free-to-play RPG for mobile phones, before making its console debut in the fighting genre. As someone that struggles to memorize specific button prompts to execute moves, I ultimately skipped that game, Granblue Fantasy: Versus. I would admire from afar until finally, a mainline, non-F2P JRPG within that universe was announced. I was pretty gleeful, but that was also eight years ago, when I wasn’t in my thirties. Thinking about it, this situ...

I am nothing short of blown away by Granblue Fantasy: Relink. It blends the action RPG elements of soulsborne titles with exactly what’s desired from JRPGs and throws in a dash of gacha fun to create a game that’s filling and always flavorful. Just when I think it’s going to get tired and boring, it surprises me and holds my gaze all the more fiercely. Best of all, the game can be played entirely offline, meaning long-time fans of the series who have suffered through server outages no l...

“Granblue Fantasy: Relink has all the thrills of Final Fantasy XVI, but in a much tighter package.”

I will play Granblue Fantasy: Relink for many more hours to come. It perfectly scratches that itch of slaying giant beasts to upgrade one of many individual characters to then slay even bigger beasts in this beautifully illustrated steampunk fantasy world.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink's epic action RPG adventure sets the skies ablaze.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink offers a gorgeous experience with fantastic combat, fan favorite characters, and a welcoming storyline that is hindered by excessive endgame grinding.

Despite the myriad troubles, Granblue Fantasy: Relink has turned out to be rather excellent. But with several lacklustre aspects, there is a real sense of disappointment that Relink could have been so much better.

Great action sequences and a lean story highlight an RPG adventure that doesn't overstay its welcome.

This review may contain gameplay spoilers and light story spoilers.

An action RPG with an emphasis on action, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is based on hit mobile title Granblue Fantasy. For the last decade or so, developer Cygames' intention has been to spread the good Granblue word to a wider audience, and so it greenlit the likes of Granblue Fantasy Versus and Relink — console adaptations that would (hopefully) prove the property's worth outside of the mobile space.

A surprising new Granblue Fantasy action RPG is available for consoles so let's see how well its universe lends itself to the genre's format.

A great cast of characters let down by a fairly unengaging narrative, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is still a superb RPG packed with content. Grab your friends, it’s time to go adventuring in the skies!

Granblue Fantasy: Relink might not reinvent the wheel when it comes to storytelling in a JRPG, but as far as fun multiplayer experiences go, Relink soars to new horizons.

One of the best modern RPGs in the market.

A proper, meaty JRPG from a newly ambitious developer, whose top notch combat and art design is let down only by insipid storytelling and voice-acting.

In my opinion, the gameplay makes up for the shortcomings of the campaign. And even though the mission-based system feels grindy by design, it’s a fun grind, and one I look forward to continuing. In a year full of RPG releases, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a solid early entry into the genre, and has earned its spot as one of the good ones.

The story of Granblue Fantasy: Relink may be on the shorter side, but it honestly feels like it's as long as it needs to be. It doesn't overstay its welcome, and the co-op and post-game content is likely where most people will spend their time anyway. Without too many spoilers, the primary (and single-player) narrative involves the crew of the Grandcypher as they attempt to rescue a fellow crewmember, take down some Primal Gods, and go up against the Church of Avia. It's a plot seen in countless other RPGs, including the Final Fantasy games that inspired it, but Granblue Fantasy: Relink really succeeds in presentation - yes, I've seen it all before, but the game looks amazing and plays well, so I don't mind how imitative it all feels.

Offering a stacked roster of playable characters, intuitive multiplayer action combat, and a bombastic single-player story quest, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a resounding success.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a masterpiece and is an amazing entry point into the world of Granblue Fantasy. The gameplay is engaging, the art design is immaculate, the music is amazing, and there is much to do in the game. I just wished the online component had more going on.

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.

I’ve gone back to play quest after quest every night since I finished the main story and I can’t see myself stopping any time soon. Developer Cygames has already announced additional characters and bosses coming in post-launch updates. As long as there’s more on the way, I can see myself returning to Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s gorgeous floating world for a long time to come.

Granblue Fantasy Relink is one of those games that has caught my eye ever since it was announced many years ago. Unfortunately, this game encountered several hurdles throughout its development. It was originally a collaboration between Cygames and PlatinumGames, but over time, suffered multiple delays and even lost the latter company's support.

A grand adventure in the skies awaits! Form a party of four from a diverse roster of skyfarers and slash—or shoot or hex—your way to victory against treacherous foes in this action RPG. Take on quests solo or with the help of others in up to 4-player co-op play! Reviewed on PC. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is yet another bold leap for the franchise and it lands gracefully. The combat is a ton of fun with a massive and unique roster of characters. The game could have introduced characters much better and given them more quiet moments, but the story is nice to watch play out, and it all leads into a massive post-game that will keep you playing for a long time.

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 pai...

The thrill of adventure in a boundless playground tickles the imagination, something intimately familiar to players of Granblue Fantasy, a mobile/browser-based title that has been a hit internationally for over a decade. The original title resembles 16-bit turn-based RPGs like the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest games of old, leaving daydreams of grander scale and exploits a hopeful wish rather than an inevitable reality. With Granblue Fantasy: Relink, developer CyGames has an opportunity to explore a fantasy world of open skies and magic while pulling the game from a comparatively modest mobile title into a full-blown 3D action game. While not completely successful, Granblue Fantasy: Relink should be lauded for getting most of the way to being a memorable title, but it needed a little more ambition and unique content to reach that goal.

So at the end of the day, despite everything that made this look like it was going to be a disaster, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is not just an alright game. It’s a really good game, a delight in terms of action RPG gameplay, and easily a title that you can start sinking a huge amount of time into whether you know this crew or not. I’m excited for the prospect of more, from more characters to more stories. And if you’re looking for a new RPG to sink your teeth to at the start of the year, ...

A mobile game turned fighting game and now an action RPG, Granblue Fantasy: Relink takes Gran and his crew on another epic adventure. Thrilling cutscenes, narrative, and action packed combat make this a wonderful, albeit short, experience.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an exceptional game that captures the essence of the series wonderfully. With tons of characters to play and a hearty endgame to dive into, Granblue Fantasy: Relink will have you coming back for more.

Despite some of Granblue Fantasy: Relink‘s flaws, it still manages to convey a compelling story within a short amount of time. In just fourteen hours, I was able to hit the credits, and I still felt compelled to try and max out all of my characters because of the bond I formed with them. Granblue Fantasy: Relink follows a lot of anime tropes, such as the power of friendship, but not to a point where it diminishes the story. Many lighthearted moments like that make the journey much more enjoyable.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a fantastic adventure, and one that will delight fans of the series with its slick action RPG combat, epic boss battles and sweeping anime drama.

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.

While it takes a while to get going, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is well worth the wait. Fans of quick-paced co-op action RPGs shouldn't hesitate to check it out.

Those expecting a traditional RPG experience from Granblue Fantasy: Relink might be left disappointed, with developer Cygames instead opting to offer something a little more succinct. It’s hard to not get drawn in by the game’s story, though, especially when it’s backed up by such engaging action, which stands head and shoulders above most in the genre. So, whether you’re an existing fan of Granblue Fantasy or not, if you like the idea of playing through the best bits of an epic RPG campaign and then absorbing yourself in hours of additional quests alone or with others, you’d be wise to give this a look.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a fantastic JRPG with an addicting combat system that, while it can run decently, needs some compromises on the Steam Deck.

Granblue Fantasy Relink is an exceptional action-RPG with a strong license that can flourish in many genres. With excellent combat and cinematography, Granblue Fantasy Relink provides strong character development and epic encounters throughout its 20-hour campaign and many more hours after that.

Granblue Fantasy is a Japanese-only mobile JRPG from 2014. North America has seen an anime adaptation and a fighting game spin-off. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an action JRPG sequel that has been in development since 2016. It was started by PlatinumGames, but they left the project in 2019. The game was completed by Cygames, who developed the original Granblue Fantasy.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink has a short and sweet story campaign with the potential for endless grinding after the main credits roll. The story is an enjoyable ride from start to finish that blends a captivating story filled with interesting crew members and exhilarating action-packed gameplay. Most of the characters' backstories are revealed through Fate Episodes in town and watching these stories adds a great deal to how invested the player can get in their individual stories. The content after the main story promises countless hours of completing increasingly more difficult missions to extend the life of the game. These missions after the main campaign deliver story content at a much slower pace, however, and after a certain point these activities amount to little more than grinding for better resources. Multiplayer helps with these missions, but most players will likely move on before completing all the content the post game has to offer. But up until that point, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an incredibly fun adventure.