Granblue Fantasy Versuswas one of the more surprising games of 2020.Granblue Fantasyoriginated as an RPG back in 2014 which has since been adapted into other forms of media. A fighting game wasn’t the most expected follow up, but Arc System Works is known for their ability to make magic with anime-style fighters.Granblue Fantasy Versuswas a good game, which received positive critical and fan reception. The game was not without its shortcomings, however, and as good as it may have been, it had the potential to be better.Granblue Fantasy Versus: Risingis the follow up that strives to create an improvedGranblue Fantasyfighting experience.
Touted as a sequel,Granblue Fantasy Versus: Risingfeels more like an enhanced re-release of the original, think something along the lines ofUltimate Mortal Kombat 3or any of the dozens of games that compriseStreet Fighter IIthroughStreet Fighter V.This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the incremental iterations did bring about improvements to the original game. There are additional characters, an expanded story and most importantly for the online community, Rollback Net Code and crossplay for virtually lag-free online gaming across all platforms. But fans who completed RPG mode in the originalGranblue Fantasy Versuswill feel like the story mode is treading on familiar ground. While the story mode does recap all the events of the originalGranblue Fantasy Versus,it does with greater detail and improved pacing.
Story mode is essentiallyGranblue Fantasy Versus: Rising’sversion of the original’s RPG mode. This is where the player gets an in-depth explanation of how exactly Gran and Djeeta came to be in their particular predicament. Story mode also introduces the player to the other different playable pugilists, and as they are met during the story’s progression, tutorial stages are unlocked to learn the ropes for each character. These stages are optional, which is good because they all follow the same basic template and can get tedious if played in tandem, so it’s nice to have the option to return to them at the player’s leisure. The story is divided into three chapters that are comprised of multiple stages. Each stage involves a cutscene and most of them lead into a battle, whether it’s a traditional tournament-style fight, a battle against hordes of guards, monsters or machines, or one of the epic boss fights. Depending on how many optional tutorial battles the player wants to complete, story mode can take between eight and twelve hours.
Gameplay mechanics are the standard fare for fighting games, and anyone who has played other games developed by Arc System Works will have no problem acclimating toGranblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.In addition to the regular assortment of moves that players can pull off in battle, there’s a gauge that fills whenever the player inflicts or receives damage. This gauge can be used to execute special attacks, and when completely full it can be used to unleash Skybound Arts, which are amazingly animated and devastating attacks, provided they aren’t blocked by the opponent. This is one of the most friendly games when it comes to new player accessibility. Each character has an incredibly deep move set that can take a while to master, but the gameplay mechanics are designed where new players can pull off impressive moves right away. To make the game even more accessible, each character is shown a difficulty rating that indicates how newcomer friendly they are.
For single player content there’s the Story and Arcade mode. Arcade mode is the typical series of one-on-one fights that can be completed in about twenty minutes. Multiplayer is where players will get most of their mileage fromGranblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.Players can go online for casual or ranked matches, along with hosting their own private rooms for tournaments. As more time is spent in these modes, coins can be earned that can be used to unlock new weapon skins and costume colors, along with different pieces of art from the game. The most surprising mode is Grand Bruise Legends!, which is where players control chibi avatars of the characters and compete against other players in minigames like racing through an obstacle course or fighting in a battle royale. This is not something that is typically expected from a fighting game, but is a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
It has become a cliche to say that a game is easy to pick up and difficult to master, but that’s an apt description forGranblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.A newcomer to theGranblue Fantasy Versusor fighting games in general can pick a character at random and button mash their way to victory on the default settings. And they will do so while looking amazing. Aerial combos and laws of physics defying special moves will make newcomers feel like masters. Taking that approach to the harder difficulty settings or trying online ranked matches, however, will yield much less desirable results. There’s a difference between looking like a master and actually being a master, and while the great accessibility makes the former seem easy, the latter will take time. There are drastic differences between characters in how they approach fighting, and mastering the nuances and intricacies of each will take time and dedication. But this does mean that this is a title where newcomers can jump in and feel like they’re capable while still offering a challenge for veterans of the genre.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Risingis simply gorgeous. Bringing anime-quality graphics to life in video games isn’t impressive on a technical level anymore, but the quality and artistic design of the characters in action is impressive from a design perspective. The variety of different attacks makes this almost as enjoyable to watch as it is to play, with character attacks ranging from the cinematic animations of Skybound Arts that look like the fighter is bringing the world to an end or some of the more slaptstick attacks like members of the Brofam running into the battlefield for an attack. The most important aspect of any fighting game are the game mechanics, which is not an area where this title is lacking. Hitting the sweet spot that makes it accessible for newbies while still being able to offer up a challenge for veterans to master is not an easy feat, but it’s something this game nails.
Closing Comments:
Whether viewed as a full-fledged sequel or enhanced re-release,Granblue Fantasy Versus: Risingis an improvement over its predecessor in just about every way. The single player content is of decent quantity for a fighting game, but could easily be completed in a single weekend. Most of the longevity will come from the multiplayer components, whether it be fighting against other players online in traditional matches or getting into some of the more unexpected minigames in Grand Bruise Legends. The accessibility is one of the best featuresGranblue Fantasy Versus: Risingin that it allows newcomers the ease to jump in and pull off impressive combos, yet the system is complex enough that it requires dedication to master. As it stands this is a great fighting game for players of all experience and skill levels.
