You Need To “End” Granblue Fantasy: Relink To Truly Start It, And Boy Is It Fun

When you pick up a game, is replayability a factor influencing your decision? If I talk about myself, I’m something of a completionist. I want to achieve completion in everything a game offers, and a solid replayability incentive is necessary to achieve this. Especially in RPGs where you do grinding and NG+ modes to get there. And there’s nothing better when a game tries to make this grind enjoyable and fresh.

When it comes to JRPGs, the story is not the only thing that matters to me. It’s important for sure, but since I love the genre so much, I wish to keep playing a game beyond the story. And it’s a JRPG tradition to feature tough post-story content for all your overpowered characters. If the game’s combat is exciting, this end-game content is a true treat for me. And in this department, Granblue Fantasy: Relink has me completely enchanted.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Played To Its Strengths Effectively

I’ve been playing gacha games for a long time now, long before Genshin Impact came to popularize them. It all started when I stumbled across Granblue Fantasy back in 2016. I got so invested in it that when a full-on action Granblue Fantasy game was announced, I was over the moon. Sadly, I had to wait 8 years for it, but boy was I surprised, starting with the demo. Trust me it was so impressive I was sold on the game right away.

And then Granblue Fantasy: Relink was released to an enormous reception. It achieved more than 100,000 concurrent players on Steam, a landmark in the JRPG genre. The game is a love letter for fans and newcomers alike. Are you a fan of the series? here are your favorite characters in a true 3D and fully voiced adventure with their entertaining banter. Are you new? Enjoy this deceptively fun combat in one of the best JRPG endgames.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GranblueFantasyRelink/comments/1aiy1xk/wow/

The Good Stuff Begins After The Story

As I mentioned earlier, JRPGs are meant to be played extensively for completionists. However, generally, the end-game has been pretty straightforward in games like this. Like, take a look at Final Fantasy 16. The end-game content is some hard bosses and side quests, and an NG+ after that. Similarly, end-game content is practically non-existent in Genshin Impact. There are a lot more examples, but you get the idea.

And then comes a game that is all about challenging yourself and acquiring the best possible equipment in some of the most intense encounters. That game is Granblue Fantasy: Relink and I’m in love with it. Not only has it made all the grind enjoyable with its boss design, but it also makes sure you have plenty to do. That said, it’s not like the game doesn’t have a story mode.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink features 100+ side quests with both single player and 4-player online multiplayer
byu/Turbostrider27 inGranblue_en

 But you know what, it didn’t bite off more than it could chew, and I respect that. That post-game questing is the whole purpose of the game, and the devs made sure to focus on that. The story is a sweet yet simple tale, even more so for the fans. It’s nothing special, but it gets the job done of setting the stage for some epic setpieces and introducing the creative boss battles and the thrill of battle.

Tired Of Playing A Character? Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s Got You Covered

Now for the real discussion. I’ve discussed many aspects of the game in my review, but today, I’m speaking exclusively on its end-game. As you’ve already guessed I’m a big fan of hard content, and Granblue Fantasy: Relink delivered what I always wanted. However, the fact remains no matter how hard or enjoyable a quest may be, if you have to grind it multiple times, you’re bound to get bored. Well, not in this game.

Relink’s biggest achievement according to me is its characters. Generally in action JRPGs, all the characters play out the same, except for some distinct skills. But man am I glad Granblue Fantasy: Relink managed to circumvent that. It has 19 playable characters, and the entire kit of a character is completely distinct. Bored of one character? Switch your mains and you’ll have an entirely new experience.

Granblue Fantasy Relink: All Characters’ Playstyle Uniqueness
byu/NeroProduction inGranblue_en

It’s much more than just a simple button masher. You need to understand how a character plays to stay competent in co-op quests. I’ve been a Lancelot main since the game’s launch, and I still have trouble keeping up the combo sometimes. Recently I switched to Yodarha, and I was shocked at how bad I became, the combat was that much different. The game has really done it with the character complexity.

Building Characters And Quest Difficulty Is No Joke

On top of featuring 19 playable characters, Granblue Fantasy: Relink takes building them a little too seriously. If you wish to tackle some of the toughest stuff, get ready to pump your character full of as many stats as possible. Every time I thought I reached the peak performance for a character, the game told me the ceiling was still far away. And honestly, this is not a bad thing, it gives you the incentive to keep grinding.

Who doesn’t want their character to be strongest and just annihilate stuff? I know I do, but the enemies do the annihilating in this game (I swear I’ll get them someday). 19 different characters, all distinct to play, hard to master, and even harder to build, this game did replayability and longevity right. And on top of that, the growing quest difficulty is a constant reminder to get good and build those characters.

Proud setup
byu/Gachaman785 inGranblueFantasyRelink

You thought the bosses in this game were hard? Wait till two of them show up to make your life hell. What, that was also doable? What about three then? It becomes so chaotic towards the very end that you need nerves of steel and lightning reflexes to keep up. Honestly, I’m hooked on this game and I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon, it’s just so fun. I’ve only done this stuff with 2 characters so far, 17 still remain.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Is Here To Stay, And I Hope It Does

I firmly believe Cygames did something special with Granblue Fantasy: Relink and made the post-game grind and longevity as enjoyable as possible. However, I don’t think I need to tell you this but to sustain games like this, consistent updates are indispensable. No matter how fun it is, multiplayer and co-op-focused games need fresh changes to stay relevant. And Cygames seems to know this as well.

The game’s just here, and the developer has already revealed a roadmap for future content. March will bring more quests and boss encounters, and an April update will add two brand-new characters. That’s not all, future content is also planned. This was a splendid gesture and I applaud the devs for coming clear about what’s to come and keeping it fresh, genuinely looking forward to these updates.

3-months Roadmap for Relink
byu/Extension_Gas9604 inJRPG

And since we’re on the topic of updates, there’s one thing the game crucially needs: a better matchmaking system. You don’t know what characters your teammates are bringing. The Proud difficulty quests can’t be done without a properly balanced team. All supports or all DPS are bound to fail there. Cygames needs to fix this and add some communication before you finalize your characters for smooth sailing.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is now available for the PlayStation 4, 5, and PC.