Summary

• Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a fantastic console RPG that doesn't disappoint fans of the series.
• The game's story, while familiar, is engaging, and its graphics have an anime charm.
• The combat is satisfying and fun, with varied abilities and challenging bosses, but the enhancement system can be tedious.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the latest entry from a series now entering its tin anniversary, a time when many franchises might try to reinvent themselves or lean too heavily into old habits, but there are no signs of that here. In fact, Relink may be the best content the series has ever put out. It's a chaotically incredible experience, even if the story and characters sometimes feel a bit too derivative or predictable.

The history of Granblue Fantasy in the West has been a somewhat odd one - the original mobile game never made it over from Japan, but the anime and some manga did. In the last decade, the two entries that did come here (Granblue Fantasy: Versus and the sequel, Granblue Fantasy: Versus: Rising) were more fighting games than RPGs. In many ways, that makes the highly-anticipated Granblue Fantasy: Relink the console RPG many fans have been waiting for. Thankfully, it doesn't disappoint.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Story & Gameplay Are All About Presentation

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.

The gameplay is mostly divided up in two ways - there's a story that continues from the original Granblue Fantasy and introduces a host of new and returning characters and plots, and then there are episodes and missions that can be played alone or in co-op. As someone who played these episodes solo, I can vouch that they're still fun. They're mostly short and sweet, and the rewards - including upgrade materials, stat boosts, and unlocking more Sigil slots - are well worth the effort. They're also enjoyable enough to the time between story chapters and serve as an effective way to buff up characters.

Granblue Fantasty: Relink Combat Is As Varied As Its Roster

The combat in Granblue Fantasy: Relink starts off a little simple, but it gets more complicated (and enjoyable) from there as more abilities are unlocked and bosses get significantly more challenging. There are also Link Attacks and Bursts, which can be used strategically to optimize damage to foes. Overall, it's pretty standard action-RPG combat, but this is frenetic in the best kind of ways. The four-member party has plenty of characters to choose from, meaning no two battles will feel the same. For example, Gran is a fairly standard hack-and-slash fighter, but Eugen's fighting style essentially turns the game into an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter.

Some of the most fun I had was running around a mine shaft, blasting at goblins with a shotgun and tossing the occasional bomb at groups. It's the kind of gameplay I don't typically expect in high fantasy RPGs, and it's just one of the many surprises Granblue Fantasy: Relink tosses at players. Early in the main story, there's a portion where the crew of the Grandcypher has to take down enemy airships by firing cannons, hopping aboard those ships, and destroying the engines behind waves of enemies. It was the point where I realized just how much I was enjoying myself.

Those interested in Granblue Fantasy: Relink can also check out the mobile/browser title Granblue Fantasy, which has years' worth of content to explore.

A little later on, there's a boss fight in the desert that requires taking apart a gigantic golem piece by piece. There's sliding across dunes -and hitting portals for a speed boost. There are cutscenes involving bombarding airships. There's climbing this massive boss to get to the core at the top of it. There are all sorts of other gimmicks at work here that are too long to list. All of this rolled into a single fight that's as enjoyable as it is chaotic. Granblue Fantasy: Relink isn't just a game with a great aesthetic - it's got the combat chops to back it up.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Still Has Flaws

If there's one flaw I've found in Granblue Fantasy: Relink, it's with the way so many character enhancements rely on farming materials and spending various currencies. Weapons and Sigils all require numerous materials and gems to upgrade - and even more to unlock new thresholds - while also costing gold. Relink may be a console game, but it hasn't fully shed its mobile gacha roots.

This is also visible in the way additional characters are unlocked with Crewmate Cards and how missions need to be repeated to get upgrade materials. It can mean replaying the same boss over and over again, or even mindlessly wiping out waves of enemies because a weapon needs to be upgraded. In co-op, this might all be fine - but it can get tedious when playing alone.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink Final Thoughts & Review Score

The story of Granblue Fantasy: Relink may not be especially groundbreaking, but the combat is excellent and proves the game isn't getting by on just its good looks. It'll be interesting to see how the longevity of the game works in post-game and once more people are playing it and co-op becomes more viable. Even this early into the year, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is set up to be one of the best RPGs of 2024.

A PlayStation 5 code for Granblue Fantasty: Relink was sent to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.