Review: Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising
Fight epic battles that only fighting games can provide.
THE GAME
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a fighting game developed by Cygames, Inc. and Arc System Works and distributed by Cygames, Inc. The world of Granblue Fantasy is the backdrop for your characters to fight each other in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. You can enjoy a solo adventure playing the story mode to learn some fundamentals or the arcade mode if you want to jump straight into the action. And, of course, the versus mode, to challenge friends, or the online mode, to challenge people around the world, are available for those who like to test their limits against other players. Choose from a cast full of well-known characters from the Granblue Fantasy franchise the one you like best and fight in action-packed, strategic matches that only fighting games can provide.
MY IMPRESSIONS
For those familiar with fighting games, Arc System Works knows that if a game of this genre involves Arc System Works, it's bound to be good. Arc System Works is a developer with a lot of experience in fighting games and knows how to create enjoyable gameplay for both beginners and seasoned players. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is no different. Speaking as a more casual player, I've always had the view that fighting games are difficult to learn, at least to avoid just mashing buttons until something happens. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising shows that it is indeed possible to learn and have fun in the process, mainly because the game embraces all types of players with different control types, allowing beginners to play with simpler commands and more experienced players to have more control over their movements. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a great entry point for those who want to learn and immerse themselves in the world of fighting games. If that still doesn't convince you, no problem, there's a free version of the game, with limited features, but it allows you to experience what I've described in practice.
The Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising roster features most of the franchise's characters, all with their familiar characteristics, allowing for some customization, such as colors and weapon swaps. Customization even extends to your player card, for those who like to personalize their online profile to showcase their favorite character. Returning to the characters, each one's fighting style is quite unique, giving players a lot of choice in how to play and which character they prefer. Generally, we end up choosing our main character based on their appearance, but that's also good, as you learn and master the character you like best, making everything more fun. Any character you choose is fun to play, thanks to the variety of gameplay innovations each one brings. It's cool to see the interaction between characters before and after the fight begins, with unique dialogues that respect the game's story and their personalities. The movements are fluid and the abilities are very satisfying to use, always respecting the weight of the blow. The special moves are a spectacle in themselves, with incredible scenes of the characters executing their attacks. The game's art is beautiful, with a very distinctive animation style that makes everything even better. The soundtrack follows some themes from Granblue Fantasy and will be quickly recognized by those who have played other games in the franchise.
The story mode, besides obviously telling a story, serves as a learning experience for beginner players, allowing them to learn the basics of the game before diving into the competitive world, as well as try out some characters in the process. The arcade mode is more direct in its action, placing opponents directly before the player, but with an interesting mechanic allowing the player to choose the opponent's level after each battle. Another essential mode is ranked, which is very beginner-friendly, always pairing players of the same skill level, avoiding frustration for new players who want to start competing online. There's also an online lobby where you can enjoy an interactive space with other players, as well as some available minigames. Finally, the training mode is very complete, helping the player learn everything from basic fundamentals to more advanced concepts, all in a practical way, making this mode your best friend for mastering your skills with your favorite character.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising manages to combine a great fighting game with extremely cool and charismatic characters. Even if you've never played a game in the Granblue Fantasy franchise, you're sure to be captivated by one of them. The combination of fluid and satisfying gameplay with beautiful visuals and effects encourages players to keep playing and learning, without frustrating any skill level. If you're looking for a game to start your fighting game journey, consider Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising as your choice.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The achievements in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising cover practically everything the game offers, from normal gameplay to replay and save features. Gameplay-related achievements consist of performing certain moves a certain number of times, which will eventually happen if you play many matches. In addition, there are also achievements related to the story mode. Naturally, there are also achievements for online mode, but they don't demand much skill from the player; simply playing a specific number of times will already give you some achievements, which is great for those who aren't very good or are still learning. Practicing in training mode, fully customizing a character, leveling up a character—in short, as mentioned before, everything the game offers has an achievement to unlock. Therefore, play Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising calmly and, eventually, you will achieve 100% of the achievements naturally.
CONCLUSION
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising came at the perfect time for me. I was looking for a fighting game to start learning and really get into. I was happy to find such a fun and enjoyable game as Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. All the characters are really cool, you want to learn to play with all of them because each one has a unique characteristic that makes their gameplay interesting. The story mode does its job well as an introduction to both the world of Granblue Fantasy and the world of fighting games, albeit in a simple way. The training mode is so interesting that it makes you want to stay there testing everything with various characters. I can't wait to train more and learn more combos to improve my gameplay. Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a good example of why Arc System Works is so good at making fighting games.
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