Granblue Fantasy Vs is a 2D fighting game from masters of the genre, Arc System Works, featuring an initial roster (more available through updates) of 11 playable characters from the hit franchise.
Based on the mobile RPG of the same name, Granblue Fantasy has major pedigree driving it. composer Nobuo Uematsu and art director Hideo Minaba both worked on the Final Fantasy series (V, VI and IX) as well as 2007's Lost Odyssey. With over 25 million downloads in its native Japan, the move into other media was inevitable. The anime series was released in 2017, with a follow up season aired in October of 2019. Safe to say, this is a staggeringly successful franchise, and now the characters are being utilised in a fighting game which brings an unusually high level of depth fitting of its RPG roots.
The game has multiple modes available, and I'd advise starting with the Missions mode. This is a story-driven affair that works like a visual novel interspersed with arena fighting (think Dragon's Crown) that requires you to meet certain criteria to succeed. This is helpful as both a training mechanic and a way to alleviate repetitive play. Your performance is evaluated with rewards such as currency, skills and weapons bestowed for meeting specific criteria. These can then be used to power up your characters, equip and level up weapons and even change skins. This kind of treasure hunting gameplay becomes addictive pretty quickly, and it helps that the story is genuinely entertaining too.
If you can tear yourself away from the story mode, you have the option to go for Training, Arcade and online Vs play. Arcade has a unique quirk of allowing you to select the difficulty of your next round, each represented by a different character. This is great for those wanting to change up the difficulty level on the fly, and is another example of thoughtful game designed employed by Arc.
Fighting itself is more than just button mashing, but the game helpfully balances the need for greater depth required by the EVO loving elite and the need to make the game accessible to plebs like me. In this instance, the game allows you to pull off special moves using either "technical" controls (basically the quarter-circle fireball mechanic of Street Fighter fame) or just pressing the R1 button and a direction. Using these moves depletes your specials bar, and this must be recharged (or cooled down to use the game's terminology) and this will occur faster if you learn the technical inputs. It's a nice way to open up the moveset whilst encouraging the player to invest in the mechanics to gain an edge, which will be vital when playing others online. Each character has 4 special moves that can be utilised once before requiring a recharge, and by keeping the mechanics the same for each character, you free up the player to learn the advantages of each move in combat, which is where the focus should be.
Speaking of online play, here's a novel idea; before throwing you against a human opponent, the game requires you to play a few rounds with the computer to assess your technical ability and ensuring a fair match. Now yes, you could throw this by deliberately playing badly, but it's a solid qualifier if you treat it properly. Online matches have been smooth and lag-free so far, we'll see how that continues as players get their hands on the game.
In terms of presentation, the game is gorgeous. Everything from the character art adorning the menus to the characters themselves, resplendent as they are in intricate costumes rendered in real time, is beautiful. I'm often swayed by attractive aesthetics, but this game is really something else. I want figures of pretty much everything. When the characters move on-screen, they are absolutely bursting with life, be it grand gestures or subtle movement, and watching a match is almost as fun as playing, especially when the super moves are as imaginative and grandiose as they are here. Arc has done the franchise very proud here.
I admit I paid the extra to import the US version for the Special Edition, which comes with a lovely thick cardboard box adorned with amazing artwork, a soundtrack selection and (most importantly) an artbook. It's such a shame this didn't make it to the UK, as taken together this game is a solid 10 for both content and value. But even if this edition didn't exist, you'd be left with a stunning game that entices with it's blitzing soundtrack, luscious visuals and smooth gameplay. Give it a home and fall in love.
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