Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok review

When Granblue Fantasy: Relink launched in 2024, it surprised even longtime fans of Cygames’ successful property. After nearly eight years of development, multiple delays, and the departure of PlatinumGames midway through production, Relink arrived as a remarkably polished action RPG that combined engaging combat with a genuinely heartfelt sense of adventure.

Unsurprisingly, its campaign and spectacular boss battles earned widespread praise. And while other titles have tried to capture the magic of an MMO without the monthly subscription fee or even the need for other players, few efforts felt as polished as Relink. After the game surpassed two million copies sold, many dedicated skyfarers reached the same conclusion: they wanted more.

Raising the Stakes

Rather than functioning as a typical expansion that simply shoehorns in another region or a batch of difficult quests, Endless Ragnarok reimagines Relink‘s endgame. New story chapters, six additional playable characters, summon-based combat mechanics, roguelite progression, expanded character customization, and cross-platform multiplayer transform what was already a first-class action RPG into something better- even if not every addition lands as well.

Endless Ragnarok picks up after the conclusion of Relink‘s main campaign, introducing a new threat tied to mysterious entities called the Ragnalia. Here’s where I have to push back on my own first impression of this expansion: I initially expected the story to build meaningfully on Relink’s mythology, and structurally, it tries to.

But in practice, the narrative is Endless Ragnarok‘s weak point. Where the base game told a complete, well-paced adventure, the expansion is framed more like an epilogue. And yes, it even plays like one because it feels thinner, more sporadic, and far more interested in doling out more lore about the Ragnalia and the Skydom than in spending time with the Grandcypher crew themselves. It’s a lot like the John Wick movies that focus on The High Table instead of just letting Keanu kick ass.

Telling Tales at the Quest Counter

Rather than the story missions you’d expect from a JRPG-sized narrative, to much of Endless Ragnarok‘s plot comes from repeatedly visiting the quest counter. Here, new story beats are doled out in brief memory vignettes after collections of quests are completed. Sure, it’s a concession to the expansion’s co-op component, since fewer full story missions means less downtime for players trying to kick ass together. But it also means Endless Ragnarok never quite matches the momentum that made Relink’s main campaign satisfying. But don’t worry, Gran, Djeeta, and the rest of the crew are still as likable as ever, at least whene the game dares to slow things down for them.

Undoubtedly, Endless Ragnarok‘s biggest addition is that Summons are no longer confined to cutscenes or scripted story moments. Now, powerful Primals are directly controllable during combat. After filling a dedicated gauge, you’ll be able to temporarily assume control of legendary creatures capable of devastating the battlefield. Rather than serving as cinematic finishing moves, these sequences become fully playable encounters with unique attacks and movement systems, elevated even standard boss fights.

Relink already used well-choreographed mechanics and impressive visual effects to make even basic encounters feel important. Endless Ragnarok builds on this by letting players counter gigantic enemies with equally large allies. If you ever wished the Eikons in Final Fantasy XVI were more organically integrated into combat and felt less like isolated set pieces, you’ll appreciate the change here. There’s something deeply gratifying about a summon entering the fight and completely shifting the momentum.

Finally Fixing Character Builds

Relink‘s progression systems were one of the game’s few weaknesses. Skill trees often rewarded players with nominal stat improvements instead of really changing how characters played, and online parties tended to gravitate toward similar builds, undermining the feeling that each skyfarer played a distinct role.

Endless Ragnarok addresses that with the inclusion of Master Traits. Instead of incremental percentage increases, Master Traits encourage specialization. Characters can evolve into distinctly different versions of themselves depending on player preference. Offensive builds become more aggressive, defensive options are more viable, and support-focused characters get functional improvements rather than just bigger healing numbers. Experimentation finally feels rewarding, which was the one thing Relink needed to fix.

A Better Endgame

Perhaps the expansion’s most interesting additions is The Conflux, a roguelite-inspired solo mode that shirks Relink‘s linear quest structure in favor of randomized runs. You’ll navigate branching stages, gather temporary perks between encounters, and adapt to unpredictable enemy combinations. Some perks will buff your run, while corrupted ones work against you until you meet conditions to unseal their bigger payoffs.

No two runs unfold the same way, with The Conflux adding replayability beyond farming the same bosses. My one real complaint is that The Conflux doesn’t grant experience, which makes its best rewards feel slow and stingy if you’re starting from scratch. For players who still enjoy traditional hunting, Cygames has also added new endgame co-op quest tiers and tougher bosses, with much of the new stuff breaking through Relink’s power ceiling.

Six New Heroes

Endless Ragnarok expands Relink‘s roster by six playable characters, bringing the total to 28. The new additions include series regular-turned-playable Beatrix and ranged specialist Eustace, alongside former antagonists Maglielle and Gallanza and newcomers Fraux and Feliel the Black Dragon. Every fighter introduces mechanics that reinforce Relink‘s greatest strength: no two characters play alike. Combined with Master Traits, these additions make party composition significantly more interesting than before.

One of Relink‘s subtle accomplishments was how effectively its CPU-controlled companions mimicked competent human teammates. They healed, revived, and coordinating Link Attacks without frustration or much intervention, making solo play surprisingly enjoyable. Endless Ragnarok preserves that while expanding multiplayer itself: cross-platform matchmaking finally brings PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 players together. I wasn’t able to fully test speeds this before release, so that’s one variable to keep an eye on.

That said, the expansion’s multiplayer additions come with two caveats worth noting. Local co-op is exclusive to the Switch 2 version, and The Conflux, which is the mode built for repeat play, doesn’t support co-op at all. Both omissions are an odd pair of choices for expansion that focused on making Relink‘s endgame a shared experience. Hopefully, Cygames will remedy this post-releases.

Still One of the Genre’s Most Beautiful Games

Relink already flaunt top-tier production values, and Endless Ragnarok continues that tradition. Its environments are still some of the most visually striking in the fantasy genre, with new regions blending floating islands and ancient ruins into landscapes that feel wonderfully Granblue. Whoever did the original enviomental design for the property deserves accolades.

Combat animation is still expressive, with every playable communicating personality through their movements. Meanwhile, the soundtrack, with compositions by Nobuo Uematsu alongside Tsutomu Narita, continues to deliver rousing orchestral battle themes for the increasingly cinematic encounters. This is a game that deserves to be played at a high volume.

Final Verdict

Many expansions promise more content. Endless Ragnarok delivers something more valuable: improved gameplay systems. Playable summons, better character specialization, a mostly replayable roguelite mode, additional heroes, tougher cooperative encounters, and cross-platform support all make Endless Ragnarok a worthwhile proposition for Relink owners. Where it falls short is the story, with some quest-counter busywork keeping it from achieving greatness.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher