Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising review

Second Round KO

Beyond beloved franchises like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue, Arc System Works is no slouch when it comes to adapting existing properties into fighting games. From Persona 4 Arena to Dragon Ball FighterZ, the Yokohama-based studios have delivered top-tier efforts that merged intricate mechanics with retina-blistering visuals.

With the 2020 release of Granblue Fantasy: Versus, the developers adapted Cygame’s well-liked role-playing game/gacha puller into a fighter. While their title flaunted fluidity and speed, issues such as a diminutive roster and laggy online matches tainted the experience. Three years on, these snags have been remedied with the release of Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. With a roster that’s more than doubled in size and a shift to rollback netcode, Rising bundles three years of updates, the inclusion of previously released DLC, along with a smattering of new additions and tweaks.

Like many fighting game sequels, the robust package will undoubtedly delight newcomers. However, those who acquired DLC for the original game might feel some disappointment, as Rising can feel like an iteration rather than a true sequel.

Tutorials That Offer Actual Coaching

If you’re inexperienced with fighting games, Granblue Fantasy’s Training Mode is an ideal place to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals. Here, you’ll find the customary arena for basic moves as well as a succession of lessons for combos and special moves. Most interesting are the character-specific lessons, which teach how to do things like deflect Carlotta’s Surest Strike. Satisfyingly, it’s robust enough to transform a complete newb into at least a scrappy intermediate-level combatant if you’re willing to commit.

Certainty, it helps that the original Granblue Fantasy was one of the most accessible fighters that Arc System Works has ever created. At Rising’s core are the conventional light/medium/heavy attacks that date back to the Street Fighter II era. While purists can dish out punishing combos with advanced direction-pad movements and button presses, Rising accommodates players who just want to dispense specials without devoting hours to practice. Like the previous Versus’ last outing, merely tapping a button can summon up a powerful combo.

The Bold, the Brave, and the Beaten

But should you yearn to become a GranBlue badass, Rising offers several new nuances. Raging Strikes offer an opportunity to trade one of your three Bravery Points for an unblockable attack, potentially reversing the momentum of a match or humiliating a turtler. Performing the maneuver a second time initiates a Raging Chain, allowing you to deplete Brave Points from opponents, leaving them in a highly vulnerable state. Factor in Brave Counters, and there’s a gratifying battle within a battle, as combatants attempt to seize a Brave Point advantage. Given how easy it is to pull off some of Rising’s supers, a bit of light strategy is entirely welcome.

Smartly, the developers ensure that experience is justly rewarded. Rising rewards combatants who control space, and boxing a Brave Point-less opponent into the corner can feel invigorating. But that’s not the only way to emerge victorious. Judicious dodging and throwing as well as having a block at the ready can disgrace a careless adversary. Unlike many anime-styled fighters, Rising still favors the ground-based game, eschewing the air dashes and high-speed movement that can favor theatrics over skill.

You Think You’re Special?

Just below your health bar, every character has at least four moves that can be performed with the use of a trigger button. Ingeniously, specials have MOBA-style cooldown meter, that prohibits overuse and ensures traditionalists still have an advantage. It’s an ingenious system that meshes well with Rising’s other modes.

Rising Royale and other mini-games feel like an open invitation to newcomers, adding playful, Fall Guys-style antics that offer a gratifying break from all the pugulism. Sure, the devoted fighting game community might scoff at the inclusion, but it’s a friendly gesture that contributes to the breadth of Rising’s package. Plus, I enjoy seeing Granblue’s chibi-fied warriors running like a frenzied mob.

But some, the game’s Story mode will be a welcome addition. Here, additional training is accomplished through an involved narrative, improving your fighting prowess while fleshing out Granblue’s cast. The storyline from the original game is found here, but the light RPG elements as well as cooperative play have been removed, which feels like a missed opportunity. While the storytelling isn’t quite strong enough to stand and its own, it does do a decent job at fleshing out the cast while leaving some room for Granblue Fantasy: Relink to offer a bit of closure on some of the stories.

Unique Fighting Styles Across a Lean Cast

Although there are only four brand new combatants here, Rising’s roster offers plenty of variety. On the upside, the game’s 34 fighters play distinctively. Ferry, the game’s whip-toting spirit maiden has a deadly reach and a fearsome combo for foes that get too close. Meanwhile, Metera can keep opponents guessing with double jump that can provide distance, while her massive bow distributes melee and ranged strikes. Players who like to delve in and master each character could easily spend weeks with the game’s roster. Anila, Siegfried, Nier, and Grimnir are the new additions, and each fits into the preexisting line-up quite nicely offering everything from combo-driven punishment to puppet-powered misdirection.

Conclusion

Aesthetically, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising reaffirms Arc’s ability to make polygonal combatants resemble their sprite-based counterparts. Expectedly, the title captures the Arthurian stylings, drifting airships, and evocative azure skies and grassy knolls of Cygame’s source material. Hideo Minaba’s detailed character designs truly come alive with the pre-bout banter and victory stances that bookend each match. Although I typically skip these moments after seeing them a few times. But here, they are a persistent delight and one of the game’s aesthetic strengths.

Arc System Works has repeatedly proven their position as fighting game authorities, having crafted an array of top-tier franchises. Undoubtedly, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising upholds their reign with pugilism that’s both accessible to newcomers and intricate enough for connoisseurs. Removing the game’s RPG elements is a bit disappointing, while those dedicated enough to purchase DLC for the original game might not see enough innovation to warrant a full-priced purchase. However, if you skipped the original game, Rising’s robust roster, amusing mini-games, and drop-dead gorgeousness, make it a serious contender.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising was played on PC
with review code provided by the publisher.