Granblue Fantasy: Relink Review Summary

Satisfying and dynamic combat: The combat system is highly praised for being fun, fast-paced, and satisfying. It is described as fluid, responsive, and expressive, with a good feel and stylish actions.

Enjoyable and polished gameplay: The game offers a fun and engaging gameplay experience with a well-made and polished combat system. Players appreciate the addictive and dynamic gameplay loop, as well as the variety of weapons and co-op gameplay.

Impressive graphics and visuals: The game is visually stunning with high-quality graphics, beautiful art direction, and impressive visual effects. The clean and vibrant graphics contribute to an enjoyable gaming experience.

Diverse character roster: The game features a wide variety of characters with different playstyles, abilities, and fighting styles. This diversity adds to the uniqueness and replayability of the game.

Enjoyable boss fights: The boss fights are described as fun, enjoyable, and well-made. They provide a challenging and interesting experience for players.

Excessive grinding required: Many players find the game excessively grindy, with repetitive tasks required for progression, which can be tedious and stressful.

Weak and clichéd story: The story is criticized for being weak, clichéd, and unoriginal. It is often seen as a vehicle for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative.

Difficulty finding online players: Players report difficulties in finding others to play with online, especially for co-op and matchmaking, which affects the multiplayer experience.

Lack of updates and new content: Players are disappointed by the lack of new content updates and the cessation of game updates and DLCs.

Frustrating drop rates: The RNG-based drop system and low drop rates for items are a common source of frustration among players.

JRPG elements and grind: The game incorporates JRPG elements with a focus on combat and loot, similar to Monster Hunter. It features enjoyable boss fights and a variety of characters and builds, but also includes heavy grinding mechanics for items, materials, and equipment.

Diverse action RPG combat: The game features a real-time action combat system with a variety of character playstyles, including hack and slash, tactical, and fast-paced combat mechanics. It is a third-person action RPG with anime-style combat and a focus on character action.

Character variety and playstyles: The game offers a wide range of playable characters, each with unique fighting styles, combat mechanics, and skills. This variety allows for different playstyles and character builds, enhancing replayability.

Co-op multiplayer modes: The game offers cooperative gameplay elements, including co-op missions, online multiplayer, and side quests. Players can enjoy both solo and co-op play modes.

Monster Hunter similarities: The gameplay loop and progression system are similar to Monster Hunter, including quest/mission systems and endgame grinding. The game also features Monster Hunter-like questing and mechanics.

Smooth and stable performance: The game runs smoothly and maintains stable performance across various platforms, including high FPS on capable hardware.

Performance issues on lower-end hardware: Some players experience lag, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on lower-end or older hardware.

High hardware demands: The game is resource-intensive, causing high GPU usage, overheating, and requiring powerful computers for optimal performance.

Crashes and technical problems: There are reports of frequent crashes, black screens, and other technical issues that disrupt gameplay.

Camera and control issues: Players report problems with the camera, auto-locking, and control schemes, affecting gameplay experience.

Highly recommended game: Several reviewers highly recommend the game without any specific conditions, indicating a strong overall positive reception.

Worth buying on sale: Many reviewers suggest purchasing the game when it is on sale, indicating that it offers good value for money at a discounted price. Some mention that the full price may not be justified due to the short campaign.

Recommended for action RPG fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of action RPGs, visually stunning games, and those who enjoy the Monster Hunter franchise. It is also suggested for lovers of action JRPGs and ARPGs.

Recommended for specific fan bases: The game is recommended for fans of specific genres or franchises, such as Monster Hunter-style games, anime and gacha games, and 2D adventures.

Enhanced experience with friends: Playing with friends is highlighted as a way to enhance the online experience and make the game more enjoyable.

Community fair range: $20.00 - $40.00.

Story completion: 12.0h.

The game becomes more enjoyable after unlocking higher difficulties and is best experienced in multiplayer mode, despite initial repetitive gameplay.

Reported time to anchor: 15h.

Friction: Repetitive gameplay; Grinding for materials; Generic story.

Unlock drivers: Unlocking higher difficulties; Multiplayer co-op mode.

Grind-Focused Progressionist: Repetitive grinding for gear and character builds, focusing on endgame content. Motivation: Character progression and overcoming challenging content. Stance: sale.

Action-Oriented Character Enthusiast: Focused on action combat and experimenting with different characters. Motivation: Enjoyment of fast-paced combat and character variety. Stance: buy.

Co-op Social Gamer: Focused on co-op gameplay and social interactions. Motivation: Enjoyment of cooperative multiplayer experiences. Stance: buy.

The game performs well on higher VRAM systems but struggles significantly on systems with less than 8GB VRAM, showing clear optimization issues.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. Players report poor optimization, frequent frame drops, and stuttering, significantly impacting gameplay experience.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. Players experience steady frame rates with no stutters or performance drops.

Steam Deck: The Steam Deck experience with this game is mixed. While some users reported significant performance issues and the need for configuration tweaks, others found the game playable and enjoyable with some adjustments. The default control layout is generally good but may require customization. Overall, the game seems to require some tinkering to achieve an optimal experience on the Steam Deck.

Linux and Proton: The game generally runs well on Steam Deck with some users reporting a smooth experience by default or with minor tweaks. However, there are reports of performance issues, such as low FPS during cutscenes and in certain areas, which may require additional configurations to improve.

Monetization: The game has received mixed reviews regarding its monetization practices. While some players appreciate the absence of common predatory monetization tactics like battle passes and pay-to-win mechanics, others are critical of the game's Day-1 DLC and grinding mechanics. The base price of the game is also a point of contention, with some players feeling it is overpriced. Overall, the game's monetization strategy leans towards being fair but has some aggressive elements that could be improved.

External guides: The primary user complaints revolve around the necessity of external guides to understand complex mechanics, make informed decisions about character development, and navigate technical issues. This reliance on external data significantly impacts the user experience, often leading to frustration and a disrupted gameplay experience.

DLC required for clean graphics: Players are dissatisfied that they need to purchase additional DLC to access pure or clean graphics in the game.

Sexy character mod available: The game features a mod that includes sexy character designs, which has been noted by players.