Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,946 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Game Cover
AAA fighting games should aspire to be as good as Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.
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"Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising" is a fighting game where players can engage in combat using a variety of characters, each with their own unique abilities and weapons. The Standard Edition includes the base game, while the Deluxe Edition offers additional content such as color variants, weapon skins, and a character pass for six DLC characters. This set includes content that may have already been purchased or obtained separately in the in-game Rupie Shop. 'Granblue Special Item Set: GBVSR Pack' and early access are not included in the Steam version.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,946 reviews
gameplay256 positive mentions
grinding30 negative mentions
  • gameplay692 mentions

    The gameplay of "Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising" is characterized by its accessibility, featuring simple inputs and mechanics that welcome newcomers while still offering depth for seasoned players. However, some players express frustration with the balance of certain mechanics, which can skew the risk/reward dynamic heavily in favor of aggressive playstyles, potentially alienating defensive strategies. Overall, the game combines engaging combat with a visually appealing presentation, though it may feel linear and repetitive at times, limiting player expression.

    • “The gameplay is fun too, of course, but I'm really glad Cygames made it a priority to check those boxes that make the game extremely welcoming for newcomers while supporting a solid competitive scene as well.”
    • “Great, accessible fighting game with easy-to-learn mechanics that take practice to master.”
    • “The gameplay is super accessible, it has easy inputs for newcomers, and it has a very simple design, but it's deep enough to allow every character to play in a unique way.”
    • “The character balance is consistently awful; the system mechanics are a complete mess; the risk/reward the game has is incredibly skewed towards the aggressor, leaving the defender at a major disadvantage that is almost insurmountable in many cases absent a meterless reversal or using a brave counter (which makes you take more damage the more you use it).”
    • “With such easy mechanics and high damage, a lot of strategy is taken out of the game.”
    • “In conclusion, I think you should try the free version of this game at the very least as it's pretty fun in a vacuum, but it ends up pretty shallow in the long run, due to the mechanics used to reduce the skill gap rendering the game excessively simple.”
  • story378 mentions

    The story mode in "Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant downgrade from the previous game's RPG elements, such as the removal of cooperative play and character leveling systems. While some appreciate the engaging character interactions and plot twists, others find the narrative lacking depth and the gameplay in story mode to be overly simplified and less rewarding. Overall, the game offers a decent narrative experience, but it may not satisfy those who enjoyed the more complex storytelling of its predecessor.

    • “Great fighting mechanics with a compelling story.”
    • “The story mode, while not groundbreaking, is a solid narrative experience that fleshes out the game's characters and lore.”
    • “Grandblue fantasy rising versus is a remarkable addition to the gaming world, offering a blend of captivating storytelling and intricate combat mechanics that will keep you engaged for hours on end.”
    • “The story mode took a hit, there's no co-op that I can find... it also doesn't appear to be that you can queue with friends for Granbruise...”
    • “My biggest issue is that the story mode was gutted, the RPG mechanics like the weapon grid, leveling up, and the like are completely gone, instead you just select a cutscene or boss fight, and the co-op seems to be entirely removed from it.”
    • “The new story mode was not enjoyable.”
  • graphics311 mentions

    The graphics of "Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, vibrant anime art style, and meticulous attention to detail, which enhance the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the beautiful character designs, dynamic backgrounds, and smooth animations that bring the game to life, making it visually immersive and appealing. While the aesthetics are praised, some players feel that the gameplay mechanics could be more rewarding, indicating a slight disconnect between the game's impressive visuals and its combat depth.

    • “Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising boasts stunning visuals that truly bring the characters and world to life.”
    • “The anime-style graphics are vibrant and detailed, creating a visually immersive experience.”
    • “The visuals are equally impressive, with stunning animations and meticulously crafted environments that immerse you in the Granblue Fantasy universe.”
    • “No balance patch in December, no patch in January, no patch in February, no fixes for graphics bugs since it came out.”
    • “The new art style's bloom is quite heavy; this is just personal preference.”
    • “Despite initial reservations about the anime art style, the game's vibrant visuals and diverse character designs quickly proved captivating.”
  • music155 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its fantastic quality and memorable tracks, often highlighting its emotional impact and integration with gameplay. The soundtrack, featuring contributions from notable composers, enhances the overall experience and complements the game's stunning visuals and character designs. While some players noted that certain tracks felt out of place, the majority found the music to be a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.

    • “The game has many fun characters, it's full of love in character interactions, soundtrack (seriously, the music is amazing), and the single-player content.”
    • “Absolutely gorgeous and the music is as amazing as you'd expect from a Granblue Fantasy game.”
    • “The music is fantastic, there are lots of fun rewards, there's great single-player content, and the game feels really accessible.”
    • “I put extra time into solving my problems with this game (and that's all it is: a game) for the last two weeks and it's not fun anymore, especially when every third character is 2B with her out-of-place theme song and janky animations and silly fanservice anatomy on display, and that's all before you even touch how her kit is completely out of sync with the rest of the cast.”
    • “- the music just sounds like background noise to me.”
    • “I don't like the FOMO tactics with battle pass cosmetics (the battle pass even has unlockable music for during matches that you can't get after!), but the gameplay itself is great.”
  • humor62 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the quirky character designs and funny animations, such as characters with amusing movements and abilities. Many reviews highlight specific characters, like the "funny sheep girl" and "Belial," as sources of comedic relief, contributing to an overall lighthearted and entertaining experience. While some players note that the humor may not resonate with everyone, it adds a charming layer to the gameplay that many find delightful.

    • “This game is amazing! I love Cag; she's so cute and funny.”
    • “An amazingly fun fighting game with a bunch of funny and hot characters I enjoy.”
    • “I like all the funny characters (like Belial) and how some of them walk funny; they even have some cool inputs (Belial has a funny claw). Overall, I'd say this game is really fun.”
  • monetization40 mentions

    The monetization model of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its accessibility and lack of aggressive microtransactions, while others criticize it for predatory practices, expensive DLCs, and the introduction of battle passes. Although many cosmetics can be unlocked for free, concerns remain about the overall approach to monetization, which some players find off-putting and detrimental to the gaming experience. Overall, while the game offers substantial content, its monetization strategies have sparked significant debate among players.

    • “The only two things I can commend the game on are the monetization model and patches direction.”
    • “It's a very good monetization model where you don't feel like a money cow.”
    • “Monetization is shockingly good.”
    • “And of course plenty of predatory FOMO monetizations on top of expensive DLCs. Being able to buy some stuff in-game is not a good argument here since it costs way too much. I've been playing since release and could maybe afford Lucilius + one other DLC if I didn't want to spend in-game currency on absolutely anything else, which is also needed for some achievements anyway.”
    • “Screw every developer who releases a broken game packed to the gills with microtransactions and DLC on day one.”
    • “I would give this game a 2/10 for its monetization and a 7/10 for gameplay.”
  • character development38 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised for its vibrant and diverse designs, which are considered charming and appealing to both newcomers and fans alike. The character designs are complemented by beautiful art and animations, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience that balances accessibility with depth. However, some critiques mention inconsistencies in character balance, indicating that while the designs are strong, the overall character development could benefit from further refinement.

    • “Most fun and easy to get into fighter I've played to date, not to mention that I absolutely love the character designs overall.”
    • “Despite initial reservations about the anime art style, the game's vibrant visuals and diverse character designs quickly proved captivating.”
    • “Online is as smooth as the graphics, easy to learn but fun to master combat system, and excellent character design courtesy of the source game, good for fans and newcomers alike.”
    • “Unfortunately, it suffers heavily from its lackluster character design and balance theory.”
    • “For the low price of your human decency you can play a character designed to be piloted by infants!”
    • “I feel like most players will find at least one character design they vibe with.”
  • grinding32 mentions

    Players express mixed feelings about grinding in the game, noting that while there are numerous tasks and unlockables, the process can feel tedious and time-consuming, especially with expensive character purchases and limited rewards from grinding modes. The shift away from traditional gear and loot farming to a focus on narrative has disappointed some, as it removes the fun of leveling up characters and acquiring new weapons. Overall, while grinding remains a significant aspect of gameplay, many feel it lacks the engaging depth found in previous iterations.

    • “You can buy characters on the free version using currency acquired in-game (granted they're expensive, you'll be grinding a while).”
    • “To be honest, I'm 30 hours in and still haven't got anything completed yet; there are so many things to do in this game... I'll keep grinding until Relink's release date.”
    • “However, the same cannot be said about the way the new story mode works... it's inferior in all the ways to the previous 2020 release. RPG mode was super fun to play with friends while leveling your characters; now it's non-existent in Rising. Grinding for new weapons to increase your stats was fun too, but now there is nothing to grind anymore besides achievements/challenges.”
  • stability22 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, with issues affecting online connectivity and user interface. While some players report smooth gameplay and express confidence in the developers' ability to address these problems, others highlight persistent glitches and occasional freezes that hinder the experience, particularly in public lobbies. Overall, the game is seen as needing significant improvements in stability.

    • “Rollback runs great, as well as doing their visual wizardry, featuring some of the best tracks from the original gacha. The new mechanics add a fun new layer to the fighting itself, a healthily sized roster of characters, and the new online is very charming.”
    • “Runs great.”
    • “Rollback runs great, as well as doing their visual wizardry, featuring some of the best tracks from the original gacha. The new mechanics add a fun new layer to the fighting itself, a healthily sized roster of characters, and the new online is very charming.”
    • “The UI and connecting online with people is super buggy and isn't intuitive.”
    • “Game is currently buggy, making it hard to play in public lobbies.”
    • “There are a couple of glitches currently: one with keyboard inputs on menus being incorrect, one where you get the little chibi avatar partners even after turning them off, and one where character strategy trials show only the name and not the input despite settings stating otherwise.”
  • optimization20 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting solid performance at 60fps on high settings, even on lower-end systems. However, some users have noted minor stuttering and tearing during specific actions, as well as performance issues in lobbies, suggesting a need for options to reduce player visibility to enhance performance. Despite these concerns, the game is considered well-optimized overall, with no major bugs reported.

    • “The game is well optimized too, even on my ROG Ally I get 60fps locked solid at max settings 1080p in 15w mode.”
    • “Better visuals - same performance - which is good actually.”
    • “No performance issues or bugs on my end so far.”
    • “As it is, it is definitely not worth the price, and the intentionally stuttering animations of the character intros are irritating.”
    • “I noticed a tiny bit of stuttering and tearing on guard breaks; I'm not sure if that's a me problem or a game problem.”
    • “While the lobbies are fine, they seem to have some performance issues even on strong systems, so perhaps an option to turn down the number of players visible, similar to what Street Fighter 6 did to reduce the load on PCs.”
  • replayability16 mentions

    The game offers a variety of modes that enhance its replayability, particularly in online multiplayer, which is seen as a significant improvement over its predecessor. However, there is notable criticism regarding the lack of solo content and unlockable features, which diminishes the replay value for players seeking a robust single-player experience. Overall, while the online play is engaging, the absence of solo replayability may deter some players.

    • “There is a plethora of game modes to mess around with for replay value.”
    • “The solo experience has been shot in the foot while all online and multiplayer has been buffed; normally this isn't a bad thing since this is a fighting game after all, but in my case, the RPG mode and solo replayability were a big selling point to the first game since RPG mode not only had co-op but also allowed you the chance to unlock tons of stuff really fast.”
    • “The game is enjoyable and much more playable online than the original GBVS. It's significantly better value as well.”
    • “The solo experience has been shot in the foot while all online and multiplayer has been buffed; normally this isn't a bad thing since this is a fighting game after all, but in my case, a small crowd's RPG mode and solo replayability was a big selling point to the first game since RPG mode not only had co-op but also allowed you the chance to unlock tons of stuff really fast.”
    • “>lack of solo replayability and unlockability”
    • “And despite rollback playing awfully thanks to how fast startups are in this game, there's no way to ensure matches are playable.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of intense gameplay and a supportive community, with players expressing both frustration and enjoyment from the high-stakes mechanics. While the novelty of certain gameplay elements may fade over time, the overall good-natured spirit of the fighting game community (FGC) remains a heartwarming constant, despite the game's origins in a gacha system that often emphasizes sexual appeal in character design.

    • “It's always heartwarming to see how overall good natured the FGC remains.”
    • “As with any community review, it's anecdotal, but what I will say is the game IP originates from a gacha, hence many characters, but definitely not all, are designed to be sexually appealing, sometimes even comedically, and such the community is what you would expect in that environment but is otherwise very wholesome.”
    • “And this is what hurts the game long term, because the novelty of touching eventually wears off.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized as laid back, creating a relaxed and easygoing environment for players.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

84% average critic score

Buy Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

Play time

63hMedian play time
49hAverage play time
10-100hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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