Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,462 reviews

gameplay126 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

gameplay
343 mentions
37 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Granblue Fantasy: Versus Rising" is characterized by its accessibility, featuring simple inputs and mechanics that make it welcoming for newcomers while still offering depth for experienced players. However, many reviews highlight issues with character balance and certain mechanics that can skew gameplay towards aggressive strategies, often leaving defenders at a disadvantage. Overall, while the game is praised for its engaging combat and visual appeal, concerns about linearity and the potential for frustrating experiences due to overpowering mechanics persist.
- “Great, accessible fighting game with easy-to-learn mechanics that take practice to master.”
- “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.”
- “The characters are fun, the mechanics are fun, and it's beautiful to look at.”
- “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.”
- “The most essential mechanic to gbvsr, in my opinion, are bravery points.”
story
184 mentions
21 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story mode in "Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising" has received mixed reviews, with many noting a significant downgrade from its predecessor. While the new story mode offers a solid narrative experience with well-animated cutscenes and character interactions, it lacks the RPG elements and cooperative play that fans enjoyed in the original game, making it feel more streamlined and less engaging. Overall, while the story is still enjoyable for newcomers and fans of the franchise, it may disappoint those expecting the depth and complexity of the previous installment.
- “The story mode has actual unique bosses not from the roster with attack patterns that provide a decent challenge.”
- “The character interactions are well-written, and the plot twists are genuinely surprising, adding depth to the overall experience.”
- “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 is mediocre, but that's the only real flaw.”
- “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.”
graphics
153 mentions
60 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
2 % negative 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 gaming experience. Players appreciate the beautiful character designs, dynamic backgrounds, and smooth animations that bring the game to life, making it one of the most visually impressive entries in the fighting game genre. Despite some mixed feelings about the anime aesthetic, the overall presentation, including the music and sound design, is consistently praised as top-notch.
- “The graphics are amazing.”
- “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.”
- “No balance patch in December, no patch in January, no patch in February, no fixes for graphics bugs since it came out.”
- “You should be able to change to the original GBFV art style in settings (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.”
music
77 mentions
71 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its fantastic quality and memorable tracks that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack, featuring contributions from notable composers, is described as a vital component of enjoyment, complementing the game's stunning visuals and engaging gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal, especially for fans of the original franchise.
- “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 soundtrack is amazing and they have a staggering lineup of S-tier voice actors like Soriz (Takamura/Hajime no Ippo), Euctace (Zoro/One Piece), Uno (Frieza/DBFZ) and the list goes on.”
- “A lot of love is put into the aesthetics, music, etc., but when it comes to making a rewarding fighting game that feels good to play and learn, the developers missed the mark on this one.”
- “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.”
humor
31 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players enjoying the quirky and funny character designs, such as the "funny little girl" and "sheep lady," which add a lighthearted charm to the gameplay. Many reviews highlight the amusing interactions and animations of characters like Belial and the "funny wind boy," contributing to an overall fun and entertaining experience. While some players note that the humor may not resonate with everyone, it remains a significant and enjoyable aspect of the game.
- “This game is amazing! I love Cag; she's so cute and funny.”
- “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.”
- “The chibi avatars are great and have a lot of character, much thanks to the fact that the designs are based off Gran Blues, a web-comic that Cygames runs that gives a more humorous side of the Granblue world.”
monetization
20 mentions
20 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The monetization in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its model for being less predatory and allowing free unlocks for cosmetics, while others criticize it for aggressive tactics, including expensive DLCs and battle passes. Many players feel that the monetization undermines the overall experience, with concerns about being nickeled and dimed, especially in a full-priced game. Overall, while there are positive aspects, significant issues remain that detract from the game's value.
- “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.”
- “Cosmetics in-game are all unlockable for free without needing microtransactions, so that's good.”
- “But watch out for those sneaky monetization tactics—they can kinda kill the vibe.”
- “Screw every developer who releases a broken game packed to the gills with microtransactions and DLC on day one.”
- “Yet another full-priced game with free-to-play monetization.”
character development
19 mentions
58 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by its vibrant and diverse character designs, which are praised for their charm and appeal, making them accessible to both newcomers and seasoned players. While the gameplay mechanics are easy to learn, they also offer depth for more experienced players, enhancing the overall enjoyment. However, some critiques mention a lack of balance in character design, suggesting that while the visuals are strong, they may not fully translate into balanced gameplay.
- “Net code is great, love the character design, things feel pretty balanced, and most importantly the game is seriously fun to play and easy to pick up but with enough mechanical depth that better players can really shine.”
- “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.”
- “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!”
- “Combos are easy to learn, but the overall quality of character design is lacking.”
grinding
16 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about grinding in the game, noting that while there are numerous activities and unlockables that require significant time investment, such as farming currency and leveling characters, the experience can feel tedious and less rewarding compared to previous titles. Some appreciate the focus on narrative and streamlined gameplay, but many miss the depth of character progression and loot farming that provided a sense of achievement. Overall, grinding is seen as a necessary but often frustrating aspect of the game, especially for those who enjoyed solo content in earlier versions.
- “The supers in this game are especially well done, with wonderfully animated visuals that have a heavy impact. They vary in length, being just short enough to avoid tedium on repeat viewings, yet long enough to provide a satisfying experience. In my opinion, they are perfectly executed.”
- “You can buy characters in the free version using currency acquired in-game (granted they're expensive, you'll be grinding for 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.”
stability
11 mentions
18 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
82 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting various bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly in online modes and user interface interactions. While some players have experienced smooth performance, especially in rollback netplay, others have noted issues like brief freezes and incorrect menu inputs. Overall, there is optimism that the developers will address these stability concerns in future updates.
- “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, and the roster of characters is healthily sized. The new online mode is very charming.”
- “It can be pretty buggy (from my experience).”
- “UI and connecting online with people is super buggy and isn't intuitive.”
- “Game currently buggy, hard to play in public lobbies.”
optimization
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting solid performance at high settings, achieving 60fps even on lower-powered systems. However, some users 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.”
replayability
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game offers a variety of modes that enhance its replayability, particularly in online and multiplayer settings. However, there is criticism regarding the lack of solo replayability and unlockable content, which detracts from the experience for players who enjoyed the RPG mode in the previous installment. Overall, while the online play is significantly improved, the solo experience feels limited.
- “There's a plethora of game modes to mess around with for replay value.”
- “The game is enjoyable and much more playable online than the original GBVS. It's significantly better value as well.”
- “In my case, the RPG mode and solo replayability were a big selling point to the first game since it allowed you the chance to unlock tons of stuff really fast.”
- “Only criticism is that they need to add more playable drafts.”
- “Lack of solo replayability and unlockability.”
- “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.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of intense gameplay and a supportive community. While the mechanics can lead to frustrating experiences, particularly with high damage and punishing combos, players also find heartwarming moments within the fighting game community, which remains largely good-natured despite the competitive nature. Additionally, the game's origins in gacha mechanics contribute to a diverse character design that can be both appealing and humorous, reflecting the community's varied tastes.
- “It's always heartwarming to see how overall good-natured the fighting game community remains.”
- “As with any community review, it's anecdotal, but I will say 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.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized as relaxed and laid back, contributing to an enjoyable and stress-free experience for players.
- “It's a pretty laid-back atmosphere.”