Arc System Works is no stranger to developing licensed fighting games, and Granblue Fantasy: Versus is just the latest example. Based on one of Japan’s most massively popular gacha games, GBVS hybridizes a 2D one-on-one fighter with the characters and RPG elements of its source material. It’s also a clear attempt at bringing the Granblue Fantasy name to a wider audience – the franchise isn’t nearly as well-known in the West as it is in Asia. After the international success of Dragon Ball FighterZ, it’s no surprise that ArcSys has done something similar with GBVS. The game works hard to get the player invested in Granblue and make its fun fighting system as accessible as possible, but the sparse content, small roster and questionable DLC model are equally off-putting.
As a fighting game, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is unusual in that all special moves have a cooldown time and meter is almost exclusively used for super attacks. This system is reminiscent of the turn-based skills in the original Granblue Fantasy, and they’re surprisingly well integrated here. At first, it’s an undeniably strange feeling to have your dedicated special moves briefly locked after each use, especially for longtime fighting game players. But once you get into the rhythm of things, you’ll see that the cooldown times are short enough to keep each fight fast, flashy and fun. GBVS also allows specials to be performed by simply pressing the skill button and inputting a direction at the same time, somewhat similar to Super Smash Bros. However, more experienced players are rewarded with shorter cooldowns for using traditional inputs, and the game’s accessible controls belie its tight links and high combo potential.
The bulk of the content in GBVS actually comes from its “RPG Mode” – although it’s not all that substantial. This primarily single-player story is set after the events of the original Granblue Fantasy, and reproduces many of the same mechanics and features of the gacha game. A mysterious new force is warping the minds of people across the skydom, so our returning protagonist Gran and his crew of skyfarers must set sail to find their various friends and knock some sense into them. The sights, sounds, and locations in this mode will be very familiar to anyone who’s played Granblue before, but GBVS goes out of its way to provide a glossary with plenty of important information for newcomers. The party travels across the sky to different islands while completing awkward side-scrolling missions, gathering dozens of upgradable weapons, and fighting bosses to unlock them as playable characters.
It’s not nearly as mind-numbing as the story mode in Dragon Ball FighterZ, for example, but the majority of the RPG Mode is still made up of lackluster brawler-style missions with generic Granblue monsters. Having to walk left and right on these stages is unwieldy, particularly if you’re playing on an arcade stick and using traditional inputs. It’s best to use a gamepad, but missions aren’t challenging enough for it to matter much anyway. Bosses, on the other hand, are the highlight of this mode. These are standard-style fights with either a unique monster or a powered-up playable character, and the player can bring a companion in for some truly explosive battles. Lots of elemental weapons will also drop from enemies, and can be upgraded using the extensive system from the gacha game. While this story mode includes plenty of Granblue fan service, its multifaceted systems seem wasted on a fairly simple experience that doesn’t last very long.
Outside of the RPG Mode, Granblue Fantasy: Versus provides the standard crop of fighting game modes and a few helpful options… but not much else. In addition to the usual arcade mode, training mode, and combo trials, GBVS includes useful match-up trials that teach you how to deal with each character’s most dangerous moves. This is a great feature that allows players to reach a more competitive level faster, although the trials aren’t as detailed or numerous as they could be. Speaking of numbers, only 11 playable characters are included in the base game’s roster, which is a low total even with the decent variety in their movesets. This is made worse by the fact that two DLC characters from the game’s first season pass are already on sale at launch – and that’s just the first of two planned DLC passes. Disappointingly, GBVS has kept the unsavory parts of its gacha roots and seems to have the same kind of exploitative DLC plans that BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle did.
The last (and arguably the most important) part of Granblue Fantasy: Versus is its online suite. The servers have been up since the Asian launch of the game in early February, featuring Arc System Works’ convenient open lobby system. The game still runs on delay-based netcode, and while it works well enough to be serviceable for the average player, it’s far from ideal. On a high-speed wired connection, the game typically hovers around 3 frames of delay and can jump up to a dozen in a bad situation. This usually feels fine at low levels of play, but becomes more and more noticeable over time. Given that some of the combo links in GBVS are very tight, higher-level players may lose interest in fighting online – making this another example of why GGPO rollback netcode should be used for modern fighting games.
In spite of its other issues, Granblue Fantasy: Versus largely succeeds at its core. Arc System Works’ desire to appeal to both the fighting game faithful and gacha RPG fans has resulted in an intriguing mix of intensity and accessibility. GBVS certainly suffers from scant content, an undersized roster and bad DLC practices, but it’s also a deeply earnest Granblue title and one of the better licensed fighting games on today’s market.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is now available on PlayStation 4 for $59.99, and will be released for Windows PC on March 13, 2020. A PS4 code was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.
