Granblue Fantasy: Relink Review - Concise, engaging, but falls short of Platinum's RPG standards.

Does playing Granblue Fantasy: Relink feel like playing an advertisement for another game?

That's the feeling Granblue Fantasy: Relink gave me, the first 3D RPG based on Cygames' popular mobile gacha series. It's hard to judge this game, especially since it's actually quite good, and the 'advertising' aspect was really effective.

Warning: I've never played the original Granblue Fantasy mobile game . I liked its character design from afar, heard from friends that it has many well-developed LGBTQ characters, and even tried to create an account but failed. I wanted to review this game to see if it's an accessible starting point for newcomers to the series. So, is it? Both yes and no.

Relink's adventure begins at some point in the journey of those who travel the skies, but with only the main storyline, I can't pinpoint exactly where. The entire crew is present (I think), with the player-named Captain, the dragon Vyrn with a Milhouse-like voice, the mysterious blue-haired girl Lyria, and many other characters. It quickly establishes that we'll be visiting Estalucia, a legendary land also said to be the home of the protagonist's father. That sounds like what you'd expect from an RPG, but the story doesn't revolve around that at all – this is where it feels more like a mobile game advertisement, because you don't actually find Estalucia in Relink.

Instead, you encounter some new original characters, including a friendly new face named Rolan and some less friendly faces like the Avia Church and its leader Lilith. Overall, the story is simply fine. Honestly, my favorite parts happen towards the end, parts I'm not allowed to reveal, but even those are mostly classic 'friends are strength' moments. Those moments resonated quite well thanks to the excellent voice acting, delivered by a talented cast.

One important thing to note is that you won't be experiencing a grand, 50-hour RPG here, as Relink is quite short. I completed the main story in about 15 hours, not enough time to really develop the characters in detail, but it made me like them to some extent, and I'd like to see more of them. Maybe in a mobile game! Hmm, interesting.

Because it's so short, there isn't much to explore, as it's basically level-based – there are shortcuts you can check out, but mostly they just lead to a little extra treasure rather than anything interesting. I suppose this is largely balanced by the fact that the game is simply stunning. Indeed, the first central town, Folca, is incredibly detailed and colorful, and even the random NPC designs show a lot of heart poured into them, so I can overlook the lack of exploration when the world feels vibrant in other ways.

You also won't really find much story in what the game calls 'side quests,' as they follow this pattern: An NPC stands in one of the two main central towns, they want you to retrieve a resource item/kill certain enemies, there's a descriptive text snippet, and you're rewarded with resources and/or money. There's another type of quest, called Fate Episodes, and these provide side stories about all the playable characters in the game, but mostly presented as text snippets read aloud by the character in your chosen Episode. They're not particularly interesting, but sometimes a Fate Episode actually gets you into a quest and allows you to play the game.

Due to its short duration , exploration in the game is quite limited. Although there are a few side quests, the rewards are mostly resources and nothing particularly exciting. However, a commendable aspect is Granblue Fantasy: Relink's stunning graphics. The central town of Folca is incredibly detailed and colorful, and even the NPC designs are meticulously crafted. Therefore, the lack of exploration can be accepted as the world remains vibrant in other ways.

The side quests are boring, lacking content, and follow a common pattern: an NPC stands in one of the two main towns, asking you to retrieve an item/kill certain enemies, with a short quest description, and a reward of resources or money. Another type of quest, 'Fate Episode,' provides more character information, but mostly in the form of text read aloud by the respective character. They aren't very engaging, with only a few 'Fate Episodes' actually allowing you to go out and complete the quest and experience the game.

Simple yet engaging gameplay, diverse characters: although the content is lacking, Relink's gameplay still offers simple fun. It's an action RPG, but unlike Final Fantasy 16 which only has one character with many options, Relink has many characters, each with several options. Each character has their own unique combos (despite the large number of characters), and they all have their own skill tree that unlocks unique skills for you to combine.

I had a lot of fun trying out all the characters, my favorite being Ferry, the ghost rabbit with her ghostly friends and long whip. If I could only play the main character, I would say the gameplay is 'simple and repetitive'. But the ability to change characters frequently made things much more engaging.

Online multiplayer and side content: You can play with up to 3 friends using any of the game's characters, and there are separate missions to complete together, including boss fights, wave battles, and longer quests. Luckily, you can play offline, and it's not too difficult to get through without real help, so don't worry if you don't have anyone to play with.

Conclusion: Visually appealing and fun, but incomplete.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a tight game, with no obvious flaws and plenty of fun every moment. But aside from combat and environment design, Relink isn't truly outstanding in any aspect. It leaves me wanting more, not just for the game itself but also for the world. With 8 years of development (3 years under Platinum, the developer of Nier: Automata, and the rest under Cygames), Relink feels a little underdeveloped.

Note regarding the gacha element

Many people know that gacha games are inherently exploitative, and while I'm confident I won't spend money on them, I still find it a little strange about the appeal of a separate gacha game offered by an independent RPG. Should you play Relink to experience the world of Granblue Fantasy? I think so! But be aware that it doesn't offer everything you could want, and accept that as it is.