Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Review

screenrant.com:

is the newest fighting game from developer Arc System Works, joining a roster that not only includes its previous entry but also iconic fighting games like the series. It aims to build off the story and characters from the first title,, while also further refining and experimenting with the streamlined gameplay mechanics introduced in its predecessor and in. While it succeeds in a number of ways, suffers from an unengaging story mode and struggles to provide a satisfying rhythm to its combat, resulting in a whelming release in a roster of strong titles.

After a long setup time that includes manually creating new data, numerous user agreements, creating a player profile, and a Ubisoft-style ad for their online services, players are finally introduced to the main menu. Here, players can choose to practice, play through the arcade mode, jump into competitive play, or start the story; standard stuff for the genre. This, in short, is a terrible on-boarding experience full of bloat and tedium; elements that unfortunately represent some of what's to come.

In order to keep players engaged and contextualized, the story mode includes an abridged version of. These games put players into a world besieged by chaos that forces the protagonist, Gran, to fight allies and enemies alike as he searches for a way to fix everything. While the story is told well enough and is set in an interesting fantasy world, it's ultimately one that's safe; though many may be drawn to this given the complicated lore of franchises like G. What keeps players invested the most is 's cast of characters, most of which have plenty of charm and personality.

Where it feels like the story mode really stumbles is in its pacing. The story is told through a series