Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising builds upon the solid foundation of its predecessor to deliver an accessible yet deep 2D fighting experience. With simplified controls and a robust tutorial mode, Rising opens up the genre to newcomers, while still providing satisfying gameplay for veterans.

The story mode offers an enjoyable RPG-lite adventure through the rich world of Granblue Fantasy. You'll battle hordes of enemies across diverse locations as you level up a roster of unique characters. It serves as an extended tutorial that eases you into the game's mechanics and helps you find a main.

Smooth Combat Makes Practice Fun

While Rising has simplified inputs, the fighting itself is as strategic and nuanced as ever. The simplified controls remove the execution barrier, letting you focus on mind games and positioning. Combos feel fluid, and the pacing is snappy without being overwhelming.

There's a wide variety of fighters, each with their own distinct game plan. Zoners, grapplers, stance characters – all the archetypes are here. It will take time to fully grasp each character's unique tools, but thankfully the practice modes are robust. This helps make the game feel like a pro-level fighting title, even if many of its mechanics have been undeniably simplified.

Customization Delights

Between matches, you can fully customize your experience to your heart's content. Change character colors to give them unique looks, unlock stylish new weapon skins, and personalize your lobby avatar. An exceptionally robust figure mode even lets you use character models to build dioramas and take snapshots.

But where Rising really shines is in allowing you to put your own spin on the iconic anime visuals of Granblue Fantasy. The game's gorgeous 2D sprite work and flashy skills capture the signature look and feel of an action RPG like Dragon's Crown. Yet with the deep customization suite, you can personalize the experience.

The world of Granblue has always been one of the most visually-recognizable in the fighting game industry. Rising embraces that identity while allowing you to make it your own. The wealth of cosmetic unlocks motivates you to keep playing just to see what charming new options you can add to the mix. For fans of anime fighters, the visual personalization possibilities are endless.

The fact that the game now has visuals that rival those of Dragonball Figher Z] is just another reason why fans of the franchise should definitely keep this one in their sights.

Party Time in the Lobby

Rising's expansive online lobby offers plenty of modes to unwind between ranked matches. Team up in raid battles, race to checkpoints in zany obstacle courses, or battle royale-style in pixelated mini-games. It's an impressive suite of modes that's just plain fun to engage with others. After intense matches, it's a blast to let loose here.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising modernizes the fighting game in all the right ways. Its simplified controls remove barriers to entry without sacrificing depth. Meanwhile, its suite of customization options and side modes provide plenty of compelling reasons to stay engaged.

Pros:

• Accessible controls
• Great tutorial modes
• Tons of customization options

Cons:

• Story mode is just ok
• Some matchmaking issues