Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising - Deluxe Edition

Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising fully realizes the potential that the vanilla game showed back in 2020. This is a feature rich and absolutely gorgeous 2D anime fighter with a deep roster of 28 fantastic characters, great netcode, and well implemented gameplay tweaks that reinvigorate the already exciting fighting system.

The original Granblue Fantasy Versus was, frankly, bodied by Covid-19. At a time when online infrastructure was so important, it was found lacking. Now, it's perfect. It plays wonderfully. It's as if the original release was the first draft. An initial attempt that, while respectable, fell short in key spots. Rising feels like the revised version. A Pythagorean theorem for fighting game accessibility, that manages to balance a good entry level experience with competitive depth.

Rising is the game that the original Granblue Fantasy Versus should have been, and while it's a bit cheeky that players are being asked to pay for it all over again — with yet more DLC characters incoming — it's hard to argue with the overall package. This is a gorgeous fighter that feels great to play.

However, it’s hard to feel like that alone, plus an expanded roster, justify Versus Rising’s existence, especially if you played Versus for any length of time. If you missed the original Versus, though, then that doesn’t really matter. Rising is an excellent fighting game, even when the narrative context flies over your head.

There's plenty of content for those seeking to shell out the cash, however, and that's the best part. Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising offers plenty of content for both its single-player and multiplayer components to justify its price tag and its new mechanics and highly refined visuals are just a beautiful sight to behold.

Whether viewed as a full-fledged sequel or enhanced re-release, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is an improvement over its predecessor in just about every way. The single player content is of decent quantity for a fighting game, but could easily be completed in a single weekend. Most of the longevity will come from the multiplayer components, whether it be fighting against other players online in traditional matches or getting into some of the more unexpected minigames in Grand Bruise Legends. The accessibility is one of the best features Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising in that it allows newcomers the ease to jump in and pull off impressive combos, yet the system is complex enough that it requires dedication to master. As it stands this is a great fighting game for players of all experience and skill levels.

Granblue Fantasy Versus, crafted by the veterans at Arc System Works, features uniquely designed gameplay that balances accessibility with surprising depth. Its excellent tutorial system makes it highly recommended for newcomers to fighting games. However, the lack of single-player content, the removal of RPG Mode, and its repetitive, tedious story mode do somewhat tarnish the overall experience.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising has many good features but is far from flawless. Nevertheless, it's a huge improvement over where the fighting game is and has been a fantastic experience. The characters are well-designed, and the new mechanics are satisfying to use, even though they might not revolutionize the series. Although there are still a few things that could use some tweaking, and we all know that long-distance matches are something to steer clear of, the game seems comprehensive. Consider giving Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising a go if you were unsure about buying it and hadn't tried the free version—you could end up liking it.

Yes, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a good fighting game but its totes adorbs Grand Bruise Legends mode is what really won me over.

In order to ensure the longevity of the game’s lifespan, they’ve focused on polishing the features that were praised for, all while implementing the highly anticipated rollback netcode and crossplay functionality. The launch of their free edition was well handled as well as the party mode gameplay which settles their unique position amongst other fighting games