Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a fighting game take on the mobile game’s universe from Cygames, now live on PS4. Learn more in our Granblue Fantasy: Versus review!
Granblue Fantasy is a mobile game from Cygames, which is sort of available worldwide, but not really – trust me, just Google more info on that side of thing. Cygames, ARC SYSTEM WORKS, and XSEED Games are taking a stab at bringing the Grandblue Fantasy universe on PlayStation 4 into the fighting game genre, and I’m here to tell you that if you’re a fan of Granblue Fantasy, then you should go out and buy Granblue Fantasy: Versus. But even if you’re not a fan of the game, or if you have no idea what I’m talking about, but are a fighting game fan, then you should go out and buy Granblue Fantasy: Versus.
The game has an RPG Mode in which you can take on an all-new story in the Granblue Fantasy universe, in which you’ll be able to train and improve your characters. There’s also the always classic Versus Mode that allows you to battle offline against the CPU or against fellow human players. On top of this, there’s an Arcade Mode that plays like the classic arcade fighting games of ages past – your Street Fighters or King of Fighters – in which you will fight against the CPU until you’re crowned victorious and get to see your character’s ending.
Since you’re probably going to be new to the Granblue Fantasy universe – or at least to this fighting game in particular – you might need to put some time in the Free Training Mode. It is here that you can practice with all the different characters so that you can learn all you need to know about their attacks and special abilities. The truth is that the more time you end up putting into the Free Training Mode, the better prepared you will be for all other modes in the game!
Another mode that is very useful and which goes hand-in-hand with the Free Training Mode is Mission Training Mode, in which you’ll get to learn more about the game’s system and the different fighting techniques that will aid you during your adventure. This is done by completing different sets of missions, which will have you performing combos, blocking enemy attacks, throwing your opponents, dodging damage, using devastating special attacks, and more. Each of the missions will also have bonus objectives, such as getting an S rank for the mission or dealing X amount of damage, which will have you replaying missions more than once.
And then, there’s the final mode in Granblue Fantasy: Versus, which will give you plenty of extra hours of fun: the Online Multiplayer Mode! It is here that you will take to battling against opponents from all over the world thanks to the magical wonders of the internet. There are Initial Ranking Matches that you will need to clear before you’re able to actually go an take on proper online matches. This is the game’s way of reviewing your skill level so that you can be matched up against online opponents of a similar skill level.
You will move your fighter around with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, moving forward or backward, pressing down to crouch or up to jump. There are four different regular attacks for each character, which are mapped to the Square, Triangle, Circle, and X buttons for Light, Medium, and Heavy attacks, as well as for that character’s unique action, in that order. You can use a skill with the R1 button, which will be on a cooldown as if you were playing an RPG. You can activate additional skills by pressing back, down, or right on the left analog stick or the D-Pad. These skills can also be performed with classic fighting game commands, such as half-circle forward or half-circle backward, and depending on which attack button you use, you will perform a light, medium, or strong special attack.
You have a throw that can be used by pressing the L1 button or the Square and X buttons at the same time, along with a handy block option mapped to the R2 button. You can also block your opponent’s attacks by pressing backward from the direction your fighter is facing. You can also use an overhead attack with the L2 button, which is great for when your opponent is crouching. One final tip: if you want to deal some quick damage, you can chain three regular attacks in quick succession by pressing the Square, Triangle, or Circle buttons three times in a row.
As I took on reviewing Granblue Fantasy: Versus, I was definitely not expecting is that the game is fully voice-acted in English. Since over the last couple of years, a lot of games have made their way to North America with all voice acting in Japanese with English subtitles, I was sort of expecting that would be the case for Granblue Fantasy: Versus. I really liked the work of all voice actors since they felt right for each of the members of the varied cast of characters.
Something I also really liked was the different intro interactions between characters before a match, since even though the animation sequence for each particular character would repeat for each battle, the dialogue changed, this providing new interactions for each potential pair of characters. These animated sequences look great and are beautifully animated, giving you an extra glimpse at each of the characters’ personalities and overall vibes. I didn’t skip any one of them since they helped me understand some of the relationships between the Granblue Fantasy characters.
Along with the main game, there are also different DLC bundles on PSN to add some extra stuff to Granblue Fantasy: Versus. There are color packs that will unlock different color variants for all base characters, as well as color packs for DLC characters Beelzebub and Narmaya. On that note, yes, there is DLC for extra characters, and you can grab them individually or just dive in and get the Character Pass 1, which includes the two previously mentioned characters as well as Soriz, Djeeta, and a secret bonus character. The extra characters will also include a code that you can use for the Granblue Fantasy mobile game to unlock some bonus content there. A note that Beelzebub can also be unlocked by completing the RPG Mode.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a very fun fighting game take on a release I had never heard off since it’s a mobile video game. Odds are you’re probably in the same scenario, but even if this is your first time learning about the Granblue Fantasy universe, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a solid fighting game that you should certainly try on PlayStation 4. It offers several different game modes that will keep you busy for many hours, including an online versus component that is getting more and more players every day. Granblue Fantasy: Versus is out now on PlayStation 4 for $59.99 digitally or at retail.
Disclaimer
This Granblue Fantasy: Versus review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by XSEED Games.
