Highlights
- Granblue Fantasy: Relink finally has a release date set for February 2024, offering players an action-RPG adaptation with a full-length singleplayer narrative and multiplayer component.
- The game aims to gain a foothold in the global market, considering the wide appeal it has and the fact that the franchise's main mobile game hasn't been exported yet. However, FF16 could end up hogging Granblue's spotlight.
- Thankfully, though Granblue Fantasy: Relink shares similarities with Final Fantasy 16 in terms of structure and gameplay, it stands apart by offering a deeply integrated multiplayer experience and a diverse cast of customizable characters.
After years of waiting, Granblue Fantasy: Relink finally has a firm release date, launching at the beginning of February 2024. Having been announced over five years prior, interested players will soon be able to get their hands on this action-RPG adaptation of Granblue Fantasy. While Granblue Fantasy: Versus has been out for a few years, Relink will mark the first traditional Granblue RPG adventure to hit Western shores, and it's aiming to impress. Its full-length singleplayer narrative will be backed up by many familiar faces from Granblue’s cast, as well as a significant multiplayer component.
For a franchise that hasn't exported its main mobile game to global storefronts yet, the wide appeal of Granblue Fantasy: Relink should be just what it needs to gain a foothold. Cygames seems to have made all the right moves polishing Relink for so long, but another massive fantasy RPG franchise could trip it at the finish line. Final Fantasy has entered the action-RPG genre in recent years, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth set to come out in early 2024 as well. However, even that competition may pale in comparison to the recent launch of Final Fantasy 16.
The Hot New Action-RPG Is Undoubtedly Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 16 will be the name to beat in action-RPGs in the immediate future, owing both to its gameplay and presentation. A return to a low fantasy medieval aesthetic is a welcome change of pace for the often futuristic Final Fantasy series, and FF16's character action gameplay has been much better received than previous attempts with Final Fantasy Type-0 and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Even though Final Fantasy 16’s new genre came at the expense of many RPG mechanics, it still tells an epic story with stellar presentation, and its Eikon battles go above and beyond the epic bosses found in just about any contemporary action title.
There are many similarities between Final Fantasy 16 and Granblue Fantasy: Relink, and the most obvious is their structure. Both games feature old school hack-and-slash levels, with towns and cutscenes breaking up the action. Other shared traits include their flashy super moves, staggering enemies for big damage, and a prominent Bahamut summon in both titles. However, between FF16's franchise name and its commitment to presenting its high-octane climaxes with the most spectacle possible, a long shadow has been cast over fantasy action-RPGs.
How Granblue Fantasy: Relink Can Stand Apart From Final Fantasy 16
Fortunately, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is already prepared to make a name for itself. Although it is a singleplayer game first, its multiplayer options have been deeply integrated to the point of bearing similarities to a Monster Hunter title. Much of the game's long-term appeal comes from this, with plenty of customization centered around either improving a character's personal abilities or how they support a larger party. Exactly how the story and multiplayer content will coexist is unknown right now, but Granblue’s world encourages players to bring their friends.
One could say that describes its singleplayer experience as well. Although much of Final Fantasy 16 is spent with a small party, Clive holds the overwhelming majority of the gameplay’s focus. Comparatively, Granblue Fantasy: Relink presents a huge cast of popular Granblue characters, all of which play differently and can be further customized through skill trees and equipment. Final Fantasy 16 has some progression, but Clive’s core moveset doesn’t change much, and extra Eikons only offer a few more abilities regardless of their loadout. Granblue Fantasy: Relink could satisfy players in ways that Final Fantasy 16 cannot, but it still needs to bring its A-game to beat a Final Fantasy.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink will be released on February 1, 2024, for PC, PS4, and PS5.
