Recent reviews by ism

review from someone who wholeheartedly loves plot-heavy rpgs. (ff, skyrim, persona) and action-packed gameplay (dynasty warriors, lost ark)

it's a hard recommend from me.

story: 5/10

the only disappointing part of the game imo. as someone who has step foot in the gbf universe before, i really wasn't expecting too much in terms of plot depth and complexity or any overarching themes. really is just your cookie-cutter fantasy story: lacking in true tension and substance and really doesn't engage me enough. characters are just thrown in without any real consideration or gravitas and half-explored: which does slightly hurt the immersion, but not by too much.

however the story isn't catastrophic, and serves as decent stepping stones and gives enough context and world building for the true endgame later on.


p.s IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A STORY-FOCUSED GAME DO NOT COP THIS.

production: 10/10

phenomenal. a very ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ well-polished game; probably one of the best ones in the industry atm.

the visuals are stunning and perfectly encapsulates the fantasy in granblue: towns are intricately designed with attention to detail. no choppy character models and well thought-out levels. nothing much else to be said here: gbf relink is vibrant, colorful and filled with passion.

the cast of voice actors (i play with jp dub/eng sub) have done an excellent job in portraying their respective characters and brimming them with life. a few familiar ones too. (for those who enjoy anime)

the soundtrack is insane. almost all the boss osts gave me goosebumps on my playthrough. it really kept me captivated and my experience elevated.

gameplay: 9/10

having played quite a bit of action rpgs and mmos before, i'm a big fan of the raiding system and it's elements. gbf relink has a fluid and well-crafted action system that leaves the player satisfied after every fight. personally i really dig the full-burst attack as it really emphasises on a collaborative effort.

variety is great, like how in monhun gameplay varies by weapon, in gbf relink it varies by character. characters are very in-depth in their individual mechanics and personally it's really fun discovering a new character's kit for the first time.

have to state that multiplayer runs very smoothly as well for the few times i've tried it so far.

replayability: 9.5/10

with these games, i often adopt a very completionist mindset where i want to collect every achievement, max every weapon/characters, etc.

with how the game is stylised similar to monhun, completing quests and killing bosses repeatedly is something i really enjoy. additionally, nothing is timegated so it really does appeal to people who occasionally may not have the time to log on (me too sometimes) and allows you to progress at your own pace.

despite probably not being a live-service game, i'm sure cygames will pump out significant updates in the future; so hopefully we'll enjoy more content down the road.

final thoughts

the game's great and is a must-cop for any action-rpg fan: i can definitely foresee myself dumping hundreds of hours into completing the game in the future.

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