It really has been a pleasure to get to check out such a wide variety of RPGs on the Switch and Switch 2 over the past generation plus. While there are specific series that I’ve been able to enjoy over the years, I’d either skipped over or missed many others, even ones I’d always heard good things about. Being a bit more green in that regard, while my views haven’t been informed by a deeper understanding of each individual franchise, as someone who has simply played a great variety of games from publishers both big and small, I am at least happy to share my thoughts from a more broad perspective. My hope is that I can at least then help out people like me who aren’t knee deep in everything, and are just hoping to enjoy a well-made game.

Coming into Granblue Fantasy Relink with absolutely no prior introduction, I’ll admit that I was initially a bit concerned I’d be lost. It’s very clear right off the bat that this isn’t a story happening at the beginning, you’ll instead be jumping into a much larger narrative at a midpoint, a situation that can often alienate newcomers. Much to my surprise though, the developers here have managed to thread the needle by using flashbacks, relatively brief character intros, and some occasional exposition to help fill in the blanks pretty quickly, helping you understand the characters and their relationships at a vital level, and then letting you get to know them as the adventure moves forward. While part of what makes the core characters quite easy to understand is that they generally fall into typical archetypes, they still tend to have enough quirk and personality to help them feel more fleshed out, which is a great touch.

What additionally helps to amp up the fun quite a bit, is that the game’s combat feels refreshingly action-oriented and engaging, throwing aside old-school turn-based play for what can sometimes feel like complete chaos in larger battles, but that will definitely suck you in. With plenty of characters in the initial party to jump into the fray as, and even more available to work with if you’d like, it’s hard to imagine that you won’t be able to find someone who suits your style, and just for fun it’s nice to have the option to change things up whenever it feels like the combat is getting stale. If you’re a fan of beautifully-realized characters and environments, the game’s visuals are sure to be a draw as well, though admittedly when things start to get crowded and a bit crazy with skills and special attacks triggering, there can be a loss of some of the game’s typical smoothness. The value proposition here leans much more on engaging combat and the adventure of it all while it lasts, with overall longevity, and the scope of the game’s story being on the weaker end of the spectrum. Regardless, there’s a spirit of fun here that’s refreshing and that I haven’t typically encountered in this space, helping it to stand out on at least some of its merits.