Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok is an upcoming large expansion to the well-received Granblue Fantasy: Relink. One of the features that looks especially fun is a roguelike mode with level ups in the typical fashion of “draw three, pick one” from the upgrades. Before its scheduled July 9th launch for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Steam, Cubed3 took part in a closed beta over the weekend, testing out crossplay multiplayer functionality, and going hands-on with new character Beatrix.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an action JPRG where players control a team of four characters as they battle through dungeons. It is a competent game, with the only notable criticism being that the single-player story comes in on the shorter end of the spectrum at around 15-20 hours. However, the real content is in various quests and boss rushes that easily push that number out past 70-100.
Cubed3 was recently able to try out some of the content of major expansion Endless Ragnarok. The main purpose was to test crossplay between Steam and console, with modes and features beyond this being limited. The preview placed players in the central hub where they could set up a quest and either host or join other parties. Players were set to level 10 with some basic skills and equipment. While there were initial issues, the actual battles did not have any lag and were very smooth.
Normally in single-player gameplay, the player controls the entire squad, but here only a single character is taken hold of, with the rest controlled by other players or bots. Getting into a room went okay, although there were a few hiccups that popped up with different error codes. Eventually it was possible to get into other people’s games, and once in, there were no problems.
The battles were fun in their huge, chaotic and sweeping nature. Trying out new character Beatrix, she is an exciting and nimble sword fighter whose special involves changing what type of buffs her attacks have. Her moves are entirely melee focused, with several specials designed to get in and stay close to the enemy, providing a more aggressive playstyle that can become even more formidable after receiving extra buffs from other players’ characters.
The boss fights involve about 10- 15-minute slogs against huge foes with various moves, specials, and stages. In one battle with a huge skeleton, certain attacks like slashes or smashes were telegraphed by red on the ground before it connects.
While there is some light support others can do for each other, don’t expect a full MMO type of experience with dedicated healers, buffers, and so on, as each character is a fighter, and it’s mostly four people bashing on a boss in unison. Overall, while the beta test here was limited in scope, the Endless Ragnarok content for Granblue Fantasy: Relink is extremely promising.
