If you happen to requested me to make a listing of one of the best RPGs of the 2020s thus far, you’d most likely see a lot of the video games you’d count on namechecked. Certain, I’d point out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elden Ring, and Baldur’s Gate 3, however let me throw a curveball at you. Granblue Fantasy: Relink may simply crack my high 5, even leaping among the award-winning heavy hitters.
It’s not the most well-liked opinion, I do know. However I really feel extra assured in it than ever, because of the RPG’s colossal new replace. Granblue Fantasy: Relink — Infinite Ragnarok brings a wave of latest content material to the sport, together with a roguelike mode, summons, and difficult new story missions. It additionally brings the motion RPG to Nintendo Swap 2, an ideal platform for a recreation break up into compact missions you can full in comparatively brief pick-up-and-play classes. Whether or not you’re returning to your crew of maxed-out characters or beginning for the primary time, Infinite Ragnarok cements Granblue Fantasy: Relink as an underrated trendy RPG stuffed to the brim with pizzazz.
First launched in 2024, Granblue Fantasy: Relink reimagined the cell Granblue collection as a premium console recreation devoid of microtransactions. You may nonetheless discover traces of its origins in its huge forged of playable characters and resource-heavy level-up methods, however you by no means needed to spend an additional dime on gacha pulls. That was sufficient of a cause to attempt it; I simply did not count on to develop into obsessive about it for a spell.
Relink’s energy doesn’t come from its story (I can barely let you know what occurs), however in its spectacularly over-the-top motion. Battles towards large dragons and towering desert golems rival Final Fantasy 16’s awe-inspiring summon fights, they usually present loads of alternative to toy round with every character’s distinctive toolset. Within the two years since I final logged in, I had forgotten simply how in a different way every character performs; it’s nearly like a combating recreation roster positioned into the context of an motion RPG. With a number of development layers, some extremely troublesome end-game monsters to slay, and sometimes charming facet tales about every character to unlock, it’s an interesting general bundle.
In constructing on that basis, Infinite Ragnarok goes for broke. The DLC gives up a brand new set of story missions, which largely quantity to a collection of fights towards souped-up bosses on a “Chaos” problem constructed for maxed-out characters. I’ll be sincere: As a lapsed participant, leaping into that new content material felt like attempting to grasp astrophysics after taking a high-school science class 20 years in the past. Relink is so dense with numbers and assets that I could not probably hope to regain my footing. Its story content material additionally begins with one hell of a ability examine constructed for the RPG’s most devoted Degree 100 troopers.
Irrespective of, as a result of Infinite Ragnarok subsists on a scrumptious type of sensory overload. That first battle, the place my get together needed to show itself by sparring towards a tag staff duo, was an explosion of sound and fury — and the thrills solely go up from there. Shortly after, my get together gained the flexibility to set summons by way of a brand new gauge, briefly giving me management of large ice monsters and stone beasts that make battles really feel even larger. It’s a ridiculous new layer on high of a mechanically dense fight system that already feels prefer it’s cranked to 11. And it even goes one step additional by enhancing my get together’s Full Burst assault with a follow-up final assault. Sure, after your entire characters pull off their Skybound Arts in sequence and execute a quadruple assault that takes over your complete display, you’re additionally handled to a fast cinematic of a dragon blasting your enemy with an infinite laser beam. It’s downright a maniacal stage of overkill.
Developer Cygames’ design philosophy appears to be “there isn’t any energy ceiling.” Infinite Ragnarok escalates every thing it will probably, no matter how absurdly overpowered you suppose you might be. Oh, you’ve gotten your entire characters to their max stage, upgraded all of their weapons, and accomplished each ability tree? Properly, now you’ll be able to carry out “weapon transcendence” to interrupt your energy cap much more. Infinite Ragnarok performs like a dare: I guess you’ll be able to’t make your heroes much more highly effective, coward. Mission accepted — now watch me kill the shit out of this hermit crab by sumo wrestling it out of an enviornment.
Whereas I recognize having extra battles like that to push my get together even additional, there are solely so many occasions I can grind the identical finish bosses, solely now on Chaos++ problem. (That appears like a shitpost, however it is extremely actual.) Cygames’ resolution to that burnout is The Conflux, Infinite Ragnarok’s new roguelike mode. No surprises right here: You’ll combat by way of a collection of enviornment battles, selecting up run-specific perks alongside the way in which. Whereas it’s not essentially the most creative use of the style, it’s a giant addition for Relink. It offers gamers who’ve already reached the mountaintop a brand new technique to check their abilities and check out busted builds not obtainable anyplace else. It’s additionally an awesome mode for informal gamers who can’t sustain with the countless energy creep. It’s the type of side-activity that Relink has wanted since its launch, and it’s particularly excellent for the RPG’s Swap 2 debut.
I’ve solely begun to dig into all of this 50-scoop sundae. There’s rather a lot to mess around with, particularly with the addition of six new characters. (I’ve been gravitating in the direction of Eustace most thus far, a long-range gunner who can shoot and roll dodge in a single movement.) Infinite Ragnarok doesn’t do a lot to show Relink right into a narratively participating story, however it’s certain as hell sufficient to let it grasp on to the title of “Most Additional RPG” for an additional 12 months. Your transfer, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation.
