Nothing says ‘the power of friendship’ like walloping people with ruddy great swords.
The world on the verge of destruction? A magical damsel in distress? A sword as tall and wide as a fridge-freezer? Must be an RPG! Although this series is now ten years old, it’s thus far failed to make much of an impact in most English-speaking countries. This might end up being the game to change that.
It can’t be denied that Granblue Fantasy: Relink hits a lot of very familiar story beats: the fragilelooking child with enormous power; the mysterious swordsman; the mother figure named Lilith who threatens the very nature of existence itself; and the My Little Pony-style messaging about the power of friendship to name a few. Nonetheless, it’s all wrapped up in a story with the cohesion and charm that a surprising number of RPGs fail to achieve.