Granblue Fantasy: Versus

If you've never heard of the Granblue Fantasy series before now, you're probably not alone. The mobile role-playing series from Cygames has been a huge hit in Japan for more than six years now, but it's so far failed to find a niche for itself in the States, which, oddly enough, actually works in Granblue Fantasy: Versus' favor. Without any preconceived notions or expectations to measure up to, it's an opportunity to introduce the franchise's unique flavor to a whole new audience. It doesn't hurt that the fighting mechanics have been handled by Arc Systems Works, the folks behind the hit BlazBlue and Guilty Gear fighting games. Using similar gameplay mechanics, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is surprisingly easy to pick up and play, with basic combos that string together smoothly. It's great for beginners looking to feel like they're brawling champs, while those with more experience can start to pick up on the nuances of the game's timing to show off that there's more involved than button mashing.

As much fun as the fighting in Granblue Fantasy: Versus can be, it's not perfect by any means. For starters, when playing the solo story mode, the game shifts from a fighting game to more of a side-scrolling beat-'em-up style of play. Players take on swarms of enemies, broken up by the occasional boss fight. It's a boring and repetitive shift on gameplay that's just not a lot of fun. If not for the fact that this is the only way to expand on the characters' story in any significant way, this would be a mode best ignored in the grand scheme of things. Besides, actually fighting in the standard versus modes more than makes up for the story mode's shortcomings.