Reflecting on my time with Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising evoked a mixed bag of exhilaration and nostalgia, tempered with a critical eye towards both its innovations and setbacks in the fighting game genre. My journey through its vibrant world and my countless battles against both AI and human opponents have provided a deep appreciation for its mechanics, as well as a critical understanding of why mere button mashing will never substitute for true skill and strategy.
At its core, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising enhances the already accessible mechanics introduced in the original Granblue Fantasy Versus. The game’s simplified control scheme—a blessing for genre newcomers—uses four buttons that correspond to light, medium, heavy, and unique attacks. This approachable setup is key to lowering the entry barrier, but it’s the depth beyond these basics that captures the soul of strategic fighting. Each character not only possesses unique special moves but also variations influenced by additional button presses, offering a level of tactical flexibility that rewards thoughtful play over chaotic button mashing.
The game introduces new elements like unique versions of each special move and a guard break feature, which significantly alter the dynamics of a match. This evolution of mechanics demands a more nuanced understanding of timing and opponent prediction, something that button mashing simply can’t achieve. In the realm of fighting games, especially one as finely tuned as Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, every action, from a basic jab to a full-blown Skybound Art, has consequences and opportunities.
Button mashing—haphazardly pressing buttons in hopes of landing hits—might provide momentary success against less skilled opponents or AI under certain settings, but it falters miserably against anyone with a modicum of understanding of the game’s deeper tactical elements. True proficiency emerges from mastering the timing, reach, and potential follow-up of each attack, turning what might seem like simple exchanges into intricate dances of offense and defense. Each character’s movements and attacks are designed with specific strengths and vulnerabilities; understanding these is crucial for exploiting moments of weakness in an opponent’s play.
For instance, Narmaya, my preferred character, offers a rich suite of adaptable moves that can be devastating when executed with precision and forethought. Her ability to switch stances and vary attack patterns can outmaneuver opponents who rely on the unpredictability and randomness of button mashing. The satisfaction of chaining a well-planned series of attacks into a devastating combo that leverages her unique stance dynamics is a chess-like pleasure that button mashing can never provide.
Online play, significantly improved in Rising with the introduction of stable netcode, brings these points into even sharper relief. Here, in the digital arena, strategies are tested against human cunning and reflexes. The efficiency of simple inputs coupled with strategic use of the game’s more complex systems, like the guard break and enhanced special moves, means that understanding the nuance of each character and matchup is more rewarding—and necessary—than ever.
However, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is not without its flaws. The decision to streamline the RPG elements of the original’s story mode, though reducing grind, also strips some character-building depth, leaving a more straightforward but less enriching single-player experience. The balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for veterans is a challenging one to strike, and while Rising makes commendable strides, it sometimes feels like it swings too far in one direction or the other.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a continuation of a philosophy that fighting games can be both accessible and deeply strategic. The clear lesson here is that button mashing, while occasionally fun, is fundamentally inferior to the rewards of mastering a game’s mechanics. As in any complex skill, from martial arts to musical instruments, true proficiency in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising—and indeed, in any fighting game—comes from a deep understanding and deliberate practice, not from random, chaotic inputs.
