Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising - Arcade Mode (Djeeta)

Purchase the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2157560/Granblue_Fantasy_Versus_Rising/

"You're asking me to pony up 767k IDR? With no regional pricing? Shit, I spent all that money on stuff that I didn't end up liking. I'll wait until I have enough to hop on the Standard Edition, but for now... Wait, the Free Edition has Arcade Mode? Yeah, I'm gonna make this work..."

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works and Cygames, being not only a spin-off game of the latter company's popular RPG gacha game (that being Granblue Fantasy), but also a sequel game to the previously-released Granblue Fantasy: Versus (although this game feels more like a major overhaul than a proper sequel gameplay-wise). Released around December 2023, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising keeps its predecessor's gameplay (slightly slow-paced, more footsies-reliant than other anime-styled fighting games, special moves ("Skills") are locked behind cooldowns, lengthy combos with the right resources, etc) but changes and adds several mechanics in the game.

For a start, you now have dash attacks (while running, 6 + any normal attack button). These come in three flavors depending on which button you use - pressing light dash attacks (L) are fast and safe on block, medium dash attacks (M) hits overhead or low depending on the character (Djeeta's medium dash attack hits low, for example), and heavy dash attacks (H) could either crumple your opponent or side-swap, but are unsafe on block. Autocombos ("Triple Attacks") now also have mixup options - pressing forward + M or forward + H ends your autocombos with a low or an overhead respectively.

Added to this game is a new resource for you to keep an eye on, which is Bravery Points. You start with three points at the beginning of a round, and they are used when specific moves are done, or if you're hit by any super attacks (either Skybound Arts or Super Skybound Arts). Raging Strikes (MH, uses one Bravery Point) is a slow, guard-crushing attack that either crumples (on first hit) or launches (in combos) your opponent (if you are guard-crushed by a Raging Strike, you lose one Bravery Point) and can be connected with a Raging Chain (after a successful Raging Strike, MH, uses 25% of Skybound Gauge), which crumples (if guard-crushed) or ground-bounces (during a combo) your opponent, allowing you to extend your combos. Meanwhile, a Brave Counter (when blocking/guard crushed, MH, uses one Bravery Point) is a get-off-me counter that sends the opponent away.

On the topic of super attacks, you now have more ways to use your meter (the aforementioned Skybound Gauge). In addition to Raging Strikes, you can also do an Ultimate Skill, which are powerful, buffed versions of existing skills that have different properties. These special moves require 50% of your Skybound Gauge (but will refund a portion of the meter only if done raw) and can be done even when a Skill is on cooldown, but the resulting attacks do less damage (in addition to extra damage scaling if used in combos). Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising also removes Overdrive and both Tactical Moves from the previous game.

Overall, with rollback netcode finally in the game and even a free version of the game available (although you're only limited to four characters (comprising of Gran and three other characters that change each week) and some features are limited) this is perhaps the best Granblue Fantasy Versus has ever been. The new mechanics now feel more useful and practical compared to previous entries, and while I partly wished that the cooldown system would've been worked away with, the game still feels fun to play. Now if only the price of the Standard Edtion on Steam was more forgiving...

This game's Arcade Mode is similar to Granblue Fantasy: Versus - seven opponents, you get to choose your first opponent as well as the difficulty for each opponent in-game (although this is limited to the settings below or above your current difficulty), and you face off against Beezelbub as your final opponent, who in this game seems to be based on his playable variant (instead of being a special CPU-only boss variant like in the previous game). However, if you manage to get past six opponents while finishing them off with a Skybound Art or a Super Skybound Art for at least six rounds without losing a single round, you'll face off a buffed version of Avatar Belial as your seventh opponent.

Finish him off without losing a single round (again), and you'll fight Lucilius next as a bonus opponent. He is supposed to be added as this game's first DLC character later down the line, but for now, he serves as Arcade Mode's true final boss. Like Avatar Belial, he hits like a truck, though Lucilius sometimes decides not to be on the offensive (or even block), which allows even a clearly nervous ziodyne44 (who dropped a combo previously and still hasn't forgiven himself for doing so) to walk away winning.

Видео Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising - Arcade Mode (Djeeta) канала ziodyne44