Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok screenshot
Image: Cygames

What if Monster Hunter was Bayonetta? That's the question that Granblue Fantasy: Relink posed to the world in 2024. Now, with today's release of the long-awaited Endless Ragnarok expansion, developers Cygames (a studio featuring several ex-Platinum developers) ask, 'And what if we snuck Bayonetta 3's summoning magic into the mix?'

The answer to the first question was, coincidentally, 'it would be one of the best action-RPGs of the past few years'. A spectacular, maximalist party-based hack n' slash adventure based on the popular (if simplistic) gacha mobile phenomenon. It also plays a whole lot like Bayonetta, slow-mo dodges, giant bosses and all, which checks out as it was originally developed in-house at Platinum before the project (and some of the staff) moved over to Cygames' Osaka office, based just minutes from Platinum's HQ.

Relink was effectively two games in one. A 12-15 hour cinematic story adventure (in classic Platinum fashion) followed by a Monster Hunter-inspired endgame that could easily span upwards of a hundred hours, all without any gacha elements, but with plenty of party members to unlock. Today's Endless Ragnarok expansion is mostly focused on bulking up the latter half of that equation, with six new playable characters and new missions, bosses, and greater endgame difficulty tiers held together with a smattering of new story beats.

The new mechanic that most catches my eye is the new summoning system, which reminds me more than a little of Bayonetta 3's big monster fights. Bosses can be captured and collected, providing the option to tag out with them, letting your party sit back while you control a kaiju-sized monster to brawl head-to-head with the many colossi of the endgame.

Beyond that, the expansion adds full cross-platform multiplayer for easier co-op matchmaking and new ways to level up and boost your characters past their original limits. Oh, and the Conflux, a new single-player roguelike mode that rewards rare forging and sigil upgrade materials. You can see a full breakdown of the new stuff in the lengthy overview video below.

If you'll allow me some digression, Granblue Fantasy (as a setting) still feels significant. It was one of the first big mobile games to embrace the idea that it's okay for games to be shamelessly horny, so long as they're fully inclusive. There are as many bare-chested catboys as there are ladies with improbably large swords (what did you think I was going to say?) and even several distinct kinds of trans representation in the main cast, which probably explains its broad success on mobile, despite its simple mechanics.

Simple is not a word I'd use to describe Relink, though. Accessible compared to Platinum's mainline action games, perhaps (if you've played a Bayonetta or two, I recommend starting on Hard mode), but with complex party-based combat and lots of multi-phase boss fights to hack through. A formula that promises to grow even more involved today.

The only real down-side to today's release is price. The original Granblue Relink is available on Steam for £35/$40, with no sale discount, while the Endless Ragnarok upgrade costs £25/$30 by itself, or £50/$60 for the complete game. As for the other DLC, I recommend skipping, especially the boosters and early unlocks which just defeat the entire purpose of the endgame's Monster Hunter-like progression. Oh, and no knowledge of the mobile game is needed to enjoy it - each playable character has a set of side-quests that fill in their backstory.