Over the weekend, Cygames allowed a select few to try the closed beta for Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s upcoming expansion, Endless Ragnarok. While the purpose of the beta is to test the game’s new crossplay feature, the improved settings and addition of Beatrix as a playable character make waiting for July 9 much harder.
Crossplay makes playing with friends easier than ever
A new “Crossplay” option has been included in the game’s Online mode, which is found by interacting with any settlement Quest Counter. The option can be adjusted when creating or joining an online session (it is set to “All Platforms” by default).
While the Matchmaking Region option allows you to further customize what players you come across, it was not available in the beta test. Nevertheless, I did not experience any noticeable lag in the online sessions I played with users on my system nor through crossplay (this applies to both sessions where I was the host and when I in other players’ lobbies).
New quality-of-life features make navigating menus and gameplay easier
The Endless Ragnarok beta includes some helpful features in its Game Options menu. For instance, the Gameplay section includes an option that lets controller players switch the “accept” and “cancel” buttons. Likewise, the User Interface section lets you set what face buttons you would like to see on screen (this option is available on the PC version).
Equally helpful are the gameplay features, which include being able to adjust the Battle Effects Intensity (setting this to “Minimal” makes combat exceptionally easier to navigate, especially in multiplayer) and the brightness of the Player Silhouette when characters are hidden behind terrain or enemies.
None of the features mentioned are currently available in Granblue Fantasy: Relink, but given that they’re integral to menu navigation and gameplay, it’s likely they will be added to the base game via a future update for free.
Beatrix is a powerhouse, but the demo is rather limiting
Probably the main reason many players signed up for the beta is Beatrix. As the only new playable character in the beta’s roster, she is as straightforward as they come.
At the heart of Beatrix’s gameplay is her Delta Clock mechanic. By holding down an input, you can switch between passive attack, defense, and healing buffs. Her Delta Clock charges whenever you land combo finishers, allowing you to activate the Undying Blue state when it is full to temporarily increase her attack speed and combos. Undying Blue is activated by holding down the same input for the Delta Clock for a longer duration. You rarely get confused as to whether you’re activating Undying Blue or Delta Clock in the middle of battle, but holding down an input feels clunky and opens Beatrix up to enemy attacks.
As neither Delta Clock nor Undying Blue increases Beatrix’s effective range, most of her skills in the beta allow her to get close to enemies quickly. Unchained lets her quickly dodge up to three times, with each successful dodge against an enemy attack allowing her to follow up with a combo finisher. Riding Free is another gap-closing skill, with Beatrix lunging straight at the enemy with her sword. Though not as far-reaching, Thunderbird has her jumping into the air to avoid ground attacks and slamming down with a stun-dealing kick.
Beatrix has two more skills in the beta, with Star Chaser allowing her to fire a long-range energy slash, and Eternity Loop dealing an area of effect attack that slows down enemies in her vicinity.
These skills showcase Beatrix’s general playstyle, but the beta isn’t a real test of her or any of her companions’ abilities. Only three missions are available, all of which are from the base game and capped at a certain difficulty. Likewise, players are set to level 10 and are provided with preset gear for all of the characters. No loot or experience can be earned from completing missions, which could have helped returning players theory craft builds and new players get a better understanding of Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s core gameplay loop.
Despite the lack of progression and customization, the Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok closed beta test gives players a taste of what Cygames has been working on for two years since the last major update. Crossplay works seamlessly with the other online features, several quality-of-life features make the experience smoother, and Beatrix’s initial gameplay translates to the character’s brash and blunt fighting style. Endless Ragnarok is still a few months away, but from the look of things, the developers seem to be on the right track.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is available for PlayStation 4 and 5, and Windows (Steam). The Endless Ragnarok expansion is set to release on July 9 for the aforementioned platforms, alongside a Nintendo Switch 2 version on the same day.
