Differences Between GBVS and GBVS: Rising

A common complaint about the original fighting game, Granblue Fantasy Versus, is that it never unleashes its full potential. A seed of greatness is here, but it doesn’t grow into a big tree — something is missing everywhere.

The story mode offers tools of a full-fledged RPG but never delivers a proper adventure where you can actually use all of them. The fighting mechanics are interesting and innovative in their accessibility department, but they kind of lack at the high level of play, having rather limited options for scaling your fighting creativity. Online matchmaking features are quite solid but still under-delivering, like having no way to interact with your opponent/play partner and a too basic ranking system.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising effectively addresses these issues, helping the idea of a great game come true. Has it succeeded with this? The enhanced version/sequel certainly has to prove itself in the long run. Right now, we can only highlight the differences it has in comparison to game one and summarize how these differences help the franchise unleash its potential in the fighting genre.

Story Mode

Probably, we all can agree that story modes are not as significant in fighting games as the real matches. But stories are quite helpful for introducing the world and its inhabitants, for meeting the characters and learning some basic mechanics.

GBVS Rising includes and continues the original RPG Mode. The adventure has three parts and it invites players to take a deep dive into the Granblue Fantasy world.

A bigger story is one of the substantial differences between these two games.

Arcade Mode

Here we have a fighting games classic. You can choose a character and then lead them through a series of fights vs CPU. A boss waits in the end, and a special ending may be unlocked.

This is a pretty decent destination for training before facing real opponents.

Fighting Mechanics

This part of the game has got really good improvements. 

Ultimate Skill

Fights in GBVSR are still quite accessible, and it’s good news. We have the same alternative input for Specials (Skills) and Supers (Skybound Arts), which doesn’t require complicated quarter-circles or Dragon Punches. This option comes at a cost, as the simplified Skill input requires more time for Specials to recharge.

Skills in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising have a unique version.

• Ultimate Skill — it’s a strengthened Special that can be activated by adding the Unique Attack button to the usual input (for example, 236U or S+U). Ultimate Skills cost 50% of Skybound Gauge. 

Triple Attacks 

Another beginner-friendly feature in both games is auto-combo by repeatedly pressing the Light, Medium, or Heavy attack button. In Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, it has a different name and some extra features.

• Triple Attacks — they basically are the same auto-combos that work at close range and have Standing and Crouching versions. The difference is that you can have a Triple Attack Ender, a follow-up after the second hit with Forward + L/M/H. The Light version is safe on block. The Medium one is low, and the Heavy Triple Attack Ender is an overhead. Only L can be canceled into Skills.

Dash Attack

The game Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising allows players to quickly close the gap between characters and start offense — thanks to Dash Attacks. This mechanic has three different versions.

• Dash Attack — it can be activated by pressing Forward + L/M/H while dashing. The Light version is just a quick attack to start your offense immediately after Dash. The Medium variant can be low or overhead, depending on your character. Heavy Dash Attacks are the slowest but also the most damaging with the possibility to start a combo.

Bravery Points

It’s a new resource in GBVSR that works in a pretty unique way — even in comparison to other fighting games. 

At the start of every round, both players get 3 Bravery Points. 

Player spend/lose Bravery Points:

• 1 for activating Raging Strike

• 1 for activating Brave Counter

• 1 for getting hit by Skybound Arts

• 2 for getting hit by Super Skybound Arts

• 1 for being guard crushed by a Raging Strike

Players recover Bravery Points:

• 1 for successfully landing Skybound Arts / Super Skybound Arts

Having no Bravery Points at all is not a good idea. Your character will be absolutely defenseless after getting hit by a Raging Strike (no way to use Brave Counter).

Raging System

This new mechanic uses Bravery Points as the main resource, so despite it being quite powerful and effective, you should consider the cost. 

• Raging Strike — is an unblockable attack that puts a victim into the Guard Crush state and makes them vulnerable to follow-ups. Raging Strike is activated by pressing M+H, and it costs 1 Bravery Point.

• Raging Chain — you can get more damage from Ragin Strike if you follow it up with Raging Chain. It costs 25% of the SBA gauge. The input is M+H right after M+H of your Raging Strike.

Brave Counter

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising introduces a new defensive option that helps you turn an opponent’s offense against them.

• Brave Counter — it’s a mighty counter-attack that can be activated by pressing M+H during block or while being in the Guard Crush state. The cost is 1 Bravery Point.

Online Features

We have quite a few improvements here, with some of them being really practical and some just fun.

Crossplay between PC and PlayStation is quite important to support active online lobbies and decrease time for opponent search.

Rollback Netcode is simply essential for modern fighting games, as it’s a great way to have no/minimum lags while playing even with distant opponents.

Online Ranking is connected to a character. That means you gain experience and ranks for every fighter, and one doesn’t affect another. It’s a practical feature, as you may want to switch to a new character and not face strong opponents like with your (previous) main.

Casual Matches don’t affect your Versus Rank, and may be a great destination for practicing and having fun.

Room Matches allow players to have private parties. For example, this feature can be used for organizing tournaments.

Lobbies

Improved lobbies are going to be a big part of online experience in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. They are bigger and have a few different sections:

• Game Stations are located in the middle of the main island. It’s a place to play with other people.
• Arcade — it’s also a place to play GBVSR, but its design is different, repeating the style of arcade halls. This place has a special balloon to beat if you feel frustrated (say, after a lost match).
• Floating Islands surround the main one. Players have gliders to reach them and look for some secrets (like hidden game stations).
• The Grandcypher is a big airship for players to explore.
• Soccer Field — what about a fun match with a big ball and somewhat clumsy avatars? Just head to the field, maybe someone is waiting for you there.
• Friends can meet each other in the Cafe.
• Photo Ops has character stands to take pictures with them.

Grand Bruise Legends!

This part of online experience in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising seems to be based on the social element of the original MMORPG. Players will find here a few mini-games to compete and hang-out.

• Rising Royale is a race with tricky obstacles.
• In Gold Brick Hoarder, teams should collect more gold to win.
• Blast King is filled with explosions, and the last one remaining on the destroyed platforms wins.
• Golem Defense Force is a co-op shooting mini-game, where teams battle NPC golems.

Training 

This place is where serious players spend quite a lot of their time — to get prepared for destroying opponents.

Training options in Granblue Fantasy Versus are quite alright. The original game has Missions to introduce its fighting system to beginners.

GBVS: Rising has added enhanced features for advanced players.

• Frame info — thanks to the coloring scheme, you can see frame data without the numbers. If your character is blue, you have an advantage with that move. If they are red, that move is unsafe.
• Combo Practice — it’s an essential section for boosting your combo-skills. The game has combos for each character, for various situations, and of different difficulty levels.
• Situational Training creates specific situations that may happen in real matches, so you can practice what to do in them. Some missions here are simple and teach you essential basics. Others allow you to move to match-up info and character strategies.

Every character gets a breakdown in GBVS: Rising. It’s a description of their fighting style and abilities.

Journal and Figure Studio

These two new game sections are rather for side entertainment, when players want to have fun beyond fights and feel some progression within the title.

Journal has a collection of stories, images, and music connected to the Granblue Fantasy world. Various pieces can be unlocked by just playing the game.

Figure Studio is an in-game graphics editor with many flexible tools to adjust characters and backgrounds. Players need to purchase elements in a special store. The currency can be earned by playing the game.

New Characters

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising has the whole roster of the first game. In addition to this, four new characters join the party on the release. They are:

• Anila
• Siegfried
• Nier
• Grimnir

Of course, GBVSR gets DLC characters that will be released later. The first one in Season 1 Pass was revealed recently:

• Lucilius

Visuals

In general, Granblue Fantasy Versus is a very beautiful game thanks to its unique anime style. But the developers bring improvements even in this dimension.

The enhanced visuals of GBVSR are certainly an aspect to experience directly in the game instead of reading about it.

The release date of Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is December 14, 2023. 

For more information on this game, check out our article Everything You Need To Know About GBVSR.