Granblue Fantasy Relink is the stylish-action gift that keeps on giving, and I can't wait for more

I had been told to expect great things from Granblue Fantasy: Relink. I was still surprised multiple times over the course of its campaign alone by just how much I loved it, and that's only the start of a vast action game that extends its endgame out for essentially as many hours as you feel like investing in it. I'm naturally overjoyed that we're getting a beefy expansion this summer, but don't wait for Endless Ragnarok to come - what's already here is more than worth your time.

Building on a decade of lore from its browser-based JRPG sibling, Granblue Fantasy: Relink strikes a smart balance of presenting its story in a way anyone can follow, but offering you the inroads to learn about its grander world and character backgrounds if you want. The more narratively driven main quest is approximately 12-15 hours, depending upon how many side missions you stop to solve along the way. It's the combat that's the real draw here, however, fusing tight action with an incredibly diverse playable roster and a long-form grind reminiscent of Monster Hunter.

The 'story' is really an extended introduction to the fundamentals, albeit one that pits you in intense duels with noble warriors, telekinetic sword-slingers, and one titanic war-robot that delivers a satisfying showdown at a scale that would make Shadow of the Colossus blush. I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way through that particular fight, and that's something that's very hard to achieve when you shift the perspective of combat so fundamentally, which typically results more in frustration than fun.

The real majesty of Relink is in its sheer depth and scale. If you like character action games or the drawn-out duels of the Monster Hunter series, you'll find something to love here. Alongside its main protagonist, you can switch between 18 other playable allies (plus three more as optional paid DLC). Every single one brings a unique playstyle to the table, complete with their own weapon combos and skills that you can use to build their loadout.

Get in the thick of things with Katalina's precision sword strikes, or poke from range with Ferry's whip attacks and summoned pets. Leap into the sky and come crashing down with Zeta's flaming divebombs. Wield flashy spells and explosive mimics as Caligostro. Bring Eugen in to snipe at your foes' weak spots and break body parts. Or opt for the big beefcakes and crush your enemies underfoot with the raw, brute strength of Ghandagoza's fists and Vaseraga's great scythe.

Push deeper into Relink's endgame and you'll need to really start to learn what every member of your team can do, and select allies (whether human or computer-controlled) that complement your playstyle to join you in the action. The mass group battles demand a level of smart positioning and space control akin to Ninja Gaiden 4 and Devil May Cry, while the bigger bosses must be studied and countered with coordinated team assaults as you find their weaknesses. Swapping your lead or squadmates often totally transforms how an encounter plays out, and you could spend hours perfecting each of them in turn.

The grind to the very top is long, but if you make it that far, it'll be because you're fully locked in on mastering the beautifully interlocking systems Relink brings to the table, and the bonus story threads it teases out as you reach key progression milestones. If you don't go all the way, you'll still have experienced a dozen hours of a high-octane story campaign, plus however many of its endgame activities take your fancy. Those who catch the Relink bug could easily lose hundreds of hours here, however, and that's before we factor in the upcoming expansion that was recently announced.

Granblue Fantasy Relink: Endless Ragnarok launches Thursday July 9. It promises a wealth of new solo and co-op activities, including the Conflux challenge mode. Master traits and summons will expand its tactical boundaries, and Cygames even promises that crossplay will be extended across all platforms. But keep your eyes on Steam, because the base game can frequently be found on sale with discounts reaching 60% off, and you won't find much more bang for your buck than that.