This week, Granblue Fantasy: Relink received a demo on PS4 and PS5, and it’s proven to be so good that players who didn’t know what the franchise was before trying it have wishlisted. Furthermore, the demo has spared a conversation about why more games need them prior to release.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is the latest entry in the Granblue Fantasy franchise, one that fans have been waiting several years for. It’s an action RPG that blends anime and JRPG action to make something unique that’s managed to adopt a hardcore fan base that devours every release. With the recent launch of the game’s demo, fans are eagerly playing through every inch of the game world to explore it as much as possible. The demo has even turned the heads of those who have never played before, and it’s gotten them all talking about game demos in general.
Related: Granblue Fantasy: Relink System Requirements Explained
Fans Are Reminded of How Good Demos Are After Playing Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s
The demo for Granblue Fantasy: Relink has only been available for a day or so, but it’s already got players talking. While most of the conversations are about how good the game is going to be based on this small demo slice, a wider debate about how essential demos are is also picking up speed.
Today, content creator Limitless posted about how much they enjoyed the demo for Granblue Fantasy: Relink. “I didn’t even have Granblue Fantasy: Relink on my radar until yesterday, so that should tell you all you need to know about demos.” Their post added that Demos should be a thing for all games and how they believe it helped fans be more willing to play Final Fantasy 16.
The conversation in the replies is definitely one to read through. “As someone born in the 90s, I cannot f**king believe I’m reading this sentence.” People like us who have been alive long enough to remember picking up demo discs in magazines are gushing about how they want them back.
Every comment shows one thing: that someone went into the demo with an expectation and has come away knowing that the game either is or isn’t for them. For the most part, it’s converting players into fans, which is precisely what a demo should do.
“I went into Relink expecting a fun, button mashy ARPG. I came out feeling like I played Monster Hunter, where the characters are the unique mechanics instead of the weapons. The demo was perfect for showing off both single and multiplayer content, and I’m excited for more!”
We believe, and based on the replies in this thread, so do many others, that demos should make more of a return. There’s evidence here that suggests they convert to more sales, and putting a slice of a game out there allows anticipation to build, so the full release makes more of a splash.
How to Play the Granblue Fantasy: Relink Demo
Fans can play the Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo on PS4 and PS5 by downloading it from the PlayStation Store. Note that progress from the demo doesn’t carry over to the main game because the demo may be slightly different from the full release. We’re unsure what will change, but if anything, that just makes it even more worth playing.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink will be released on February 1, 2024, so there’s not much time for players to dig in before the final version is out. Demos like this one often end up being referenced in the future for the changes they feature and what that means for the game’s story and lore. We love having these demos on a console because they could be useful for preservation one day.
