Granblue Fantasy: Versus director discusses beginner-friendliness, potential arcade and PC versions, more

Following this weekend’s announcement of Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Famitsu spoke with Granblue Fantasy director Tetsuya Fukuhara, who shared further information on the Arc System Works-developed fighting game.

Get the tidbits below.

• We chose Arc System Works because their style with franchises like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue was a good fit with Granblue Fantasy.
• Since we don’t want to alienate [fighting game] beginners and those who aren’t accustomed to games, it won’t be a combo-filled game.
• In order for users who have only played the smartphone game to be able to enjoy the game, all of the special moves can be unleashed with the press of a single button.
• For skilled players, on the other hand, we’re making sure the game has action and strategic depth. We’re utilizing the know-how of Arc System Works, so you can expect something good.
• The game speed is moderate, and the combos are also very simple.
• Currently, the game system is such that difficult elements like juggling and aerials can only be done in very limited situations.
• Abilities and arts from the original game are included as skills. For example, Lancelot’s “Blade Impulse” appears as a special move, and “Weiss Flugel” is activated as an art with a cutscene.
• Gran’s ability “Rage” gradually raises his attack power. Katalina’s “Light Wall” gives her a super armor effect so she can try to counter.
• Effects themed after “Triple Attack,” “HP Recovery,” and “Attribute Attack UP” also exist.
• While we showed off characters with standard abilities in our initial announcement, in the future we will announce characters with more in-your-face abilities.
• We also want to release additional characters as downloadable content.
• Gran is essentially made like to be as he was in the anime. He doesn’t have a job (class) and fights alongside Lyria and Vyrn, so he summons primal beasts for his super special moves.
• The story mode is a major focus. It is an original story for those who haven’t played the smartphone game, but users who played the events of the smartphone game will also be able to get more enjoyment out of it.
• We also want people who don’t like “winning or losing” to be able to play, so we’re thinking about a way for people to play in that regard.
• There is online support. Player matching and ranked matching are planned.
• An arcade release is under consideration. Both Cygames and Arc System Works want to make it happen.
• Development is currently about 60 percent complete. The fundamental components are nearly complete, and from here we’re putting our focus on raising the quality.
• (This applies to both Granblue Fantasy: Relink and Granblue Fantasy: Versus.) We would also like to release for Steam (PC). We already have some titles for PlayStation 4 that are being developed in-house such as the tentatively titled Project Awakening, and as a company we will certainly continue to put our strength into console.

Thanks, Games Talk.