Rollback netcode on the other hand can handle these further connections better, but many Japanese developed fighters still don’t make use of it. ![]() A match against someone outside my country can sometimes feel like playing underwater, as we slowly push through the delay to begin the arduous task of hitting each other. For those not in the know, delay-based netcode is suitable for connections that are close to each other, but not so much when you want to play someone over longer distances. Online is where people are going to put their time in, and this is where the most notable issue will crop up: delay-based netcode. I guess hopes rested with that RPG mode, but do I really have to tell you that the story part of an Arcs System Works game isn’t worth your time? Outside a few admittedly impressive boss fights, the RPG mode is a boring grind that is only worth suffering through to unlock weapon skins, character colours and the 12th fighter to add to the meagre collection. Versus was always going to have characters added, but the publisher announcing that it wants more of your money on top of buying an already malnourished game, likely turned some people off. With only 11 fighters in the base game, it was hardly packed but what did them no favours whatsoever was announcing DLC characters before even the launch of the game. So why is a 2020 game less populated than fighters that came out years ago? I can only speculate as to why, but I think the woes of Versus started when it announced its roster, or to be more precise, its roster number. ![]() I can’t speak as to what it was like during launch, but about half a year in and Versus’ lobbies are pretty much a wasteland, with only the Japan servers seeing consistent activity. Arc System Works continues the trend of making extremely good looking 2.5D fighters. Riding off the success of Dragon Ball FighterZ, you would think that the online community would be just as big if not bigger considering it was the hot new release from a beloved developer – yet, this is not the case. Animations are slick, the world is vibrant and colourful, and the cinematic supers are guaranteed to catch the eye. ![]() And it’s not because of a shortage of effort either, Versus looks incredible, and the whole thing screams high production. In an interview, creative director Tetsuya Fukuhara stated that he wanted Versus to introduce Western audiences to the world of Granblue, a goal that it is arguably failing at. Enter Granblue Fantasy Versus, a joint Cygames and Arc System Works title based on the Granblue Fantasy IP, which has proved popular in Japan. A game that at its very core is fun and exciting to play, yet is brought down by a myriad of other reasons is so annoying because you want to like it, but just quite can’t. Whether through inexperience or lack of budget, a terrible game can be written off and forgotten about, with perhaps its only redeeming qualities being a good showcase in what not to do. There’s a certain frustration in seeing a game not live up to its potential that differs from one that is just plain bad.
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