Does Granblue Fantasy: Relink have romance options?

Granblue Fantasy: Relink is categorized as an action-RPG and that hugely popular label has grown into something that brings along a quite a few expectations. One of the most consistent hopes from any RPG game is for the inclusion of romance options.

In the case of Granblue Fantasy: Relink, it’s best to curb your expectations before they get too high.

Can you romance characters in Granblue Fantasy: Relink?

Unfortunately for lovebirds out there, the closest you can get to romancing characters in Granblue Fantasy: Relink is head-cannon and fan ships, which are prolific for this universe. Part of the reason fan ships are so prolific is that despite the game being a story driven party based RPG, you cannot romance any of the 18 recruitable allies in the game.

This might come as especially disappointing news if you’re familiar with some of the lore behind the game, as Gran (the male protagonist player character) and Lyria (the community’s favorite companion to ship with Gran) literally cannot ever be too far away from one another, or they’ll both die.

At the same time, being familiar with the lore probably means you’re familiar with previous Granblue Fantasy games, and that in turn means it would be a little odd if you were expecting romance options out of Relink. At this point, “RPG” might as well just mean any game that isn’t a MOBA, FPS, or racing game given how little the term actually means about a game’s mechanics and design structure. Granblue Fantasy: Relink may be an RPG, but it is nothing like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Dragon Age where you can make different decisions that shape the story and relationships of the world. In fact, you can’t even customize your character in this game.

You will be “role playing,” sure, but you will be role playing as either Gran or Djeeta, and they don’t pull or switch up their hairstyles.